Previously on Outlander: Claire and Jamie fake smallpox to get a shipment of wine destroyed. Murtagh becomes a highwayman when that doesn’t work out as planned. Jamie duels with Randall, despite his promise to Claire.
This is a particularly dark episode in a fairly grim season, so if you haven’t already watched the episode, beware.
Claire has had a rather torturous miscarriage/still birth while Jamie is locked in the Bastille for dueling. Even worse, after all of that, she retained part of the placenta, which became infected and had her near death. Thanks to a mysterious midnight visit from Master Raymond, however, she is miraculously healed—physically, anyway.
Yet we’re shown in a 1954 flash forward that Claire has a little daughter with bright red hair. It’s fairly clear that this is Jamie’s daughter, but like the beginning of the season, we’re left to wonder how Claire is going to get from this miscarriage to the point where she is clearly raising Jamie’s child two centuries in the future.
The next big problem is how to get Jamie out of the Bastille, which Mother Hildegarde warns may come with a sexual price—Claire goes to the king to petition for Jamie’s release, but is surprised when the king wants her to judge whether Master Raymond and the Comte are practitioners of the dark arts. Claire attempts to save both their lives, but while choking on the “poison” she gives them, Raymond slips something into the Comte’s drink to make it lethal.
Even after all of that, the king wants to bed Claire, too—a mercifully short three-thrust affair that leaves the viewer wondering if it even counts as sex. It does achieve her goal, however—Jamie is released and they’re allowed to return to Scotland. One can only hope Scotland is kinder to them than France has been.
Finally, Jamie is released from prison, and Fergus reveals the truth about why he was there in the first place—Jamie caught Randall raping little Fergus. Jesus CHRIST, show (and Diana Gabaldon). When he arrives home, Claire tells him about her agonizing miscarriage, and all that had transpired since. Jamie forgives her, but it’s clear that France has broken them and perhaps even their marriage.
Kilt Drops: 0
Non-consensual sex (Claire willingly had sex, but clearly would not have if the king weren’t using his power as leverage, so I consider that “under duress”) doesn’t count.
Wit and Wordplay
Claire: “I closed my eyes and thought of England.”
A tiny bit of humor in a bleak episode.
Claire: “If it comes to sacrificing my virtue, I’ll add it to the list of things I’ve lost in Paris.”
Sasse-WHAT?
- When, oh when, will rape stop being a major plot point? At a certain point, it loses its power, and Fergus’ rape seems especially sensationalist.
- The magic necklace and Master Raymond’s healing seem odd, even in a show which requires you to believe a woman can step between magic stones and travel to the past.
So what did you think? Talk to us in the comments!
Next week: Claire and Jamie arrive in Scotland.
