Recap of Outlander
Season 5, Episode 5:
Perpetual Adoration
As Claire works to cultivate penicillin for the Ridge, she is reminded of a 20th century patient who was killed by the supposed miracle drug. Roger discovers that Brianna is hiding a secret about Stephen Bonnet. Meanwhile, Jamie's is forced to make a crucial decision regarding his obligation to Tryon and his loyalty to Murtagh.
Tropes
- All for Nothing: Invoked by Knox. When he hears that the Governor is considering pardoning the Regulators, he worries that all their efforts will be for naught, and it will make his murder of the Regulator in the jail even more heinous.
- Apologetic Attacker: As with Dougal, Jamie apologizes to Knox's corpse for having to kill him. This time he's specifically apologizing that Knox won't get the acknowledgment of having died in the line of duty since Jamie will have to make it look like an accidental death.
- Dartboard of Hate: The Redcoats are using a wanted poster of Murtagh as the target for their knife throwing competition.
- Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: Jamie is edged into a corner after he is pressed into service by Governor Tryon. He doesn't support the Regulators nor does he believe the Redcoats are in the right. He's merely trying to protect the land his family lives on, which can be taken away if he's seen as disloyal to the Crown. Jamie spends most of the episode trying to keep Lieutenant Knox and the various Regulators far apart, but ultimately, his allegiance is to Murtagh, his godfather and lifelong friend.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Invoked by Claire when she finally succeeds in cultivating a strain of penicillin.
- Fatal Flaw: Lieutenant Knox and the Redcoats mistakenly think that the Highlanders' forced vow to serve King and Country means bygones are bygones. However, anyone who truly understands the Highlanders knows that family comes before everything else. Thinking otherwise is dangerously stupid. Jamie says as much when Knox questions how Jamie could betray his oath.Jamie: First and foremost, I swore an oath to my family.
- Flashback B-Plot: As Claire begins using her homemade penicillin, she is reminded of a patient she treated in the 20th century who had a fatal reaction the drug.
- Good Is Not Soft: This episode really focuses on what it means to be a "good". To Knox, good means being unflinchingly loyal to King and Country. To Jamie, being a good man means protecting your family at all costs. He refuses to sit by while the Crown hunts Murtagh like a dog simply for disobedience to the Crown.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: The Regulators claim to be representing the people, but when Jamie and his militia ride into town, it's clear that the people are afraid of the Regulators. Jamie and his men get a chilly, hostile reception until they make it clear that they are not Regulators, but rather a militia there on the governor's orders.
- Ignored Confession: When Lieutenant Knox receives the prisoner rolls for Ardsmuir, Jamie preemptively confesses that his name is listed there. Knox laughs and handwaves it, saying that he understands that there are probably a lot of men named James Fraser in Scotland. Jamie has to clarify that there is only one James Fraser of Broch Tuarach.
- Ironic Last Words: Knox's last words were to express his believe that since he and Jamie are diametrically opposed in motivations, only one of them can actually emerge from their confrontation as a good, righteous man. Ultimately, Jamie is the survivor.
- I'm a Doctor, Not a Placeholder: Invoked by Joe Abernathy when he commiserates with Claire over getting emotionally attached to a patient.Joe: We're doctors not robots.
- Inciting Incident: Claire's encounter with Graham Menzies, his wistfulness for Scotland, and his resulting death is what inspires Claire to take Brianna on their trip to Europe. This trip means they are within traveling distance when the Reverend dies and Claire decides to pay her respect, resulting in meeting adult Roger, triggering the series of events that leads to the revelation of Jamie's survival.
- Internal Reveal:
- Jamie proactively tells Lieutenant Knox that he was imprisoned in Ardsmuir prison. Upon reading the rolls of the prison, Knox belatedly realizes that James Fraser is the Red Jamie and Murtagh Fitzgibbons is Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, leading him to the further realization that Jamie has been working against him all along to keep Murtagh and the other Regulators as safe as possible.
- Roger learns that Stephen Bonnet is still alive and may be making efforts to claim Jemmy as his son.
- Lets Get Out Ofhere: When Jamie meets back up with Fergus, the younger man tries to tell him about Lieutenant Knox, but Jamie simply says they should go since there's nothing more they can do for the man.
- MacGuffin: Roger recognizes the gemstone that Brianna received from Stephen Bonnet. It triggers a massive argument when Brianna admits that she told Stephen that he was the father of her baby.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: After killing Lieutenant Knox, Jamie undresses the man, puts him to bed, burns the prison rolls, and closes the chimney chutes, to make it look like Knox died of smoke inhalation from an improperly tended fire.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Roger is hurt that Brianna told Bonnet that Jemmy was his baby when she's never been willing to assure Roger of the same thing. Brianna insists that she didn't believe she would have to tell Roger the child is his, but Roger has trouble accepting that she would ever imply that Jemmy was anyone else's child unless she believed it to be the truth.
- Misdirected Outburst: Devastated by the loss of her patient, Claire flips out on the charge nurse, reading her the riot act for not keeping Claire informed. It's clear her time with Mr. Menzies stirred up her memories of Jamie and losing him unexpectedly reminded her of being forced to leave Jamie to his doom, making Claire feel helpless all over again.
- Mood Whiplash: Moments after escaping following his murder of Lieutenant Knox, Jamie stumbles across an adorable kitten who meows at him.Jamie: Not a word or I'll throttle ye.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Jamie and Fergus' reactions when they hear that Knox has requested the Ardsmuir prison roles so he can identify potential allies of Murtagh's in the colonies. Of course, this would include Jamie himself.
- Lieutenant Knox's reaction when Jamie admits that he is James Fraser of Broch Tuarach and then he learns that Murtagh's surname is also Fraser.
- The Penance: Claire sits through Mr. Menzie's slot for the Perpetual Adoration as a way of making up for unintentionally killing him.
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Invoked by Roger when Claire tries to commiserate with him about his marital troubles. Claire has to remind him that Jamie is not her first husband and that she and Frank had a very difficult and complicated marriage, marred by many of the same issues that Roger and Brianna are struggling with. However, Brianna and Roger don't have the added complication of either of them being in love with a third party.
- Refuge in Audacity: When Claire catches him in the act of smoking inside the hospital, Mr. Menzies waves away the smoke and says he doesn't smell anything.
- Same Surname Means Related: Invoked by Lieutenant Knox when he realizes that Murtagh's full name is Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser. He immediately realizes that this means Murtagh and Jamie are related.
- Tragic Mistake: Lieutenant Knox's fatal mistake is trusting Jamie. Believing that Jamie is an ally who hates the Regulators as much as Knox does, he invites Jamie in for a game of chess which is why Jamie is around when the rolls for Ardsmuir are delivered. Jamie then kills Knox to protect himself and his godfather, Murtagh.
- You Remind Me of X: Mr. Menzies' Scottish brogue and cavalier attitude towards medical care and getting new scars, distinctly remind Claire of Jamie and his men.
