Outlander, Season 1, Episode 11: “The Devil’s Mark”

The official synopsis, courtesy of Starz:

Claire and Geillis are on trial for witchcraft. Jamie manages to rescue Claire, but not before she discovers a secret about Geillis’s past.

My synopsis:

Boom! Claire and Geillis are dumped in the thieves’ hole — a dirty, smelly, rat-infested hole under the ground with a locked iron grate across the opening. The women are angry at each other and trade accusations.

Geillis believes Claire is to blame:

“I kept your secrets, Claire. You should have kept mine.”

Claire points out that Geillis isn’t exactly spotless — she did, after all, murder her husband. Geillis doesn’t bother denying it, and in fact, owns up to dosing Arthur with white arsenic for a while now, building up to the final dose of cyanide. She’s confident that they won’t remain in the hole long — Dougal will come and take them both away from there.

Claire is horrified, and tells Geillis the cold, hard facts: Dougal is gone. Colum has sent him away, and Jamie too.

“No one is coming, Geillis.”

They spend a wretched night, but things don’t look better in the morning. In fact, things only get worse, as they’re hauled out of the thieves’ hole, dragged through the streets of the village with their hands bound by leather thongs, and brought into the church for a trial. As they’re led through the village, they pass the stakes erected in the town square, with branches being piled around them. It’s always handy to have a pyre ready when you’re trying witches.

The courtroom/church is packed with angry townspeople who seem to find a lot of satisfaction in shouting angrily at the two women. There are no familiar faces in the crowd; Claire sees no one there from Castle Leoch. As the judges (priests, apparently, or some sort of religious figures, in any case) start the trial, there’s an interruption as Ned Gowan barges in. Ned points out that witch trials are no longer the law of the land in Scotland, but the judges are not impressed, as this is a religious matter. Ned insists on acting as defense lawyer for both women, and the trial commences.

First up is Geillis’s serving girl, who tells tales of women from the village coming to Geillis for charms and amulets, and reports seeing Claire in league with Geillis, with the two women chanting “ominous incantations” Ned discredits her testimony pretty easily, pointing out how she’s a disgruntled servant who’d been seeking other jobs and is now getting back at Geillis for not paying her more.

Next is a young, grieving woman — the mother of the dead child Claire found on the fairy hill. The woman describes seeing Claire pick up the child and speak words over it, and the next morning it was dead. She claims that she’d left the ailing child for the fairies to take back, so they’d return her own child to her, but with Claire’s witchery, the fairies didn’t bring back her own child.  Ned offers sympathy to the woman, but gets her to admit that the child was too ill to survive and that Claire did nothing.

Still, the crowd continues to shout “Witch!” at Claire and Geillis, and Claire shouts back that she’s a healer. The courtroom is outraged that Claire is speaking out, and Ned cautions Claire to stay quiet and let him do his job.

Another witness comes forth — a man who swears he saw Geillis call down lightning as she laughed in a storm, then fly into the sky like a bat. The crowd eats it up, of course… and the court is adjourned for the day. Back to the hole go Geillis and Claire, along with a flask from Ned to help them keep warm.

Geillis’s optimism from the previous day is gone:

“You still don’t understand, do you? They mean to kill us.”

Claire questions Geillis. Why has she done the things she’s done? Was it Dougal that she wanted? A better position? Money? Geillis scoffs — as Arthur’s wife, she had a respected position and plenty of money. In fact, she managed to divert over a thousand pounds from Arthur… for Scotland. Geillis is a Jacobite, dreaming of a Stuart king back on the throne.

“Come the Rising, I shall know I helped.”

She has no regrets, she declares. Claire responds by quipping, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” Geillis seems amused as she comments, “Nicely put.” Ah, a hint!

As the women bond over their miserable situation, Geillis asks Claire if she truly loves Jamie. It’s his name she cries out in her sleep. The two women huddle together to keep warm. As they’re pulled from the hole the next morning, it’s clear that they’ve reconnected. They describe themselves as a flock of two, and promise to protect one another. It’s a moment of shared affection and peace, before they head back into the storm.

Things at the trial take a dismal turn. Laoghaire strolls in as the next witness. She tells the court that she came to Claire for a love potion to open Jamie’s heart, and declares that she was the one that Jamie was meant to marry. But Claire took the potion herself, hexed Jamie, and stole him away from her. Ned tries to dismiss Laoghaire as just a heart-broken girl, but the crowd is on her side and Laoghaire seems gleeful to be getting revenge on Claire.

From bad to worse — next is Father Bain… who, surprisingly, seems almost to be saying that Claire isn’t a witch. He tells the story of Claire saving the boy that he was trying to exorcise, and exclaims that he has failed God and the congregation, and therefore he’s giving up his post. It’s all a sinister, clever ruse. As Father Bain announces his departure, the crowd yells for him to stay, and shout that this is yet further proof that Claire is a powerful witch who has even managed to enchant and hex such a godly man. The crowd is incensed, the judges seem ready to pronounce a decision, and Ned calls for a recess.

He takes Claire and Geillis into a back room and tells them the harsh truth. The climate has turned ugly, and the only chance for either to survive is if one turns against the other. He bluntly tells Geillis that she’s beyond saving, given her history and reputation in the town, and advises Claire to denounce Geillis and accuse her of tricking Claire with her evil ways. Otherwise, they’ll both be burned. Ned leaves to give the women a moment to consider.

Geillis, full of emotion, questions Claire. Why is she here? What is the real reason? She knows Claire is hiding something, and now she must tell the truth! Claire tells Geillis that she is there by accident, and her answer deflates Geillis. So she doesn’t want to change anything? Is it really all for nothing? She seems to accept Ned’s recommendation that Claire save herself by giving up Geillis.

As they return to the courtroom, Ned announces that Claire has something to say. But after a moment’s pause, Claire states that Ned is mistaken – she has nothing to say. The women are found guilty and condemned to death. As the crowd swarms around them, Geillis turns to Claire and tells her, “I think it is possible. 1968.” What does this mean?

The crowd goes nuts. Claire yells that they’re all murderers, and the judges decide to give Claire one last lesson on her way to the stake, ordering her to be “stripped and skelped”. Her dress is torn down the back, and she’s held still as another man begins to whip her. Claire cries out in pain — but then the door bursts open, and finally, Jamie is there! He storms in, defies the crowd with sword and pistol, and stands over Claire to protect her.

He’ll be attacked in a second himself, but then Geillis offers the ultimate distraction: She yells out that Claire is not a witch, but she is — and pulls her gown from her shoulders to display what she calls a devil’s mark, but which Claire recognizes as a smallpox vaccination scar.

Geillis continues to shout about serving the devil as she strips off her clothes and shows her pregnant belly. She’s bearing Satan’s child! As the mob rushes her, Geillis mouths the word “Run!” to Claire and Jamie, then continues to scream as she is lifted and carried out, providing enough cover for Claire and Jamie to make an escape. There’s nothing they can do to help Geillis. They escape on horseback, riding fast and far from the awful village.

Finally, Jamie stops in a glade to tend Claire’s wounds. It’s a first — Claire is injured, and Jamie’s the one providing care. At last, they talk. Jamie asks Claire for honesty. He knows that there are things that she maybe can’t tell him, but whatever she does tell him, let it be the truth. Are you a witch, he asks. He’s seen the same mark on Claire that Geillis has.

No, she’s not a witch, Claire tells him… and tells him the truth. She was born on October 20 in 1918. She’s from the future. Jamie confesses that he doesn’t really understand, but he does believe her. He asks to know more, and she tells him everything — about the war, about Frank, and about the stones at Craigh na Dun, as well as about the Jacobite cause and the disaster of Culloden.

Jamie realizes to his horror that when she ran away and ended up captured at Ft. William, she’d only been trying to get home, to her own time and to Frank. He feels awful that he beat her for this, now that he knows why she did what she did. He tells Claire how truly sorry he is, and vows that no one will harm Claire again.

They ride hard for several more days, leaving Leoch and the trial far behind. Jamie describes Lallybroch and what their life could be like there. They camp at night, and Jamie holds Claire by the fire, tracing her face with his fingers, gazing at her as he touches her and gives her pleasure. The next morning, he asks Claire if she’s ready to go home… and walks her up a hill so that she can see where he’s taken them. They’re back at Craigh na Dun.

“It’s what you wanted. What you’ve always wanted. To go home.”

Jamie takes Claire by the hands and leads her to the stones. As she’s about to touch the main stone, he pulls her back for one last embrace. He wasn’t ready, but now he knows it’s time for them to part.

“There nothing for you on this side. Nothing, except violence and death. Good-bye, Sassenach.”

And he walks away. Heartbreak!

Claire sits by the stones, looking at her hands with her two wedding rings, touching each in turn, deep in thought. She looks back toward Jamie, and looks toward the stones. We see her walking toward the stones, and then all goes black.

Next, we see Jamie sleeping by his fire. And then there’s Claire, saying “On your feet, soldier.” She’s made her decision — she’s staying with Jamie. She asks him to take her home to Lallybroch. In tears, Jamie takes Claire in his arms for a kiss and a loving embrace.

Holy moly, what an emotional roller-coaster of an episode!

Steam factor:

That scene by the fire! It’s sexy and tender at the same time, and while all the clothes stay on, it’s a fairly explicit depiction of sexual exploration and gratification.

Fashion statements:

Claire  and Geillis are dirty and bedraggled most of the episode, wearing the same clothes they had on previously, so I wouldn’t say this was an episode for high fashion!

Key points:

Major facts that the episode gets on the table:

• Geillis is from the future! There have been hints, but now Claire knows for sure. Apparently, Geillis is from 1968, although with her on the way to being burned as a witch, Claire has no opportunity to find out more.
• Laoghaire shows her true colors, willing to bring about Claire’s death if it means she gets a shot at Jamie.
• And the biggest moment of all: Claire has the opportunity to finally go home to Frank… but chooses Jamie instead.

Memorable lines:

Geillis, after Ned asks what she’s going to do:

“It looks like I’m going to a fucking barbecue.”

Laoghaire to Claire:

“I shall dance upon your ashes.”

Jamie, in heroic rescue mode:

“I swore an oath before the altar of God to protect this woman. And if you tell me that you consider your authority to be greater than that of the Almighty, then I must inform you that I am not of that opinion myself.”

Character impressions:

It’s all there, isn’t it? Geillis did murder her husband, but she considers herself justified by her devotion to Scotland and the Jacobite cause. Her morals are definitely shady, but she comes through for Claire in the end, sacrificing herself so that Claire can live.

Laoghaire is a vengeful little trollop. Ugh.

Jamie is brave and true, and listens to Claire with an open-heart. He believes her because he loves her, and trusts her to tell him the truth, whether or not it makes sense to him.

Takeaway:

LOVE! Claire finally has a real decision to make, the ability to choose her future, and she chooses Jamie. It’s a wonderful moment, and the confession scene between Claire and Jamie really gives us a chance to see how far they’ve come and how much trust and devotion exists between the two of them.

Geillis really shines in this episode, thanks to the amazing work of Lotte Verbeek. She does an extraordinary job of portraying Geillis as a powerful, driven, enigmatic woman, who may be delusional in her beliefs and aspirations, but ultimately is willing to give her own life to save her friend.

Outlander, Season 1, Episode 10: “By the Pricking of my Thumbs”

The official synopsis, courtesy of Starz:

Jamie hopes the newly arrived Duke of Sandringham will help lift the price from his head, while Claire attempts to save an abandoned child.

My synopsis:

The episode opens on a private moment. A very private moment. Claire and Jamie are in bed, and let’s just say that Murtagh’s unrelenting pounding on the door is not at all welcome. Jamie, ever diligent, opts to ignore the door until he finishes the task in front of him, with apparent great success. Whew… is it getting hot in here?

The news from Murtagh is important, though. The Duke of Sandringham has arrived. He’s always been fond of Jamie (hinting that he was *wink, wink* very fond of some of Jamie’s attributes), and perhaps he’s be willing to help get the price lifted from Jamie’s head. Claire warns Jamie not to trust the Duke blindly — she knows from her time with Frank that the Duke was suspected of being a secret Jacobite supporter, and also of being a protector of Black Jack Randall’s. Jamie promises to be cautious, but he’s also puppy-dog excited at the idea that he could be free and could finally take Claire home with him to Lallybroch, where they could have a good life and be happy.

Ned Gowan considers the best way to proceed. Even with the Duke’s backing, it would be next to impossible to prove that BJR is the one guilty of the murder Jamie’s wanted for. But perhaps there’s a different approach. If Jamie and Claire swear to a complaint again BJR, itemizing his cruelty and abuse, and have it presented by the Duke, BJR would be disgraced and would likely be recalled from the Highlands, perhaps even court-martialed or sent somewhere far, far away. And if BJR is disgraced, a general pardon for Jamie would be possible. This seems like the best chance they have for finally clearing Jamie’s name.

In the kitchen at Leoch, Mrs. Fitz is ecstatic over a new apron given to her by her granddaughter Laoghaire. Claire arrives and asks to speak with Laoghaire alone, then accuses her of leaving the ill-wish under her bed. Laoghaire denies it. Claire tries to be nice to the girl at first, telling her that she was misguided in thinking that Jamie had feelings for her, but Laoghaire insists otherwise:

“The truth is, he was never yours to begin with.”

“That’s a lie. Jamie Fraser was, and is, mine. And you did us both a wrong past bearing when you stole him away.”

Their confontation ends with a big slap right across Laoghaire’s face, and Claire apologizes with a very not-sorry “sorry”. Laoghaire is well and truly pissed now, and tells Claire that yes, she was the one who placed the ill-wish, and furthermore, she got it from Geillis Duncan, supposedly Claire’s friend. Claire warns Laoghaire:

“Stay away from me and my husband.”

Claire goes to visit Geillis to find out the truth, arriving to find Geillis out, but Arthur Duncan rummaging about looking for a treatment for his usual gastric yuckiness. The serving girl tells Claire that she’ll find Geillis in the woods at night while the moon is full. And so Claire does, spying on Geillis as she lights fires and chants a prayer to the Earth Mother, dancing and rolling on the ground in a sort of religious ecstasy, clad only in the overshawl and brooch she’d worn at the gathering. Claire watches in shock, especially as Geillis’s near-nakedness reveals a distinct baby bump.

Geillis acknowledges that she knows Claire is there, and tells Claire that she has a lover — Dougal MacKenzie. It’s his baby that she’s carrying, and she’s prayed to Mother Nature to ask for freedom for herself and Dougal so they can be together. Geillis admits selling the ill-wish to Laoghaire, but claims that she didn’t know who it was for.

The two women continue to walk through the woods, and Claire asks more about Dougal. It turns out that Dougal is married, but he keeps his wife back home at his estate while he lives at Castle Leoch. As they walk, Claire hears a baby’s cries. Geillis warns her to ignore it: They’re near a fairy hill, and that must be a changeling, not a human child. Claire insists on looking for the baby, and Geillis takes off. Claire finally finds the baby, but it’s dead already from exposure, having been left out all night. Jamie finds Claire cradling the dead baby and makes her put it back in its hiding place, explaining the superstitious nature of the local people, and making it clear that it could be dangerous to ignore these superstitions, even knowing that they’re ridiculous.

Claire and Jamie sign the document outlining BJR’s crimes. Later, unbeknownst to Jamie, Claire pays a visit to the Duke of Sandringham, during which she insinuates that that the Duke’s reputation could be harmed if his support and connection to BJR were revealed. He calls Claire’s statements “libelous falsities”, but after the two exchange some veiled and not-so-veiled threats, it seems that the Duke will help Jamie after all.

Claire returns to the castle to find everyone in a tizzy. Dougal has just received word that his wife has died of a sudden illness, and he’s going nuts, raging with grief and guilt, highly drunk, and flinging his sword about whenever anyone gets near. Colum wants Claire to do something to calm him down, so she slips a sedative into some wine which Dougal guzzles, sending him into a heap on the floor.

Geillis acts as though all this is great news. “Can you believe it?” she asks Claire. It’s like her prayers have been answered, and now she and Dougal can be together. Claire reminds Geillis that she has a husband, but Geillis basically shrugs that off. No big deal.

Now it’s Jamie’s turn to visit the Duke. He’s always delighted to see Jamie (he apparently has an eye for pretty young boys), and would be happy to help Jamie out… in exchange for a wee favor. It seems that the Duke has a debt he owes to the MacDonalds, who’ve demanded satisfaction in a duel. It’s just for show, the Duke hastens to reassure Jamie. They’ll fire pistols off to the side, everyone’s honor will be satisfied, and that’ll be that. In exchange for helping Jamie in his case against BJR, Jamie must act as second to the Duke in the duel.

That evening, there’s a banquet at the castle in the Duke’s honor. Everyone is dressed up and fancy, and it’s quite an evening… until Arthur Duncan begins to choke and then collapses on the floor, foaming at the mouth. He’s dead, and Claire catches a whiff of bitter almonds, the tell-tale scent of cyanide. While everyone else is focused on the dead man, Claire spots Geillis and Dougal exchanging a meaningful glance.

Back to the Duke’s duel. It’s a simple and straightforward formality, but afterwards, the MacDonald lads get rude and insulting. When Jamie responds to their taunts with a diss against their mother, the swords come out. The Duke scampers off (a duel is one thing, but a common brawl quite another), and it’s three against one. Jamie holds his own until the fight is over, but he comes out of it with a nasty wound on his side.

Claire must stitch Jamie up once again, and she’s pissed. Jamie is summoned to Colum’s chamber, where Colum reams out Dougal for his stupidity in carrying on with Geillis Duncan. Colum exiles Dougal back to his own estate until the scandal blows over, and orders Jamie to go with Dougal, along with Rupert and Angus. And just to make sure that Jamie is doing Colum’s bidding and keeping Dougal out of trouble, Colum insists that Claire remain behind at Castle Leoch.

After a loving and tender good-bye, Jamie rides off, but not before warning Claire to stay away from Geillis Duncan. There’s a good chance that Colum will go after Geillis, and Jamie doesn’t want Claire anywhere near when or if this happens.

So, naturally, Claire goes rushing off to Geillis’s house after receiving a note summoning her — only the note is a forgery, not from Geillis. Claire begs Geillis to pack up her belongings and leave. She’s in danger — but Geillis dreamily replies that “Dougal will never allow anything to happen to me. To us.”

A banging on the door — it’s the warden. Geillis is arrested for witchcraft, and so is Claire. As they’re shoved into a barred wagon to be taken away, Claire catches sight of Laoghaire peering around the corner with a very satisfied little smirk on her face.

Steam factor:

The opening scene is intimate and explicit, showing a lot without showing anything that can’t be shown on TV. It’s an intense, passionate moment, and shows the deepening connection and trust between Jamie and Claire.

Fashion statements:

Claire looks amazing with her fur cowls and cloaks, but Geillis really takes the cake in this episode. From her filmy shawl in her woodland ritual to the point-hooded cloak in the woods to her black-and-white dress at the end, Geillis continues to have one of the most unique looks on the show.

Key points:

Major facts that the episode gets on the table:

• Laoghaire is out to hurt Claire, even to the point of endangering Claire’s life.
• The Duke is slippery, and it’s impossible to know where his loyalties lie or whether his pledges of help can be believed.
• Dougal gives into his passions despite the consequences, and Colum can’t stand it.
• Jamie dreams of taking Claire home to Lallybroch, where he’ll once more be Laird and Claire his lady.

Memorable lines:

The Duke, to Claire:

“Has anyone ever told you you have the most gorgeous neck? It holds your head so prettily. I’d hate to see them parted.

Dougal, watching Jamie and Claire having a looooong kiss good-bye:

“I said kiss her. Dinna swallow her.”

Jamie, as Claire silently glares while she stitches his wound:

“Ye’re not normally a closed-mouth woman, Claire. I expected noisier displeasure. But, quiet anger can be very effective.”

Character impressions:

The differences between Colum and Dougal are very clear in this episode. Dougal thinks with his heart and his… um… other head, but Colum always takes the rational, logical approach. Emotions be damned — it’s the well-being of the clan that always comes first.

Geillis seems foolishly indifferent to consequences here. She’s usually so aware of actions and reactions and how to take advantage of any situation, but she seems to let her reliance on Dougal and her hopes for their future blind her to the real risk, not just of murdering her own husband but of making Colum angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.

Claire seems much more settled into her marriage to Jamie. They’re happy together, and she wants him.

Takeaway:

While the situation with the Duke of Sandringham may bring either safety or greater danger to Jamie, the ultimate threat in this episode is against Claire. Jamie is now conveniently out of the way, while Claire’s been arrested and accused of witchcraft. Claire lacks a protector, and unless Jamie returns in a hurry, she may not last.

Outlander, Season 1, Episode 9: “The Reckoning”

The official synopsis, courtesy of Starz:

Jamie and the Highlanders rescue Claire from Black Jack Randall. Back at the castle, politics threaten to tear Clan MacKenzie apart and Jamie’s scorned lover, Laoghaire, attempts to win him back.

My synopsis:

“Strange, the things you remember.”

We open the episode with a voice-over reciting the same line that we heard at the start of the very first episode — but this time, it’s Jamie’s voice we hear. For the first and only time this season, all events are seen through Jamie’s eyes as he ponders the choices made throughout his life that have led up to this moment.

From a peaceful and contemplative view of Jamie by a beautiful stream:

… we jump right back into the action, seeing the other side of the events that ended episode 108 for the mid-season finale. Jamie had left Claire behind when he went to meet the deserter Horrocks, after which Claire made a run for the stones of Craigh na Dun and ended up in the hands of the evil Black Jack Randall. But where was Jamie while all this was happening?

Jamie and the MacKenzies have met up with Horrocks, who is not a trustworthy guy. He demands gold before he’ll tell Jamie the name of the person he saw kill the man that Jamie is accusing of murdering. There’s no choice — Jamie has to know, so he tells Dougal to pay Horrocks. Horrocks takes the money, then provides the name: Captain Jonathan Randall. Jamie is distraught, as this does him no good whatsoever. Even assuming it’s true, there’s no way he can use an accusation against BJR as a means to clear his own name. Just then, Willy rides up with the news that Claire has been captured by redcoats, and Jamie goes charging off to the rescue.

At nightfall, Jamie, Murtagh, Rupert, and Angus steal into Ft. William. Jamie engages in some thrilling heroics, rappelling down the side of the fort to get to BJR’s lair. He hears Claire scream, and bursts in the window. BJR is delighted — tormenting Claire will be so much more fun with his favorite victim as a witness. Jamie has a gun in his hand, but BJR is holding a large knife to Claire’s throat and threatens to kill her.

Claire screams for Jamie to go. BJR is creepy and perverse, asking Claire if she wants her husband to join them… or would he prefer to watch? Jamie finally manages to disarm BJR and knock him unconscious, then he and Claire make a hazardous escape, jumping from the fort’s walls into the surf below.

Of course, Jamie should have just killed BJR, but it’s against his nature to kill a helpless man. Sometimes Jamie’s conscience is too much of a good thing, in my humble opinion.

The brave rescue party rides off with Claire, but Jamie calls for a halt so they can water their horses… and really, so he and Claire can have a rip-roaring, no-holds-barred fight. Jamie yells at Claire for putting herself and all of them in danger, and blames her for being the cause of it all. If she’d obeyed his orders and stayed put, none of this would have happened.

Claire’s not having it:

“I don’t have to do what you tell me to!”

But Jamie’s not wrong, given the time and place:

“Aye, you do. You’re my wife.”

They say horrible things to one another, and it gets heated and ugly. Claire calls Jamie a “fucking bastard”. Jamie calls Claire a “foul-mouthed bitch”. But the anger and shouting are simply a cover, and Jamie finally collapses in tears. The fear he felt at almost losing her was almost more than he could bear. They both realize that they’ve gone too far.

“You’re tearing my guts out, Claire.”

“I’m sorry. Jamie, forgive me.”

Although they’ve reconciled, there’s still tension amongst the travelers. The men ignore Claire, and it’s clear that she’s crossed a line with her behavior. As Jamie knows, if a man had put the group in danger the way Claire had, there would be harsh punishment. As Murtagh points out to Jamie, “She doesna understand what she nearly cost us.”

Jamie goes to join Claire in their room upstairs at the tavern, where she’s waiting for him in bed — but he tells her there’s still a reckoning due. It’s his duty as her husband to punish her. Claire is freaked out, and swears that she’ll never do such a thing again. But no, it’s not enough to say she gets it — she must really feel it in order to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Claire tries to flee and to fight Jamie off, but to no avail. He finally pins her down and gives her a whacking with his belt, accompanied by her screams. Downstairs in the tavern, the men are amused and seem satisfied that justice has been done.

It may have been justice, but it’s shattered the peace between Claire and Jamie, and she is pissed. Upon the group’s return to Castle Leoch, they’re cheered by Mrs. Fitz in celebration of their marriage, but Colum’s words of congratulations are lukewarm at best. Later, he meets with Jamie, Dougal, and Ned and chastises them for their Jacobite plotting. It looks like there will be a serious rift between Dougal and Colum, which could tear the whole clan apart. Fortunately, Jamie is later able to smooth things over by advising Colum to tolerate Dougal’s political scheming for now, as there’s no immediate chance that Bonnie Prince Charlie will show up in Scotland any time soon. Time enough to worry about it when it actually happens, and meanwhile, the MacKenzies can go about their clan business with unity between brothers.

All is not well between Claire and Jamie. Although they talk and share a room, Claire will not allow Jamie back into her bed. He wanders the grounds and ends up back at the stream we saw in the opening moments of the episode. As he ponders his future with Claire and what path to take, Laoghaire shows up and tells Jamie how she’s always wanted him. She waited for him to come back, after their passionate kiss in the kitchen weeks earlier, and understands that he was gallant to marry Claire in order to save her. Laoghaire basically propositions Jamie on the spot, dropping her cloak to reveal some slutty corset-wear underneath. He can still have her, if he wants. She’s a virgin, and she wants Jamie to be her first.

Jamie seems tempted, especially after she places his hand on her breast. As their lips near, he pulls back. He’s married. He made a vow, and will not break it. He knows this is a moment of choice for himself: Make things right with Claire and make their marriage one of trust and love, or accept it as a duty that he’s fulfilled and now seek pleasure elsewhere?

Jamie goes back to Claire, and goes down on his knees in front of her to declare an oath of loyalty, swearing on his dirk that he will never raise a hand to her again. He begs her:

“Is it not enough, Claire? Do ye not want me anymore? Do you wish to live separately?”

Claire responds, “That’s would I should want” — but it’s clear that that’s actually the last thing that she does want.

They reach for each other, after Jamie finally explains that the wedding ring he gave her is made from the key to Lallybroch, his home. Claire is his home now, he tells her, and the two fall into a passionate embrace that ends with a hot and heavy lovemaking session on the floor — interrupted momentarily by Claire holding Jamie’s dirk to his throat and threatening him:

“If you ever raise a hand to me again, James Fraser, I will cut your heart out and have it for breakfast. Do you understand?”

He understands.

Afterward, curled up in loving satisfaction in front of the fireplace, it’s clear that the emotional bridge between the two has been rebuilt and their passion and desire is as strong as ever. Their happy moment lasts until Claire spies something odd under the bed, a bundle of sticks and leaves tied together with a bone. It’s an ill-wish, Jamie informs her — a magical charm meant to cause them harm. Who could have placed something like that in their room? Who wishes them ill? wonders Claire.

Laoghaire, of course.

Steam factor:

Oh my, the scene on the floor by the fire is ultra steamy and sexy. What’s more, like other love scenes in Outlander, it feels real, not prettified as so many such scenes are in movies. The sex is gritty and realistic, and Claire continues to make her physical needs and enjoyment plain. Jamie and Claire seem as well matched physically as they are emotionally. Claire holding the knife to Jamie’s throat in the middle of the action is a bit funny, but it fits with their characters and their full-out style of fighting from earlier. Whatever they do together, whether it fighting or making love, they thrown themselves into it 100%.

Fashion statements:

In the post-credits scene, we see Jamie putting on his kilt, which is pretty amazing. Alas, I could not find a video clip! But it involves spreading the kilt out on the floor, lying down on top of it, and then rolling it on and fastening it. Like I said, amazing!

Key points:

Major facts that the episode gets on the table:

• BJR now knows that Jamie is with the MacKenzies, and will be looking for him.
• Colum is much more concerned with the well-being of the clan that with the Jacobite cause.
• Colum had envisioned Jamie as his successor, but now that he’s married an Englishwoman, the clan would never accept him as laird.
• Laoghaire may have seemed sweet to begin with, but that girl is trouble.

Memorable lines:

The best lines are all Jamie’s, of course:

“Every day, every man has a choice, between right and wrong, between love and hate, sometimes between life and death… and the sum of those choices becomes your life.”

“She asked forgiveness, and I gave it. But the truth is, I’d forgiven everything she’d done, and everything she could do, long before that day. For me, that was no choice. That was falling in love.”

“I am your master, and you are mine. It seem I cannot possess your soul without losing my own.”

Character impressions:

Having Jamie provide the voice-overs and perspective in this episode gives us a look inside his soul — and of course, he’s just as loyal and brave as we’d suspected. Jamie has clearly fallen madly in love with Claire. We see the aftermath of her attempt to return to Frank and her capture by BJR, as Claire deals with her anger and disappointment. Both characters have choices to make here, and both have compelling reasons to pull away from their marriage, but neither one can. Even though Claire is far from being ready to say it explicitly, it’s plain to see that her feelings for Jamie are much stronger than she’d thought, and that this is quickly becoming a marriage of mutual love.

Takeaway:

This episode had a lot going on in just an hour — from the daring rescue at Ft. William, to BJR’s perversity, to Jamie and Claire’s fight, reconciliation, and reckoning, and then back again to Castle Leoch! The action was pretty intense, but so were the emotions. This episode moves Claire and Jamie several steps further into their marriage. They’re no longer in the afterglow of the wedding night — now they have to deal with the start of life as a married couple. Whatever happens next will happen to them together, and they end the episode firmly united and on the same side.