Outlander Review: Perpetual Adoration (Season 5 Episode 5)

We mark the end of the first act of the season with family and one important feline.

Outlander Season 5 Episode 5, “Perpetual Adoration,” is able to start sowing the seeds of discord thanks to an episode brimming with slow-burning plot development.

Sticking close to the pacing of the source material, Outlander is handling the difficult task of developing a slower brand of storytelling with relative ease.

Unfortunately, the transitions between modern-day Claire’s patients and penicillin and Jamie’s redcoat bar crawl aren’t handled as well as they could be.

Normally Claire’s narration is a welcoming delight to Outlander’s elegant storytelling but this time around it feels as if there is a slight disconnect between her words and the story. The transition between Claire’s two different timelines can be jarring enough at times to disrupt the flow of this episode’s arc.

There’s nothing disjointed about the story Outlander sets out to tell with “Perpetual Adoration”. It’s such a rarety to enjoy a slice of Claire’s life before she reunites with Jamie in the past — and how could we ever turn down a chance to see her rock that 1960s’ hairstyle?

However, the coupling of Claire’s narration with the louder moments of 18th-century America doesn’t quite compliment each other the way they should.

It’s good to know the toxic beginnings of Bree and Roger’s relationship are still simmering beneath their honeymoon bliss.

It is difficult to see Roger blame Brrianna at first for trying to cope with this unimaginable trauma. His wife was raped and he has the nerve to get upset when she finally comes clean with all the images that have been haunting her for months.

Their fight is certainly a more refined and mature version of the spats we endured last season and the context of Bonnet adds a new level of depth the topic of withholding sex never could. The vile villain’s looming presence raises the stakes for these two and forces them to focus on forgiveness, rather than their default setting of exasperation.

I hate to say it but Bonnet being alive is the best thing that ever happened to Brianna and Roger, story-wise.

Claire carries the weight of this episode and she does so with her head held high. Yes witnessing her balance two timelines, two wigs, and one stubborn Roger without so much as a stumble is quite impressive.

Claire begins the episode by reminiscing about an old patient of hers, that just so happens to tie into her recent focus on penicillin. The change in scenery and direction feels a little rocky at first as we look at her connections to this man from a detached perspective.

By the end, we are rewarded with a brief, yet powerful, connection between Claire and Menzies that quickly establishes itself as an important part of Outlander’s lore. It’s rather interesting to see the series go back and connect some of the missing dots from Season 3 to this current season.

Hands down the best part of this storyline for Claire is her 18th-century surgical scenes, where we get to watch our female protagonist remove tonsils like an absolute badass while everyone looks on horrified. That’s when Claire does her best work.

This episode may slow down the action in preference of calculated chess moves, but Jamie is always prepared to fight.

It has been difficult to predict where this Regulators storyline would take us and what the exact payoff would be. That uncertainty quickly disperses at the mention of papers that not only connect Jamie to his shared past with Murtagh, but confirm where Jamie’s allegiance has always lied — to his family, of course.

This blast from Jamie’s past is a beautiful reminder of how far the Scotsman will go in the name of the people he cares about. It is also a welcoming callback to a time before New America where the plot of Outlander was thick with war, intrigue, and Scottish scoundrels.

The fight itself is powerful, and somewhat solemn, as Jamie takes Knox’s life knowing he is betraying a close confidant but has to save his own hide. It’s difficult to watch Jamie come to this harsh decision yet again, *cough* Dougal *cough*.

Thankfully, Heughan once again brings a combination of skill and sorrow to his character’s actions that save our protagonist from riotous backlash. Although, that may have to do with a certain kitty…

Nothing else really matters because this is the episode we meet Adso, the Frasers’ feline companion and the newest addition to the Outlander family.

I’ve said all along this series would be on a whole other level if they just introduced an adorable kitten to the cast.

No one wants to condone murder but when it leads to Jamie rescuing a stray kitten and putting a smile on his wife’s face, how can we complain? And how can we not enjoy this plot-heavy episode when it leads to such an adorable conclusion?

Well played Outlander, well played.

What did you think of this episode of Outlander? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Outlander airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.

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