The Fiery Cross uses two different moments to explain the reasoning behind the cross. How much time will that explanation take in Outlander Season 5?
One of the benefits of novels is time. Authors have the chance to include explanations of items and can do it from different points of view. Outlander Season 5 won’t have that liberty, especially when it comes to the explanations of the fiery cross.
The explanation is certainly important. We need to understand why Jamie would put up a cross and then burn it. It’s important to understand Brianna’s feelings around the burning of the cross, but also the tradition of it in Scotland. Yet, there’s not going to be the same amount of time in the series to explain it as there was in the novel.
Outlander Book 5 offered a scene between Jamie and Claire and then another between Roger and Brianna. Both brought the explanation of the cross, but also how it could have been adapted over the years to lead to the burning of crosses by the KKK. Just how much of this will be used in Season 5?
I suspect that the two scenes will be combined into one. We’ll get something of the entire family explaining the cross, allowing Brianna to share what she remembers from her time; of the darker meaning behind it.
Or we could see the two explanations happen at the same time, in a similar way to how Claire found the ring in Claire’s pocket and Jamie beating Roger during Season 4. The scenes could run parallel, cutting out the duplicated explanations and focusing on the most important moments.
How do you think the show will handle the explanation of the fiery cross? What do you think needs keeping from book to show? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
