Outlander 3.11 Uncharted

outlander season 3 with claire and jamie on either sides of a stonePreviously: Claire jumps off the Porpoise to somehow find Jamie and warn him about maybe getting hanged (again).

The title card is a sea turtle, swimming happily in the water. Like sea turtles do.

Claire is unconscious and draped over her floating barrel, drifting towards shore. The swell of a waves knocks her off the barrel, and she wakes up and starts swimming to the beach, where luckily, the bundle of the rest of her clothes has also washed up. She strips down to just her chemise, lays everything out to dry, and takes stock. She can tell that this isn’t Grand Turk – it’s too big – so she doesn’t know where she is, what’s there, or how she’ll find Jamie.

Once things are dry, she heads inland to try to find water. The rule of three applies (humans can, in general, live three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food). She gets some water collected in leaves, but mostly, there isn’t much. She uses her skirt has a sunshade during the heat of the day, but mostly just has a lot of time to think.

It’s a big island. More trekking, and she finds some rocks (luckily they are the right kind of of rocks for fire starting), and voiceovers that her plan is to go inland, maybe find a road and a port and passage to Jamaica. That night, she uses the rocks and the stuffing from her bumroll to make a fire, and falls asleep.

And wakes up with ants crawling and biting all over her legs. NO THANK YOU. She uses her cravat as a mediocre bandage to keep from scratching. Further along, there’s trees, but still no water. She finds coconuts, but they’re old and rotted, and she has no way to knock down the still ripe ones.

(Okay, what I would have done is stay on the shore and walked the circumference of the island. Streams run down to the ocean, eventually. And if there is a port, that’s where you’ll find it. On the ocean.)

She settled down to sleep again, and wakes up with a FUCKING BIG SNAKE crawling across her. THIS IS WHY I DO NOT DO JUNGLE. NOPE NOPE NOPE NO THANK YOU GOOD BYE. (yes, I know it’s a non-venomous constrictor type, BUT ALSO NO.)

Don't click this one if you hate snakes

Behind the scenes shot of Caitriona holding Scar, the snake, and saying who's my favorite co-star?

The ant bites look really bad, and she walks past an alligator skeleton, before she hears a man’s voice, praying. She collapses, and a dog runs over to lick her face. What a good dog.

Claire wakes up in a bed. There’s a glass of water on a table, but she can’t reach it, because she’s been tied to the bed. A woman comes in, speaking Spanish, and says they had to tie her up so she wouldn’t scratch herself raw, and helps Claire drink. She also says she’ll take Claire’s clothes and wash them. She is a bit perplexed at the zipper on Claire’s stays.

Sometime later, Claire wakes up again, and a priest and the good doggie is there, and happy to see her awake. He introduces himself as Father Fogden, and Ludo the Good Doggie, and unties Claire. He’s also brought water a bit of food, and she explains that she’s a doctor, and he’s like yeah, like Saint Brigid! (“I’m no saint.”) He tells her that she’s on Saint-Domingue, and there’s a village not far where there are fishing boats that could get her to Jamaica in two days. Claire’s like, great, I gotta bounce, but she can barely sit up, much less stand, much less walk. Fogden: Yeah, you’re not going anywhere for a few days.

Also, according to Fogden’s coconut buddy (named Coco) there’s also Maroons – escaped slaves – that don’t like random white people wandering into their area. Fogden and Coco have a brief conversation were Coco is told not to stare, and yes, she IS a pretty lady, but not as pretty as Ermenegilda, but still pretty. Fogden calls for Mamacita, to find something clean for Claire to wear. Mamacita tells him that Ermenegilda dresses will not fit Claire, and also Claire smells.

Which means that there’s a bath! Soap and water and being able to soak. But the tub is under very white goat skulls, which is a bit creepy. Mamacita makes fried plantains and beans for supper, and Claire asks about Fogden’s story. He was sent to Cuba 15 years before, where he was contentedly serving the needs of the poor, and then he met Ermenegilda. They both fell instantly in love, and they escaped from her cruel husband. Luckily, they made their move on the same day that the British invaded Cuba, so there was so much chaos they couldn’t be followed, and made their way to St-Domingue. But Ermenegilda died not long after they got there, and neither Fogdan nor Mamacita will leave. Forgan smokes some yupa.

Claire asks how to get to the village, and Fogden says that he’ll take her, next week. They spar over if she’s really well enough to go the next day, with Fogden and Coco saying no, she couldn’t possibly, and Mamacita saying that she MUST go (and accuses Fogden of wanting Claire to become a replacement Ermenegilda, which he does NOT). Claire leaves the dinner table, because fuck hanging around for family fighting when it ain’t even your family.

Claire finds a room with some beautiful dresses (and also pockets a tiny hand mirror). The dress belonged to Ermenegilda, and Fogden still deeply grieves her death, and Mamacita is afraid that Fogden would forget her only daughter, which… is not going to happen. “When you love someone as much as I loved Ermenegilda, it never leaves you.” Claire knows, and Fogden sees that she knows. Claire asks if they could leave in the morning, and Fogden says he’ll consult with Coco – Coco will know. (I do not recall Wilson being this helpful.)

In the morning, Claire’s clothes have been washed and mended, which she takes as a sign that Mamacita wants her gone. Claire eyes Coco (who has been watching her sleep, the creeper!) and Fogden finds her having a conversation with Coco. She’s feeling much better, and she tells Fogden that Coco says that it’s a good day to go to the village, so… they should go!

Before he can answer, Mamacita starts screaming, and runs up with a skinned goat head, saying a Chinese sailor killed and skinned Arabella. Fogden sighs, “My poor Arabella” and sets the head down on a stump, and then pours a jar of carrion beetles over the head. He explains that they come from a sacred cave called Abandawe. Claire is reminded of Margaret Campbell in Edinburgh, telling her that “Abandawe will devour you!” Fogden tells her it’s on Jamaica, and it’s a place of great power: “folk are said to disappear there.”

He then grumbles at Arabella being killed as a “feast for a Chinaman.” Claire: Wait, what? Yeah, there’s a bunch of sailors and broken sails on the beach. Claire: WHERE ARE THEY? Fogden: Who cares THEY ATE ARABELLA. Mamacita: THAT WAY! Claire runs.

On the beach, Jamie and Fergus and the rest of the crew are repairing the foremast. There were shoals and gales and the captain died. But it’s okay, Jamie, Fergus, Marsali, Yi Tien Cho, and the New Things survived. The New Things tease each other, and people are getting a bit restless. Jamie sets Marsali on repairing the sails, while Claire runs and runs to the beach.

We alternate between repairing and running and running and repairing, and then running and packing up. Claire runs into a sharp stick and cuts her arm, and by the time she’s made it to the beach, everyone is on board and are raising the sails. Claire yells, but they’re WAY too far away. But! She has that mirror she swiped, and uses it to signal the ship. Jamie sees it, and uses a spyglass, and sees her. The music turns all shmoopy, and they run across the beach to each other. Yay!

Reunion time!

Claire and Jamie running to eachother's arms, music swelling, blah blah blah

The New Things muse that Claire has a habit of dropping in out nowhere, while Yi Tien Cho stitches up Claire’s arm. Jamie: I can’t believe you jumped off a ship. Claire: Had to. Baby Captain is ambitious, he won’t stop looking for you. Jamie: don’t worry, I was wanted when we met! Claire: yeah, it sucked then, too. Claire compliments Yi Tien Cho’s suture skills.

Things One and Two are on to something

New Things One and Two, musing that Mac Dubh's wife has a habit of dropping in out of nowhere.

Jamie muses that it would be a good idea to have a bit fun for everyone. So how about we have a wedding? Claire: I did find a priest!

But first Yi Tien Cho must make amends for the murder of Arabella. He offers a chicken and an apology. Fogden accepts, and offers Yi Tien Cho some yupa to smoke.

That night, Claire helps Marsali get ready for the wedding. Marsali insists she has no nerves, and Marsali allows that she does have one question… can Claire help her not get pregnant? At least not right away? “At least now, with Fergus, I want to enjoy it.” She is also a little…dubious about enjoying sex. She saw that her mother did not enjoy it, but it sure seemed like Claire enjoys being with Jamie, so… can Claire help? Claire will, and Marsali smiles. “Maybe you’re not the devil after all.”

Marsali is changing her opinion

Marsali, looking up at Claire, and saying You being a wisewoman, I thought you'd be worth asking.

Outside, the crew are all convened for the wedding, and Fogden starts by asking of one the other dudes if he’s prepared to take this woman. Literally everyone is like uh, no, it’s him. Fogden: but he hasn’t got a hand! Are you sure? I suppose that’s okay, it’s not like he hasn’t got a cock. (Marsali’s “what the fuck is happening right now” face is hilarious.) You do have a cock, right? Marsali: get on with it so I can find out!

Marsali knows whats up

Marsali, queen of no bullshit, saying If ye'd hurry up and get one with it, I could find out.

But there’s another problem. Fergus doesn’t have a surname, and Fogden says he can’t marry him properly without one. And after a moment Jamie says it’s Fraser. Fergus Claudel Fraser.

Fergus grins over at his parents, and Claire puts her head on Jamie’s shoulder. Fergus and Marsali are married, everyone applauds. Fogden blesses all the unions.

You get a surname

Fogden, Marsali, and Fergus all looking perplexed over Fergus' lack of surname, until Jamie says Fraser.

On the Artemis, Claire is eating turtle soup, and Jamie brings her package of penicillin. She’s got a fever and even though she’s feverish, one handed, and (spoiler) drunk off her ass, she’s able to assemble the hypodermic, and talk Jamie thought loading it. He can’t quite bring himself to stab her in the ass with the needle, but he just can’t. Claire, of course, can stab herself in the ass.

Drunk doctor Claire gets things done

Claire, removing the top from the bottle of penicilan with her mouth and spitting it out.

Drunk Claire is also a horny Claire. She tells him to bolt the door. The soup involves a whole bottle of sherry, hence the drunkness. “You once told me that you can’t be drunk if you’re standing up.” He doesn’t need THAT much convincing to get one with it, and they’re mid-coitus, when Yi Tien Cho knocks to see if Claire enjoyed the soup, and maybe wants more? She says she does…but she and Jamie are a bit busy at the moment.

More reunion-ing

A drunk Claire and sober Jamie making out.

Elyse: Full disclosure, I took a muscle relaxer before watching this and I’m kinda stoned.

I like the parallel of Claire struggling to light the burner earlier in the season and her struggle to get a fire going.

Also it’s a good thing she brought penicillin because those ant bites are going to get infected.

I was not prepared for the whole skinless goat-head thing. Good lord. This is like a horror movie. GET OUT CLAIRE. GET OUT!

The bit where Jamie gives Fergus his name was wonderful and sniffle inducing

Overall that was a cute, kind of bizarre episode, but I was glad that it was mostly happy and that Claire and Jamie are back together.

RHG: I CONTINUE TO LOVE MARSALI, FIRST OF HER NAME, OUR LADY OF THE NO BULLSHIT, THE SALT QUEEN. I love how she is slowly warming up to Claire, in her way, and is strong and handy and pulls her weight and adores Fergus. In the books, I’m mostly indifferent on them. In the show? With César Domboy and Lauren Lyle? I AM ON THEIR SIDE RIDE OR DIE. (I need a ship name for them. Team Salt Frog?)

I like Fogden! I thought this was a fun episode, and appreciate Claire’s “Yes, I know you were wanted to hang when we met, and I’m over it.” IT’S OLD, JAMES.  IT’S BEEN DONE.

Next week! FANCY PARTY CLOTHES WHAAAAAAAT.

Comments are Closed

  1. Donna Marie says:

    So glad I’m not the only one wondering what she was thinking going inland. You walk around the island to find water and towns. It gets hot inland and the bugs!

    Fergus & Marsali are stealing my heart. They really nailed the casting there.

  2. Darlynne says:

    Marsali has managed to thaw my cold heart. I loved the way her eyes looked anywhere except at Claire while asking for help. A nice display of internal conflict and, possibly, recognizing she’d been unfair in the past.

  3. Sam victors says:

    My only complaint is that they didn’t make the turtle soup sex last longer.

    At least the episode ended on a happy note.

  4. MClaudia says:

    “My” (in my head) Marsali was totally different but I’m loving the actress and her mix of sass, eagerness, and youthful naïveté.

    My only complaint is that we had 20 mins of special-forces Claire with so much else that could have been shown!! Although I’m glad they cut the ‘Captain Alessandro’ parts. That made zero sense to me in the books.

    The last 20 mins were great. I never quite got why the ‘turtle soup’ stuff was so iconic to so many people (it isn’t one of mine) but it was well done in the show.

  5. JennyOH says:

    I’m really enjoying these recaps, I somehow missed reading Voyager the first time I read the series (I was reading my mom’s copies and she didn’t have that one, or didn’t have it handy, and I couldn’t wait to find a copy and just carried on with the next book) and although I’ve since read it I don’t recall it as well as the others. I do remember thinking there was going to be some sort of creepy reveal with the priest and Mamacita – that they’d mummified Ermenegilda and her mummy presided over dinner or something.

    I agree 100% that Marsali (and her relationship with Fergus) are much more enjoyable in the show than in the book. I quite disliked her and (maybe it’s because of the casting that makes Fergus not seem as old) was kinda put off by the twenty year age difference (if I recall correctly, in the book she is 16 and Fergus is about 35?).

  6. Michele says:

    JennyOH, I think it was more like 15 or 16 and 30 (re: the age difference). Still uncomfortable by 21st-century terms.

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