Photo: Brianna Randall and Laoghaire, in Dr Jekyll mode, Starz, Episode 407
Boy oh boy, there are a lot of mixed feelings about this episode! I’ve seen comments that run the gamut, from
“Best episode of the season!!!”
to
“What the @#$%&!????”
The lasses and I got together again, to discuss it…
For more Episode Discussions like this one, go to Episode Discussions.
Much love to all xo
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Boring!!
Thank you ladies, again, I enjoyed it very much.
Ep7 is the only episode that I didn’t feel the need to watch again right away, but I did like most of it. I was at the edge of my seat with the scenes with Leghair and Joanie was a treat. To me, what’s annoying is that after waiting a whole week, there’s this entire episode without Jamie/Sam. I agree, not doing most of the Lallybroch part was a mistake, but in general, I would have liked it fine if it lasted 90 min and they spent 30 min of it on Jamie (with Claire) :-). And oh yeah, the tall Lizzie. … big mistake, but, ah well!
I’m looking forward to your next discussion! And if you don’t have time during the holidays, could you do one on two episodes, pretty please :-)??
Lizzie: worst casting ever!
Hola chicas!!! Si me responden en inglés, yo uso el traductor..? solo sé, que este episodio, me dió muchas respuestas, pero creo nuevas preguntas!!! Ha Sido re genial!! Me ha encantado!! Como toda la serie!! Espero mis preguntas sean respondidas a través de los episodios siguientes.
Una de ellas es:
*Como encuentra Brianna el obituario?
Osea hemos visto las partes de cada personaje, visto desde ellos…..Visto desde Brianna, Visto desde Laura…..pero me encantaría verlo desde que sentimientos “oscuros” tenía Frank?? Osea que hizo?, como lo guardo? cómo podía estar normal con Claire, sabiendo todo lo que pasaría!!?? Realmente para mí fue algo realmente machiavelico, guardarselo y hacer sentir culpable al resto!!! Y encima decirle a Claire… “Que cada vez que veía a Brianna, veía a Jaime, le recordaba a Jaime”!!! Entonces las intenciones de llevarse a Brianna, aparte de amarla, fue una forma egoísta hacia Claire…..y tengo más preguntas!! ?
I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast discussion. Thank you, ladies! It was delightful and insightful! Loved every minute!! I read every book as it was released and listened to them all several times. (I actually loved the original cassette recordings the best I believe the reader’s last name was James. Loved her so much better than Davina Porter!! If you can find them to listen to, you won’t be disappointed!). So I’m disappointed when they stray from Diana’s version but I get that some of it needs to be changed to fit the screen. You ladies touched on some n=very good points! Can’t wait to go back and find your other podcasts! Thank you all again! You kept me very entertained!! Merry Christmas
Hello all Outlander fans-of similar and differing opinions!
I am surprised to hear about earlier cassette recordings with a different narrator! I have all the cassettes from the Recorded Books company and they are Davina Porter all the way. I think she is so incredibly talented and hope she stays in the robust health required to narrate all future Outlander big books!
I have wanted to never see Franks face again. I had a feeling that somehow they would write him in. So no time for Jamie but Frank? tall strong girl stand in for short skinny sick girl to travel with Bree who did not even get on the ship with name of Fraser but with Frank’s name. Even after meeting her real relatives without Jamies sister. wow. least fav episode ever. I realize there are limitations when taking any book to the screen, but are the writers and casting director at least required to read the books?
I agree Christine, this scene in the book was one of my favorites. I was so looking forward to the meeting with the family. This season has been so bad I find myself fast forwarding through most of it. So sad, I have read these books a number of times and listened to them as well. The First season was the best it has gone way down hill from there. I too was happy when we were done with Frank.
In the book, she used Randall, which was a puzzle to Roger’s detective work!
“Down the Rabbit Hole” gave Frank a more human role. A man whose marriage was a sham, but he was an honourable man and stood by Claire and brought up Brianna who he loved. The episode explained a lot. Now the part of Laoghaire and Bree. If any of our fans have read the book “Drums of Autumn”, she gave both Bree and Jennifer a hard time, she was just wretched. The episode went into the depth of her bitterness – where she like Frank were more like outsiders in their marriages. Both their spouses were in love with someone else, a love that was very rare – hard to compete with that. I felt that “Down the Rabbit Hole” was very special.
Courtney, before more times flies by, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – may the new year ahead be good to you in every way. I love your blog “Outlander Behind the Scenes”, it is very intelligent and it’s great to see what other opinions there are out there.
What a wonderful way to spend an hour. I always learn things from you fine ladies, so thank you. And Merry Christmas everyone.
I have only watched this Ep. once. I will watch again tonight. This episode was full of surprises for book readers. I was overall a little less critical than you all. I thought the part with Lagohaire was well done but a bit hard to believe and actually pretty unnecessary, but I didn’t really mind it.
What bugged the heck out of me, very similar to my feelings of Claire making her way through the jungle was Bree’s ankle and the precious time they used up with that. My husband kept saying why is she lost and going toward the harbor rather than Lalybrook and he has NOT read the books. We both were literally yelling at the screen telling her to make a waking stick or crutch so that was totally unbelievable from both my perspective as a book reader and my husband who is not (and I am not allowed to tell him anything until after it has happened).
I thought Claire’s ring on Bonnet’s finger was too obvious and like some of you he was just too Jack Sparrow (over the top). He’s not working super well for me.
Unlike you ladies I have always liked book Roger, and I find I am a rare bird in that. I could not believe how hard people were on Roger after he proposed. I tend to side with Roger over Bree, so that wil be interesting as we move forward…
I Liked this episode less than the previous two but much better than 401 & 402 when Jamie was flat and Claire was obnoxious. Looking forays to the rest of the season. I hope you keep meeting!
Hi Courtney, Thanks to you and your colleagues for this interesting discussion. I, like most of you, was quite disappointed with episode 407. A lot of the storylines and scenes lacked credibility. Definitely not enough Ian and too much Laoghaire. I felt like the writing of the episode was rushed, probably because they waited for Laura and she, in the end, was not available. I thought that Sophie’s performance was uneven. She showed no emotion when she said goodbye to Ian sr. and I would have expected more from her. Hopefully the rest of the season will be more like episodes 405 and 406.
I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Xmas and a great Holiday Season with your family. Again thank you for the wonderful work you do.xx
I loved it. Period. I already watched it 4 times. My favorite is still Ep. 6 but overall, I love S4 as much as all previous seasons.
I agree with the thought that Laoghaire is a minor character and that we spent too much time with her. I forwarded ahead to what I hoped were scenes with Ian. I know the writers and producers said they waited as long as they could for Nell Hudson and then went with the Laoghaire scene. I definitely longed for an extended scene at Lallybroch. I didn’t know that Ian was referring to Jamie’s mother when he said Brianna has “her” eyes. I didn’t think Brianna’s eyes look much like Claire’s.
About the Laoghaire scene: I hope that the writers don’t create a conflict with Brianna and Jamie based on her doubts that Jamie wanted her. I felt Brianna would have dismissed Laoghaire’s lies about Jamie not wanting her outright once Laoghaire reveals her true ugly self and Brianna knows who she is. At that point, the basis of Laoghaire’s lies are obvious. Also, Claire has told Brianna that she was passionately in love with Jamie and she was going back to him. Would she do that if Jamie abandoned her because she was pregnant.? It takes about a millisecond to realize it would be idiotic to believe that.
I mean Laura Donnelly, not Nell Hudson.
Courtney, I love these podcasts! Where did you find these ladies? I absolutely love them and want to hang out with all of you. I think between all of you, you expressed everything I thought about this episode. Missed opportunities pretty much sums it up.
One thing that struck me really strange, if you listened to the Starz podcast, this was Toni and Maril’s absolute favorite episode of the season and they LOVED the Laoghaire and Frank storylines that were added. The ironic last thing that Toni said was that she couldn’t wait to hear comments on it. I felt bad for her on Monday during the Twitter Q&A. I don’t think I’ve ever see a more brutal and almost totally negative reaction before.
PS. I did love this episode. I was moved at the ending scene. I felt Frank was giving Brianna an affirmation of her journey to her real father and Claire. I rarely tear up during films, but I did here. Frank made a bargain with Claire a long time ago that he probably shouldn’t have made. Claire had chosen Jamie over Frank in Season 1. Claire had already let Frank go years before she went back through the stones. Frank didn’t have a chance. Claire belonged to Jamie. But Frank raised Jamie’s daughter and knew that she was not really his. Especially when he finds out Jamie survived.
Hated it.. Drums is my all time favourite book and you left out some really really important scenes in favour of rubbish. Your writers think they know better than Diana?? They are very deluded and I guarantee THEY will never have millions of fans.
I loved the episode. I know they had to write Laura Donnelly out of the episode, so I thought they found a way to show Leerie’s evil side after making her a little more human — so it was a shock. I like they way they flashed back and filled in some holes in the story with Frank … made me think that his finding that Claire was going back to Jamie precipitated his decision to divorce Claire and marry his mistress…
[…] Down the Rabbit Hole ~ Episode 407, The Discussion CategoriesPanel Discussion TagsBriannaFraser, caitriona balfe, claire fraser, DianaGabaldon, DowntheRabbitHole, Ed Speelers, Ian Murray, jamie fraser, Laoghaire MacKenzie, nell hudson, outlanderanatomy, Outlanderbehindthescenes, outlanderstarz, richardrankin, SamHeughan, sophieskelton, starz, Steven Cree […]
Of all the recaps that I watched, Outlander BTS hit the nail on its head, Antoinette, you are spot on with everything you said.
I am probably one of the few that felt sorry for Laoghaire, however, I thought her story line was a waste of time. I cried when Tobias, without words , nodded to Brianna at the end of episode.