Domboy on Fergus’ Even Bigger Downslide Following

[Jin Wah]

The third episode of Outlander Season 6 opens with a biblical reference, as we see Henri-Christian, the baby son belonging to Fergus (César Domboy) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle) floating in a basket down the river, very much as you’d imagine baby Moses had done on the Nile.

While Moses was rescued by Pharoah’s daughter, Henri-Christian gets rescued by Roger (Richard Rankin) just before the basket hits the rapids. Unlike Moses, though, Henri-Christian wasn’t put in the basket to save him from certain death, but to see if he would float; after overhearing their parents call Henri-Christian demon-born because of his dwarfism, several of the boys on Fraser’s Ridge tested out the bizarre theory in an equally strange way.

Related: César Domboy on Fergus’ Even Bigger Downslide Following the Birth of His Son on Outlander Season 6

But why did Outlander author Diana Gabaldon include Henri-Christian’s story in her bestselling novel A Breath of Snow and Ashes, on which Season 6 is based? As Gabaldon exclusively explains to Parade, “I’m always looking out for the people you’d find in a small community but who you might not think of right off. And people with disabilities, defined loosely as any condition that means you need some help to deal with daily life, of course are in this category.”

Gabaldon also describes Henri-Christian as a “mushroom“—that is, a character who pops up unexpectedly as she’s writing, only to promptly walk off with the scene. Henri-Christian also adds conflict to the story: As a person who is different, he changes and challenges people within his family and community—people who, back in 1773, didn’t understand DNA.

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Related: Sophie Skelton on the Dangers Brianna Faces in Season 6 of Outlander

But why did Henri-Christian’s birth affected Fergus so greatly? As a child back in the brothel in Paris, Fergus had a friend named Luc, who was also a dwarf. One day, Luc’s body was discovered with his throat cut, only for his remains to then be sold to a doctor for experimentation rather than receiving a proper burial—an indignity Fergus never forgot.

The third episode of "Outlander" season 6 is here, and it's the calm before the storm of the American Revolution.

And when I say calm, I mean calm — we get a lot of time with Fergus and his family, further confirmation that Tom Christie is The Worst, and ... not much else! It's a quiet, one could even say slow, episode. But it's also one that seems to be setting up for a lot of things, well, happen. The Revolution, of course, but also the increasing likelihood that Claire and Brianna will get accused of witchcraft sooner rather than later.

This week’s Outlander moves Fergus, Marsali, and Henri-Christian to center stage. The Frasers not only have to contend with the ignorant superstitions of the Ridge and also Fergus’ struggle to stay sober and mentally well. In between, Tom and Malva Christie are creating their own chaos. Although many characters have experienced trauma and depression before, Fergus’ path forces the audience to consider their own attitudes on mental health, alcoholism, and most importantly ableism. Ableism is defined as viewing the disabled as “incomplete” or “damaged” which leads to discrimination.

Henri-Christian is only a few weeks old and he’s already being bullied for being a dwarf. Germain didn’t do anything as his friends threw his basket into the river to see if it would float. If he floated, he would be a child of the Devil. Roger saves Henri-Christian from the waterfall, puts on his lay preacher hat, and tells the little trolls that the baby belongs to God and was baptized. Jamie has decided the boys will be punished for their terrible deed by allowing them to choose whether they want to touch the baby or touch a hot poker. Jamie’s test is about proving to the boys that Henri-Christian may look different but he acts like a human baby.

Outlander Season 6 Episode 3 Online
Watch Outlander Season 6 Episode 3
Watch Outlander Season 6 Episode 3 Online

Claire checks Henri-Christian and she doesn’t see any evidence of internal or external injuries. Marsali and Fergus are worried that something similar may happen in the future, and Fergus reveals to Claire that he’s also afraid of the future for his son. He tells the story of Luc, a dwarf he knew back in France who worked in the brothel and was eventually murdered. Dwarves and others with disabilities were fetishized and often discriminated against in other forms of employment, forcing many to turn to sex work. Fergus’s fear goes well beyond his beliefs about the cause of Henri-Christian’s condition. He’s just as scared about the future in a world that will inevitably find ways to dehumanize the disabled.

Some fans may resent the episode’s focus on Fergus but there are also scenes that develop the other characters in a way previous episodes didn’t always offer. We see grandpa Jaime lovingly correct Germain so he can be a good big brother. Brianna helps Marsali endure. Roger offers spiritual and practical assistance to Ridge residents. This is a good thing for Season 6 as its clear either the writers are learning from past critiques or that new writers are taking a different approach to storytelling.

Marsali understands some of the pain Fergus is going through but she can’t understand why Fergus is choosing to drink instead of being there for her and the children. She tells Fergus she poisoned Lionel Brown because he wasn’t there to defend her. Marsali’s decision to kick Fergus out until he can stay sober isn’t about scorekeeping, it’s about making sure she doesn’t go through again what she saw with her alcoholic father. This boundary setting also strikes a nerve with Fergus as his child is once again forcing him to confront his own disability.

Although Jamie and Claire help try to help Fergus, a lot of their attention in this episode is turned to Tom Christie. He finally agrees to the hand surgery. He refuses the ether, and instead Jamie reads Bible verses to him. Tom also still has issues with Claire’s medical authority. Meanwhile, Malva is spying outside instead of helping Claire or her father. She runs into Ian more than once during the episode and their interaction is somehow flirty and creepy at the same time. Claire keeps Tom overnight to make sure there are no side effects from the surgery. She wants to take ether after the conversation about the punishment for Henri-Christian’s bullies triggers a memory about Lionel Brown but Christie’s complaints of pain and a fever prevent her from doing so.