Outlander 5X05 “Perpetual Adoration” picks up the pace plot-wise, and oh yes, it brings some cute surprises along the way, but it still mostly seems to be setup on top of setup with a cute side-serving of yes, you guessed it, setup. Still, it’s an entertaining episode, and though it doesn’t give us Jamie and Claire working together like in previous episodes, it doesn’t totally leave us wanting either.
And I haven’t even gone into Roger.
If you’ve followed me at all, you’ll know I’m not the biggest Roger fan. I wouldn’t consider myself a Roger hater, either, I very much appreciate Mr. Rankin and I believe the writing just hasn’t always been the best for Roger. I just wouldn’t call myself a fan of the character. That hasn’t changed, not totally, but I will admit season 5 is trying, very hard, to do what I asked season 4 …show us Roger’s point of view of every situation.
How can we root for him, how can we ever take his side, if we never see things the way he sees them?
This show is still very much so the Jamie and Claire show, but if that’s ever gonna expand, we need to come to care about what happens to Brianna and Roger, not because they’re part of Jamie and Claire’s family, but because we care. Period.
We might not be totally there yet, but I’ll give season 5 this …they are trying. Trying really, really hard.
So, here are some takeaways from Outlander 5×05 “Perpetual Adoration”:
- This episode features a nod to a character who’s no longer in the show, one that might amuse fans, even if the character never did.
- “Perpetual Adoration” is my favorite Roger episode since …well, since his very first episodes.
- Adso the cat is the cutest thing to ever cute. Like, how is he even real?
- Episodes that start out with Jamie and Claire separated are easier to stand when we already know they’ll be reunited during the episode, and this one is no exception. Especially when we get THAT scene between them.
- Fergus and Jamie have the relationship Roger seems to want to have with Jamie, but the thing is …Roger has done nothing to earn that kind of closeness. He didn’t even seem to WANT it 2.5 seconds ago.
- The show has deviated enough from the books that we’re now living in a guessing game: is this coming or not? How will they change it? Will they?
- Lt. Knox isn’t an outright villain, but that doesn’t mean he’s the kind of man who’s willing to let things go. We know this already.
- I would watch an entire episode made up of the small moments between Claire and Marsali and Jamie and Fergus. Maybe even two.
- There’s a lot of Roger/Bree in this episode, enough to make fans of the couple really, really happy.
- Including my favorite Roger line in THIS ENTIRE SHOW.
What are you most looking forward to seeing in “Perpetual Adoration”? Share with us in the comments below!
Outlander airs Sundays at 8/7c on Starz.
