"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Outlander 1.12: Black Jack's Progeny

A deep Outlander 1.12 last night, with back story about Jamie's family, Black Jack, and some frontal male nudity, a rarity even on R-rated television.

There was also a fine little time-travel conversation between Claire and Jamie, in which she describes to him the wonders of air travel.   This was an important conversation for several reasons.  It signals that Jamie is continuingly aware that Claire is from the future, and won't be looking at the revelation from last week's episode as some bizarre out-of-synch event.   Instead, Jamie is likely to process this into his everyday entire relationship with Claire, which is much more interesting.   And, it's always fun in a time travel story to have a character from the past brought up to speed about current or future events.  (One of my favorite parts of The Plot to Save Socrates was Sierra with the philosopher on a plane across the Atlantic.)

So that was my favorite conversation in the episode - narrowly surpassing my second favorite, also between Jamie and Claire, in which he recalls and extols her "round arse" bumping against his thighs on their first ride together on a horse.

Jamie's sister Jenny was also good to meet.   Up until now, Jamie has been something of an outsider even in his own time and place in Scotland.   That's one reason why he and Claire were so attracted to one another.  Now, finally, we see Jamie in his proper place - laird in Lallybroch - and that's nice to see, including working through reacquaintance problems.

I was a little disappointed, though, that Jenny's little boy was not Black Jack's (if we can believe her story).   Black Jack and Frank look identical for a reason - which certainly isn't that Black Jack traveled through time to the future.  The only rational explanation is that Frank is Jack's descendant. (I know, Outlander is a fantasy story, but there's a strong logic within the fantasy, which is what makes it so good.)  That being the case, it would be good to sooner or later see some evidence of Black Jack's progeny.  (Again, I should mention that I haven't read the books.)

Outlander on continues to appeal, intrigue, and surpass what we usually see on television.

See also Outlander 1.1-3: The Hope of Time Travel ... Outlander 1.6:  Outstanding ... Outlander 1.7: Tender Intertemporal Polygamy ...Outlander 1.8: The Other Side ... Outlander 1.9: Spanking Good ... Outlander 1.10: A Glimmer of Paradox ... Outlander 1.11: Vaccination and Time Travel

 
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