There's something about Prestonpans that defies logic. One of the dangers of Outlander's War arc is that we've seen this so many time. On the big and small screen, we've seen so many war stories, it's hard to imagine that a show whose strength is its characters will be able to create a war story that stands out, that resonates in a way that others don't. But one of Outlander's strengths always seems to be expectation subversion. It has a way of taking the generic and making it complex and interesting. Prestonpans is a major success because of that.
One of the overarching themes that was established in the first episode of season 2 was the inevitably of it all. We know history is not going change, that Culloden is still going to happen. We are beginning to see Claire, Jaime and Murtagh start to recognize it too.
Prestonpans is an episode mired in desperation, mired in the inevitability of the outcome. The clues are there for you to see in the first part of the episode. Prince Charles generals are hopelessly divided, the Prince himself is woefully ignorant of both military strategy and the climate among his men. He wistfully blathers about the brotherhood of the Scots and the English when its clear that his own men hold no love for them. This doesn't even include the opening of the episode, with Claire, who obviously has knowledge of the future, looking at the dead man and beginning to realize the inevitability of it all. She's seen this first hand, young men mangled in death. She is starting to accept what is coming and the clues are there for the audience to see. The episode is starting to look like one of those traditional "fruitlessness of war stories."
However, those stories generally end up with a long, bloody battle that results in a stalemate. Afterward, the combatants all sit around and wonder if any of it was worth it. Outlander is clever, and Prestonpans works so well because this battle should be the one to inspire hope among the heroes that maybe history can be changed. Indeed, historically the Jacobite victory in this battle gave them hope of potentially being able to win the war. You expect our heroes to be slightly less bloodthirsty versions of Dougal, ecstatic about winning a clear victory.
Yet, it hits so hard because the victory actually confirms to Claire and the others the inevitability of the eventual defeat. They did the right thing in this battle, they clearly won. Yet by winning, it confirms that history remains unchanged. You see it play out in Angus' death as well. Rupert recovers from his wounds, but Angus has been bleeding out internally of the course of the episode and dies in Claire's arms while begging her to help him. She of course, cannot. Prestonpans works as an episode because it deprives you of the hope you expect to receive at its end. Generally, when an army wins a great victory, the heroes allow themselves to dream that maybe victory in the war can be obtained, even where victory is unlikely. Instead, when you look back at the episode, you really get a sense of what a waste the battle was. Winning the battle will not change anything historically. All of the sacrifices made were in vain.
As Murtagh feared, dying in the battle would be meaningless. The verdict of history remains unchanged, and the desperation for our protagonists is beginning to set in.
One of the overarching themes that was established in the first episode of season 2 was the inevitably of it all. We know history is not going change, that Culloden is still going to happen. We are beginning to see Claire, Jaime and Murtagh start to recognize it too.
Prestonpans is an episode mired in desperation, mired in the inevitability of the outcome. The clues are there for you to see in the first part of the episode. Prince Charles generals are hopelessly divided, the Prince himself is woefully ignorant of both military strategy and the climate among his men. He wistfully blathers about the brotherhood of the Scots and the English when its clear that his own men hold no love for them. This doesn't even include the opening of the episode, with Claire, who obviously has knowledge of the future, looking at the dead man and beginning to realize the inevitability of it all. She's seen this first hand, young men mangled in death. She is starting to accept what is coming and the clues are there for the audience to see. The episode is starting to look like one of those traditional "fruitlessness of war stories."
However, those stories generally end up with a long, bloody battle that results in a stalemate. Afterward, the combatants all sit around and wonder if any of it was worth it. Outlander is clever, and Prestonpans works so well because this battle should be the one to inspire hope among the heroes that maybe history can be changed. Indeed, historically the Jacobite victory in this battle gave them hope of potentially being able to win the war. You expect our heroes to be slightly less bloodthirsty versions of Dougal, ecstatic about winning a clear victory.
Yet, it hits so hard because the victory actually confirms to Claire and the others the inevitability of the eventual defeat. They did the right thing in this battle, they clearly won. Yet by winning, it confirms that history remains unchanged. You see it play out in Angus' death as well. Rupert recovers from his wounds, but Angus has been bleeding out internally of the course of the episode and dies in Claire's arms while begging her to help him. She of course, cannot. Prestonpans works as an episode because it deprives you of the hope you expect to receive at its end. Generally, when an army wins a great victory, the heroes allow themselves to dream that maybe victory in the war can be obtained, even where victory is unlikely. Instead, when you look back at the episode, you really get a sense of what a waste the battle was. Winning the battle will not change anything historically. All of the sacrifices made were in vain.
As Murtagh feared, dying in the battle would be meaningless. The verdict of history remains unchanged, and the desperation for our protagonists is beginning to set in.
