Previously on Outlander: Jamie shared the Silkie Isle treasure with John Grey, years before Young Ian was kidnapped trying to collect the rest. Claire met Archie Campbell and his seer sister in Edinburgh, before they embarked for the West Indies. The captain of the Porpoise planned to have Jamie arrested in Jamaica.
We finally see what happened to Young Ian, when he was kidnapped by the pirates aboard The Bruja. Even though they obtained the treasure, they decided to keep him for their mysterious employer, the Bakra, who likes young boys. Young Ian is tossed in a prison cell upon arriving in Jamaica, with two other men. They tell him there used to be six in the cell. Apparently, virginal young men who visit the Bakra never come back. When Young Ian is taken to meet the Bakra, she’s bathing in a pool of blood (she claims it’s goat – but let’s get real here), and is none other than Geillis Duncan. Surprise! (Or not, if you knew we’d be seeing that nutter again.) She pours him tea and makes a little menacing conversation over plum cake. She knows one of the sapphires was missing from the treasure box, and he tells her it could have been taken by his uncle Jamie Fraser. Geillis’ tea has a little too much witchy truth serum in it. Then she seduces him with her foot, like a big ol’ creep.
Upon arriving in Jamaica, Jamie and Claire are promptly invited to the new governor’s ball, along with some casks of Cousin Jared’s wine. MacIver, their contact in Jamaica, verifies the Bruja has come and gone, but isn’t sure if they sold any slaves. Claire and Jamie peruse the slave market to check for Young Ian. It’s as horrifying as you might expect. Claire ends up causing a scene, and Jamie’s way of defusing it is to buy Temeraire, the slave she’d been defending. There’s a lot of WTF to unpack with this century. They’re told the new governor purchased some slaves from the Bruja, so Jamie decides they’ll attend the ball to see if they can get intel on Ian. They enlist the help of Temeraire, with the promise they’ll release him.
Geillis has employed Archie Campbell and his sister, Margaret, to decode a prophecy about when the next Scottish king will rise, but she needs the three sapphires, that were part of the treasure she hid away with Dougal Mackenzie.
At the ball, Claire runs into Archie Campbell, who knows her as Mistress Malcolm, obvs. They’ve brought Mr. Willoughby who attracts a lot of gross attention, as if he’s a rare collectible. He observes Margaret Campbell, who actually seems to be a pretty reliable seer, and she notices him too. They have an extremely odd, yet affectionate exchange. Jamie and Claire meet the new governor of Jamaica, who turns out to be John Grey. It’s pretty shocking for everyone involved, though, of course, he’s super thrilled to see Jamie. He provides Jamie with an update on Willie, who will be joining John in the summer. He’s happy to introduce them to landowners, so they can find Young Ian. Claire and John have a rather revealing conversation about their previous meeting during the Rising, where it’s pretty obvious that he’s, you know, in love with her husband. Evil Geillis (now Mistress Abernathy) is at the party as well, and Claire is shocked to see her from afar, since they’re both supposed to be dead, and follows. Geillis tells of her escape from Cranesmuir, thanks to her illegitimate pregnancy. Geillis forces the Campbells to do some fortune-telling, and John Grey to have his sapphire submitted for the personal reading. The prophecy is delivered, but it doesn’t make much sense. But Archie explains it as meaning a new Scottish king will rise when a 200 year-old baby is killed. Hmm…
Captain Leonard arrives to ruin the party. But Fergus has kept watch, so that Jamie and Claire can make a quick getaway. Temeraire has found out Young Ian was taken to Rose Hall – Geillis’ estate. They release Temeraire to join escaped slaves, in the mountains, near Rose Hall. But Captain Leonard has followed them, and arrests Jamie for murder and treason.
Kilt Drops: 0
We’re not counting Geillis and her enslaved teenagers.
Wit and Wordplay
Geillis: “Good. Then you’ll know what to do.”
EWWW, NOOO.
Jamie: “Is that?”
Oh, John.
John Grey: “Indeed it is. The sapphire you gave me at Ardsmuir. I wear it…. To remember our friendship.”
Geillis: “Why are men such fools?”
Sasse-WHAT?
- Claire was hoping for umbrella drinks in Jamaica, too! I feel you, girl.
- I don’t remember if Claire makes quite such a scene at the slave markets in the book, but they definitely conveyed the horror of the market, along with Claire’s distaste at owning a person. I’m a little sad they didn’t imbue Temeraire with the same wary cockiness he had in the book.
- Holy crap, there are so many Europeans in Jamaica in the 18th century. Imperialism must have been super fun?
Next week: Season finale! Claire and Jamie chase after Geillis, who seems to have a standing stones-style time portal on the island.
