When we last left our story, Jamie’s Godfather Martaugh (leader of the Regulators) had been killed in battle. His Son-in-Law Roger had been found hung on a tree along with some other Regulators. This was despite the fact that he was not one of them.
That was the conclusion of the last episode. Which left many people wondering if it was true. Did Roger die? He hadn’t in the books. Oh the suspense! Of course, STARZ gave the show a one week break. NOOOOO!!! After the pause to build tension, this past week we found out what happened. So let’s discuss “Famous Last Words.”
Famous Last Words
This episode started in the future, before Brianne and Roger had went back to join Claire and Jamie in the past. Roger is teaching at Oxford in a History class. He is discussing his student’s essays on historical famous last words. Brianne walks into the classroom to listen. After the class, he and Brianne plan to go to a silent picture movie marathon. This is the Segue-way to seeing what had happened to Roger.
In the form of the silent movie, it is revealed that Roger had been able to get his hand under the noose enough to stay alive. They cut him down and Claire performed an emergency tracheotomy. Roger lives but he is not without scars.
Some wounds are slow to heal
Three months later, Rogers physical wounds have healed but his emotional ones have not. He still has not spoken. Brianne tries to be patient and give him time, but she misses her husband as he was. The man who sang to her and their son while playing his guitar. The man who engages. But he is lost in a form of PTSD. He sees the incident through the silent pictures lens. Each glimpse revealing more of what happened.
Young Ian returns
Meanwhile, a face from the past returns. Young Ian, Jamie’s sisters oldest son. The last time he was seen was when he had volunteered to replace a captured Roger into the captivity of the Mohawk (See previous seasons of Outlander). Fortunately, Young Ian shows up just in time to kill a wild boar that was charging Jaime. He is dressed up like the Mohawk people he has lived with. But something is wrong. Something happened to him that he will not discuss. But the sad, forlorn look on his face speaks volumes.
Recompense
At some point, the British Governor had been informed that Roger had been mistakenly hung as a member of the Regulators. As recompense for that error, Governor Tryon granted Roger and Brianne 500 acres of land. And while Brianne and Roger were reluctant at first to accept it as an apology, they decided to do so. But the land needed to be surveyed and marked.
Jaime suggests that Roger should do it but Brianne doesn’t think Roger is up to it. So then Jaime asks Young Ian to do it. He had previously helped Jaimie do the same with Frazier’s Ridge. Eventually Roger and Young Ian agree to survey the land.
The Missing Hemlock
After they leave, Claire discovers that some of her hemlock root is missing. She knows that it can be a deadly poison if not administered properly. She worries to Jaime that Roger might be planning to end his own life. Jaime knows after personal experience how a man can be brought to that frame of mind. ( See, if you had watched all the previous seasons, these things would make so much sense.)
Confronting their inner demons
So as Roger and Ian survey the land, they each are regarding the other. In both cases, they are dealing with a traumatic experience that has shaped their present circumstances. Rogers we are aware of. Young Ian’s is still shrouded in mystery. The only clue that has been given at this point is his past tense referral to the Mohawk people he lived with.
Roger is still having these flashbacks of the hanging. But as they proceed, the black and white has given way to color and the written word has given way to actual speech. In the end, the last thing he sees before he becomes unconscious is Brianne’s face. This seems to trigger something within him.
Trying to Escape the Pain
As for Young Ian, he has roped off his dog Rollo and is missing. Roger deduces what Ian has planned and goes after him. Ian for his part, has buried his Mohawk hatchet and proceeds to put the stolen hemlock roots in a pot to cook. Roger comes up and kicks the pot over, spilling the hemlock away.
Ian, pushes Roger to the ground asking him why he, of all people, would stop him. He tells Roger he saw him standing by the tall cliff earlier. He knew what Roger was contemplating to do. But Roger has a wife and a son. Why would you want to leave them? what did he see when he was being hung? When he faced death? Roger pushes him away and croaked out, he saw Brianne’s face.
Then Roger asks Young Ian about what has been bothering him. What happened to the Mohawk? Ian mentioned a girl. Roger asked him if she was dead. No, was Ian’s reply. But she was lost to him. He just wanted the pain to end. Besides, he felt like Roger was the last person to lecture him about dealing with loss. He had put away his weapon, his voice. Roger agreed. But he had picked up his weapon and would fight. Would Ian do the same?
They return home to Frazier’s Ridge and Roger comes home to Brianne. He speaks and she is surprised and delighted. But he tells her that he has changed since the incident. He is not the same Roger he was. But, he loves her and he will ALWAYS sing for her as the episode ends.
Thoughts
This was not quite as drama filled as the Ballad of Roger Mac but it was a fascinating character study. In addition, it was a clever use of thematic structure using the black and white film to advance the story as Roger remembers it. The slow transposition from Black and White to color as Roger begins to assimilate his assessment of the events was also well done.
As far as the character study, it examined how traumatic events affect people different ways. The interesting part was both Ian and Roger seemed to think the other should pull themselves together. But not in their own particular case. Perhaps it took a common frame of reference to get through.
It reminds me a bit of the M*A*S*H episode, Mulcahy’s War. In that episode, Father Mulcahy could not get a soldier to confide in him since he had never been to the front lines. Mulcahy decides to go against orders and accompany Radar to a first aid station at the front. During this time he is forced to perform an emergency tracheotomy (sound familiar?). After returning, the soldier, having heard about the Father’s adventure, believes he can now speak to him about what he had experienced.
Much in the same way, Roger was able to muster up the strength to speak after being confronted with someone having similar issues. Because of that, Roger is in the road to recovery. As for Young Ian, there is still a mystery of what happened to him to be solved. Maybe in the next few episodes. However, while not as powerful as the Ballad of Roger Mac, Famous Last Words still delivered. It was an easy 8 out of 10.
Have you watched any of the Outlander? If not, you should. If you have, what did you think of Famous Last Words? Share your assessments with us at Geek Vibes Nation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
