Episode 709: Unfinished Business

Knock, knock! Who’s there? Is it Roger? Is it Joan? Is it Geillis-freaking-Duncan?!?! Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, this was a great episode. Everyone ready to discuss? Let’s see if I remember how to do this.

Warning- Contains spoilers from Outlander Episode 709: Unfinished Business

“I thought you’d want a place to come and visit her. To mark that she’d been here, on this Earth, and with you.”

Our lives are documented with a beginning and an end. And no matter how we live the years in between, we will ultimately have a finish to the business of our life. It’s not surprising, then, that so much of this episode centers on the ways we resolve conflict, make amends, and mark that we were here on this earth. We leave permanent reminders of our existence—headstones, homes, families—that are passed through the generations; even if we have unfinished business at the time of our passing, through these reminders our business can continue beyond the finish of our life.

My headstone tells the world that I was here. A home (Lallybroch, Balriggens) belongs to me and the generations that follow. Our children go forth to live their lives past our own, whether in America, a convent, or an entirely different century. There are things in this world and of our lives that transcend our existence.

There was a sense of urgency to this episode, both due to the nature of the dual plots and because we needed to reestablish the audience with so many characters, some of whom we haven’t seen for several seasons. And because Ian’s death loomed large for much of this hour (and because Simon Fraser’s death was the reason for the return to Scotland), much of this episode was treated as a confessional: You never truly saw me. I’m sorry. I’m not of this time. I love you.

Roger quotes Matthew 7:7 in his search for Jemmy: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Our characters call on each other, knocking on figurative and literal doors this hour, and the passage reveals thematically the impetus for their actions—they knock at the door of mercy, asking for assistance or forgiveness, and hopefully finding that which they seek.

The episode begins with a fairly neat finishing of business as Jamie, Claire, and Ian see the body of Simon Fraser returned to Scotland. But with the completion of that task comes another that is not so easily accomplished…

…facing one Jenny Fraser. I know there was much hand-wringing in the fandom about Laura Donnelly leaving the cast, but I thought Kristin Atherton did a phenomenal job. Both actresses are wholly believable as Jenny, and that’s what we want in any portrayal—to see the character and not the actor. Atherton must have studied Donnelly’s hand gestures, body language, and mannerisms, but the overall effect was not that of mimicry, but rather of a very seamless transition. Well done.

As with any homecoming, the return to Lallybroch is bittersweet. Simon Fraser quoted Aeschylus in the last episode, recalling the Greek hero Agamemnon’s return home: “They sent forth men to battle, but no such men return.” After many years away, a home can be both reassuringly the same and disconcertingly different. Jamie confesses to Claire that he must feel similarly to how she feels after traveling through the stones. He is a time-traveler of sorts here, stepping back in time to his childhood home but finding much of it changed.

And speaking of standing stones, Roger and Buck find themselves confusingly in a pre-Culloden, pre-Jamie and Claire version of eighteenth-century Scotland. I’ve always felt that Roger and Claire’s personalities and journeys complement each other; Jamie and Brianna seem to be the same side of one coin, while Roger and Claire are the other. And this episode is no different—Roger’s slow realization that he is in the wrong time mirrors that of Claire’s in “Sassenach” (Episode 101).

As a book reader I knew who would be on the other side of the door when Roger approaches Lallybroch, but the knocking fake-out was exceptionally well done and a master class in editing. I also appreciated the small details of this scene…Roger catching himself sitting on the edge of Brian’s desk was quite endearing. He is a man at ease in this place because it is actually his home, and yet here-in this context-it is not his home at all.

And while Roger is literally coming to grasps with the earlier part of the eighteenth century, Jamie and Claire are reaching back and metaphorically attempting to do the same. Jamie attempts to bring closure to his relationship with Laoghaire, whose presence I must admit I found refreshing and hilarious. Nell Hudson is a beautiful woman, but Laoghaire has clearly led an unsatisfying life. She is bitter and immature—the eternal girl Murtagh predicted she would be. Still, she’s scrappy enough to lodge gardening tools at Jamie and cut straight to the truth of their long history. She’s had unfinished business, too.

Claire’s confession as a time-traveler to the larger Murray family was perhaps impelled by Michael’s nonchalant conversation about the wine business in France. Rich people and luxury goods in Paris…what could go wrong, amirite? But more than warning her nephew about the upcoming Revolution (there will be a different sort of red fluid flowing in those streets soon enough), this her way of finally and fully integrating herself into this family. Her secret has always been a barrier to intimacy (and a source of conflict) with Ian and Jenny, and now this is her unfinished business to put to rest.

A few notes about the costuming:

Note all the shades of blues, browns, and teals in the fabrics and wall tapestries. These are people who belong to this home and who belong to each other. I also appreciate the period-appropriate lack of a carseat for Mandy.

Young Ian’s individual scenes with his parents were exceptionally moving and in keeping with the long history we have with these characters. While Ian Sr. is thoughtful and offers advice in a kind and quiet manner, Jenny is equally as loving but in far more direct approach. The message they offer is the same: go live your life, love someone with all your heart, and see to your own unfinished business. It is what all parents want for their children.

A letter from Lord John arrives, imploring Claire to return to the colonies to come to the medical aid of his nephew, Henry. And so Claire and Ian are compelled to return the land they have come to see as home, although I do have some concerns about how much faith Lord John has in eighteenth century travel. Transatlantic voyages…ambulances they are not.

Knowing a loved one is dying is a heartbreaking confusion of emotions. We grieve for the loss we know we are about to endure and yet we are thankful for the chance to say goodbye. But, as most of us have experienced, there is never enough time to say all that we need to say. Goodbyes often feel inadequate…they are always be unfinished business. That is the nature of grief.

I felt my own grief watching Ian defiantly make his way outside to say goodbye, beautifully adorned in Highland regalia…likely something he has not worn in many years. Steven Cree has meant so much to this show, and he infused his character with the kindness, patience, and depth created by Diana Gabaldon. I unexpectedly found myself in tears, knowing this may be the last we see of this man.

And as Claire and Young Ian set sail again for a land fighting for its independence, I reflect on our country’s own unfinished business. There will be a United States of America. It will be prosperous and offer hope to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. But it will stumble…more than once. Our constitution was created imperfectly, and its amendments allow for the unfinished business of equality. Our conversation about who is deserving of inalienable rights is constant and unfinished, as are our reparations to the indigenous tribes of this land. And if we approach our democracy with the same love, compassion, and understanding demonstrated by the Murray and Fraser families, our work toward a more perfect union will never truly be finished.

Slàinte.

Thank you to OutlanderOnline for the screengrabs and stills.