Droughtlander is over. Outlander Season 5 premiere brought us a wedding, terrible news, and broken hearts. Here’s a recap of the events.
Weddings, shocking news, and heartbreaking moments took place throughout Outlander Season 5’s premiere, making it clear that Droughtlander is over. It’s time to look back at the episode, which all kicked off with the flashback of Murtagh and Young Jamie.
The wedding of the season
After the new opening credits, we got the next part of the initial sneak peek released at the end of 2019. Jamie helped Roger prepare for the wedding, which included a discussion of adapting the cabin and Roger’s lack of skills for the time. It’s clear Jamie isn’t too impressed about Roger, which continues to be clear in a conversation with Claire.
After helping Brianna with her dress, Claire and Jamie had the chance to discuss Roger. Sure, he took his time to decide whether he could be with Brianna after learning about Bonnet, but now he’s here.
Of course, there’s a beautiful moment between Jamie (who has the something old, new, borrowed, and blue ready) and Brianna. Part of that moment involves talking of Murtagh, who gives Brianna a silver sixpence, sorry that he can’t be there for the big day.
I will say all these moments certainly have some emotions. Claire and Jamie never thought they’d get this chance, and they wouldn’t need words to show just how much they’re grateful for Brianna coming through the stones and making it all possible. And with a “Je Suis Prest,” Jamie walks Brianna down the aisle.
It’s a beautiful ceremony, made all the more better for the quick flash to Claire and Jamie’s wedding. It’s a reminder of where this love story started and how much the two are still very much in love. Brianna and Roger are also in love, but their love is different—suitable for the fact that they’re from a different time and have been through different experiences.
After wedding celebrations
With that, we move onto the celebrations after the wedding, which includes Roger finding out that Jamie believes Roger to be a heretic. Of course, that’s not all too surprising. Jamie believes all Presbetyrians are heretics, as Brianna points out.
One thing that is great is seeing everyone on the Ridge having fun. There’s a chance to see Fergus and Marsali interact with each other and the men and women of the Ridge. It’s also a chance to see Lord John Grey get involved in the festivities, although nobody wants to hear any Shakespeare during the drinking games (and he has good news about Willie’s health for Jamie).
If only Lord John Grey was there for the celebrations. He has news for Jamie about Stephen Bonnet, who certainly did survive the explosion at the jail. Brianna overhears the conversation and immediately becomes scared. With Bonnet still around, he could head out for Jemmy. It’s not surprising that later in the night Brianna grabs Jemmy and holds him tight.
It puts a dampener on the celebrations for Brianna, but we don’t stick with her too long. We have to move onto Jocasta and Murtagh. They meet in a shed during the dead of night for a night together. And with that, we get romantic moments between Claire and Jamie, Roger and Brianna, and Jocasta and Murtagh as we listen to Roger serenade Brianna with a song from his own time.
Sadly, it’s not all good in the light of the morning. Jocasta knows that she and Murtagh can’t be together. She shares that Duncan Innes has proposed marriage. While she hasn’t given him an answer yet, it’s clear she’s had to consider it. But she wishes she could be with Murtagh.
The morning after the celebrations
With the wedding over, Jamie and his family need to deal with the problem of the militia and Regulators. Governor Tryon made it clear that the dispatches from Jamie are no longer satisfactory. Jamie needs to find and kill Murtagh, which we all know is impossible, and Tryon is leaving Lieutenant Knox to help.
For Claire, she needs to tend to those who are ill on the Ridge, which introduces us to Josiah Beardsley, who has a sore throat. It doesn’t take Claire long to diagnose tonsilitis, and it leads to a suggestion of removing the tonsils, but Jamie wants Josiah to remain at the Ridge to help with the hunting when he’s gone. After all, Josiah is too young to join the militia.
Roger has to head out to see Jocasta, who makes it clear that Brianna is not going to be left with River Run after Jocasta’s death. After all, a wife’s property becomes her husband’s property after marrying and Jocasta worries that Roger isn’t going to stick around. Instead, Jocasta wants to leave River Run to Jemmy. Roger isn’t afraid to give Jocasta a what-for, which is just what she and Ulysses hoped for.
After that, Roger does one thing he should have done a long time ago. He performs the blood oath with Jemmy, making it clear that Jeremiah Alexander Ian Fraser MacKenzie is his son. While it doesn’t pack the same punch as it does in the book in front of Jamie and Claire, it’s still important and put a smile on my face.
Another moment that put a smile on my face was Jamie pulling out his kilt from his chest. If Tryon wants a Scot, Jamie is going to give him one.
The call to arms
To finish off the episode, Jamie realizes that he has to start putting the militia together. It all starts with a call to arms, which involves making Roger his captain. By making Roger his captain, Jamie knows that there’s a better chance of keeping his son-in-law safe. After all, Roger isn’t ready to fight.
Jamie also calls for Fergus to stand beside him, which makes it clear that Fergus is part of the family. After that, the men of the Ridge join with Jamie. They’re ready to follow who they view as their laird.
There’s just one thing to do. Jamie finds Murtagh in the woods and with heartbreaking tears in his eyes, as Murtagh to be as hard as possible to find. The war is coming.
What did you think of the Outlander Season 5 premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Outlander Season 5 airs Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.