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‘Outlander’ Preview: 5 Dangers Facing The Frasers In “Common Ground”

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for Outlander. Other things too, of course, but mostly Outlander. While the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621, it wasn’t a national holiday in America until 1789. This means that Jamie, Claire, and Ian are still about 22 years too early to be chowing down on turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes this week. Instead, they’re likely facing a far more dangerous situation. Let’s take a look at five dangers that may be lurking in the shadows for the Fraser clan.

  1. Bears. The Blue Ridge mountains are home to a wide variety of dangerous animals, including bobcats, panthers, and black bears. With so few humans around to scare them off, there will undoubtedly be quite a few animals. Leaving food within reach, including a few tasty-looking horses, could bring the wildlife right to their doorstep.
  2. The Cherokee. Governor Tryon promised Jamie land, but that doesn’t mean the land was truly his to give. The Cherokee tribe already inhabits this region, and their egalitarian customs don’t recognize private land ownership. They may have a thing or two to say about their new neighbors marking off plots and building homes.
  3. Other Settlers. Jamie and Claire have control over which potential settlers come to live with them at Fraser’s Ridge. However, there are other settlements nearby, as well as several towns. We’ve already seen what happens when Jamie and Claire’s worldview is different from the local customs. What will happen when they’re also the new kids on the block?
  4. The Elements. They’re no strangers to camping out in the woods or surviving plagues at sea, but now the Frasers are facing the wilderness without an expected return to civilization. If they can’t find food, they’ll starve. If they can’t find drinkable water, they’ll die of thirst even quicker. And if they can’t build a cabin quickly, they’ll die from exposure. Jamie, Claire, and Ian are excellent at surviving, but they’ll need all their skills to survive North Carolina.
  5. Disease. It’s not just the elements that Claire, Jamie, and Ian have to worry about being exposed to. European settlers brought smallpox over with them to the colonies, which makes contracting it a very real concern in this time. There is also the risk for typhoid, malaria, influenza, and more, even in the isolated mountain setting. Are Claire’s medical skills up to the task of protecting her family? Or will 18th century viruses put them all at risk?

Episode 404, “Common Ground,” airs Sunday, November 25th at 8 pm on Starz. Viewers can watch and catch up anytime on Starz.com and the Starz mobile app. Check back here to FanFest.com each week for full episode recaps and future episode previews.

Read More:

https://fanfest.com/2018/11/18/outlander-recap-the-false-bride/

https://fanfest.com/2018/11/11/outlander-recap-do-no-harm/

https://fanfest.com/2018/11/04/outlander-recap-america-the-beautiful/