Droughtlander is over, my friends, and you know what that means.
It’s been over a year since Jamie, Claire, Brianna, and Roger graced our TV screens. (It’s been even longer since I’ve recapped the best of the best from each episode, but I’ve been consumed by other writing and I only have ten fingers and 24 hours in a day. The end of Droughtlander seems like the ideal time to end the Outlander Superlatives drought too, don’t you think?)
When we last left the Frasers, Jamie and Claire rescued Roger, Roger and Bree reunited, and we all wondered how Jamie’s son-in-law would ever get over that awkward mishap that left him beaten half to death and sold to the Mohawk. (Classic mixup.) Oh, and Jamie was given the orders to track down and string up his beloved godfather because life is never easy for this gang.
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s jump in with a new season of Outlander Superlatives!
Episode MVP: Fraser’s Ridge
When Frasers set their mind on something, they GET THINGS DONE. (Please see: All of the various prison breaks they’ve participated in.) Last season, Fraser’s Ridge started out as nothing more than a plot of land and a dream. Now, they’ve got a sweet crib and Claire’s seeing patients and they’re hosting half of North Carolina for a wedding. And not just any wedding, a wedding that looks like Claire and Jamie have been raiding the spring décor doorbuster sales at Michaels. (Same, Frasers, SAME. Hope you had a coupon!)
The Real Star of the Show: LOVE
Let’s be honest: last season, things got rough for our favorite Fraser-MacKenzies, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s not going to be all sunshine and roses with the American Revolution afoot and Stephen Bonnet on the loose. BUT, the running theme throughout the premiere was L-O-V-E, and it gave me all the warm and fuzzies inside, especially when Roger serenaded his bride. (If you didn’t know I’m a Roger Mac fan, now you know.) Between Jamie and Claire (worst babysitters ever), Bree and Roger, Fergus and Marsali, Murtaugh and Jocasta, and Lizzie and every man with a pulse on the Ridge, this episode had me crooning “That’s Amore.” (Rog, maybe you can fit that one into your repertoire! Unless you’re afraid it will give you a hankering for a big pizza pie?)
Best Special Guest Star: Roger’s Backbone
Everyone seems a bit concerned with how Roger is going to fare in the 18th century. (And by everyone, I mean Jamie. Did you count all the digs he made at Rog not having a trade and only being able to sing for his supper? Perhaps Laird JAMMF is jealous since we all know he can’t carry a tune. Poor JAMMF.) But Roger Mac gave us all a glimpse into his inner mettle when he told Aunt Jocasta where she could go shove her offer to leave River Run to Jem.
Best Scene Stealer: Germain
Obviously the offspring of my faves, Fergus and Marsalli, is going to be quite the character. And not only did the little imp steal the show by calling his Uncle Roger a “hair tick,” check him out during the wedding. He’s just hanging out, wondering when there will be cake. This feels all too real. (And I also go to weddings for the cake, so…)
Most Clueless: Murtaugh
Murtaugh Fitzgibbons, you’re a daft fool. Jocasta isn’t telling you about Duncan Innes’s proposal for her health. She wants you to tell her to not go through with it, that you LOVE HER. (Did you not pick up on this week’s theme?) Instead, you go and tell her you won’t stand in the way of her happiness. Dude. YOU AND YOUR EXPRESSIVE EYEBROWS ARE WHAT MAKES HER HAPPY. If this is how you play the game, it’s no wonder why you didn’t win over Ellen MacKenzie.
Dreamiest JAMMF: The Fiery Cross JAMMF
There is nothing like a Scot in his full regalia, and LORD, it has been far too long since we’ve seen James Alexander Malcom MacKenzie Fraser in his kilt. Claire knows it.
Lord John knows it.
This guy knows it.
But truly, there is no JAMMF like the JAMMF who is leading his men, and the men of the Ridge pledging their fealty to Laird Lallybroch is so reminiscent of the gathering at Castle Leoch many moons ago when everyone swore an oath to Colum. Except unlike with Colum, these men are doing it wholeheartedly, not out of fear, but because they believe in JAMMF.
Except for maybe Roger. He might be a little unsure.
But honestly, Roger, he called you “son of his house.” Suck it up. (And Fergus, “son of his heart and his name”—swoon!)
Honorable Mention: Grandpa JAMMF
You didn’t honestly think JAMMF was going to soothe a baby and I wasn’t going to include that in here, did you?
Most Fun at a Wedding: Marsali
Truly, I want Marsali at all of my family gatherings and get-togethers. Girl knows how to cut a rug, kick up her heels, and tell a tongue twister like it’s no one’s business. Basically, I just want Marsali to be my BFF. But Lord John and his “Anyone for a little Shakespeare?” can hang with me too.
What did you think, Fraser fanatics? Did you love “The Fiery Cross”? Are you beyond excited for the rest of the season? Are you concerned that I’m going to make way too many Hamilton references as we approach the American Revolution? (You should be.)
Load up on your shortbread, friends! The season is just getting started!
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