‘Outlander’ Recap: ‘Singapore’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(L-R) Euan Macnaughton, Sophie Skelton, and Chris Fulton as Ross Campbell, Brianna Fraser MacKenzie and Rob Cameron in Episode 705 of ‘Outlander’ – ‘Singapore’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 705 of ‘Outlander’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Now that scores have been settled, cliffhangers resolved, and old chapters closed for new ones… it is becoming inherently clear what the creative brain trust behind season seven of Outlander on STARZ is looking to accomplish. In that, this will now become a grand and sweeping tale. One that spans the life and times of the Fraser family across two centuries of global history and well, for proof… look no further than this week’s tale. For ‘Singapore’ is a story that explored the lives of the family in 1980, while looking at every aspect of life for the rest of the family in 1776, amidst the turbulence of the Revolutionary War and well… that did indeed make for a grand and sweeping tale, one that saw everyone in the family dealing with unique aspects of life.
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Brianna for instance… had to contend with the reality that her gender was going to make life difficult for her in her new job. Which was… dumb to say the least, and that led to some scary moments for Brianna. Wherein she found herself insulted and eventually locked away and abandoned by the very crew that worked for her as some of kind sick joke. Granted, they didn’t count on her knowing the dam layout well, since she got out just fine, but this was a harsh wake-up call for Bree. One that truly informed her what she was up against, and it gave her pause. But Roger did remind her of how strong she is and how she never backs down and those gentle nudges were enough for her to stand up to these bullies and help them understand who was really in charge, and it was just incredible to see Bree stand up like this and forge a new path in an era where she clearly doesn’t feel whole without her parents around… but she may have found a way to solve that problem as well.

But of course, there was mention that this story was encompassed every corner of this family’s history and future and well, that meant back in 1776… we spent time with Ian and William, and their unique struggles. For instance, Ian spent a lot of time in this episode pondering upon the nature of family and what it meant to be a father. Which led to some fascinating moments with Ian as he worked through what he wanted in life, and it featured some beautiful moments as well… especially when he went home to see old Indigenous friends. As for William, well he pondered upon the finer points of mortality. Since he and the Hunters got lost on their way to Ticonderoga and encountered an unsavory couple. One whose head of household believed in punishing innocents that came near his land, and that led to an incredible scare and an incredible fight. One that put William close to his end. But everyone survived and went their separate yet definite paths… to Fort Ticonderoga.

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(L-R) Caitríona Balfe, Joey Phillips, Tobi Bakare, and Daniel Gosling as Claire Fraiser, Dr. Denzell Hunter, Walter Woodcock, and Lieutenant Stactoe in in Episode 705 of ‘Outlander’ – ‘Singapore’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Which is where we caught up with Claire and Jamie. Who settled into United States Army life, and their time here allowed for some parallels in time to come forth, for Claire at the least. Since she was seen as nothing more than a nuisance by those in charge of medical in this place. Since she of course, knew more than they did and spoke aloud when it came to what they were doing wrong. Something that sadly… goes poorly for women in any period of time. But she pushed ahead as always and worked to make a comfortable place for those in need and those with wounds, and that served her well… especially when genuine trouble came calling. For while she was handling her duties, Jamie was working hard to convince those in charge that the current strategy to protect Ticonderoga was well… mediocre at best. Because Sugar Loaf Hill wasn’t far from the Fort and if the British opted to capture it and scale it, they could arm it and use the high ground to push United States forces out of the Fort.
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A concern that bothered him so greatly, he simulated an attack in this manner to prove his point when it was initially rebuffed. But alas, those in charge still didn’t believe him. That is… until the British took the hill. Which put the Fort into evacuation mode. Wherein the civilians were escorted out by boat and sadly, some injured were left behind, but held their heads high thanks to Claire’s kindness and honesty, and of course… that meant our heroes were on the run as well. With British forces quickly securing the area and well… this was just a powerful sequence to watch. Since it spoke to the realities of the war back in that era and featured some fine history lessons as well. For Sugar Loaf Hill was in fact, how the British took Fort Ticonderoga back in the day. Granted, this may have been a little more accelerated in the show, but it was nice to see a history lesson come into play regardless.

But that aside, this really was quite the engaging and quality episode. One that did a fine job of exploring the lives of these characters while setting the stage for some big moments. After all, there is someone lurking about Lallybroch and they may cause trouble for Brianna and Roger and their family and of course… our heroes are facing uncertainty and genuine worry once again. For the war is on and the British want to quell the ‘rebellion’ before them, and that may lead to some difficult days for these star-crossed lovers. Which means that once again, we are left counting down the days to another chapter in this magnificent series, and this time… there’s an added excitement to go with the countdown. Simply because… what lies ahead is an era of history not often explored in television and film anymore, and it will be interesting to see what this show explores with that opportunity, and what other historical moments it works to recreate for us, as season seven and the Revolutionary War continue along. Until next time.   

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