Recap of Outlander
Season 5, Episode 7:
The Ballad of Roger Mac
When Governor Tryon gives orders to put down the Regulator resistance once and for all, Jamie's split loyalties are pushed to the breaking point. Desperate to save Murtagh, he sends Roger behind enemy lines in a last ditch effort to avert war only to make things much worse.
Tropes
- A Birthday, Not a Break: Jamie turns 50 in the days leading up to the Battle of Alamance. Rather than celebrating, he spends it trying to avert a war.
- Adapted Out: Jamie mentions having made peace with Dougal, he doesn't explain why. In the books, the day Claire and Jamie met is when he's returning from France after recovering from an axe blow to the head that nearly killed him. For many years, it was unclear who'd attacked him but Jamie always suspected Dougal, trying to keep Jamie from becoming Chief of Clan MacKenzie. As Dougal is dying, he confirms it, saying that he always knew that only one of them could survive and he should've finished what he started a long time ago, but he'd never been able to kill his sister's son. So, Jamie sees what he did as an act of self-defense and survival rather than murder.
- Anything but That!: Governor Tryon demands that Jamie wear a Redcoat uniform coat to battle. Given his long and sordid history with the Redcoats, Jamie's skin is almost visibly crawling but he can't find a sufficient reason to refuse the request. When Claire sees Jamie in the coat, he looks broken inside and all she can mutter is a soft "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ", knowing how much it hurts him to have to wear it.
- Ballad of X: The title, The Ballad of Roger Mac.
- Beautiful Singing Voice: This episode and the entirety of Roger's presence on the show has established how important music and singing in particular are for Roger.
- Call-Back: When Jamie tells her he wasn't praying to God, but rather to the spirit of Dougal MacKenzie, Claire says she's surprised given how things ended between Jamie and Dougal at Culloden House. Jamie says he's made peace with Dougal's spirit and trusts his uncle to protect him in battle.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The Redcoats defeat the Regulators fairly easy. Unfortunately, merely beating them is not enough for Tryon. He wants to send a message.
- Disproportionate Revenge: Buck MacKenzie sees Roger hug his wife and decides that means Roger must die.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: The Young Findlay soldier crows proudly after shooting Murtagh, proud to have shot an enemy soldier without hesitation. It takes him a long moment to realize that his accomplishment is not being celebrated by anyone else.
- Five Stages of Grief: Jamie flies through them, but spends the most time in denial, refusing to believe that Murtagh can't be save.Jamie: Dinna fash, Ghoistidh. We'll take you to Claire. She'll ken what to do. All will be well.
- Happy Birthday to You!: Claire serenades Jamie with the birthday song a la Marilyn Monroe
- Heroic BSoD: When Murtagh is shot and is dying, something in Jamie completely snaps. Panicked, he begins yelling at the top of his lungs for help, something he's never done across the entire series. Hearing the normal stoic, taciturn Jamie screaming brings his friends running. It's obvious to everyone that sees Murtagh that the man is dead, but no one wants to be the one to tell Jamie the truth, seeing how emotionally overwhelmed he is.
- If I Do Not Return: Having been orphaned at age five when his own parents were killed in World War II, Roger worries about whether Jemmy, who is barely a toddler, will even be able to remember him.
- I Gave My Word: When Jamie is scolding Murtagh for risking his life to save him even though Jamie had released him from his oath of protection, Murtagh tells him that he gave that oath to his mother and he'll never break it.
- Ironic Nursery Tune: Roger sings "Oh my darling Clementine" to baby Jemmy. Despite its idyllic medley, it's a song about a man forced to watch the love of his life drown in a river because he's unable to swim and can't rescue her.
- Kid from the Future: Roger runs into Morag and William Buccleigh MacKenzie, his six times great grandparents. Of course, this nearly gets Roger killed before he's technically born.
- Killed Off for Real: Murtagh is killed in the aftermath of the battle.
- Milestone Birthday Angst: Subverted. Jamie is contemplating the fact that at 50, he has now outlived his father who died at age 49. But he eventually decides that he has nothing to complain about.Jamie: As for taking stock, I've all my teeth, none of my parts are missing, and my cock still stands up by itself in the morning. Could be worse.
- Mood Whiplash: Murtagh shows up to save Jamie's life and it looks like it's the beginning of a happy reunion only for Murtagh to suddenly be shot before the two can even say a word to each other. Instead of happily reuniting, they're instead making their final peace.
- Mr. Fanservice: Jamie prepares for servicing by going to the river, stripping his shirt off, and slowly pouring water over himself.
- Musical Nod: When the tide of the battle begins to tip in favor of the Redcoats, an instrumental version of Moch Sa Madhainn plays. This music was last heard as Jamie and his kinsman were preparing for and fighting the Battle of Culloden. Appropriate as this is another battle the Highland rebels are destined to lose.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Jamie unknowingly sets several sequences of events in action that result in the death or grievous wounding of people he cares for.
- He sends Roger to the enemy camp to warn Murtagh which results in Roger being captured and mistakenly hung as a traitor.
- When Roger doesn't return, Jamie goes in search of both Roger and Murtagh. He finds Murtagh and the two are talking when Murtagh is shot and killed by one of the young Findlay brothers who Jamie early advised to shoot without hesitation.
- He agrees to allow Isaiah Morton to fight with the militia, knowing the bad blood the boy has with the Browns who make up a significant portion of Jamie's troops. Minutes into the battle, Isaiah is shot in the back and everyone believes it to be by one of the Browns.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Roger trying to get Morag, his six times great grandmother, out of the line of battle results in her jealous husband, William Buccleigh MacKenzie beating Roger up and turning him over to be hanged.
- Oblivious to Hints: Despite the fact that Jamie is pale as a ghost, his hands are covered in blood, and his eyes are bloodshot, Governor Tryon comes up to him grinning, crowing about his victory, and declaring that today is a day for victory.
- The Only One: Roger volunteers to take the warning to Murtagh. As women, it's too dangerous for Claire or Brianna to cross battle lines. Jamie can't leave without rousing suspicions and he may not be able to convince Murtagh that what he's saying is actual fact. Roger can travel reasonably safely and Murtagh knows he's a historian from the future, so anything he's presenting as fact can be believed as such.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Jamie crying and screaming for someone to help Murtagh. Jamie's normally the one everyone turns to when shit is hitting the fan, counting on him to be a steadying force. His friends are visibly stunned because many of them have never even seen him anything but even keeled and now he's panicking, pleading for someone to make it better.
- Power of Trust: Averted. Jamie has seen Claire heal people throughout the series, people who would've otherwise died. He's determined to get Murtagh to her, believing she can do it once again. It takes a while for him to accept that Murtagh is truly dead and Claire can't fix that.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jamie delivers one to Tryon after he gloats about crushing the Regulators, not realizing that included killing Jamie's godfather.
- Releasing from the Promise: Invoked and subverted. When Murtagh is first shot, Jamie brings up the fact that he released Murtagh from his vow of protection and demands to know why Murtagh did not go to safety. When it's clear that Murtagh's life cannot be saved, Jamie freaks out, yelling that Murtagh is not allowed because Jamie will not release him from his promise to always have Jamie's back.
- Say Your Prayers: Prior to the battle, Jamie takes time to complete a Highland Warrior ritual, washing himself in a river and calling upon the spirits of his ancestors, particularly Dougal MacKenzie the clan warchief.
- Tempting Fate: When Roger tries to discuss with Bree, what she should do if something happens to him in battle, she cuts him off insisting that will not happen.
- The Time Traveller's Dilemma: When Bree is able to recall the Battle of Alamance, she goes to warn Roger and her parents. Jamie wants to warn Murtagh in hopes of saving lives but Bree is concerned about the implication, stating that some consider this battle is considered the spark of the America Revolution.Brianna: If we do stop this fight now, what if... Doesn't that mean the Revolutionary War won't happen? And America will never become America?
- Too Injured to Save: Jamie demands that Claire save Murtagh, but it's easy to see at a glance that Murtagh is already dead and there's nothing that can be done.
- Trauma Conga Line: As the Frasers are trying to process the loss of Murtagh, they realize that Roger is still missing and may be dead. The final scene is the family recognizing the body of hanged man as Roger.
- Undying Loyalty: Murtagh's final act is to disarm a soldier who was trying to kill Jamie.
- War Is Hell: After Jamie hears the young Findlay brothers talking about how they practice shooting blocks and small game to prepare for the war, Jamie gives them a talk about how war is pure killing and nothing like hunting.Jamie: A war's not like hunting. The deer and the possums are not trying to kill you [...] War is killing. That's it. Think of anything less, think of your own skin, you'll be dead by nightfall. You cannot waver.
