Outlander Season 4, Episode 5 reminds us things haven’t changed all that much

Outlander Season 4, Episode 5 reminds us of lack of change

There are some excellent moments throughout Outlander Season 4, Episode 5. This is the episode that brings Murtagh back. It’s the one that has a beautiful moment between Claire and Adawehi.

However, it’s also the episode that reminds us that things haven’t changed all that much in the world.

It’s all about the German man who fears the Cherokee are poisoning the water. The German man is so focused on “this is my land” that he fails to appreciate and respect another person’s beliefs. He is so scared of something that he doesn’t understand that he’s too closed off to learn.

And this is something we still see today. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. Right now, the USA is at the forefront of problems, but every country has them. Canada has a problem with systemic racism against Black and Indigenous people. The UK has a huge problem with racism against anyone who simply isn’t white.

Don’t get me started on the whole of mainland Europe! Let’s not get into the problems in so many other countries around the world. It exists, and we need to talk about it. This isn’t about laying blame, but being open to talk and change.

Countries don’t want to admit their faults. People don’t want to admit their remarks are racist. And it turns into an “us and them” mentality.

Things could have been different with a bit of respect

Claire noticed that the Cherokee man was only blessing the water. The Native tribes were thankful for everything Mother Nature would offer. They would bless and thank whenever they killed to eat or when they took water to drink.

The German man viewed the herbs to bless were poison. He didn’t understand, and rather than listen, he dug his heels in and told the Cherokee to get off his land.

Respect goes both ways. Why should the Cherokee respect this German man who wasn’t willing to even just listen? However, they didn’t attack until they were attacked. They did understand that white people didn’t understand their ways, and they were initially patient.

Sure, the German man was in grief, believing that the Cherokee had poisoned his daughter and newborn grandson. It was a time of suspicion, and without the medical knowledge we have today, it’s understandable why this German man didn’t listen first. Yet, that doesn’t explain why it continues to happen now.

The fear continues even to this day. If we don’t understand something, as humans, we have a tendency to close off. What if that something is harmful? Isn’t it better to be cautious than give someone time to explain?

Well, no. Sadly, that’s the way it is. There continues to be hatred towards races and towards religions. We continue to see people being disrespectful towards a certain way of life because it’s not their way of doing things. It’s viewed as the “wrong” way, all because it’s different.

Outlander Season 4, Episode 5 reminds us that a little understanding and patience can go a long way. If only the German man and the Cherokee could have communicated. Things could have ended very differently in that episode, and it’s a lesson we need to remember today.

Outlander Season 4 throwbacks continue weekly to mark the anniversary of each episode. Follow Claire and Jamie on Facebook for the latest.