The fifth season of Outlander began on February 17 with a weekly episode broadcast on Netflix. This season is the adaptation of the fifth volume The Cross of Fire of the literary saga The Thistle and the Tartan by Diana Gabaldon. Let's go back to the twelve episodes. Warning, spoilers!
An unequal set
If the beginning of season 5 had begun with an anxiety-provoking climate related to the possible return of Stephen Bonnet, some episodes had lengths. Indeed, the whole seems uneven. While some episodes focused on small plots, others, on the contrary, had a very fast pace.Among these, we will retain episode 7, The Ballad of Roger Mac, which is also the episode with the most historical scope of this season. It depicted the repression of the Regulators by the army that took place on May 16, 1771, in Alamance. Outlander's battle scenes, meanwhile, are as grandiose as ever. This one differs from the previous ones, since it is Scots who clash, divided between Jamie's militia and the Regulators. We also see that this is an asymmetrical battle, because the crown fighters are much better able to defend themselves than the modestly armed rebels. In addition, the organization of the ranks is much more on the side of the red coats. Jamie then finds himself in an awkward position, and tries to dissuade the ambitious Governor Tryon. Our protagonist is also forced to wear the red coat. Even before the battle takes place, the cannons are highlighted thanks to certain plans. In addition, the performances of Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) and Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh Fitzgibbons) were particularly noteworthy. These include Murtagh's loyalty to Jamie that led to his death, and his godson's desperate attempt to save him. These scenes are all the more upsetting when we know the bond that unites the two men since the first season of Outlander.
A plot expected but too little exploited
The final episode is the apotheosis of this fifth season, both in terms of the acting – especially that of Caitriona Balfe – and in relation to its careful direction. Claire undergoes medical advice given under the name of Dr. Rawlings. But how far can Claire go to give advice to women, as well as to prevent them from becoming pregnant? Too early for the time, she ends up paying the price during scenes that are very psychologically trying. We have an alternation between these scenes that are difficult to bear and Claire's internal projections. She dissociates her body from her mind to survive. Thus, she imagines herself in her time, in the 60s, with her family almost complete. However, Brianna and Roger are missing. Murtagh, on the other hand, comes alive in Claire's thoughts. It is a reality that seems fantasized to us, almost dreamlike when we pay attention to the photography of these scenes. The musical background with Never My Love. The echo of the voices reinforces this dreamy sensation. We also follow the characters as if we were in Claire's shoes, the shots being filmed at their height. For example, Jaime's face is filmed from a low angle. 
The décor seems to be like a modernized Fraser's Ridge, since the house is in the heart of nature. We also focused on some details. Among other things, Claire sees a rabbit, which might seem harmless. Yet it reminds us of the one Jamie sees at the Battle of Culloden. It could be that the animal is a nod to Celtic mythology ; A banshee would take this animal form. Anyway, we find the signature of Outlander, with its moments of emotion and its moments of violence. It is unfortunate, however, that some episodes do not really advance the plot. On the contrary, some episodes seem to go too fast from a scripting point of view. The screenplay flew over the question of Roger and Brianna's return to the 60s. The finale opens a promising plot on the question of how Claire will recover from this trauma. It may be that this season was deliberately slower to give way to the War of Independence in the next.
