#CAVING AND FINALLY WATCHING HEAD 1968. FINE

[youngestdaughtersyndrome]

What 3am does to a mf

[margsld]

Outlander Epi 3.05 Recap

Freedom & Whisky are my kind of Saturday night

All that was good, all that was fair, all that was me is gone. Gone to grab a big box of tissues.  Be right back. 

Without a doubt, I feel the execution of this episode was complete perfection.  Written by the genius that is Toni Graphia, she leads us willingly on the journey with Claire, as she makes the biggest decision of her life.  Enjoy!

Boston, December 1968.  Squeamish people needed to be putting the kids to bed at this point as Joe and Claire battle like the surgical gods they are, to save  some poor lady from an early grave.  Nasty necrosis (dead tissue). 

Bree's teacher is being poetic about Paul Revere which should have the students transfixed, right? *cough Bree looks bored out of her tiny mind.  She's doodling gothic archways which is totally believable right? I mean forget hearts with "I Love Plaid"  or " BR + RW 4Eva" no, Bree is all about the arches. As they break for Christmas, Professor Nosey pulls Bree aside and wants to know why she's suddenly flunking her grades.  Bree is typically reluctant to spill the beans and even after he drops the old " your Dad told me to keep an eye on you creepy sentiment" Bree remains schtumm. Go Bree!

Bree is missing Frank.  Word! We all miss that chocolate voiced, vision of turtle-necked creases too, Hen.  His chair, his pipe, the pictures of him with baby Bree pulls on the heartstrings like a marionette puppet doing Zumba.

Claire is also reminiscing about her husband, no not Frank, the other one, the hot Scot.  Joe, who has a radar for all things Claire, asks her 'sup'?  She confesses she had a Highland Fling but fate stepped in.  Joe states "F*ck fate" as he senses there is more to this juicy story & hopes Claire's willing to dish but her shift is over ie she really doesn't want to talk about it.  Yet.

Roger, on the quest of intercontinental pastry research, turns up at Claire & Bree's house unannounced.  No time for biscuits Roger, Bree is wanting to move out and leave Harvard.  Caught in the crossfire, Roger watches on as Bree yells at her Mum that she just needs a break.  She's not the same person as she was before Scotland and needs time to deal with it. Check under her bed for fronds of Heather, plaid stockpiles and empty Whisky bottles Claire!! 

Claire ignores the glaring warning signs and just starts drinking away her fears.  She insists Roger stays and they bond over more beverages.  Roger is great. He's Claire's puppy- loyal, friendly and always turning up with a bone.  That said, Roger is really an historian and took it upon himself to keep looking for Jamie, when Claire & Bree left Scotland (I'm sure the idea of winning Bree's exclusivity never crossed his mind *cough) .  Anyway, Gingo! He found him.  Turns out Mr Fraser aka Claire's baby daddy was still alive and was operating a printshop in Edinburgh. 

Claire didn't exactly jump for joy at the news and I'm sure Roger was suddenly wondering if Fiona was baking.  She makes a mean chocolate chip bikky. Plus, he'd have a saner life than with these Randall cray crays.  In the end though, Claire didn't think she could up & leave Bree, especially now she was exhibiting serious mental instability.  She forbade further discussion about his findings.

Back at the hospital Joe is decorating his office for Halloween which is a bit late as it's now Christmas, silly.  His desk is a display of bones his anthropologist mate sent him, to give an opinion on possible cause of death.  Claire picks up the skull and shudders.  She 'feels' the bones belong to a 150 year old murder victim.  Joe says the 200 year old bones were found in a cave in the Caribbean and somebody tried to 'cut her head clean off'.  What was most intriguing was the bones were from a white lady. *storing that for later episodes.

Joe's also keen to hear more about Lady Jane's hot Scottish fling, the pervert.   Claire finally confesses said Scot is Bree's real father and Bree had just found out.  Joe stupidly asks if she still loves him (Duh!) and Claire says she never stopped (Double Duh!).  As Joe has watched her live like a nun for 15 years then she should get back on the horse or under that kilt, quick smart.

Boston TV has sucked Roger in and when Bree pops by, he's engrossed.  She apologises for being a cow and he lets it slide.  He's a simple lad who came for an Amercian Christmas.  You know with those well known American traditions at Christmas like lobster rolls and Boston cream pies.  Bree must think he's getting fat though as she just offers him a drink and a walk around Harvard.

At Harvard, Bree is fascinated with the architecture again and Roger tries to help her deal with dead and/or unknown fathers just like he did. Bree is obviously not a fan of any kind of history now and wants a better grasp of just the plain facts, so she can know who she really is.

While at Harvard, they attend a Fellowship ceremony in Frank's honour. Claire, Bree & Roger turn up for the snazzy company & biscuits.  At Harvard, Frank was known for his research in the field of European Studies, in particular the rise and fall of European dynasties in the early modern period thus cementing him as a leading historian on both sides of the Atlantic. Interesting indeed.  What did Frank really know? Hmmm?  He better have left some notes!

Claire is unwittingly introduced to Sandy, Candy or Mandy (Frank's mistress) who takes the opportunity to have a pissing competition with Claire.  She also has a go at Claire for not letting Frank go, so she and Frank could have been happy.  SCMandy has a good point.  Instead, Claire forced them all to live a lie for 20 years.  We'd give anything to have just one more scene with the big lug too, SCMandy (insert group hug) *sob

Bree knows about SCMandy too and makes Claire face the truth.  Claire confesses he loved the hoor and was going to get hitched to her.  Bree being the child she is, thinks it's all about her.  Claire sets her straight though and said Frank idolised her, as did she.  So snap out of the pity-party, you little ginger nut.

Claire decides to take that opportunity to show Bree the bone/printing article that Roger found.  Bree seems thrilled with the news and says Claire should go to Jamie now.  Claire says she can't leave Bree, she's needed.  No!  Bree's wearing her big girl panties now, so off you shoo Claire, get those cobwebs cleared.

Claire still mulls it over and after seeing the Moon landing, discusses the possibility of going through the stones and what that would mean to both her and Bree. Bree knows it won't be easy without Claire and in discovering more about herself, wants Claire to go and tell Jamie everything.  Claire gave Jamie up for Bree and now Bree wants to give him back to Claire.  Whew.  Cancel the white truck & straight jacket.  Bree will be ok. Yayyy!

Claire, now resigned to leaving Bree & like any woman who faces meeting her first love after 20 years apart, wants to know if she still puts the Sass in Sassenach.   She asks her BFF Joe if he thinks she's still sexually attractive. He happily declares that "for a skinny white broad, with too much hair and a nice arse, Jamie will be in heaven". #AlwaysTakeAJoe

Preparations for Claire's departure soon take precedence and lucky it's Christmas.  Claire now has ye olde coins for Edinburgh, a book on Scottish history and a topaz necklace to help her on her way.  She's also pilfered scalpels and penicillin from the Hospital because 18th century hygiene. 

With so much stuff to carry, Claire gets out her trusty Singer for a sewing fest.  She's a practical Dr McGyver and remembers all too well how shitty weather was back then. Roger points out she needs a utility belt like Batman's.  They cleverly roll the Batman theme tune here (flashback to my childhood) as Claire is creating her super, weather-proofed, highland frock that would make RM Williams envious (inventor of the Drizabone).  No bumroll needed, it looks like she could carry the kitchen sink in there.  BAT-MAAAAN! 

Oprah would have been proud of the mini makeover Claire gives herself and with a quick home dye job she's ready to leap at some rocks!  Bree and Roger give her the green light and admire the bat suit.  Claire is still being twitchy about it but Bree says Jamie will love it.  Claire doesn't escape taking one last white item, a shirt of Bree's.  Lucky she's only borrowing it Bree! *she'll never see that again.

Not being a completely horrid parent, Claire hands over the house deed and bank accounts to Bree.  She decides to go to Scotland on her own so that her trip through the stones is peaceful.  If Bree was with her, she'd never go.  Bree tells Claire to give Jamie a kiss from her.  As a final gesture, Claire gives Bree the Scottish pearls that she got from Jamie on their wedding night. They give a final toast to Freedom & Whisky.  Slainte!

Claire struggles to the taxi, hesistating and taking one last look back at Bree and Roger in the window.  *pass the tissues please

Bree seeks comfort with Roger and he's glad he made the trip.  She goes to the kitchen to gather her composure and returns with a Santa hat on, a Christmassy smile and some treats for Roger.  In return he gives her A Christmas Carol novel.  They share a kiss. Awwwww!

Claire's journey through the stones is not shown in this episode which is fine as the next five minutes of tv was everything we book fans had been waiting a vera long time for.  She arrives by metaphor, stepping into a puddle (an opening into a fathomless space aka the great unknown) as she exits the stage coach from Inverness in downtown, thriving Edinburgh. 

After asking a local for directions to the Printshop, where Jamie was hopefully working, Claire heads to Carfax Close.  Her hesitation is palpable.  What if he's not there?  What if it's not him?  She spots the Print shop sign and is visibly relieved at the sight of it.  It's beginning to look a lot like Gingermas!

Making her way up the stairs as if they are about to collapse, she pauses at the front door.  We are all shouting "Get in there before we burst" and she moves forward.  (I held my breath at this point.)  Inside the shop, the doorbell warns of her entrance.  A big, Scottish, man-voice pipes up from the back room "Is that you, Geordie?".  Claire instantly recognises the dulcet tones of a Fraser and heads to the workroom window.  Down below, we see Jamie examining some printing, rabbiting to himself/Geordie.  Meanwhile, Claire is trying not to self-combust with Squeee. She manages to squeak out "It isn't Geordie, it's me..... Claire" as Jamie slowly turns in disbelief.  Eye contact!  We have eye contact!  Claire is grinning/crying happy tears.  We, the audience are sobbing with utter delight (yes, read the books, wait many years and then watch this episode).  Jamie grabs the table for support and fails.  Fainting to the floor like a wet rag soaked in whisky. 

The End.  PS We have to wait for two whole weeks for the next episode. 

Send Whisky!