Outlander: Do No Harm Books Included
November 12, 2018 5:40 PM - Season 4, Episode 2 - Subscribe
Claire and Jamie visit his Aunt Jocasta at her plantation, River Run; when tragedy strikes at the plantation, Jamie and Claire find themselves caught between what's right and the law of the land.
I don't think I remember this book hammering this hard on the anti-slavery stuff beyond Claire being like "this is fucked up" and treating all the slaves as human beings as much as possible.
The line I remember most from the book (because of how deeply I hated it) was mercifully not included in this episode -- when Jamie is talking to Claire about maybe accepting taking over the running of the plantation, and she wails "I cannot be your conscience!" Like, lady, you are a goddamn time-traveler, you can damn well tell your husband not to become a slave-owner and put his family & friends' descendants on the Confederate side of the Civil War.
So, I feel like this episode dealt with some issues better than the book. I like that it showed how insidious and self-perpetuating the legal mechanisms of slavery were, and stomped on the myth of the 'good master' that slavery's apologists love to put forth.
posted by oh yeah! at 6:31 PM on November 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
The line I remember most from the book (because of how deeply I hated it) was mercifully not included in this episode -- when Jamie is talking to Claire about maybe accepting taking over the running of the plantation, and she wails "I cannot be your conscience!" Like, lady, you are a goddamn time-traveler, you can damn well tell your husband not to become a slave-owner and put his family & friends' descendants on the Confederate side of the Civil War.
So, I feel like this episode dealt with some issues better than the book. I like that it showed how insidious and self-perpetuating the legal mechanisms of slavery were, and stomped on the myth of the 'good master' that slavery's apologists love to put forth.
posted by oh yeah! at 6:31 PM on November 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
The grandfather clock had a face-plate saying that it was made in Crieff by one time local firm Fenwicks. Which is the local town used for the Abercarney estates location used for River Run - although perhaps an improbable location for a clock found in North Carolina. You can buy one!
Er...that was my highlight this episode. Hoping the story takes off before too long.
posted by rongorongo at 9:44 PM on November 12, 2018
Er...that was my highlight this episode. Hoping the story takes off before too long.
posted by rongorongo at 9:44 PM on November 12, 2018
My bad - wrong Crieff clockmaker: the clock face identifies "D. Tainsh Crieff (about 2 mins in initially). Crieff (not a very big place) seems to have at least 3 clockmakers operating in the era. This posting about the family links it to the Fraser clan, in fact. The clock is a bit like this one.
posted by rongorongo at 10:26 PM on November 12, 2018
posted by rongorongo at 10:26 PM on November 12, 2018
I like that it showed how insidious and self-perpetuating the legal mechanisms of slavery were, and stomped on the myth of the 'good master' that slavery's apologists love to put forth.
That is true. When Jocasta started talking about how nicely she treated her slaves I actually yelled "Oh they are NOT going there" at my screen and, fortunately, that is not where they were going.
posted by olinerd at 5:49 AM on November 13, 2018
That is true. When Jocasta started talking about how nicely she treated her slaves I actually yelled "Oh they are NOT going there" at my screen and, fortunately, that is not where they were going.
posted by olinerd at 5:49 AM on November 13, 2018
I'm a little concerned this is going to end up being The Slavery Episode and then once they end up in the mountains it will never be discussed again.
posted by something something at 6:40 AM on November 13, 2018
posted by something something at 6:40 AM on November 13, 2018
Nah, unless they go drastically off-book, we have not gotten to the end of Jocasta and her plantations’ storyline.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:44 AM on November 13, 2018
posted by oh yeah! at 7:44 AM on November 13, 2018
But first we have to get to The Indian Episode.
Can we have a passenger pigeon episode please?
posted by rongorongo at 9:18 AM on November 13, 2018
Can we have a passenger pigeon episode please?
posted by rongorongo at 9:18 AM on November 13, 2018
Can we have a passenger pigeon episode please?
That's in season 5.
posted by Preserver at 10:51 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
That's in season 5.
posted by Preserver at 10:51 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
My last digression about clocks I promise: The craft and mathematical skill to be able make a "grandfather clock" in the immediate post Culloden era would have been considerable. Whether in Scotland or North Carolina, such a clock would have been better than a sun-dial but would also have been a considerable initial and then ongoing expense. The definitive "right time" would have been a rather local affair - maybe as per-the public clock in the local town - and the church would have taken a role in defining this. We are in the pre-rail era when different towns might have had somewhat different times. But synchronising with the local time was important for markets, appointments and so on. So a big house like River Run would have its own clock and put considerable effort to winding and maintaining it. The clock would determine the right time for the whole estate - its time was the most insidious symbol of local power - appropriate to feature it in an episode about slavery and a series about time travel.
In terms of Scotland - it seems the place was swarming with clock makers at this point - I found a digitised version of Old Scottish clockmakers from 1453 to 1850" and it provides a great source of information. Crieff - was an important cattle market at this point but not a big place. Yet had 3 different clock makers. Like most others they appear to have laboured in obscurity in smaller towns - their legacy unmarked apart from the faces of their creations.
Not sure that the programme creators intended all those links to a clan Fraser family associated clock as an Easter egg. But I enjoyed finding it.
posted by rongorongo at 12:11 AM on November 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
In terms of Scotland - it seems the place was swarming with clock makers at this point - I found a digitised version of Old Scottish clockmakers from 1453 to 1850" and it provides a great source of information. Crieff - was an important cattle market at this point but not a big place. Yet had 3 different clock makers. Like most others they appear to have laboured in obscurity in smaller towns - their legacy unmarked apart from the faces of their creations.
Not sure that the programme creators intended all those links to a clan Fraser family associated clock as an Easter egg. But I enjoyed finding it.
posted by rongorongo at 12:11 AM on November 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Am I misremembering? Were there angry mobs coming for her in the book?
In a word, no.
In a longer word - in the book, she takes him off the hook, realizes she can heal him, realizes if she does he will get a painful death anyway, and poisons him quickly. There is never a healing, there is never a weird scene where they have a ticking clock and a deadline and a mob at River Run, and a mob at River Run makes no sense when they’ve just gone into how respected Jocasta is.
But I do think the show is aware that in the books the slaves are kind of brought on as scenery, and is trying to do better. I think they’re doing it badly and in ways that are weird on the plot line, but they are trying. It will be interesting to see how they handle Phaedre as well, I remember her as being written particularly badly.
posted by corb at 12:24 AM on November 18, 2018
In a word, no.
In a longer word - in the book, she takes him off the hook, realizes she can heal him, realizes if she does he will get a painful death anyway, and poisons him quickly. There is never a healing, there is never a weird scene where they have a ticking clock and a deadline and a mob at River Run, and a mob at River Run makes no sense when they’ve just gone into how respected Jocasta is.
But I do think the show is aware that in the books the slaves are kind of brought on as scenery, and is trying to do better. I think they’re doing it badly and in ways that are weird on the plot line, but they are trying. It will be interesting to see how they handle Phaedre as well, I remember her as being written particularly badly.
posted by corb at 12:24 AM on November 18, 2018
everything about this episode made me incredibly tense in my entire body
posted by vibratory manner of working at 12:04 AM on November 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by vibratory manner of working at 12:04 AM on November 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
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Maria Doyle Kennedy is fabulous as always and I do like her simultaneously sweet and conniving Jocasta. She was a highlight for me.
The rest... eh. First, I feel like they're moving wicked slow, and second, I feel like this is way too much focus on "Look how out of place Claire is and how her silly modern feelings get her and others in trouble!", almost a la book 1/season 1, but this time showing Jamie on her side. Which like, yay character development for Jamie, boo Claire for not learning? I don't think I remember this book hammering this hard on the anti-slavery stuff beyond Claire being like "this is fucked up" and treating all the slaves as human beings as much as possible. Am I misremembering? Were there angry mobs coming for her in the book?
posted by olinerd at 5:48 PM on November 12, 2018