Final production reported and layout by Brigitte Blanc
In purple, the interventions of the writers about the episode.
EPISODE 511
JOURNEY CAKE
Written by Diana Gabaldon
(Diana, as a writer, gives us some fascinating details about the writing of the episode)
FINAL PRODUCTION PROJECT
November 26, 2019
COPYRIGHT © 2019 Sony Pictures Television INC.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
CLAIRE FRASER /JAMIE FRASER /BRIANNA RANDALL FRASER /ROGER WAKEFIELD MACKENZIE
ARVIN HODGEPILE /FERGUS FRASER /GEORDIE CHISHOLM/ GERMAN FRASER /JEMMY MACKENZIE /OHN GREY/ JOSIAH BEARDSLEY /LIONELBROWN/ LIZZIE WEMYSS /MARSALI FRASER /RICHARD BROWN /RONNIE SINCLAIR/ROSE BROWN/TEBBE /ULYSSES /WENDIGO DONNER /YOUNG IAN
INTERIORS
Fraser's Ridge/Big House: Infirmary. Living room. Kitchen. Jamie and Claire's room Dining room / Brianna and Roger's cabin
EXTERNAL
18th century Edinburgh Street/North Carolina Woods/ Dutch Family Cabin/ Back of the Cabin/The Stone Circle / Fraser's Ridge: Large Porch House. Front yard. Entrance road. Backyard / Brianna and Roger's Cabin /The Woods / By the Creek /The Ridge /North Carolina Country Roads
PASSAGES PRESENT IN THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT BUT NOT IN THE FINAL TELEVISED VERSION
COMMENTS FROM THE SCREENWRITER, ALWAYS INTERESTING!
SCENIC AND DIDASCALIE INDICATIONS
DIRECT VOICE DIALOGUES
PRE-CREDITS SEQUENCE (COLD OPEN):
1EXT. NORTH CAROLINA WOOD - DAY - (Fall 1772)
Five months have passed since episode 510. Roger and Brianna drive a cart slowly bumping through the trees. The cart is filled with drums and boxes of supplies.
There are two large burlap bags next to Brianna, who is driving.
Jamie and Claire are on horseback next to the wagon.
JAMIE (looking at the bags): "What's in those canvas bags? I don't remember buying them at Woolam's Creek."
CLAIRE: "Peanuts."
JAMIE: "Peanuts? What for? Pigs have no shortage of pâtée. Or do you want to make medicine out of it, Sassenach? «
CLAIRE: "No, sandwiches."
Jamie looks puzzled. Claire and Brianna laugh.
CLAIRE: "I haven't mastered ice cream yet, but the devil takes me away if Jemmy grows up without having tasted peanut butter and jam."
Diana Gabaldon: "So, let's start with peanuts. The scene is actually meant to bring the Fraser group into the burned cabin, but the immediate opening with them on the spot is a bit abrupt. Movement is always a good thing, so let's let Jamie, Claire and the others go somewhere.
Rather than just showing them walking across the landscape, there should be a conversation, probably something referring to a plot point (either from the previous episode or this one) or a developing character, which can be surprisingly interrupted by the sight of the cabin.
So they return together from Woolam's Creek. Where, obviously, they ran errands. What are they talking about, what are they buying? Well, peanuts... and Claire's announcement that she wants to make peanut butter, so her grandson doesn't grow up deprived of the pleasure of peanut butter sandwiches. And then... We run into the cabin and things get serious. «
Brianna's smile fades a little as she exchanges a glance with Roger. It's not certain if their son will grow up here, but peanut butter is a good idea.
At that moment, Jamie raises his head, suddenly alert.
JAMIE: "Do you feel that?"
2EXT. NORTH CAROLINA WOOD - DUTCH HUT - DAY (D1)
The ruins of a hut still smoking, with volutes of smoke rising from the black ashes.
Jamie and Roger rush to the cabin, followed by Claire and Brianna.
Inside the ruins, there are partially burned bodies on the ground -- their clothes indicate two women and a teenage girl. Coughing, men tie tissues like a bandit to their faces and enter to see if anyone is still alive, turning bodies and looking for signs of life.
JAMIE: "Claire?"
ROGER: "This one is dead. »
JAMIE: "Yes, they're all dead. «
ROGER: "Why are they all in the house? I wonder why they didn't run out when the fire broke out? That's weird... »
JAMIE: "Because they were dead when the fire started. But I can't say what killed them. «
While Claire pulls out her large handkerchief from her pocket to protect her face, Roger continues to search near the wall of the cabin, away from the door.
ROGER: "Here's another one: a man."
Jamie and Claire rush to Roger to examine the body of a man, half covered by fallen beams and ashes. Jamie pulls the man away from the debris so Claire can kneel down and examine him.
CLAIRE: "Well, I can tell you what killed this one."
She pulls away a half-burned piece of the man's shirt, showing them an arrow wound in the upper abdomen. Claire pulls a bloody arrowhead from the body.
BRIANNA: "The Indians?"
Jamie takes the arrow from Claire's hands and examines it.
JAMIE: "Maybe - but... It seems unusual... a single arrow... Let's all go and inspect the surroundings to see if anyone has run away or is hiding in the woods.
3EXT. BACK OF DUTCH CABIN - NORTH CAROLINA WOOD - DAY (D1)
Jamie walks through the trees screaming...
JAMIE: "Is there someone? Does anyone need help? Don't be afraid! «
CLAIRE: "Is there anyone?"
Meanwhile, Roger rummages through the debris, but finds something else, when he hears a faint moan and discovers a very badly burned girl, buried in the ashes.
ROGER: My God... »
JAMIE: "Is there someone? Don't be afraid! There is no danger now! »
CLAIRE (in the distance): "We're here to help you!"
Jamie arrives near Roger who is upset. The girl is so badly burned that her clothes and hair are gone, her skin is charred and bleeding, and the hand we see is nothing more than blackened sticks, fingers burned to the state of stumps. It is clear that she is dying; She makes small gasps of pain.
Jamie kneels next to the girl, very moved, and looks at Roger who raises his head, broken: he shakes his head. Jamie makes her understand that we can no longer save the little one. A moment of indecision, and Jamie undoes the scarf tied around his neck. Roger realizes what Jamie wants to do, makes a decision...
ROGER: "No, I'm going to."
Diana Gabaldon: "The cabin scene is straight out of the book, streamlined for the film. There were two important elements: the idea of someone murdering people and burning their cabin(s), and Roger's act when he and Jamie find the girl burned.
This is a reminder of Jamie's murder of Aaron Beardsley in episode 503, and we can use a bit of Jamie's Gaelic prayer (which is real; it's called "Death Dirge", from a collection of "Prayers, Charms and Incantation" called Carmina Gadelica, compiled by Reverend Alexander Carmichael directly from Scottish Highland oral traditions. Excellent source!). «
Jamie is willing to talk, but a glance at the girl convinces him and he hands Roger his folded bandana. Roger leans over to her.
ROGER: "Everything will be fine, my dear."
Roger delicately presses a folded handkerchief over the girl's face while Jamie prays softly...
JAMIE "You're going home tonight, to your fall, spring and summer home; You go home tonight, for your perpetual home, for your eternal bed, for your eternal rest."
4EXT. DUTCH HUT - OTHER SIDE - NORTH CAROLINA WOOD - DAY (D1)
Claire and Brianna spread out the burned bodies and cover their faces. Brianna's hands visibly tremble as she covers the teen's face. Jamie's prayer continues...
JAMIE AND ROGER arrive and join Claire and Brianna, who are preparing the bodies for burial. Claire puts the last cloth on a girl's face.
JAMIE: "We found one more. A little girl, behind the house. «
CLAIRE: "Is she...?"
JAMIE: "Dead"
Jamie looks at Roger, choosing not to speak out about the mercy of his act. BRIANNA: "And there's no record of -- who came here?"
JAMIE: "There are the tracks of the horses... twenty, at least. But nothing more. «
There is nothing left to do here, no one to safeguard.
Jamie and Roger finish burying the bodies and the four do a quick ceremony before leaving.
5EXT. DUTCH CABIN - NORTH CAROLINA WOOD - TWILIGHT (D1)
As the wagon and horses leave the burned hut, we see a large cross, planted for all the dead of this family.
Diana Gabaldon: "I had visualized a row of graves, each with its own small cross, as evidence of a massacre. As filmed, it turned out to be a tomb and a cross, which is quite logical (and easier with props). «
TITLE CARD (SEQUENCE JUST AFTER THE GENERIC)
EDINBURGH STREET - DAY (1767) –
Out of frame. Claire (we recognize her outfit...) unwraps a peanut butter sandwich, slightly crushed, with jelly that has soaked the bread. It is wrapped in cellophane paper (invented in 1949).
Claire removes the paper from the sandwich to eat a piece. A gust of wind rips cellophane from his hands. We follow it as it unfolds, flies away and slides through the cobblestones...
Diana Gabaldon: "As much as I really liked the title card sequence in episode 306, in which Claire's feet get out of a carriage to walk into a puddle (reminiscent of Voyager's prologue), I missed seeing her sit down and unwrap the peanut butter sandwich that was her last memory of 'Boston's house.' I wondered if I could fit this scene into the 511 and, seeing the list of scenes and events proposed by the writers' room, I thought more deeply about peanut butter.
Back then, people were planting peanuts, that's fine, but they gave the nuts (they're not really nuts; they're legumes, but let's not get technical here) to their pigs, to sweeten the meat. People didn't eat them; It would be like someone telling you they ate cat food (I've met a few people who have told me that. It's absolutely true that you can eat cat food, and some of them smell pretty good, but still... presentation matters a lot).
So, contemplating the difference in attitude between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, I began to see how peanut butter could be a unifying theme, so to speak, connecting the concept of home to food and linking Claire and Brianna through the centuries. «
6EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - FRONT PORCH/YARD - DAY (D2)
A WEEK LATER.
Claire and Brianna sit on the steps and shell the peanuts. Jamie watches Ian and Jemmy play, while Roger carves a wooden rocking horse in the yard.
YOUNG IAN is nearby, entertaining Jemmy by swinging the necklace with Otter's opal in front of the little boy who is running to try to catch him with both hands.
CLAIRE: "Do you remember -- when I left to cross the stones again -- you made me peanut butter sandwiches with jam, to eat during the trip?"
BRIANNA: "I wanted you to have a little piece of your home, wherever you were."
Diana Gabaldon: "Here's the peanut note again, but that's the subtext/background to the important revelation in this scene: that Jemmy can actually travel back in time.
You know the old showbiz adage that you should never work with animals or children? Jemmy was played (at different ages) by two pairs of twins (you want twins when you're dealing with young children, because if one of them is grumpy or sleeps when you want him awake, you have at least a chance that the other is cooperative), all of whom have done very well.
But getting a very small child to focus on something for more than thirty seconds and pronounce lines is a tall order. John Bell did this by singing "Baby Shark" to the young actor playing Jemmy, with gestures (the lines were mostly filmed separately from the action and edited together).
IAN: "Can you take it? I bet you can't catch it."
Jemmy tries and laughs heartily.
CLAIRE: "I think peanut butter sandwiches are indestructible. I ate one after my visit, at the stones. And the other when I arrived in Edinburgh. I had never eaten anything better. »
BRIANNA: "I'm happy about it"
While Claire breaks peanut pods and drops them into a tin bowl, plink, plink, plink... She says wistfully:
CLAIRE: "I've always wondered what happened to the piece of cellophane in which the sandwich was wrapped? If someone found it, what did they think? «
BRIANNA: "Good question."
At that moment, a scream from Jemmy distracts them. Young Ian bends down to pick up the opal clinging to his cord
JEMMIE: "It's hot."
IAN: "Is it hot?"
Young Ian rocks the opal in front of Jemmy.
IAN: "Do you want her? No? But you wanted it just now! »
Jemmy starts crying...
JEMMY: "I don't want her anymore"
Brianna gets up from the porch and walks towards young Ian. She strokes Jemmy's hair.
BRIANNA: "He said it was hot? It's really hot... »
YOUNG IAN: "No. You're as stupid as your little boy! «
Seeing his mother with her toy, Jemmy grabs the opal and Brianna lets him take her...
JEMMIE takes it in his hands but the stone seems hot.
BRIANNA (worried): "If it's hot, give it back to me, baby"
Suddenly, the stone splits into several pieces in Jemmy's hand! Brianna takes his hand.
BRIANNA: "Jemmy!"
Close-up of the opal in his palm – split in the middle. Adults gather and look at the opal. Claire hears familiar buzz...
CLAIRE: "Does anyone else hear that?"
Brianna and Roger exchange a look with her and nod. Jemmy puts his hands over his ears. He hears something too.
JEMMIE: "I can hear it!"
JAMIE: "I can't hear anything."
Everyone turns and looks at Jemmy. Roger takes the fallen opal to the ground. His face changes.
ROGER: "Let you see that. It's hot. Very hot"
BRIANNA: "And a minute ago, it was hot enough to burst."
JAMIE: "For me, it's as cold as stone."
Roger and Brianna's eyes meet.
BRIANNA: "Roger... »
ROGER: "The gemstone, the buzz... It's a sign... He can travel. «
Brianna nods, without a word. That answers a question that has dominated them all season.
Jamie comes to see Claire and puts an arm around her. Ian feels the tension in the air.
Claire understood and immediately appreciated all the consequences...
JAMIE (worried): "Will you?"
He understands right away that yes to the look that Brianna gives him...
While everyone is caught up in the importance of this moment... And what it means for the young couple...
Brianna and Roger exchange a bittersweet look – and the magnitude of this incident hits everyone deeply.
JEMMY: "Here are the horses!"
A large group of riders arrives. Jamie grabs his new sharp knife and pushes it into its sheath. Roger and young Ian follow him to face whatever awaits him.
Claire stays, but Brianna takes Jemmy into the house.
BRIANNA: "Come, Jem. Come with me"
7EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE – LARGE HOUSE – ENTRANCE ROAD – DAY (J2)
The Frasers/MacKenzies were ready for what lay ahead—which was a fairly large group of horsemen (about 20 to 30 people, mostly men from Brownsville), led by Patriarch Richard Brown. His brother LIONEL BROWN is next to him, and a man wearing the remains of a British army uniform -- presumably a deserter, ARVIN HODGEPILE. WENDIGO DONNER is also in the group: he is a Native American with bushy hair, but wearing a white outfit; TEBBE, a free, mixed-race and quiet man; GARRICK, HANLON and Lionel's nephew, CUDDY BROWN, 17.
Brianna puts Jemmy in the infirmary.
BRIANNA: "All right, baby, lie down here for a while, that's fine"
RICHARD BROWN: "It's nice to see you, Mr. Fraser!"
JAMIE: "Yes, well, I hope so, Mr. Brown. I see you have brought company. »
RICHARD BROWN: "Mr. Fraser, you asked for my help, now I'm asking for yours. Since the Crown is no longer able to ensure the safety of the settlers, we have to deal with it ourselves. I took the initiative to form a Safety Committee to protect the good people of Rowan County. «
Diana Gabaldon: "Major plot development, as the Brownsville Browns arrive.
Let me just pause to say that I love the Brownsville Browns. Richard and Lionel are both perfect and superbly played by Chris Larkin and Ned Dennehey.
Their arrival both interrupts the previous scene at the dramatic climax, where everyone suddenly realizes what it means, with Jemmy's ability to hear the stones, and triggers the long sequence of events that will culminate in the next episode. «
JAMIE: "Does the new governor know?
RICHARD: "Governor Martin can't officially authorize it, but... He knows it. He welcomes that. He certainly doesn't want to manage another uprising. And there have been rumors of violent attacks -- shacks burned, families killed. Have you heard of such facts at the Ridge? «
JAMIE: "Yes, indeed. We came across a cabin that had just been burned a few days ago, about 15 kilometres from Woolam's Creek. The dead were a Dutch family."
ROGER: "May their bodies rest in peace"
The Brown gang is agitated, everyone looks at each other and looks at Jamie. Claire, who frowns at Lionel Brown, moves closer.
Lionel's leg is wrapped in a dirty bandage, stained with dried blood and pus.
CLAIRE: "This injury seems to need treatment. Come with me to my infirmary, I will apply clean bandages. »
LIONEL: "It's nothing"
RICHARD BROWN: "Go with her, brother. This wound becomes infected, judging by its smell. «
Lionel frowns, but reluctantly gets off his horse.
Jamie begins to find this story troubling –
8INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - BIG HOUSE - SURGERY - DAY (D2)
Claire makes Lionel Brown sit on her examination table, her injured leg exposed. It looks bad, swollen, red, with draining pus.
CLAIRE: "How is little Bonnie? Does it flourish in your niece's family? »
LIONEL BROWN: "She's doing pretty well."
CLAIRE: "You have a nasty infection. When did you do that to yourself? «
LIONEL BROWN: "A few days ago. I know what you think of me, Ms. Fraser. You think I shot Morton. I'm not saying I have nothing to do with it, but... «
CLAIRE: "But you're also not saying you didn't."
Lionel will not admit anything. But he says this...
LIONEL BROWN: "Do you think a father has no right to do justice for his daughter who has been dishonored?"
Diana Gabaldon: "A more personal plot development here, as the animosity between Claire and Lionel Brown takes hold and intensifies. And, coughing as he turns sideways, Lionel spots the nameplate of "Dr. Rawlings" on Claire's medical kit.
And while Lionel is obviously not the nicest person Claire has met in the last century, her "You think a father has no right to do justice for his daughter who has been dishonored?" strikes her in the heart, because that's exactly what Jamie (and Roger) did. Just because she doesn't love Lionel (and appreciates her daughter Alicia and her lover Isaiah) doesn't mean he's wrong. »
It hits Claire in the heart, as she thinks about the lives of Jamie and Stephen Bonnet. But she hides her reaction by turning away to get her instruments.
9EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - BIG HOUSE - DAY (J2)
The Brown gang has withdrawn and the men watch over their horses, taking a quick bite, passing flasks, fetching water from the river, etc.
Jamie, Roger and Young Ian talk to Richard Brown, Arvin Hodgepile and Wendigo Donner at his side.
ARVIN HODGEPILE (sneered): "It must be the work of savages. Half a dozen shacks were burned this month. «
Donner looks around as he looks around for signs of Jamie's prosperity: home, livestock, settlers, etc.
YOUNG IAN: "They weren't Indians."
ARVIN HODGEPILE: "How are you so sure?"
Roger feels Ian's blood rising and intervenes:
ROGER: "First of all, no one was scalped."
YOUNG IAN (in Hodgepile): "And even if they had been, the Indians are not the only ones to take scalps. "
TEBBE: "True. The white man also learned to do it. «
Hodgepile gives Tebbe a wicked look.
WENDIGO DONNER: "Whoever it was, maybe something scared them. «
RICHARD BROWN (pointing to Roger): "You have men under your command. Do you want to come, you and your son-in-law? Yes, we have enough men for two or three patrols – Corporal Hodgepile commands a group here; You and your men could form another? «
JAMIE: "I appreciate the offer, but there are a lot of things to do here. It will take me time to think. «
RICHARD BROWN: "You may remember, colonel, that when you came looking for men for your militia, we didn't take time to think."
JAMIE: "No, not long. And Governor Tryon was grateful for your timely help. But fighting a war and maintaining law and order are two different things. «
Richard Brown raises his cup of whiskey.
RICHARD BROWN: "Your famous whisky still needs your attention, I guess? All right, Mr. Fraser – Think about it. Try to be vigilant everyone. »
Diana Gabaldon: "There are three things going on here: two manifestos and one (supposed to be) subtle. First, the conflict between Richard Brown and Jamie over the militia (ongoing plot), second, a strong reference to Jamie's still and the fact that the Browns know it, and the more subtle goal of designating three men who will be important in the next episode: Arvin Hodgepile, Tebbe and Wendigo Donner. «
YOUNG IAN: "We are able to protect ourselves."
He's angry and ready to start something, but he calms down when Jamie intervenes.
JAMIE: "As I said, Mr. Brown, I'll think about it."
As they see Claire coming out of the covered passage with Lionel, freshly bandaged, the conversation ends.
RICHARD BROWN: "On horseback! »
A10 INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
A little later. Jamie and Claire digest the news that Brianna and Roger are considering leaving.
JAMIE: "Do you really think they're going to leave now?"
CLAIRE: "Bree promised Roger as soon as they knew if Jemmy could travel" --
They fall silent as young Ian joins them. After a while...
YOUNG IAN: "Are we going to discuss what happened?"
JAMIE: "There's not much to say about the Browns. They do what they want. «
YOUNG IAN: "Not Browns, uncle... Opal. Have you forgotten the story told by the Mohawks that the spirit of Otter Tooth appears to the owner of the stone... (then to Claire) You have found the opal. You said it appeared to you. »
CLAIRE: "Yes... but I... »
YOUNG IAN: "The Mohawks think that whoever stones it has the power to read the future... They asked me about you after you left. »
JAMIE: "What did you tell them?"
YOUNG IAN: "The truth: no one looks like my Aunt Claire. And it's true... the way you speak... medications. Of which you joined Uncle Jamie so suddenly after twenty years of separation... And then there's Brianna and Roger -- who came from, well, I don't know where... (after a while) As I once told you... I learned not to ask questions. But I have some for you now... »
Young Ian rummages through his pocket and pulls out Otter's diary – which he's been carrying with him since his return in episode 508.
YOUNG IAN: "The Mohawks said it belonged to Dent de Lotter. I understand a little, but it's in Latin... Do you understand something? »
Diana Gabaldon: "This sequence, in which Ian demanded to know things about opal and other events, was on the list of items required by the writers' room. I wrote it, and it was then rewritten more than once (by other people), condensing some things and adding the Otter-Tooth diary, which seemed like a good idea. «
Jamie starts reading, translating as he goes –
JAMIE: "I live; I still exist. Did I exist, in this intermediate place? I don't know exactly when I am, nor can I find out – these people measure time with units that are unknown to me, and I don't know their language to discover them. But I know I'm too late. «
Claire isn't sure what it could be... But these words make her shudder. She picks up the newspaper...
CLE: "My God. He wrote with a ballpoint pen. »
YOUNG IAN: "What is a ballpoint pen? Who or what are you? »
Claire and Jamie exchange a look. No need to hide their secret.
CLAIRE: "Ian... The truth is... I come from another era. In fact, I come from the future. 200 years into the future. »
Young Ian is stunned to hear this.
YOUNG IAN: "I... I knew you were a fairy, my aunt. «
CLAIRE: "I'm not a fairy... «
YOUNG IAN: "So you, Brianna and Roger... Is it all of you? (Claire nods yes. Ian turns to Jamie) And you, did you always know, uncle? »
JAMIE: Yes. But few people could understand it. We kept it to ourselves. «
YOUNG IAN: "Did Murtagh know?"
JAMIE: "Yes, he knew. And now, you too. «
Where to start explaining? Jamie closes the door to the living room. The explanation is going to be long.
10 OMIT 10 11EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - APPENSIBLE - DAY (J2)
They get off their horses, Claire taking a bag of groceries.
JAMIE: "You can go out... »
After a beat, ULYSSES emerges from within.
ULYSSES (bowing): "Madam. Sir. «
CLAIRE: "Ulysses, how are you?"
ULYSSES: "I'm fine, thank you, Madam. My only concern is boredom. «
CLAIRE: "We brought you food"
JAMIE: "I thought it might serve you too."
Jamie hands Ulysses a book: "Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded", by Samuel Richardson.
JAMIE: "I've been in places with nothing but my own thoughts. This might distract you a bit. »
Diana Gabaldon: "This particular scene is not structurally related to the rest of the episode; it's an interpolation needed to fix a problem from 510 onwards – that is, what happens to Odysseus after killing the lawyer Forbes? Ulysses is a great character in itself, and it was nice to be able to share a bit of his story here. However, it takes up the theme of travel and people offering food to the traveler.
In this case, the important gift is not food, but a book. I told Props that the book was to be a particular book: "Pamela, or the Rewarded Virtue" by Samuel Richardson, and that it had to be substantially voluminous. It is one of the most popular books of the eighteenth century, and also a true BIG Book (the original print was about 1,200 pages, although a modern paperback print is only 554 pages). This is one of the books Jamie and Lord John discussed at their dinners in Ardsmuir prison, with the following (partial) exchange: (Lord John): "... I have heard, however, that the novelist's talent lies in the clever selection of details. Don't you think that such a long volume could indicate a lack of discipline in such a selection, and therefore a lack of competence? Fraser pondered as he slowly sipped the ruby liquid. "I've seen books where that's the case, of course," he said. "An author seeks, by a simple accumulation of details, to overwhelm the reader and convince him. In this case, however, I think it is not. Each character is studied with the utmost care and all the chosen incidents seem necessary to the story. No, I think it's true that some stories just need more space to be told. »
In other words, it is a metafiction, but also an Easter Egg ("hidden" and recalled reference) for book fans. »
Odysseus smiled for the first time.
ULYSSES: "Thank you sir. My own thoughts are just insignificant company. »
JAMIE: "There's a new Safety Committee lurking around. At first I was afraid that they would be looking for you. But I don't think they know what happened in River Run. «
Ulysses: "Now that I'm a murderer."
CLAIRE: "You had no other solution to stop Mr. Forbes."
JAMIE: "And by killing him, you saved aunt's life. We are very grateful. «
ULYSSES: "No one will forgive me for killing a white man, even to save Mistress Cameron. Even so, if I had to do it again, I would do it again."
CLAIRE: "Have you thought about where you could go?"
JAMIE: "It would be wise to leave North Carolina. Maybe Philadelphia. Quakers do not approve of slavery. I have heard that they protect runaway slaves. »
Ulysses hesitates, but decides to reveal something:
ULYSSES: "Actually, sir... I'm not... exactly... a slave. »
CLAIRE: "What do you mean? »
ULYSSES: "I was born free, madam. But my father died shortly after I was born, and my mother was forced to sell herself – and me – so that we could live. When she died, my master sold me to an itinerant scholar, whom I served in his travels. He talked to me and found me... intelligent... taught me French and math and many other things. Especially, as he said, to have someone worth keeping him company during long trips. »
JAMIE: "How did you come to work for my aunt? «
Ulysses: "The scholar died and I was sold again, but as then I was educated and had... beautiful manners... I was able to be sold as a house slave. So I came to River Run, where your uncle and aunt quickly discovered my talents. «
CLAIRE: "You said you weren't 'exactly' a slave. What you mean? «
Ulysses rummages through an inside pocket of his waistcoat and pulls out a folded document; An act of postage, carefully preserved for how long with regard to the condition of the sheet. He hands it to Claire, who unfolds it.
CLAIRE: "It's a postage document" --
Close-up of the document, entitled "Deed of Postage", followed by indecipherable text and Jocasta's signature at the bottom, followed by the signature of the witness.
CLAIRE: "Signed by Jocasta, and... with Gerald Forbes as a witness? «
Jamie takes the document from Claire's hands and reads it.
ULYSSES: "Yes, it was pretty ironic, I guess."
CLAIRE: "But... You were a free man all this time, and yet... »
ULYSSES: "My mistress insisted on freeing me as soon as Mr. Cameron died. I... chose not to leave her... She. »
Jamie and Claire are surprised and moved by Ulysses' loyalty.
12INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - BRIANNA AND ROGER- BRIANNA AND ROGER'S CABIN - NIGHT (N2)
Roger gets ready for bed. Brianna just came down from the floor where she put Jemmy to sleep.
BRIANNE : "He finally managed to fall asleep. »
ROGER: "Why do you think the opal burst when Jemmy was holding it? «
BRIANNA: "Something about time travel -- or travelers -- has to trigger that energy."
ROGER: "But it didn't break out with any of us"
BRIANNA: "Maybe Jemmy is particularly sensitive because both his parents are travelers. (Then gently) This may be proof that he is your biological son. »
ROGER: "All I've ever wanted is for us to be a family with you and him and for us all to be safe. And it will be that way -- safer, at least. We don't need opal. I have the two rubies, and the diamond that Bonnet gave you... »
Brianna nods, but neither of them wants to open this old wound... After a while, Roger starts thinking about how to approach another difficult topic –
ROGER: "Bree... The girl we found in the Dutch hut, she was not dead. There was no hope for her. So I... helped her die. I was so scared of having to kill someone in Alamance, and now I've taken a life... something I never thought I'd do. »
Brianna listens quietly, feeling Roger's grief. She puts her hand on his arm.
ROGER: "So it's not just about the dangers. It's living a life we weren't supposed to live. »
BRIANNA (quietly): "I know."
Brianna takes a deep breath, determined to see their plan through.
BRIANNA: "All right, well, I guess we have to decide what we're going to tell people. We can't just do "poof!"
ROGER: "That's not exactly what we're going to do, is it? If all goes well. «
This "if" is an uncomfortable thought. «
BRIANNA: "Yes. But... I don't want my parents to have to explain what happened to us. And I want to be able to say goodbye to everyone. «
ROGER: "Yes. Of course. I thought people could be told that I found a job that didn't require a gun or a sword -- somewhere in the north. Boston, New York... »
BRIANNA: "Boston would be better. People know I grew up there. We will say that you will be a university professor -- which is the truth... in another century. They know you're a learned man – "
ROGER: "Yes, it's better to stay as close to the truth as possible. Are we leaving this month? »
They look at each other, suddenly serious. They have the gems and the date. It's real. Brianna nods and takes Roger's hand.
13INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY (J3)
Jamie is in the kitchen, writing assiduously in one of his large ledgers for the Ridge (on the shelves there are several large books, with labels), in columns like "Livestock", "Seeds", "Barley Harvest", "Rents", etc. -- and one labeled "Uisge beatha" (Whisky in Scotch Gaelic).
LIZZIE enters.
LIZZIE: "You have a visitor, sir."
Jamie gets up and follows her to the front door.
14INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY (J3)
Jamie is surprised to find JOHN GREY waiting for him.
JAMIE: "John... I wasn't expecting you. Everything's fine? «
JOHN GREY: "All right."
JAMIE: "William?"
JOHN GREY: "William is fine. Still in London, at school. »
JAMIE: "Come, tell me... »
Jamie turns to Lizzie
JAMIE: "Let Mr. Bug put the gentleman's luggage in the guest room."
JOHN GREY: "Guest room?"
JAMIE: "Yes. We finally finished the floor. You will be our first guest. »
JEAN GRIS : "I am honored. "
John's graceful smile as he and Jamie head to...
15INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY (J3)
Jamie and John sit in the living room, with glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Jamie gives them each a good rasade.
JOHN GREY: "I have heard that justice has finally been done to Mr. Bonnet."
JAMIE: "That's right. But not by my hand. That was Brianna's wish. He was condemned, and the river washed him away. «
JOHN GREY: "I'm sure she'll sleep easy now, knowing she'll never see him again."
SCENE CUT IN FINAL VERSION
16EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE – AT THE EDGE OF THE CREEK - DAY (J3)
Claire, Brianna and young Ian by the creek, where they caught trout. Brianna starts cleaning them. Claire roasts the peanuts...
YOUNG IAN: "So, are you really leaving, cousin?"
BRIANNE : "Yes. I wish things had been different. But this is not the case. Things will get worse here, soon. There's a war coming."
YOUNG IAN: "You don't have to be -- no matter what you are -- to say that. Even an idiot can see it. I'm happy for you, if that's really what you want. But you thought that maybe if you stayed, you could change things? «
BRIANNA: "I'm afraid what's happening is bigger than us."
Ian now turns to Claire.
YOUNG IAN: "Auntie, you told me that you and Uncle Jamie planned to arrest Charles Stuart – to prevent the horrific massacre that was about to happen in the Highlands."
CLAIRE: "We were able to prevent some of Lallybroch's men from dying in Culloden... But... We could not stop the course of events and the battle itself. Ian, it's so complicated."
YOUNG IAN: "But there are things, smaller, that someone could change? If it's something much smaller than a war? Like what... Let's say, one thing between a man and his wife? «
Claire and Brianna exchange a look.
YOUNG IAN: "I want to travel through the stones."
CLAIRE: "I'm sorry. But it won't work. »
YOUNG IAN: "Why not?"
BRIANNA: "We think it's by birth... »
CLAIRE: "Ian, the opal wasn't hot for you, that's one of the signs. And you didn't hear the buzz... »
Ian is frustrated. It is clear from the urgency of his tone that a great tragedy hangs over him.
YOUNG IAN: "Then you take me! You can travel, aunt – take me with you – and then you can come back here – "
CLAIRE: "It's impossible, I'm sorry. Ian... Is it... in connection with your departure from the Mohawks? You want to travel back in time because... »
YOUNG IAN: "You say I can't go, auntie. So does it make a difference? «
Ian leaves, obviously sorry and discouraged.
15INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY (J3)
SECOND PART OF THIS SCENE (final version)
JAMIE: "And how are you, John?"
JEAN GRIS: "I confess that I did not realize how much I would miss William... But the Westminster school is excellent. Hal and I both studied there. »
Jamie fills their glasses, his eyes riveted on the flowing whiskey.
JAMIE: "I guess it's time for every boy to leave the house and learn what it's like to be a man. At his age, my father sent me to university in Paris. »
John looks at Jamie and then raises his glass in salute, smiling.
JEAN GRIS: "Touched, Mr. Fraser."
Jamie smiles and raises his glass, while John announces the news...
JOHN GRAY: "I think it's time for me to go back to England – to Helwater."
JAMIE: "Helwater? It's been a long time since I've heard that name. »
JOHN GREY: "There's something new, I'm afraid. Lord Dunsany is dead and I must go back and make arrangements for the estate -- which now also belongs to William -- and take care of Lady Dunsany. She has no one else. »
JAMIE (really saddened): "Can you offer my condolences, John? If she will accept them... «
JOHN GREY: "I know so. And I will tell him when I return. I never thought I'd come here, but I find it surprisingly difficult to leave. Mount Josiah allowed me, in a way, to escape from the world and its complications. It was good to have a change of scenery, a taste of life outside the life of a soldier or politician... I enjoyed working the land quite well. »
JAMIE: Yes. It's good to get your hands dirty – you'll surely miss it."
JOHN GREY: "There's probably a lot of things from here that I'm going to miss. «
Jamie Fraser first and foremost. But Grey's love for William is a powerful draw and he is torn between the two people he loves most.
JOHN GRAY: "But William is the ninth Earl of Ellesmere. And when he comes of age, he will be fully responsible for his property. He must learn to become an Earl -- It is my duty to see that he is prepared for it. »
JAMIE (optimist): "Do you think you'll ever come back to Virginia?"
It's obvious that Jamie will also miss John, and John can only appreciate that.
JOHN GREY: "I think so, when the time comes. I can't imagine William ever seeing you again. «
Or John will never see Jamie again... But Gray continues...
JOHN GRAY: "But it is obvious that the atmosphere in the American colonies is getting worse by the day. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel a storm coming. »
JAMIE: "I don't think you're wrong."
Jamie of course knows more, but is not free to share it with his friend. John nods and puts his hand in a pocket of his coat
JOHN GREY: "I brought you something. Since you haven't seen William in a while... «
Jamie unwraps the small package that reveals a portrait of William as a teenager.
JAMIE: "Such a beautiful boy."
JOHN GREY: "The older he gets, the more he looks like his father."
JAMIE is very touched.
Diana Gabaldon: "Another item on the official list: we are contacting Lord John here, for his own good, so that neither he nor Willie are forgotten, but especially so that he can give Jamie William's photo, which Jamie will later show Brianna. "
17INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - JAMIE AND CLAIRE'S ROOM - NIGHT (N3)
Jamie is in bed reading "Sublime and Beautiful" by Edmund Burke. Claire gets ready to go to bed. William's little portrait is on the bedside table. Clearly, Jamie has already shown the new portrait to Claire.
CLAIRE: "I asked Brianna to do portraits for us. Of all of them - but especially of Jemmy. To help us remember them."
Jamie puts down his book. »
JAMIE: "That's a good idea, Sassenach. I remembered you for twenty years, mo graidh, without any portrait. But... it helps. «
Claire smiles and returns to her dressing table, where she takes a small bottle of what is clearly perfume, and puts a drop behind her ears and between her breasts. She blows out the candle and walks to the bed - only to discover that he has fallen asleep, the book open on his stomach.
Claire takes the book and closes it, then gently removes Jamie's glasses and places them on the table next to the book and portrait. She pauses for a moment to look at the portrait, then touches it as gently as she touched Jamie.
18EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - NIGHT (N3)
Young Ian, ROLLO at his side. He wanders in front of the house and stops at the water's edge. He picked up some stones and threw them into the river with all his might. From this observation point, he looks at the Big House... with one or two illuminated windows. He has a heavy heart: this is not his home, and he has no hope of regaining what he has lost. He sits down and plunges his face into Rollo's fur, desperate. The lights go out.
Diana Gabaldon: "I don't know if this passage was actually included in the final version or not. We had some exchanges about what to show about Ian's story with the Mohawks. I had included a little flashback to this real time that would have provided a clue to his distress without stating why, but they didn't want to go that far, so "something between a man and his wife" is just as simple. That's what we've included in this season. «
19 INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - JAMIE AND CLAIRE'S ROOM - NIGHT (N3)
Claire and Jamie in bed. Jamie sleeps soundly and snores lightly. Claire is restless and sweaty, she has a hot flash. She gets up and walks to the window which she opens in the hope of cooling off. Jamie turns around, instinctively searches for Claire and wakes up. He sees her at the window, looking outside. He gets up and walks towards her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the temple.
JAMIE: "Your skin tastes like salt, Sassenach. Did you cry? »
CLAIRE: "No, it's so hot, it's just sweat. I must smell the beast. «
She shakes her shirt again.
JAMIE: "Let's see... »
He takes one of his hands and sniffs his arm, then gently touches it with the tip of his tongue while describing ...
JAMIE: "Mmmm. Onions. And garlic. Something spicy: peppercorns. Yes, and cloves. And something woody - like... mushrooms. «
CLAIRE: "It's not fair. You know perfectly well what we ate at dinner. »
He sniffs, then tastes her neck delicately.
JAMIE: "Vinegar and dill. You've made pickles again, haven't you? Well, I like it. «
He kisses her voluptuously...
JAMIE: "Woman's water. My little flower. «
Claire brings his head closer to his chest and sniffs his head.
CLAIRE: "Now it's up to me! Mmmm... gunpowder, hay and just a hint of manure. «
Very manly. Jamie laughs, then smells the perfume between her breasts, stops, then looks at her.
JAMIE: "Your special perfume. You wanted me. And I fell asleep without even touching you. I'm sorry, Sassenach... «
CLAIRE: "It doesn't matter. You were tired. »
JAMIE: "I'd rise from the dead for that."
Diana Gabaldon: "This passage is pretty much straight from the book, the dialogues and everything."
Jamie leads Claire back to the open window, then kneels at her feet as she sits on the ledge.
CLAIRE: "What the hell are you doing? «
He pushes back her shirt and buries her head between her legs.
JAMIE: "Perfume of love... «
Claire sits on the windowsill, balanced, held by Jamie; the night sky behind her and a light breeze lifting her hair.
Then Jamie gets up and walks towards her, she wraps her legs around him, clinging to the window frame, starry sky behind her. She leans back a little, on Jamie's hands.
JAMIE: "Trust me, mo graidh."
Claire's hands let go as her arms go around Jamie's neck. How they make love –
20EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - DAWN (D4).
The sun rises on the Ridge.
21 INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - SURGERY - DAY (D4)
THE NEXT MORNING
Claire, looking happy, scanning Dr. Rawlings' microscope. Jamie enters, toast in hand.
JAMIE: "What are you doing, Sassenach? «
CLAIRE: "I check the sharpness of the new lenses that John brought me. Come here. »
He does it and is fascinated.
JAMIE: "I see them! Little things with tails, all of which swim. «
CLAIRE: "Aren't they wonderful?"
JAMIE: "Yes, wonderful... so many little wrestlers, pushing and twisting! «
Jamie looks up.
JAMIE: "When you told me about germs, I thought they would have small teeth, but no – but I didn't think they wriggled their little tails so nicely."
CLAIRE: "Well, these little beasts aren't microbes – they're sperm."
JAMIE: "What is this?"
CLAIRE: "Male reproductive cells. You know, what makes babies? «
JAMIE (shocked): "You mean... seeds? Who are they? »
CLAIRE: "Well... to you, of course. Who else would they be? »
Diana Gabaldon: "This one is also from the book, one of my favorite scenes. Every time one of my new novels is published and I go on book tours with public appearances, I have two or three brief excerpts from the new book to read aloud. I always look for a funny passage, because it works if there is only time for one, and it leaves the audience in a good mood if it is read after something dramatic or moving. For The Cross of Fire, the microscope scene was my favorite read; It's always worked.
My original script included the last line of that scene, where Jamie turns back to the door and says to Claire, "Can't you take them out and give them a decent burial? I don't know why they wanted to leave this out, but they had also (in a first rewrite) deleted the "Who are they/how did you get them to" exchange, and I argued for that and put it back in place, so I didn't try my luck by saying "give them a funeral". Every second counts!
JAMIE: "How did you get them?"
CLAIRE: "I was hosting them this morning, when I woke up"
Jamie is baffled.
CLAIRE: "You know, they can live up to a week after... They are released into their suitable habitat. »
Jamie takes a meditative bite of toast, staring at the microscope.
JAMIE: "One week, you say... So it's possible that little Jem is really Roger Mac's son? Can you see the difference? Between a man... (moves to the microscope) ... and another's? «
CLAIRE: "Well, no. I was just checking the resolution of my microscope."
JAMIE "I'll let you go on then."
He kisses Claire and walks to the door...
22INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY (J4)
Diana Gabaldon: "It's probably my favorite scene from the episode and one of my favorites of the season, just because of the beautiful acting between Sam and Sophie. The dialogue here is not entirely mine; someone then added passages like "I thought I had a thousand opportunities to tell you..." The basic principle of making a very emotional scene - and this goes for both acting and writing - is to keep things as simple as possible. The author has to stay away and let the situation and the characters speak for themselves, and that worked very well here. «
Jamie searches for and finds Brianna, who is eating something in the dining room.
JAMIE: "I was coming to see you"
He hands her the portrait of William, visibly very embarrassed.
BRIANNA: "Who is it?"
JAMIE: "He's your brother. «
Brianna looks up at Jamie, with astonishment and surprise.
Diana Gabaldon: "The plot continues to thicken, with the advent of Lionel and the woman he obviously abuses. Relations between him and Claire worsen even further – and meanwhile, Jamie's rejection of Richard's invitation to join his militia doesn't help.
Rose tells Claire and Marsali that they read "Dr. Rawlings' Advice" in the newspaper, and it's information whose importance becomes clear in the next episode.
JAMIE: "I told you I was a prisoner of war. And I worked as a groom in an English estate called Helwater. (On Brianna's nod) Well, it's there... that he was born. His name is William... And yes, your mother knows everything about him. «
BRIANNA: "And... Who is his mother? If you don't mind telling me...? «
JAMIE: "Oh, it bothers me but... I'll tell you anyway. She was an heiress of the estate; her name was Geneva Dunsany. It wasn't about love between us, but she wanted it and that's all I'll say. »
Brianna looks at the portrait curiously, looks up and compares it to Jamie's face. BRIANNA: "He looks like you."
JAMIE: Yes. And he looks a lot like you, annsachd. »
BRIANNA: "Where is he now? Can I see it? »
Jamie shakes his head and prepares to face the rest.
JAMIE: "He's in London. He doesn't know I'm his father, and he never will. He is the ninth Earl of Ellesmere, and if the truth were discovered - his life would be ruined.
The eighth Earl of Ellesmere, his supposed father, died at William's birth, as did his mother. So, Lord John married his sister and they became William's parents... «
BRIANNA: "So this is the son Lord John told me about."
JAMIE: Yes. William was six years old and since then Lord John has been a father to William.
BRIANNA: "I don't know what to say. I -- A brother... «
JAMIE: "Yes. I thought I would have a thousand opportunities to tell you... but I didn't know how to tell you... I'm telling you now. I wanted you to know that you had a relative in the world other than your mother and me. Maybe you could look for it... In books, I mean it's a count, it should be easy to find. «
BRIANNA: "I will."
Brianna can't help but look at the portrait and Jamie, and finally closes her eyes, the portrait clutched to her heart. After a silence...
JAMIE: "When... Will you leave, Leannan? «
BRIANNA: "We're leaving in a week. «
Jamie is defeated and simply nods. After a while, he speaks softly, without always looking at her.
JAMIE: "When your mother left me, with you in her womb, I never thought I'd see you, but I knew you were there. I was a husband and a father. And now I'm a grandfather, and even though I never see any of you again... You have filled my life. »
It's a moment of great emotion between these two...
A23EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - DAY (D5)
Brianna and Roger have just announced the news of their departure to Fergus and Marsali.
MARSALI: "Are you leaving? When? «
BRIANNA: "Roger got a professorship"
ROGER: "To the north, to Boston."
FRIGUS: "Boston? It's that far away. »
If only they knew how far...
MARSALI: "What will become of your parents without you? What am I going to do without you, with a baby coming? You became like a sister to me... »
Marsali starts crying...
BRIANNA: "I know. Leaving everyone... All right... being the hardest thing of my life. «
ROGER: "Yes. We will miss you both. «
BRIANNA (to Marsali): "Come here"
And she hugs him with great emotion.
23EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - DAY (D5)
Brianna and Roger go around, announcing the news of their departure and saying goodbye to the people -- the Bugs, the other settlers, telling Boston's story.
There are tears and hugs...
Claire hears the farewell, very moved...
Brianna moves away from the group to join her mother when Lizzie approaches.
LIZZIE: "I guess I should also start saying goodbye to everybody, while they're all here -- I'm going to miss them, with their little round balls... I don't know I know how I'm going to put up with it -- Germain has been a little angel lately. So did Joanie. Bless them. »
BRIANNA: "Lizzie... »
LIZZIE (excited): "Of course I can't wait, even though it's going to be colder in Boston, right? Brianna is devastated to have to break Lizzie's heart because of their decision.
BRIANNA: "Lizzie... we can't take you with us... »
LIZZIE: "Oh... (after a while) You'll make me come in a few weeks then? BRIANNA: "No... You'll have to stay here at Fraser's Ridge... «
Lizzie is completely baffled and almost lost, at a loss for words
LIZZIE: "But why? «
Brianna takes a moment. How to explain?
Lizzie, desperate, wants to convince Brianna to change her mind
LIZZIE: "I've been with you in the worst of times... When this monster attacked you, and in the good times too, on your wedding day and when Jemmy was born... You saved me. I have to stay with you, always. »
Brianna is emotional – and heartbroken, knowing that there is obviously no possibility of taking Lizzie with her.
BRIANNA: "Lizzie, you've always been there for me – and I'm so following you... Grateful. (After a while) But now I need someone to look after my parents for me. They need someone like you to take care of them. «
LIZZIE: "Of course I will if that's what you want... «
BRIANNA: "And... Your life is here. I want you to find all the happiness you deserve.
Don't cry Lizzie, please, I'm really trying to be brave... «
LIZZIE: "You're brave. One of the bravest I know. I will never forget you. »
BRIANNA: "I'll never forget you either."
These two women who have been through so much together hug each other crying.
28EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - BIG HOUSE - LATER - DAY (J5)
SCENE MOVES AND ADVANCES IN FINAL TELEVISED VERSION
Lizzie is shelling beans on the porch when Lionel Brown, with his young wife, Rose Brown, arrives in a wagon that is driven by one of the men from Brownsville.
Jamie walks out in front of his door after hearing them coming.
LIONEL BROWN: "Fraser!"
JAMIE: Mr. Brown. «
LIONEL BROWN: "My brother is sending me to tell you that the Safety Committee is meeting in a week. He wants an answer... You are with us and your men? «
JAMIE: "Tell your brother that I have thought about it, and with all due respect, I must refuse his proposal. I just spent a year serving the Crown, it's time to serve my family. I wish you well, Mr. Brown. »
LIONELBROWN: "Richard won't be very happy to hear that, Mr. Fraser."
JAMIE: "I'm sorry. But my answer is definitive. »
Jamie turns around to leave, but Lionel continues...
LIONEL BROWN: "I brought my wife to see Mrs. Fraser. She needs a healer. »
Rose is much younger than Lionel and holds his visibly injured arm against his chest. She looks scared and seems to be in a lot of pain.
JAMIE: "Of course. She's in the infirmary."
Lionel takes his wife off the wagon and passes Jamie.
Jamie: "Please" (letting them pass)
29 INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - SURGERY - DAY (D5)
Claire examines Rose's wrist, bruised and swollen, under Marsali's gaze. She gently pushes the bone (ulna) onto the inside of her wrist with her thumb, while holding Rose's hand.
Rose looks nervous, while Lionel watches while looking around.
CLAIRE: "You've been married for a long time?"
LIONEL BROWN: "Almost a year, now."
CLAIRE (to Rose) I think your wrist is broken. How did this happen? »
Rose looks at Lionel. We see that she is afraid of him.
CLAIRE: "These fractures usually occur in a fall... or maybe when... The wrist is twisted. «
LIONEL BROWN: "Just heal her, as you did for me."
Claire senses that something is wrong.
CLAIRE: "Marsali, can you go get splints, some strips and some Gilead balm? (to Rose) I will wrap around the wrist to prevent the bone from moving. Try not to use your arm too much. »
Rose nods shyly.
CLAIRE (to Lionel): "Lionel, can you ask my husband for whisky? I would like to make a tonic for your wife. For pain. «
Lionel hesitates, but nods and leaves, with a black look towards his wife.
ROSE: "I don't know how I'm going to chop wood and do laundry with one hand. My husband expects the chores to be done."
CLAIRE: "Maybe your husband can help you with chores? «
Rose's expression betrays the absurdity of the suggestion.
CLAIRE: "Will he get very angry if he doesn't do that? «
ROSE: "Of course. What husband wouldn't? «
CLAIRE: "I saw him get angry myself. It can be very scary. «
ROSE: "Lionel has character, if that's what you mean. But it doesn't bother me much either... »
As Claire and Marsali heal and bandage her wrist –
ROSE: "He's not himself since his Alicia left. He gets sad and drinks... He wants another baby to raise... »
Seeing how painful this thought is for Rose...
CLAIRE: "And you, you want children, Rose? »
ROSE: "It's my duty, isn't it? He is a good man. »
CLAIRE: "A good man wouldn't hurt you, Rose. »
ROSE: "It was my fault, you know... Because I didn't -- I didn't want to sleep with him. »
Rose looks at Marsali's big pregnant belly.
ROSE: "I don't mind what he's doing to me, but if he was cruel to a baby... (whisper) Dr. Rawlings says that if you don't sleep with a man two weeks before your period, then you won't get pregnant. I saw it in the newspaper. (Adds with modest pride) My mother taught me to read. «
At that moment, Lionel returns with the whisky.
LIONELBROWN: "Is everything okay here?"
ROSE: "Very good indeed. Ms. Fraser is almost finished. »
As Rose takes a sip of whiskey, Claire realizes that because of Dr. Rawlings' advice, she is indirectly responsible for Rose's injury. Meanwhile, Lionel takes a tour of the infirmary and looks around, intrigued by the strange modernity of the room and equipment.
Something catches Lionel's attention: Claire's medical bag. He takes a closer look at her. (Note: what the audience doesn't want to achieve but will remember later – they recorded the name "Dr. Rawlings" on the satchel.) He glances at Claire in surprise but says nothing.
Lionel turns to Rose as Claire finishes...
LIONEL BROWN (To his wife): "All right, come. (To Claire, with a funny smile...) I am indebted to you. No need for tonic"
CLAIRE: "Take care of yourself, Rose. »
Lionel takes his wife out. After they leave, Claire turns back to Marsali.
CLAIRE: "I think he's beating her."
And this time, at least, it's partly Claire's fault. It weighs on her, but she can't do anything right now.
24EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - NEAR THE BIG HOUSE - DAY (D5)
Roger finds young Ian throwing a stick for Rollo to retrieve. Ian hands the stick to Rollo and waits.
ROGER: "I want -- well, Brianna and I want to -- ask you for a favor."
YOUNG IAN: "Yes, of course. Whatever it is. »
ROGER: "Would you like to accompany us? To the stone circle, I mean. Someone has to bring the wagon and the horses home - and we... we don't want it to be Jamie and Claire. «
YOUNG IAN: "Why? «
ROGER: "Brianna is afraid that if her parents are there, she won't have the courage to leave them. «
Ian nods, understanding.
YOUNG IAN: "I'll come with you."
ROGER: "Thank you. »
Roger pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket.
ROGER: "I want to give you that. For all you have done to help us. »
Young Ian reads the paper. This is the act for the five thousand acres that Tryon offered Roger as compensation for his hanging. He is surprised and moved.
YOUNG IAN: "I can't accept your land. «
ROGER: "Then take care of it for me and do with it what you want. I hope you find happiness. «
Focus on Young Ian –
25EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - BIG HOUSE - DAY (J5)
Brianna finds Lord John on the back porch, observing what is happening behind the house.
JOHN GRAY: "Your father told me you and Roger were going to Boston. «
BRIANNA: "Yes. And... what I just learned will make the departure even more difficult -- (after a while) I have a brother. »
JOHN GRAY: "Oh – so he told you. I am happy about that. John looks at her with affection. He looks a lot like you. You are very much like your father, both of you – both physically and characterfully. »
BRIANNA: "So William has character too?"
JOHN GRAY: Yes. Yes, he does. But he has your goodness and courage – Jamie's too. «
John can see Brianna's eyes light up when he hears about William. But he has to be honest.
JOHN GRAY: "I'll never be able to tell him about you. (This realization weighs heavily on him.) I wish I could do it, but... «
BRIANNA: "I know. My father explained it to me. «
JOHN GRAY: "Well... Life is long. One day maybe... «
Brianna shakes her head sadly, but pulls herself together.
BRIANNA: "Maybe. «
JOHN GRAY: "I'm leaving in two days, too. With my new servant"
BRIANNA: "Your servant?"
JOHN GRAY: "Ulysses. «
BRIANNA: "Are you taking him to England?"
JOHN GRAY: "He will travel safely passing for my servant, and immediately on board a British ship he will be a free man. I know he is educated. I am sure I will be able to find him a position where his knowledge will be useful. «
BRIANNA: "That's a good idea"
JOHN GRAY: "Your father's. He reminded me that I might need a chess partner during the long journey to London. «
BRIANNA: "I've heard you're a great chess player. And... a wonderful father. My brother is lucky to have you in his life -- and so am I. »
John smiled, moved by the depth of his compliment.
JOHN GRAY: "We can't help but love you."
Brianna smiles at the echo of her words in episode 412.
Close-up on the two friends, melancholic at the idea of separating.
A30EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - DAY (D5)
Jamie and Jemmy on horseback. Jamie helps Jemmy hold the reins and Jemmy laughs. Brianna looks out of the living room window, very moved.
B30INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY (D5)
Brianna buries her face in Roger's shoulder, overwhelmed by the scene and the fact that Jemmy will never see her grandfather again.
BRIANNA: "I never had a grandparent."
ROGER: "Neither do I, nor do my parents to begin with."
Both are heartbroken, knowing why they are sacrificing the security of their present lives in the future. Brianna walks out of the living room.
C30 INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - COVERED WALKWAY - DAY (J5)
Brianna walks out of the living room. Claire comes out of the kitchen. It's just the two of them now, looking at each other with so much emotion. "Mother and daughter rush towards each other. In the covered passage.
They have been avoiding each other for days, not wanting to, not being able to say goodbye. But it's real now and the time is near. And the two women finally let out all the emotion they feel at the unbearable thought of separating again, while tears flow –
CLAIRE: "Bree."
BRIANNA: "Mom. »
30INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT (N5)
This is the last "Last Supper" for the Frasers and MacKenzies, and everyone is heartbroken, but tries to hide it. Jamie, Brianna, Roger and young Ian are sitting at the table.
Claire enters, carrying a tray covered with a cloth.
CLAIRE: "Find out what the traveler's meal will be like in the future. »
Claire removes the fabric, revealing – peanut butter and jam sandwiches, cut into triangles.
Brianna bursts out laughing slightly nervously, and the rest of the family looks a little puzzled...
Diana Gabaldon: "And this is the third and final iteration of the peanut butter theme (not counting the title card sequence). If you want to give a particular resonance to an image/element/theme in a book or series, you repeat it once. No one will consciously notice it, but it will remain in his subconscious and give more importance to this element.
If you use the same element three times, everyone will notice, so you normally only do it if:
a) you are looking for a comic effect
b) you want the element to have a conscious impact.
In this case, I wanted both. It's a scene where good acting and direction were very effective; where the script asks Jamie to bite into his sandwich, on screen, he takes his knife and fork and cuts a bite professionally, gently putting it in his mouth. This was cut in the penultimate version of the episode, but they obligingly restored it when I asked them – with the very good impression of Ian, a Scot eating peanut butter for the first time... What The Hell...? «
Claire sits down and begins to pass the tray.
YOUNG IAN: "I was wondering what you wanted to do with roasted peanuts, auntie."
CLAIRE: "They were my last connection to the time I came from – to my home."
Jamie takes a sandwich and starts cutting it up with a knife and fork. His eyes widen: it's okay.
BRIANNA: "Do you like it, Daddy? «
Jamie can't answer; The peanut butter closed his mouth momentarily.
The others laugh and he manages to free himself and breathe a deep breath of air.
JAMIE: "It's very good but... Are you sure it can be eaten? You could seal letters or repair boots with them. »
Everyone laughs. –
While the candles burn and the family enjoys their last time together, Jamie raises his glass and toasts.
JAMIE: "At home, at home, at family, with hearts beating as one in unison! Slàinte mhath ! »
ALL: "Slàinte mhath! «
Claire gets up and goes to get a small package tied in a cloth, which she puts in front of Brianna.
CLAIRE: "A few sandwiches for the road... »
BRIANNA: "Oh, Mom! It will be the best thing we have ever tasted. «
Brianna gets up and hugs her mother.
31EXT. NORTH CAROLINA - COUNTRY ROADS - DAY (D6)
Series of shots as Roger, Brianna, Jemmy and Young Ian make their way to the stone circle.
33EXT. WOOD - THE STONE CIRCLE - DAY (J7)
SCENE MOVES FORWARD AND MOVE IN FINAL VERSION
Roger, Brianna, Jemmy and Young Ian arrive in front of the large monolith surrounded by the cairns that make the circle. Roger holds the woven rope he has prepared.
Brianna hugs Jemmy. Roger begins to tie the rope around them together. Ian followed them. The buzzing is deafening.
SCENE CUTS INTO THE FINAL VERSION IN 2 PARTS.
A32EXT. BRIANNA & ROGER CABIN - DAY (D7)
Two weeks later, Jamie approaches and enters to find...
32 INT. BRIANNA & ROGER CABIN — DAY (D7)
... Claire sitting on the bed in the middle of everything Brianna, Roger and Jemmy left behind, including the half-finished rocking horse we saw do earlier.
Jamie comes up behind her. She looks at the portraits left by Brianna.
JAMIE: "I thought I'd find you here. «
CLAIRE: "It's only been two weeks, it looks like they've been gone for an eternity. »
JAMIE: Yes. If Roger was right, they should reach the stone circle now. «
Claire looks around.
CLAIRE: "We started our life on the Ridge in this cabin. Now here we are just you and I again... »
JAMIE: "We are not alone, Sassenach. «
She shows Brianna's drawings that she found on the bed, with all her different characters, buildings, plans.
CLAIRE: "She's so talented. «
JAMIE: "Maybe in the future she can finally be an engineer. «
End of the scene on Jamie and Claire as they feel emptiness without their daughter, but keep hope for her happiness in the future.
33EXT. WOOD - THE STONE CIRCLE - DAY (J7).
CONTINUATION AND END OF THE CUT SCENE
ROGER (to Bree): "Are you ready? »
BRIANNA: "More than ever."
ROGER: "Every strand of that rope is delicate and fragile. But braided together, they are strong. And it will keep us going."
BRIANNA: "Let's hope so"
The MacKenzies are roped together.
BRIANNA: "Ian, thank you for everything you've done for us. Take care of my parents... I love you! »
YOUNG IAN (Very moved): "I love you too, cousin! «
Brianna carefully hands Roger one of the two little rubies [Episode 409] reported by Roger, then she gives the black diamond to Jemmy and closes hers.
BRIANNA: "I'm okay, baby, hold her tight, okay?"
JEMMY: "I'll hold her tight"
BRIANNA: "Yes, that's good"
All three touch the stone. Young Ian closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, he is alone. Ian is stunned as he approaches the stones cautiously.
Knowing that Brianna and Roger have traveled back in time is one thing. Witnessing it for itself is quite another. He reaches out and touches the stones himself, but to no effect. He is frustrated, overwhelmed by his desperation to return to the past, and furious at his inability to do so.
FADE TO BLACK. 34EXT. WOOD - THE STONE CIRCLE - LATER - DAY (J7)
The MacKenzies regain consciousness, lying on the ground, their rope in tatters, but -- all together!
Roger sits down, looks around, and opens his hand; Nothing remains of the gem. They did it! They have traveled back in time! He crawls towards Brianna, who is sitting, groggy, reaching out to Jemmy who is already standing, in great shape!
JEMMY: "I'm awake! I'm done? »
ROGER: "Are you okay? «
BRIANNA: "I feel like I've been turned over like a sock...
JEMMY: "I want to go"
BRIANNA: "We're where we're supposed to be? «
ROGER (looking around): "Yes. Yes, I think so. The trees are... »
BRIANNA: "Well, two hundred years makes a difference, doesn't it?"
ROGER: "I could swear that the stones are... but no, it's not possible... «
BRIANNA: "We succeeded"
Brianna and Roger get up when suddenly... They are speechless in shock. Jemmy stirs and smiles.
ROGER; "But what the hell?"
35EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - SIDE YARD - DAY (D8)
TWO WEEKS LATER.
Jamie, Fergus, Ronnie Sinclair and Josiah Beardsley dig a hole for new latrines.
JAMIE: "It was time to dig another latrine. What do you think? «
FERGUS (teasing): "What a privilege to help you in such a task"
RONNIE SINCLAIR: Yes. I am honoured. »
Men laugh. Jamie continues to shovel dirt...
JAMIE: "You can laugh but it's an art form."
FRIGUS: "Wasn't it Voltaire who said that the best is the enemy of the good?"
JAMIE: "And I'm sure Voltaire never dug a toilet in his life."
Fergus laughs. We suddenly hear an explosion.
JOSIAH BEARDSLEY: "A fire?"
FERGUS: "It's the still!"
Jamie and the others hurriedly come out of the pit and abandon their tools, and rush with Fergus to the distant malt house.
Claire appears from the end of the covered passage after hearing the commotion...
CLAIRE: "What was it? »
JAMIE: "The still... »
CLAIRE: "I come with you" --
JAMIE: "No, take care of your patients. We'll take care of it" --
And he leaves in a hurry.
36 INT. FRASER'S RIDGE - LARGE HOUSE - SURGERY - DAY (D8)
Diana Gabaldon: "And speaking of the rule of three... here is what you can call Brown's note, struck for the third (and resounding) time with the attack on Claire's infirmary (while Lionel, no doubt, oversees the explosion of Jamie's malting plant).
Claire returns to the infirmary and shows Marsali how to reduce a dislocated shoulder on their patient, GEORDIE CHISHOLM.
GERMAIN plays on the bed, building a tower with some of Claire's bottles. CLAIRE (taking Geordie's hand by the wrist): "Now the trick is to place the humerus – it's the upper arm bone – at the right angle so that, when you apply force, the head of the bone slides and enters the shoulder joint. «
MARSALI: "Yes... A bit the opposite of what we do when we bone a pig? «
Geordie sweats, but he suffers less.
CLAIRE: "Yes, but in this case, you separate all the parts. There, we put everything back together. »
GEORDIE CHISHOLM: "I can count myself happy" ...
We hear the sounds of footsteps and broken objects in the kitchen.
Claire: "Damn it, but what does that mean?"
A man abruptly opens the door and hits Claire brutally in the face.
CLAIRE: "No!"
Marsali grabs Germain and pushes him under the bed in the infirmary.
MARSALI (whispers): "Hide. Stay here, no matter what! »
Claire is violently held by two men and tries to struggle. Arvin Hodgepile, with Wendigo Donner, Garrick, Hanlon, Cuddy Brown and a few other men behind him open the door of the infirmary.
CLAIRE: "Let go of me! »
GEORDIE CHISHOLM: "Bastards, get out of here! Leave her alone! «
Hodgepile rushes at Geordie and stabs him in the stomach. GEORDIE collapses to the ground at Marsali's feet. It's chaos in the infirmary.
Marsali grabs a sharp medical instrument from the table and charges the attackers but is knocked out and falls to the ground, and she is seen unconscious, Germain looking at her from under the bed.
WENDIGO throws a bag over Claire's head, and the bandits take her by force with them.
Claire desperately calls Jamie.
37EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - BIG HOUSE - LATER - DAY (J8)
FERGUS: "Germain! It's going to be dark. What are you doing outside here alone, little boy? Where's mom? «
GERMAIN (crying): "Mom doesn't want to wake up, Daddy!"
JAMIE: "Where's your grandmother?"
Germain looks frozen, terrified.
GERMAIN: "Bad guys took her away."
Jamie rushes home –
A38 INT. LARGE HOUSE - INFIRMARY - A MOMENT LATER - DAY (D8)
Jamie bursts into the infirmary, followed closely by Fergus. They see the chaos and destruction left by Hodgepile and others -- including Marsali and Geordie on the ground --
FERGUS (looks at Marsali): "She breathes... »
JAMIE: "Claire!"
38EXT. FRASER'S RIDGE - SCENIC VIEW - TWILIGHT (D8)
Jamie runs down the ridge, torch in hand. He reaches the top to reveal the wooden cross [Ep. 501]. He lights it and the image of the cross of fire burns through the night, calling for help from the men of the Ridge.
Jamie Fraser goes to war again – this time, for La vie de Claire.
END OF EPISODE
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