In the woods, Jamie and Claire are playing with Jemmy when there’s a rustling in the trees. Moments later, a wild boar attacks, and Jamie prepares to fight the creature with a stick, but an arrow from the bow of Young Ian saves him! Yes, Ian is back!
Back at Fraser’s Ridge, we witness the special bond between Roger and Ian (Ian’s sacrifice saved Roger). They embrace, but still, Roger can’t express himself with words. The reunion is heartfelt, but we also notice that Young Ian is not the same man he was before.
Marsali and Roger are playing cards, and somehow, she keeps drawing the ‘hangman’ card for Roger. This takes Roger immediately back to the hanging, and the silent film plays in his mind. Bree begs him to speak to him.
She acknowledges his voice is his gift and reminds him that the went through hell, too. But she keeps it together because of her love for him and Jemmy. He needs to snap out of it, but Roger won’t even look at her. She pleads with him, are you going to fight for us? He does not respond.
Later that evening, at dinner, the family gathers, minus Roger. During the meal, it becomes clear that Young Ian is suffering from something, but he is reticent. The subject changes to Roger’s land from Tyron, and whether Young Ian might accompany Roger to survey the land.
Alone, Roger is strumming his guitar and mumbling the lyrics to Clementine, but he can’t get past the flashbacks, the memories of the pain, and the fear of hanging from that tree.
We don’t know what’s going on inside Young Ian’s mind, but it’s clear he is suffering. Jamie comes across him lying on the wood planks on the floor instead of in the bed. He’s uncomfortable in Jamie Fraser’s grand house. Jamie asks him what happened to him with the Mohawk. Ian says he can’t tell him the truth of it yet. He doesn’t have the words. Jamie is “heartsick, seeing him troubled so.”
The actress who plays Marsali is so authentic in her portrayal. I adore her scenes. In the one with Ian, she admits to being so happy with her life, feeling that she belongs in the Carolinas, and doesn’t miss Scotland. Her words seem to speak for Ian and where he’s at after having embraced the Mohawk, and although he says he can’t return, something is bothering him, deeply.
As Roger prepares to depart for his survey of the land from Tryon with Ian, Brianna gives him a paper airplane. She uses this as a metaphor about their marriage and how it can continue to grow into something stronger. For a moment, I thought Roger would leave the paper airplane behind, but he puts it in his satchel. The survey commences, but Roger is still silent, and Ian still mournful.
At Fraser’s Ridge, Claire discovers some of the poisonous hemlock roots are missing from the jar. Warning: It will kill if taken without guidance, and as much as was stolen could be misused.
Ian and Roger are sitting beneath a tree, taking a break from surveying. Roger shows Ian the paper airplane. Ian equates it to a bird. They stare up into the sky, and the next thing we know is Roger is waking from another nightmare. Ian asks him about his dreams Roger still doesn’t speak.
Claire fears Roger took the hemlock and plans to do himself harm. She mentions this to Jamie, who is reminded of those many years ago when he didn’t want to live after Black Jack’s abuse.
Roger’s next flashback begins with the black and white motion picture, but this time it changes quickly to color, life-like footage. Roger then recalls the last image in his mind before the barrel is kicked from beneath his feet–it is Brianna’s face, her smile. She is his final thought.
Roger awakes to Rollo’s whimpering. The dog has been tied to a stake in the ground.
In a twist, we learn that Ian stole the hemlock. Roger finds him in the nick of time, kicks the poison tea away from the fire, and a fight ensues. Ian wants to know why Roger would stop him. He watched Roger standing on the edge of a cliff and knew what was on his mind. Ian wants him to explain why he’d take his life when he still had everything–a wife and a bairn. Ian demands that Roger tell him what he saw as he dangled from the noose. Roger confesses; it was Brianna.
This is where Ian finally admits that the love of his life is not dead, but she is lost to him (which means we will likely see her soon). The two men talk and ride back to Fraser’s Ridge together.
Roger returns to Brianna–and he’s talking! The joy is apparent in her eyes, and she smiles when he remarks that now she is the one lost for words.
Roger reminds her of the conversation they had in 1969 about the last words. He admits that last words don’t matter, it was the last face he saw that mattered the most, and it was her face. He then adds he will always sing for her.
The closing credits are a duet–Roger and Brianna (Richard and Sophie) singing Clementine.
See you next week for Episode 509, Monsters and Heroes.