Jamie made the decision to offer Mr. Beardsley the chance to die on Outlander Season 5, Episode 3. Why did he feel the need to kill the man?
Considering everything that Mr. Beardsley did, it would have been understandable if someone wanted to leave him to suffer. Yet Jamie felt the need to put the man out of his misery. Why did Jamie feel this was the only option on Outlander Season 5, Episode 3?
Those who have read “The Fiery Cross” would have gained some extra insights into Jamie’s mind. While the chapter is told through Claire’s POV, she witnesses Jamie digging the grave to put Mr. Beardsley’s body in. Thoughts of Brian Fraser come up, which leads to Claire realizing that Jamie’s actions aren’t for the man in the house but for his father.
Brian was mentioned in the episode, but only really in passing. Jamie laments on whether Brian suffered after his stroke and then asks Claire to do the difficult thing of killing him if he suffers a stroke, too. What this moment doesn’t tell us is those deeper feelings; that it was thoughts of Brian that made Jamie feel the need to offer Mr. Beardsley a way out of his pain.
Claire brings up the fact that Mr. Beardsley may not deserve help. Whether it’s help to care for him after offering the medical needs or help in killing him to release him from the pain, it doesn’t really matter. Claire wondered whether he deserved it after the monster that he was to his wives and the Beardsley twins.
Yet, Jamie is the one who makes it clear that he can’t just leave Beardsley to suffer. He needs to offer Beardsley the choice, something that he’d do for a dog. Of course, a dog is far more loyal and kind—only attacking if feeling threatened. But none of that really matters.
Jamie isn’t doing it for Mr. Beardsley. He’s not really doing it to show some sort of mercy to an awful man. Jamie is thinking of his own father. He’s doing what he hopes others did for Brian had Brian suffered after the stroke. He’s doing something that he hopes others would do for him if he suffers a stroke. This was more of Jamie than it was for Mr. Beardsley.
What did you think of Jamie’s actions in Outlander Season 5, Episode 3? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
