Every episode of Outlander season 5, ranked worst to best

Outlander — Courtesy of STARZ

11. “Between Two Fires” Season 5, Episode 2

“Between Two Fires” finds itself in the #11 position not because it wasn’t a good episode, but because there was a quite bit going on, especially for the second episode. Perhaps it’s because we were high off the excitement of Roger and Brianna’s wedding, or because we could temporarily forget the stress of the Murtagh situation. Whatever bubble we were living in was popped during the season’s second episode, and it felt a bit too devastating this early on.

First off, there was the reveal that Bonnet was still alive. It was mentioned in the season 5 premiere, but actually seeing his face after so long summoned up feelings of gloom and doom. I think this is the biggest reason why this episode ranks so low on the list; I just can’t stand Bonnet, and I felt it was too early to show his face. But from a plot perspective, I get it.

Then we have Murtagh, who is doing the kinds of things we couldn’t even imagine him doing. This episode helps viewers understand that Murtagh is definitely a part of the Resistance and that they will stop at nothing until they get what they want, even if that involves the barbaric practice of “tar and feathering.”

Again, I felt it was too much to take on top of the Bonnet stuff. The look on Jamie’s face said it all. But there is a silver lining to the episode: Claire, healer that she is, can’t stand the idea of being helpless in this time. Herbs and naturopathic remedies can only take care of so much, so she decides to create penicillin.

It’s a heroic act, and perhaps a bit too risky for the time, but I admire Claire’s determination. It’s why we love her as much as we do, and I’m glad that despite the potentially severe consequences, she decided to go for it and lift our spirits. And when they realize what she’s trying to do, the reactions of those around her are pretty funny: Bree isn’t amused and Marsali is simply flabbergasted.