Outlander: The Rescue

Last time on “Outlander:” After their wedding, Claire and Jamie can’t get enough of each other. Jamie learns there might be someone who can clear his name and he goes out to meet the man. He orders Claire to stay behind but she runs off when she spots Craig na Dun in the distance. In the 20th century, Frank is standing by the stones as Claire runs toward them. Before they can be reunited, British soldiers haul her back to Fort William and Black Jack. As he’s about to assault her, Jamie appears in a window with a pistol, ready to rescue his wife.

Time for season one to continue!


This time around, we’re getting Jamie’s viewpoint. It’s a change from hearing Claire’s thoughts and voiceover. He talks about becoming a man. Namely, the man we all know and love now.

(Time for some contemplation)

We then find Jamie and some of the McKenzie men meeting with the deserter who could clear Jamie’s name. Unfortunately, he says the person who really killed the man Jamie was accused of was Black Jack Randall. Jamie says he can’t use that name but the man’s like “It’s the truth. That’s your problem.”

As the man rides off, young Willie comes up with his horse and Claire’s. He tells Jamie that he went off to answer nature’s call and when he came back, Claire was being carted off by British soldiers. He apologizes for letting Claire get away but all Jamie is focused on now is getting her back.

(Worried husband mode activated)

CREDITS! I forgot how beautiful they are…

We see Jamie putting on his kilt, which involves laying it on the floor and lying down on top of it to wrap the cloth around him. If I remember correctly, this is actually the way Sam Heughan puts his kilt on in his dressing room. Once Jamie is dressed, it’s time to go rescue Claire!

He leads a few men in a raid against Fort William. With Murtagh’s help, Jamie easily makes it inside. He avoids detection as he climbs up, realizing he’ll have to scale down to the room where he can hear Claire’s screams for help. Cocking his pistol, Jamie bursts open the window and tells Black Jack to get his hands off Jamie’s wife. Black Jack looks absolutely delighted.

Jamie jumps into the room but Black Jack uses Claire as a shield, telling the Scot that he’ll have to shoot both of them. So Jamie drops the gun, letting Black Jack pick it up. When Jack goes to shoot him though, it’s revealed that the gun is empty. This gives Jamie time to knock Black Jack out and run off with Claire. They meet up with the other McKenzies and get to safety.

In a glen, Jamie and Claire have it out. He yells at her for leaving the safety of the woods with Willie. She has at him for victim-blaming, lying that all she did was go for a walk. She didn’t purposefully get captured by the British, which is true. Jamie yells that she’s supposed to listen to her husband and Claire yells that that’s bull. He then tells her that he took a risk to save her—he stormed a British fortress with an unloaded pistol. Everything hits both of them and Claire collapses into Jamie’s arms, near tears. He holds her as his voiceover tells us he’s already forgiven her.

(Reunited)

They return to the inn and Claire gets a cold shoulder from the McKenzie men. She keeps trying to thank them but they keep going about their conversation as if she wasn’t there. Claire gets the hint and storms upstairs. Murtagh tells Jamie that she doesn’t understand the seriousness of the situation and he agrees. He knows he has to impart it to her.

(Shunned)

Warning: What comes next is a scene that is controversial amongst book readers. It’s a scene most of us have been nervous to see performed live. It can be triggery, so I won’t be posting caps.

Upstairs, the two get ready for bed. Jamie tells her that what she did was serious and if she were a man, she’d be punished or even killed for it. Claire’s like “But I’m not a man.” Jamie tells her that she needs to be punished anyway. So she needs to lie on the bed and raise her shift. He pulls off his belt as he says this.
Claire realizes what he means and she goes from repentant to angry. She yells that he is not going to beat her but he explains she has to be punished. All before this, Jamie has shown a hesitancy to actually whip Claire and the show does omit a story Jamie tells Claire about being whipped by his father as a boy, which really drove home how he was product of his time.

She puts up a fight and we cut to the McKenzies listening below as they play their game. It’s a lighthearted moment in the middle of a serious scene, no doubt there to break up the tension. However, when I found myself laughing, I was immediately horrified. It was not a time to laugh.

In the end, Jamie spanks Claire and she yells at him the entire time. The next morning, the men are nicer to her though they get in a few jabs at her expense. Especially when she refuses a seat, telling them she’d rather stand. She realizes too late how she walked into that one.

The group returns to the Castle Leoch. When Jamie and Claire enter the great hall, Mrs. Fitz leads the residents in cheering the newlyweds. Good news travels fast. Jamie and Claire are caught a bit off guard, but Mrs. Fitz doesn’t care. She’s just so happy for them, rivaling Murtagh as their number one shipper. Letitia and Colum enter the hall and Letitia congratulates the two, saying it’s been far too long since Castle Leoch had a wedding. Colum is stony-faced right up until they leave.

(These people are looking forward to a party no doubt)

After the impromptu celebration, Laoghaire confronts Jamie outside the hall. She asks why he married Claire, why he didn’t wait for her when she was waiting for him. She says she knows how he feels about her but Jamie tries to let her down gently. Laoghaire is not going to go quietly.

Jamie is summoned to meet with Colum. Ned and Dougal are already there. It seems no one told Willie that the McKenzie may not know about his brother’s fundraising and he handed the money collected over to Colum as well. Colum is furious and asks his nephew if he’s a Jacobite. Jamie says he owes Bonnie Prince Charlie nothing and Dougal swears Jamie was a reluctant display of British cruelty. Colum lays into the men and throws them out.

(They look like misbehaving students called to the principal's office)

In their room, Jamie tells Claire about it as they get ready for bed. Claire climbs in and Jamie looks ready to follow when she stops him. Looks like Jamie is sleeping on the 18th century equivalent of the couch. Which is probably the floor.

The next day, Jamie finds the others giving Willie a hard time. He tries to step in but the men are still debating. They wonder where Jamie’s loyalties lie and Murtagh’s blood pressure is no doubt sky high. He’s probably formulating a plan to get him, Jamie and Claire out of Castle Leoch before there is bloodshed.

(Secret meeting in the woods)

Jamie goes to speak to Colum, convincing him to make peace with Dougal. So Colum does that, letting Dougal and Ned keep the money they’ve collected. But he makes it clear he’s not happy with them or the position they’ve put him—now making him a Jacobite supporter. Dougal and Ned understand. They suggest sending for the Duke of Sandringham.

Outside, Jamie does some thinking when Laoghaire shows up. She tells Jamie that she was waiting for him and that she still has feelings for him. She says that Claire was married before but Laoghaire is a virgin. She drops her cloak to reveal she’s in her corset and a skirt. Pressing one of Jamie’s hands to her breast, she says that he can have her. Jamie considers it for a moment before turning Laoghaire down.

(Danger, Jamie!)

Some fans have been upset about this scene. I can understand why—I don’t recall any hint after the marriage that Jamie had any interest in Laoghaire. He seemed devoted to Claire. Personally, I thought this scene would’ve made more sense if we still had Claire’s perspective as Claire in the book does believe Jamie still has feelings for Laoghaire. That he runs off to be the with girl once they return to Castle Leoch (when in the book he goes off to get a ring made for Claire). But this scene does set up Laoghaire’s later actions.

Inspired by Colum, Jamie goes to mend the rift in his marriage. He tells Claire he’s used to marriage being one way—the man gives orders and the woman obeys or is punished. But he says they have a different marriage and he needs to change, like Colum. He kneels before Claire, holding his knife. He swears that if he ever raises a hand to her again, he will gladly use his knife on himself. Claire accepts it.

(He means business)

They then have sexytimes. During it, Claire grabs Jamie’s knife and holds it to his throat. She says that if he ever strikes her again, she’ll gut him herself. He understands. She then tosses the knife aside and sexytimes continue.

After, the two talk. Jamie reveals that Claire’s ring is made from his key to Lallybroch. He was going to tell her when they got back to the house but that’s looking unlikely. Jamie tells Claire that she’s his home now.
Stretching out, Claire finds something under the bed. It looks like a bundle of sticks tied together that might be a voodoo doll. Might. She asks Jamie what it is. He tells her it is an ill omen. Claire wonders who would put it in their room and Jamie responds that he has a good idea.

(Well that's not good)

And thus Outlander returns! I’ll admit I was a bit nervous to watch this episode because I knew it would contain the spanking scene. And I’m still not sure I like how they chose to handle it.

But otherwise, it’s still as good as ever! Hold on tight, guys. We’re in for a ride.

Next week: The Duke of Sandringham!

Screen caps from here.