Previously on Outlander: Jamie encourages Jenny to turn him in. Fergus finds out that mouthy 18th century teens aren’t invincible. Claire and Frank try to make it work. Claire starts medical school.
Hi all! A huge thanks to Kandis for taking over the first two weeks of recaps while I was off on a history-nerd-adventure. (I still managed to keep up with the show—thank heavens for the internet, and not just because the only channels I could watch in English were the news.)
We’ve got some significant time jumps in this episode, on Claire’s end. There’s very little Medical School Claire, except to illustrate how busy she is. By the time the episode’s over, it’s 1968: Claire’s already a surgeon, Frank dies in a car accident, and Brianna is an adult. (Oh, tiny adorable baby Brianna, we hardly knew ye!)
Meanwhile, Jamie is serving time at Ardsmuir, acting as a representative on the prisoners’ behalf. He negotiates for better conditions as well as medical care for Murtagh, who—yup!—didn’t die at Culloden. The prison will soon close down (to become barracks), and the prisoners will be sent to the colonies.
This is also the introduction of adult John Grey, who is Jamie’s latest jailer. You’ll remember him as the kid who valiantly tried to “save” Claire’s “honor” from Jamie in Episode 2.9—Jamie reveals to him that Claire was actually his wife, but John’s act of valor touched him.
John also literally touches him—who could blame him, really, with those smoldering looks Jamie kept throwing his way—but Jamie tells him to remove his hand or he’ll kill John. In the end, Jamie’s kept alive (against his own wishes) and sent to Helwater prison, where he’s cautioned not to reveal just how notorious he is. Murtagh is presumably sent off to the colonies, and John Grey is probably having some Claire-style candlelit fantasies about Jamie. (Aren’t we all.)
Let’s pour one out for Tobias Menzies, whose characters are now both dead. For a character who would never be able to hold a candle to Jamie, I found him incredibly compelling. (TV!Frank, anyway.) He was a mirror for Claire, highlighting all her mistakes and selfishness, and one she found too painful to look at for myriad reasons. Sure, we’re all here for the brawny Scot, but TV!Frank deserved better than what Claire could give him, and it’s a shame that his story ended just when he was about to free himself of his loveless marriage.
GIF from anoutlandishidea
Kilt Drops: 0
But you can’t tell me there isn’t Jamie/John Grey fanfic. I haven’t looked, but I know the internet.
Wit and Wordplay
Frank: “Are you jealous? Green ain’t your color, Claire.”
Frank: “Maybe I wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine, Doctor Randall.”
Sasse-WHAT?
- Claire, I just can’t with your Frank complaints. The man is seeking a little happiness after years of being married to a woman who’s in love with another man. For heaven’s sake, you’re still wearing Jamie’s ring. SHUT. UP.
- Similarly, your daughter is an adult, so for heaven’s sake, stop trying to control her potential whereabouts, too. On the other hand, that’s the Claire we all know (and love/tolerate, depending on the day).
- So the incoherent man is saying Claire will come back, right? (I mean, we already know that’ll happen, but is there more significance to this scene? Book readers, feel free to answer if you know, but please tag any book spoilers.)
Next week: Jamie is free, but that’s not the end of his troubles. On Claire’s side, we’re picking up where the season 2 finale left off.
