Episode 704: A Most Uncomfortable Woman

Aw, that was fun. Well done, Outlander. Let’s discuss!

Warning- Contains spoilers from Outlander Episode 704: A Most Uncomfortable Woman

Did this episode feel a bit familiar? Besides the rapid-fire rollout of some of my favorite book scenes, this episode was immediately recognizable as a complement to Episode 406: Blood Of My Blood. Don’t believe me? Go back and watch 406 starting around minute 28:00. Go ahead, I’ll wait….

Told ya.

She’s a most uncomfortable woman, our Claire! Or, at least, so say Lord John and Tom Christie. And since the similar phrasing seems fairly deliberate, let’s discuss all the ways in which the writers cleverly linked the two episodes together. In 406 it is Lord John who is at death’s door and in 704 it is his son. Both episodes are mostly a series of two-person scenes in which characters offer some sort of confessional. Additionally, in each we have a member of the Fraser family (Jamie then, Ian now) saving William’s life without William knowing he is actually related to either person.

Moreover, as in Blood Of My Blood, our characters this hour examine how they define themselves and the stories they have to tell of their lives thus far. Can the Hunters be both Quakers and join the fight for independence? Will William be a soldier or a spy, and what (if anything) is there to sing of his accomplishments? How does folklore help Jem define his world, itself filled with the supernatural? Jamie and Claire playfully recount the story of their marriage, while Brianna and Roger’s story is still in the making. As in Season Four, those stories and identities are formed against the backdrop of family and friendship.

Mostly, though, both 406 and 704 are examinations of intimacy. And because intimacy cannot be achieved without honesty and honesty requires some degree of discomfort, we are therefore led to the theme and title of the episode at hand. Indeed, Tom is not the only man feeling uncomfortable this hour, and this episode offers a deft commentary on what it means to be a woman in a world in which many men do not like feeling embarrassed or discomposed.

The rather graphic murder of the prostitute at the start of hour offers an extreme (but unfortunately not uncommon) example of what can befall a woman in the way of a discomforted man. At the other end of the spectrum exists Ian, who has been well-prepared by Claire (and his mother) to be impressed by Rachel’s forthrightness. Somewhere in between exists Tom Christie (who may never know what to do or think about women), the hydroelectric plant manager (who truly didn’t seem to realize women could be smart), and Roger. Let’s talk about Roger.

I know there are fans who will bristle at Roger’s initial lack of enthusiasm regarding Brianna’s job, but I think there is context to consider. As much as we view Brianna and Roger as “modern,” they were both born in the 1940s and this is the year 1980. In the United States women have only won the right to have their own bank accounts six years prior. Only about half of the women in the United States work outside the home (source: bls.gov). Brianna wears pants for every scene in this episode except for her job interview. My point: this is still very much a time of transition for women in the labor force. It is to Roger’s credit that he is honest about about his feelings, allows himself to sit with those feelings, and eventually concedes that his hesitation is more of a *him* problem rather than a *Brianna* problem. In that regard Roger is already ahead of most men of his generation.

And while we’re on the topic of girls taking over the world, how about that Mandy MacKenzie? Clearly the spirit of Jenny Murray is alive and well in Lallybroch, as Mandy has enough spitfire to power an entire WWII squadron (that’s my bit of foreshadowing for novel readers…wink, wink).

“The air itself is alive with feeling—half eagerness, half dread,” Claire describes of the cohesive mood as she and Jamie march toward Fort Ticonderoga. Such is the feeling that accompanies any change, whether it be a war, a new job, or a societal shift in gender roles. We can never grow—either as a country or as an individual—if we confine ourselves to safety. May we all have the courage to be uncomfortable.

Slàinte.

Screencaps provided by https://outlander-online.com.