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It’s #TeaWithV time for #Outlander 
https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> #MercyShallFollowMe. I’ll start off with I liked the episode more than I didn’t, but I didn’t love it. Admittedly, trying to top 509 was always going to be a daunting task. And while there were good performances to be had, there were flaws too.
The good: Ed Speleers sold this episode for me. He was brilliant & utterly watchable. I’m not mad they wrapped up his storyline early (I now have a feeling what the S6 focus will be), but he will be missed in a way. He just has “it.” Bonnet could’ve been a cartoon, but he wasn’t.
Also good: Sophie’s best performance since 305. She had a challenging task of navigating a woman wanting revenge on her attacker, while also having to keep her wits about her to survive. And I gotta admit her scenes w/ Ed were great. I knew what would happen, but was still tense.
Still good: The beach scene with Bree and Claire was lovely. It’s great to see this relationship really blossom (don’t worry, I’ll get to Da). It felt almost straight out of an Austen novel. And Jamie and Roger are still working for me and have managed to keep some humor there.
The not as good: the pacing. We have 2 episodes left. There’s some HEAVY shit a comin’ and it MUST be done justice. I fear too much time was spent on Murtagh & the regulators and we may not get the real estate we need. I’ll reserve final judgment til I see it, but....https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😬" title="Grimacing face" aria-label="Emoji: Grimacing face">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😬" title="Grimacing face" aria-label="Emoji: Grimacing face">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😬" title="Grimacing face" aria-label="Emoji: Grimacing face">
The whale metaphor. MBR and TG love hitting you over the head with their nature metaphors. We get it. But you had to show Brianna could memorize Moby Dick to show she was smart? Lol ok. She’s an engineer, but ok. But I’ll go with Brianna thinking quick on her feet like her mama!!
Definitely not good: The gratuitous sex scene. Like WHY? Yes, it was in the book but for a different reason. Did we need it? Nope. Outlander always prided itself on non-gratuitous sex (cough cough 304), so this totally jarred me and not in a good way.
Ok, the Jocasta/Forbes scene: I personally found it a bit cheesy and melodramatic. I think back to S1 and S2 and how these moments had such tension and high stakes. Ulysses coming in was cool, but I just found it all a bit hard to buy.
I also found Bree’s rescue a wee bit cheesy. Again, the editing this season has been super inconsistent. But going back to Sophie, she stood out here, wanting Bonnet to get a lawful condemnation. She sold the scene for me.
Also, it always goes without saying, episodes where J/C make up less than 50% of it just aren’t quite as compelling. And while I love seeing Bree and Claire so close now, dude, what about her dad? I think Bree’s had more conversations with Bonnet and Roger than Jamie. Come on.
Ending on a positive note: I thought the final scene was really powerful. I’m glad Bree was the one to end Bonnet’s life. Roger may have wanted it, but it was Bree’s kill dammit! And Bree not saying a word-IT’S CALLED FILMING A THOUGHT. Sophie blew me away here. Thanks 4 reading!
