Just when you think you have everything figured out, a reveal turns it all upside down. That happens in The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 35.
This starts off with a sense of justice. Siverly has been found guilty in his posthumous court martial. However, the chapter turns on its head when Bowles talks to John and shares some truths about Twelvetrees. The man was not as evil as the Greys would like to believe.
The end of the chapter is a beautiful moment between Jamie and John. I would love to see this play out on the screen.
Breaking down The Scottish Prisoner Chapter 35
It’s trial day, which John testifies at. While he deals with the Duke of Cumberland questioning whether John is right in asking for this considering Siverly saved him at the Siege of Quebec, John stands his ground. Siverly is found guilty, and the trial is over.
While walking back to Hal’s house, Bowles catches up with John. They talk about Twelvetrees. It turns out that Twelvetrees was a spy working for Bowles to uncover the Jacobite plot. Twelvetrees was never a traitor, and he was trying to get the information to be able to capture all the conspirators. On top of that, Twelvetrees didn’t kill Siverly but says an Irishman with curly hair did. Quinn was the guilty party.
This does help to explain why John hasn’t been arrested. Twelvetrees knew that it wasn’t John, and he needed to make sure the right man was arrested and convicted for murder. As much as Twelvetrees hated the Grey family, he still had to do the right thing.
John is full of guilt. He killed Twelvetrees for no good reasons. When he gets back to Hal’s house, Jamie ends up talking to him and shares that he also feels guilty for his part in the action. He also points out that sometimes, actions have consequences that we can’t predict.
Jamie takes the time to tell the story of Rabbie McNab and how Jamie beat his father for beating him. Ronnie turned Jamie over to the Watch, and then the people of Lallybroch burned Robbie’s croft to the ground with him inside it. That wasn’t something Jamie agreed with happening, and he felt guilty for some of that.
John wants to know what happened to Rabbie after that. Jamie says the last he heard, Rabbie went South for work. John says that Rabbie is in London and contemplating marriage. He can find out more if Jamie would like. I love that we see how Jamie continues to care for people from his past.
It’s almost time for Jamie to head back to Helwater, which John says he can prevent. Jamie makes it clear that he would like to go back, but he doesn’t give the real reason why. He can’t. He tells John that he wants to go back for Betsy, a maid at Helwater. John is surprised by this considering Jamie’s love for Claire. I’m not sure he fully believes the reasoning either.
Could this chapter be used in a TV adaptation?
This chapter is needed for a few reasons. If The Scottish Prisoner was adapted, we would need to see the court martial and the end to that story. We would also need the moment Grey learns that Twelvetrees wasn’t a traitor. This is such a huge moment as it’s clear that Quinn is still out there and there is the murder of Siverly to fully solve.
Then there’s the end scene. I would love to see Jamie and John connect on this level. Jamie is open with John about his past. It brings up the topic of friendship again. There’s a trust growing between them, and we need to see that play out on the screen.
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