Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

reviewing 3 Body Problem; American Rust; Bosch: Legacy; Citadel; Fauda; For All Mankind; Foundation; Hijack; House of the Dragon; Luther; Outer Range; Outlander; Reacher; Severance; Silo; Slow Horses; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Surface; The: Ark, Diplomat, Last of Us, Lazarus Project, Orville, Way Home; Tokyo Vice; True Detective; You +books, films, music, podcasts, politics

George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Outlander 7.1-7.2: The Return of the Split

Outlander is back for its seventh and next-to-final season, with two superb and very different kinds of episodes, 7.1 and 7.2, on Starz last week and this.

[And big spoilers ahead ... ]

Episode 7.1 was a rip-roaring adventure, as Jamie does all in his power to save Claire, but she's saved by good old Tom Christie, who makes the ultimate sacrifice to go the gallows instead of Claire. It was great to see Jamie back in action, and though I'll miss Tom as a strong character, that was certainly a noble way to go.

Episode 7.2 was something else entirely, so sad I almost couldn't write this. Brianna and Roger's decision to go back to the 20th century to save their new baby was 100% logical, but I don't think there was any other episode in all of Outlander quite so worthy of tears, borne of Jamie and Claire thinking they may never see their daughter again, and she thinking the same about them. Optimist that I am (I haven't read the books), I'd bet that they would, but it's still something to see the pain all three were going through, and hats to Sam Heughan, Caitríona Balfe, and Sophie Skelton for their really fine acting. And while I'm at it, here's a shout out to Andrew and Matthew Adair for playing an excellent little Jemmy.

The story will take on -- or take on again -- an exciting multiple dimension, as we see the family, now expanded, split again between two times -- spanning two hundred years, as Claire correctly says. There are all kinds of possibilities here, and I'm glad I have no idea how they'll play out. But based on these two two top-notch episodes of this penultimate season, I'm confident we'll be in for a breathtaking, heartbreaking, heart warming story.

See also Outlander 6.1: Ether That Won't Put You to Sleep

And see also Outlander 5.1: Father of the Bride ... Outlander 5.2: Antibiotics and Time Travel ... Outlander 5.3: Misery ... Outlander 5.4: Accidental Information and the Future ... Outlander 5.5: Lessons in Penicillin and Locusts ... Outlander 5.6: Locusts, Jocasta, and Bonnet ... Outlander 5.7: The Paradoxical Spark ... Outlander 5.8: Breaking Out of the Silence ... Outlander 5.9: Buffalo, Snake, Tooth ... Outlander 5.10: Finally! ... Outlander 5.11: The Ballpoint Pen ... Outlander Season 5 Finale: The Cost of Stolen Time