A war is forming around Fraser’s Ridge, a slow-burn build-up to a revolution that Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Brianna (Sophie Skelton), Roger (Richard Rankin), and now Jamie (Sam Heughan) know is coming. But many of The Ridge have experienced conflict in their own country of Scotland, and suspicions and superstitions always are inflamed prior to a conflict. So begins episode 606 “The World Turned Upside Down”, with Roger Mac giving a sermon in which he tries to use the bible to illustrate how people should not allow fear and superstitions to cloud their good judgment. Of course, we know that this will be ignored for the most part, as especially the fisher-folk are very superstitious and look to Tom Christie as their leader.
After the sermon, Roger remarks ” Has anyone seen the MacNeill’s lately?” It’s not like them to miss a Sunday service. Claire remarks that she and Brianna can look in on them to see if a health issue is keeping them away. Brianna remarks that it shouldn’t be a problem getting Malva to come, she rarely leaves Claire’s side. Claire admits to missing Marsali as her assistant and hopes that her and Fergus’ new life in New Bern as printers is working out for them. Jamie is remorseful for not seeing the solution sooner, Fergus needed to provide for his family.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Lizzie, Claire, Brianna, and Malva arrive at the MacNeill’s cabin and see the yard in disarray. There are Corbies on the roof and as Lizzie remarks, ” There’s something dead nearby.” helpful as always, there is a stench of death on the wind. Claire whips her troops into action, barking out orders as they enter the fetid cabin and open all the windows to get the light in. They discover several children, Mr. and Mrs. MacNeill are all ill. Mr. MacNeill tells Claire it’s the Bloody Flux. Malva takes the baby out of the crib and tries to revive the baby (hint: very un- characteristic for her since she is never really seen with any of the children on the settlement), Claire orders the boiling of water. Mrs. MacNeill dies after Malva cries out that the baby is dead.
Later, Claire shows Malva an amoeba under the microscope that is the culprit. She is determined to find the source and how it got into the water supply for the cabin. Malva is all too eager to assist. Over the course of the next few weeks, there are many cases on The Ridge, and during a burial service, Claire, Jamie, Brianna, and Roger, who is comforting the families. Claire becomes weak and faints in Jamie’s arms.
Storm Clouds, My Heart, and a Snake
Claire falls very ill with all family members, and Malva never leaves her side, even refusing to go home when it is late and her brother comes to fetch her. In Claire’s delirium she sees Malva and Jamie together, in intimacy, visions of stormclouds, the amoeba under the microscope, holding her beating heart in her hand, and a snake (Eastern Kingsnake). We can guess much of the meaning. She finally awakens to Roger sitting by her and discovers that Malva and Mrs. Bug have cut her hair off, claiming it would help with the fever.
Claire recovers slowly, and after discussing her symptoms with Jamie, tells him that her illness was not the same amoebic dysentery that struck The Ridge. She learns that Tom Christie is still ill, and when no one is around, Claire sneaks off to check on her patient. Tom is shocked she is out of bed, and she sarcastically mentions that he should approve of her shorn head. They discuss their symptoms of severe headache, delirium, and disturbing dreams. Claire and Tom discuss how could they have gotten sick when neither has seen each other for weeks. Claire suspects poisoning, but who and how?
The She-Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
The Christies arrive in a wagon, full speed and anger. They arrive at the big house and Claire and Jamie meet with them. It is announced by Tom that Malva is with child. Allan tries to attack Jamie unsuccessfully and has just been awaiting his revenge for being publicly humiliated by Jamie in front of The Committee of Safety. Please keep that in mind. Malva puts on a fine performance as the innocent woman trying to comfort and care for a distraught Jamie, that she and Jamie had lain together more than a dozen times, and keeps imploring Jamie to admit to it. While Jamie knows that she has been seen with several men, as he had warned her to be careful of, he denies it is his child. Tom demands support for Malva.
Claire is furious, and while she doesn’t believe any of it, she is betrayed after taking Malva under her wing. She slaps Malva and stocks to the stables. Jamie finds her there and asks if she could possibly believe this. Claire admits that she doesn’t think it happened, but the rage and fear that has built up, and her recurring fears and hauntings by Lionel Brown’s ghost, bring to a head her feelings. She sacrificed everything to come back in time to find him. Brianna, Roger, and young Jemmy, shouldn’t be there.
Despite the rumors and accusations on Fraser’s Ridge over the next weeks, Jamie and Roger the historian, are off to the Continental Congress. It’s a historic event that Roger in his geekiness must see and hear, and Jamie hopes to become a part of The Sons of Liberty.
The Hand That Feeds
Claire walks unsteadily to the Christies to try to reason with Malva and find the true father of her child. She has already had Young Ian admit to having Malva once, and offer to marry her if it would take the heat off of uncle Jamie. Claire implores Malva, who she has taken under her wing and teaching her, to admit the truth about the baby. Malva seems on the verge of admitting what is going on when Allan rushes out of the cabin. Allan accuses Claire of being a witch. Malva then turns on Claire as well.
Cherry Bounce
Jamie and Roger return and Jamie tells Claire that the Provincial Congress did not pick him as a delegate to go to Philadelphia, it appears the rumors of his begetting Malva with a child even reached the Provincial Congress. Jamie is disappointed to not be part of the Continental Congress meeting.
After Claire has another ghostly encounter with Lionel, who haunts her surgery regularly, Claire sees Malva heading for the surgery through the window and grabs the leather ether mask. She retreats to hide with ether taking away the pain and frustration. In her groggy state, Malva confronts her and says how she is going to take away everything that belongs to Claire, especially Jamie. She threatens to kill Malva. When she wakes again, she is disturbed and staggering. She decides to go out for fresh air and goes to her garden to weed and gather. She comes to her senses and knows that something isn’t right. She looks past her garden, standing, then finds Malva with her throat cut lying just outside of the garden. Going into Claire the surgeon mode, she tries to remove the child that is near to term to rescue it. Alas, Claire finds herself cradling another dead child. We’ve been here before with Claire, and know where it leads.
Remember, the person who accuses the most, has to most to gain by the destruction of the other. Who really is the father of Malva’s baby? The rumors fly in the next episode.
The BTS on the accusation scene gives insight into betrayal and where all the characters and actors are coming from.
Thoughts on:
Malva and Mrs. Bug are co-conspirators in cutting off Claire’s hair. Why you may ask? Simply both women see Claire as being better than they are, one who covets her property, skills, and Jamie. The other, spoiler’s here, has another beef to settle with Jamie. Claire’s glory, and Jamie’s, was her curly hair, and cutting that hair was symbolic in taking Claire’s power away, think Biblical again, as she was also held suspicious for her medical practices.
Alas, it’s a two-week mini Droughtlander. Rumors abound on Fraser’s Ridge. Who killed Malva? The Committee of Safety come back, and guess who for? Catch Episode 607, Sticks and Stones on Starz® Sunday, April 24
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At long last, we were treated with an early release of episode 501, The Fiery Cross in the US and Canada if you had a subscription to the Starz® App. On the LA Premiere night Thursday, it was announced we would get the first episode dropped at midnight for Valentine’s treat.
Lord John Grey (David Berry), is one of the honored guests and pulls Jamie aside behind a wagon to discuss the private matter of locating Stephen Bonnet. Unfortunately, Brianna walks up to the other side of the wagon and overhears the conversation. Lord John tells Jamie of his inquiries, what scant intelligence he has that he is following. Brianna is in shock, the worst possible thing that could have happened on her day, hearing that Bonnet is indeed still alive. She stumbles off into the wedding night, trying to keep it all in and away from her family.
The Fiery Cross
Fergus is at the Tavern, asking a Captain about Bonnet. He is told that he will arrive in a week, and in leaving he notices a broadsheet with Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser on it. “Merde!”, he tears it down. Walks home to Marsali and Murtagh is in the parlor recruiting Regulators actively under their roof. Marsali is worried about their safety with the meetings and the guest being a wanted man. Fergus counters that Murtagh would do the same for him. Fergus is melancholy as he has not been able to find work with his wooden hand, no one will take him on.
fact that the militia needs weapons, that maybe they should use the child’s wail as one, since it is certainly defeating him. Fergus calms his child down, and Murtagh makes the offer to take Fergus on with the Regulators. Fergus declines, is place is with the baby and Marsali. Marsali is thrilled, as Fergus has made a statement of the impo
rtance of his family to him. Fergus does help however in the hunt for Stephen Bonnet, and Marsali has come with news, The Gloriana has arrived in port.
giving Fergus chance at escape. He tells the men that the man tied up is none other than Stephen Bonnet, murderer and gallows escapee. Unfortunately one of them recognizes him from the broadsheets and takes him in, they’ve bagged two wanted fugitives.
Murtagh knew it was a risk, however he had to get into Wilmington to connect with his men and do business. He chose to juggle both his own business and the hunt for Bonnet. Enlisting Fergus put him at risk, but he was the only one he could trust with capturing the man. It was a risky business and he should have probably been staying outside the city, not being out in broad daylight trying to get Bonnet out of town. Why did he risk so much all at once? A question Jamie will be asking of him if they meet again. Now, how is Fergus to get him out of this mess?
The next morning, Phaedra hurries to dress Brianna. She announces that Forbes has come to make a proposal to her, that Jocasta is waiting with him downstairs. She quickly talks Lizzie into finding Lord John, and asks Phaedra to tell them she has gone for a walk, and will be gone an hour. She meets with Lord John and proceeds to ask him to marry her. A plan she has formulated on the run. She has it all worked out, he doesn’t have to interact with her much, he flat out refuses her impertinence. The rands on her that he should just to show her her place. When he refuses, she proceeds to tell him she will write to the Governor and others of what she saw, him with Judge Alderdyce. Lord John blasts back at her blackmail asking her does she have any idea how the punishment for such things are, reputation being the least of it, and how could she think of such things. After a bit, Brianna backs down, and in cooling down they talk further. She tells him of her troubles, that she had been violated. She informs him of Bonnet, and how her aunt is trying to make her choose a husband for the child’s sake. She admits that she must concede and go to Forbes, she must think of her child. Later she enters the hall and Lord John, in his usual grace, runs in after her, and begins a conversation about making arrangements for their wedding. Brianna falls into step, and the impromptu foil to Forbes is thrust with the man beating a hasty exit.
More misunderstandings begin, but these with a happy ending. Jamie assumes it’s yet another colonial lass without a man, desperate for protection. He is handsome, he gets this a lot. He begins with he is already married. Slowly Brianna lets out she’s his daughter. In a scene very well played by both actors, we see a man realizing he has seen his child for the first time, and a daughter ends her desperate search to finally find her father and her mother. It’s one you have to just view, hopefully with a friend, and a box of tissues nearby. Sam Heughan and Sophie Skelton will melt you on the spot. Heughan has been working the rolling emotions all season, and this time he really pulls you in new directions. The brilliance and beauty in this scene are a credit to the writers, actors, and crew. Really, they just nailed it.
Together Brianna and Jamie sit at a bench and wait for Claire to exit the apothecary, the only place she would be in town, and when Jamie calls out ” Sassenach”, her joyful, shocked embrace with Brianna releases the torment of separation from them both. Brianna’s tearful reunion with her mother is brought to an end, and the obituary for James and Mrs. Fraser is shown to them. Jamie points out the careless date smudge in the corner, for no one knows the exact years date. Young Ian (John Bell) meets his new cousin for the first time, and the Frasers leave Wilmington behind and head up the river to Fraser’s Ridge. 
When the Frasers arrive at the Ridge, they are greeted by a somewhat harried but thankful Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), who had narrowly escaped Governor Tryon’s men. Jamie tells Murtagh there’s prime land set aside for him, and to say the word and a cabin would be started. He has come to the Ridge to lie low for a time, and is introduced to Brianna. Murtagh shows us his slow joy we know and love with a, “What took you so long, lass?” and welcomes her to the Ridge. Later, after super, Murtagh at the encouragement of Young Ian, tells a tale of a 14 year old Jamie and Dougal MacKenzie. When the others leave, he tells his Godson that he is lucky to have his child there with him.
Jamie spends weeks trying to get to know his daughter, and takes her on another book favorite, The Bee Hunt. The writers did a wonderful thing in keeping this treasured book moment, where father and daughter can have some bonding time and learn to be more at ease with each other. Brianna must learn about her true father, while dealing with and sharing her experiences with Frank Randall. Jamie must fu
An Outlander Muse 