Outlander review, Episode 602: “Allegiance”

Outlander is back. It feels absolutely wonderful to type that out after two long years. I’m trying to take in every single moment especially since this is a shortened season with only eight episodes. We’re already two episodes in, folks, so it’s going to go by incredibly fast.

One of the things that I was very happy about is that despite the trauma of last season, the season 6 premiere let us have happy moments too. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) unfortunately went through something absolutely horrendous, but I’m glad we got to see some tender moments between her and Jamie (Sam Heughan). Talk about a couple that has literally been through everything!

But the sweet, sensitive moments are going to be few and far between. In this week’s episode, we’ve already begun to see the threads unravel. War is around the corner and Jamie is forced to make some difficult decisions. So without further ado, let’s talk about what went down in the second episode of season 6, “Allegiance.” SPOILERS follow below!

Outlander tackles history

One of the main storylines this week revolves around Jamie becoming the new Indian Head, the liaison between native tribes and the English government. The chief of the Cherokee, Bird, asks Jamie for guns in exchange for their alliance.

It seems like a fairly normal request given war is brewing all around them, but Jamie is on the fence about it. If he gives them the guns does that mean the Cherokee will turn on them?

I feel for Jamie because there is really no way to know what actions are going to backfire and change history. He has Claire and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) to bounce ideas off of (to an extent) but he can’t know everything. His limited foreknowledge almost hurts more than it helps.

At first, Jamie decides against putting in a request for guns, but a revelation about Ian (John Bell) changes his mind. Ian has spent time with the Mohawk people and has a natural inclination to protect the tribes. He also knows about time travel and finds out from Brianna that the future of the tribes is anything but happy. He asks Jamie to change his mind. Jamie resists at first, but reconsiders after penning a letter to the Governor. He realizes that Ian has a strong allegiance to the Native American tribes not only because he lived with them but because he has a Mohawk wife and child!

I’ll tell you how this revelation came about a little later, but for now, I’ll just say that Jamie had no problem requesting arms for the Cherokee after this.

Outlander welcomes Marsali and Fergus’ baby!

After what happened to Claire and Marsali (Lauren Lyle) in season 5, Fergus (Cesar Domboy) has blamed no one but himself. He’s fallen into a deep, drunken depression.

Something had to change, especially as Marsali was getting ready to give birth to her child with Fergus. On the night Marsali goes into labor, Claire expresses grave concerns over the baby’s well-being. It’s unclear if Claire even has the proper tools available to bring the baby into the world while also ensuring Marsali’s safety.

All the while, Fergus is nowhere to be found, so Roger (Richard Rankin) sets out to find and bring him back. He finds Fergus drunk and unwilling to go be with his wife. At that moment, Roger reflects on his own experience with Brianna’s pregnancy and yells at Fergus to get his act together or he’ll live in regret forever.

I was so happy to see Fergus and Marsali share a moment as they are once again side by side for the delivery. I’m happy to report both mom and baby are happy and healthy, but one big reveal may set Fergus back once again: When Fergus holds the baby in his arms for the first time, he realizes the child has been born a dwarf. He doesn’t look too happy as he quickly leaves the room. I know he’s going through a lot, but that one hurt to see.

The Christie family

I am not a fan of this family, at all. Malva (Jessica Reynolds) may yet be redeemed, but there is something that makes me feel uneasy whenever I see her. Maybe that’s me projecting her father’s unpleasant personality onto her. She does want to learn about healing from Claire, which is a good instinct on her part. Tom (Mark Lewis Jones) is not happy about it, but she defies him. In fact, she’s even there the night Marsali gives birth.

But at home, things are rough; Tom tries to whip Malva as punishment for not having the butter ready, but his injured hand prevents him from doing so. (This is the very same hand that Claire offered to do surgery on to help him out.) When he can’t whip Malva, a very strange, ominous smile takes over her face. It’s basically an “eff you Dad, you should have listened to Claire” face, but there’s something wicked in her expression that doesn’t sit well.

Tail between his legs, Tom goes back to Claire to say he was ready for the surgery. Since Claire is the nicest woman on the planet, she agreed to do it for him once his other arm is healed. Even though he’s a jerk, she’s taking the Hippocratic Oath seriously!

I also have to mention the moment where Jamie goes to confront Tom about the church he’s building. Jamie makes it clear that the church is open for everyone whatever religion they practice. I loved Heughan in this scene because he makes it known that Fraser’s Ridge is his dominion, not Tom’s. The days at Ardsmuir are in the past, so sorry, not sorry Mr. Tom Christie!

Also, Brianna has been putting her inventor brain to work and invented matches. Everyone wasn’t that amused, but hey, I love that she’s thinking like her mother. She’s an absolute genius!

This week’s episode of Outlander really begins diving into what this season is going to be about: struggle, war and uncertainty. There is not only an external struggle going on with the war, but also an internal struggle between and within characters.

Everyone is battling something, and it’s starting to come to the surface in a dark way. I didn’t mention this above because I wanted to here, but Claire is beginning to show signs of PTSD. It was very subtle in the episode, but after she learns that Fergus may be behaving the way he is because he feels shame and regret for what happened to her and Marsali, she’s triggered. She uses some combination of whatever drugs she’s created to make herself pass out so she doesn’t have to deal with it.

That is just one of the many struggles these characters are facing. May the writers of Outlander have mercy on them all!

Grade: A

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