Other Media Review

Outlander Episode 11: The Devil’s Mark

Recap: everything happens so much.

Over the episode title is a flock of birds, swirling, swooping, diving:

I don't know if I have the words to do this justice, but I'll try. This is a starling murmuration- thousands of starlings swooping, diving, coming together and swooping apart in a ballet of wings.

Claire and Geillis are dumped into the thieves hole- a cave where the only entrance is covered by a gate.  It’s locked, and the women asses the situation- there are rats, but no other prisoners.  Geillis tells Claire she only has herself to blame, and Claire takes that badly- she tried to warnGeillis.  “Maybe you sent the wardens to me!” No, it was Laoghaire, but everyone in town fucking KNEW that Geillis was dancing in the moonlight and generally acting pretty damn witchy.  Also, Claire says, I know you killed your husband with poison.  So there’s that, Geillis.  There’s that.

They retreat to separate corners, and Geillis admits that she started with white arsenic- she expected Arthur to die before the baby started showing.  “It’s a boy, ye ken.”  A man throws down a loaf of bread for their dinner, and Claire tries to get him to listen to her “I’m married to Jamie Fraiser, from Castle Leoch!”  “Yeah, and I’m King Arthur.”  He leaves.  “I’m sure King Arthur was more appealing than that slimey pillock,” Geillis snarks.

“We won’t be here long” Geillis says.  Dougal will come.  Claire tells her that Dougal’s been banished, and Jamie with him.  “No one is coming, Geillis.”

Geillis says that they’ll be kept in the hole until the trial- they’ll be summoning examiners.  Geillis invites Claire to snuggle up for warmoth, but Claire says nothing and lays down on the other side.  In the moring, the villages are chanting “We’re going to burn the witches!” and Claire opines that being burned to death would be warming than freezing.  They’re hauled out and brought across the square, where men are building a pyre.  “Is that what I think it si?”  “Well, it’s not a maypole, Claire.”

Gif of Claire being led through the square, looking to the right of frame at the pyre they're building for witch burning purposes. She's asking, is that what I think it is?

Gif of Geillis responding to Claire's admittedly silly question with  It's not a maypole, Claire.

In the church (I think?) the charges are read: “Stating in evidence that the accused Geillis Duncan and Claire Fraiser, both standing before the church’s court for the crime of witchcraft, did inflict pain, suffering, and death upon the citizens of Cranesmuir by the practice of the unholy arts.”  Claire VOs that there was no familiar faces, and what she knew of witch trials meant she had little chance of making it out of this.

But a hero walks in!  A hero by name of Ned Gowan, who is there to represent Claire and Geillis.  He first tries to point out that the witchcraft law was repealed not that long ago.  The church examiners are unconvinced.  “Well, I see we’ve dispensed with British law, which pleases me greatly, buuuuuut we have our proud Scottish legal tradition.”  So the Scottish law provides for the accused having an attorney.  So there.

The first witness is called: Geillis’ maid Jeanie.  She’s seen all sorts of shit- women coming to the door to get charms, and Claire with Geillis gathering herbs and prepaing herbs.  Geillis singing outside the hall, making animals run from the house.  Ned Gowan’s like “We’re taking testimony from a cat?”  Also Jeannie was looking for a job as Castle Leoch and said that she was underpaid and no one liked her and Mr. Duncan was flatulent and Geillis was a flibbertigibbet.

The next witness is the mother of the changeling baby- her baby was born healthy but turned puny.  They put it in the tree on the hill, and just before dawn they saw Claire come and take the baby out, and said things over it, and then they found changling baby dead.  She leaps at Claire, and Claire cries that she was trying to help the baby.  “So you admit it!”  “I AM A HEALER” she yells, but everything is so chaotic.  Ned tells her to hush and let him do his job.

“You have my deepest sympathies” he starts, and gently begins to suggest that she should have stopped Claire from interfering with the fairies.  And that her own baby is healthy, living forever with the fairies.  “Perhaps we should thank this woman, instead of condemming her.”

The next witness is a man who accuses Geillis of controlling a storm, and flying into the sky like a great winged bird.  Geillis is frankly amused by this shit, but Claire is just…livid.  They adjorn for the day, and Ned opines that they have a chance.  Claire asks him if Colum sent him, but no, he did not.  He slips a flask in Claire’s pocket, not answering her question if Colum had anything to do with her arrest.

Drinking in the thieves hole, Claire is vaguely optimistic, but Geillis is a realist.  “Tomorrow we’ll be ashes in the wind.”  Claire asks if it’s Dougal she’s after, or just his position and money.  “Oh, I have plenty of money.”  Geillis has diverted over 1000 pounds for Scotland.  “You’re a bloody Jacobite!”  Geillis says, passionatly, that while Colum fights for the Mackenzies, Dougal fights for everyone in Scotland.  “My god, you actually love the bastard.”  But Dougal left just because Colum said to go, and that sucks.  Claire says she’s sorry.

“Don’t you dare.  Come the Rising, I shall know that I helped.”  Claire smiles sadly.  “I only regret that I have one life but to give for my country.”  Geillis looks at her for a long time before saying, simply, “Nicely put.”  “Isn’t it just.”

“How about you?  Do you love him?  It’s his name that you cry out in your sleep.”  Claire looks down, but doesn’t say no.

Dawn, and the birds are singing.  Claire tries to shake open the gate, and points out that if Geillis really were a witch, it would be a good time to use her power.  “Same to you my friend.”  Claire sees a starling- reminisces about going to Brighton as a girl, and seeing giant flocks of starlings lifting, swooping, flying together to protect from the falcons.  The guards come and haul them out, but not before they grabs hands and place them on Geillis’ belly.  Solidarity when you can find it.

Back in the court, Laoghaire comes to give her testimony.  The story she tells is that Laoghaire came to Claire for a love potion, but Claire used the potion on herself to steal Jamie.  Ned says that L is a jealous lass with a broken heart, and L’s like yeah, and she hit me!  Claire yells and yells, but no one is interested in listening.

Father Bain makes a HELL of an entrace; backlit and intoning.  He knew that Claire was the whore of Babylon, and prayed for god to wreck his vengeance.  And he was answered! “You have made a prodigious mistake.”  When the kid was ill back in episode 3, Bain gave last rites, and he tried to drive Claire away, but Claire figured out what was really wrong and saved the kid’s life.  Bain kneels, and confesses that he failed the town and the kid and god, and is no longer worthy to serve.  He begs to be released from his post at Crainsemuir.

The town bellows that Claire’s power is so great that she could drive a man of god away from the light.  The court forbids Bain to leave, and Bain smiles at them.  Ned begs for a recess.  Bain smirks very subtly some more (Dougal could take lessons).

Ned ushers the women into a side room, and says the only chance is to save one of them- Claire could say that Geillis enticed her, but Geillis has only had her husband between her into a pile of kindling and now he’s dead.  Ned gives them a miute to discuss it, but if Claire doesn’t, they’ll both be burned.

Geillis starts pacing, and turns to Claire.  “Why are you here?”  “I was arrested, with you!” “No, WHY are you HERE.  In SCOTLAND.”  Claire tries to give the stock answer.  “No, you’re lying, everyone knows it.  WHY ARE YOU HERE.”  “It was an accident.  I’m not here for any reason.”  Geillis:  “So you don’t want to change things, or do anything at all.”  “I just want to go home!”

Ned calls them back, and Geillis stomps out, “It looks like I’m going to a fucking barbecue.”  The phrase doesn’t register with Claire at all.

Gif of Geillis stalking past Claire, snapping 'Looks like I'm going to a fucking barbecue.' SHE'S PISSED.

Ned gives Claire the chance to address the court, and Claire looks at everyone, the judges, and finally Geillis.  “Mr. Gowan is mistaken.  I have nothing to say.”

The judges proclaim that “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”  Condemns them to death.  Well, fuck.

Geillis grabs Claire’s hand.  “The question you had before.  I think it is possible.  Nineteen sixty eight.”  Ned fires a pistol into the air, and he is pulled down, and Claire Loses.  Her.  Shit.  “This has nothing to do with witch craft.  You’re all murderers!  YOU’RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL!”  The judge orders that she be stripped and scalped, and her bodice is ripped down her back and a man starts flogging her.  Loaghaire smirks, “I shall dance on your ashes.”

But the cavalry arrive in the form of one James Fraiser!  He demands for Claire to be let go, and he draws sword and dirk, “I swore an oath before god to protect this woman!”  First man forward is the first man down.  No one is quite willing to be the first guy.

Geillis sees her opening.  “This woman is no witch.  But I am.  I confess that I killed my husband…”  She bares her arm, and claims she has the devils mark- but it’s a smallpox vaccination scar.  Claire stares and Geillis mouths “RUN” and Jamie does.  Geillis strips off her dress, showing off her belly and chaos erupts.  “I WILL HAVE THE CHILD OF SATAN!” A judges yells “SHE’S WITH CHILD.”  The crowd carries her to the pyre, and Claire and Jamie escape while everyone is distracted by Geillis’ boobs.

Later, in the forest, Jamie tends to Claire’s back, telling her that the cuts aren’t deep, and she won’t be scarred.  He gently begins by asking that anything she tells him be the truth.  And then asks if she’s a witch.  She’s like “seriously.”  He points out that he’s seen the scar on her arm, and Geillis has it and called it the devil’s mark, so…?

Claire tearfully says that he might think so, once she tells him, but she’s not a witch.  I can walk through a room of smallpox victims and never get it, I knows about Jack Randall because I was told.  I know about him because my husband told me.  I knows about the Bonnie Prince and the doomed cause and I know what will happen to the Scots, and I know all of this because I’m from the future.  I was born on October the 20th, 1918.  Jamie looks off to the side, and is carefully frozen, rethinking every conversation they’ve ever had.  “Do you hear me?”

Claire is saying to Jamie Do you hear me?

 

“I hear you.”  “You think I’m raving mad, don’t you?”  “No, I believe you.  I don’t understand it, but I believe you.”

Poor Claire is just so relieved to have someone she can tell everything to.  He puts his hand on her leg, and she takes it.  She tells him everything- everything that comes to mind.  Everything that’s relevant.  He realizes that she was trying to get back to the stones when she left the glade, and then he beat her for it.  He feels like absolutely shit, and so does she- she cries, and he holds her.  “Do you really believe me?”  “Aye.  I believe you Sassanach.  Though it would have been a good deal easier if you’d only been a witch.”

Gif of Jamie, smiling adorably saying But it would have been a good deal easier if you'd only been a witch. Adorable bastard.

They ride on, camping, living off the land, while Jamie tells her of Lallybroch, while Claire tries to sort through all of her feelings.  At night, she’s asleep, and we can’t have an episode go by without some sex.  Jamie wakes her up by stroking the most intimate petals of her womanhood (did I do that right?) and it’s all about her pleasure.  “I want to watch you.”

In the morning, Claire is washing in a stream, and Jamie asks if she’s ready to go home.  She smiles and says yes, thinking he means Lallybroch.  He sends her up the hill, and we see her face before we see what she’s looking at- the stones.  He’s brought her to the stones.

Cait lets the shock and yearning and reluctance and everything so much roll over her face.  Jamie leads her to the stones and draws his sword.  “What did you do?”  “I didn’t do anything.  I heard this buzzing sound and I just… touched the stone.” She reaches for the stone and Jamie grabs her away.  He holds her and apologizes.  He isn’t quite ready, but he needs to be.

“There’s no use in waiting.  We must part now.”  Her life is on the other side of that stone: “There’s nothing for you on this side.  Nothing.  Just violence and danger.”  He turns, and then turns again.  “I’ll stay at the campsite until nightfall.  To make sure that you’re safe.”  He walks down the hill, and she sits infront of the stone.  Staring at her two rings, thinking.  For the first time, she has a choice.  She looks back at the smoke from Jamie’s fire, and forward, at the stone.  She stands up, and walks forward…. And we cut to black.

(I really expected this to be the end of the episode.)

Jamie is asleep by the fire, and Claire’s voice comes from the darkness.  “On your feet soldier.” He has the look of a man who can’t figure out if he’s dreaming.  “Take me home to Lallybroch.”

Elyse:

I’ve never loved Jamie more–for his sexy, heroic words at the trial, for believing Claire when she tells him she’s a time traveller and for admitting he was an ass for beating her. The scene in the woods when they escape the trial was perfect.

Overall this episode reminded me why I couldn’t live in the past. Uppity women get burned at the stake. I’d have end up as burnt ends just for my liberal use of the word “fuck.”

I felt bad for Gellis–yeah she killed Arthur and yeah she’s a bad person, but no one deserves to die that way. Also poor baby.  She also came through for Claire at the end. I remember the big reveal in the book and going “Whoa.”

More kudos again to the creators for sex scenes devoted solely to the female orgasm. It made Jamie taking Claire to the stones even more poignant and heartbreaking. THIS IS WHY HE’S ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HEROES. *sobs*

Basically this ep was all about two things 1. Don’t be a woman in a place/time where they can burn you alive for witchcraft and 2. James Fraser is a helluva man. He even put on pants so Claire could wear his plaid. Sniffle.

RHG:

You gotta love a man who will put on pants for you.

CarrieS:

I don’t know what it was about this episode but it got me right in the feels and now what with all the rapes and floggings and strippings and threats of death I’m like, “OK, show, you are awesome, but how about from now on I will just coo over the screencaps on the Internet.”

In technical terms, great episode – so well constructed and paced, with the quiet character moments between Claire and Gellies, the hope spots in the trial (you can all keep Jamie – I’mma marry Ned), the priest knocking the Magnificent Bastard trope out of the park, the sincere grief of the mother – it was this mad roller-coaster of tone and emotion, plus all the reveals, and Jamie being THE BEST with believing Claire and trying to take her home.

I hope my darling husband will understand when I say that if he were Jamie, and I were Claire, at that point in the season I would have hightailed it back to present day so fast my poor husband’s head would spin in crazy circles (more likely, I’d drag him back to the future with me and teach him about hot and cold running water).  The amount of physical and mental suffering Claire has endured is horrendous and we’re only halfway through season one, for crying out loud.

I think this episode upset me so much because it was so strongly built on emotion and the pacing led up to the losing of shit in a really effective way.  It doesn’t help that I thought Ned was killed (I stand corrected and deeply relieved, because I was totally shocked and utterly devastated, but I’m told that he’s fine so I can still marry him).  I know Gellies is kind of evil what with killing her husband and all that but JESUS SHE IS A FUCKING BADASS and her naked pregnant self being carted off while she screamed about Satan was upsetting and then Claire CRIED, she totally broke down, and she was so fucking shattered on the ride to Lallybroch, and I’m like, “OK, you guys have to have the floggings without me, I can’t even.”  So basically, kudos to the cast for making their characters so compelling that I can’t watch them cry without wanting to barf.  At least Claire gets to have at least one orgasm and good night’s sleep between the next round of violence and emotional turmoil.


RHG
:

Ned Gowan is a national treasure and I hope Scotland appreciates him for the beautiful perfect starfish he is.  Having to discredit a grieving mother without belittling her is hard and I did not envy him that, plus there’s dealing with Claire and Geillis and they are not easy clients!  Also there was like, NO prep time so he did that OFF THE (lightly laced) cuff and look he’s amazing.

Ned Gowan sits, fidgeting with his hand, and a why are fucking clients and church courts and goddammed witches such a pain in my ass. why. I could have been doing wills in Edinburgh and had a very fine lunch by now expression on his face.

The scene that was going to make or break this series was Claire telling Jamie the truth.  They did not disappoint.  Sam just (ugh, “just”) needed to react, and taking the time to really listen and really process what she’s saying and making the decision to believe her is what makes them work as a couple.  He knew she was special, he didn’t know how special.  She knew he was special, but he is probably one of the few people in this century to not Flip.  His.  Shit.

It’s nice to have a time traveller who isn’t concerned about stepping on a butterfly and changing history.  She tells Jamie everything.  EVERYTHING.  Not just the stuff that won’t affect him, but the stuff that WILL.  So many time travellers are like “I MUST NOT AFFECT THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM OR ELSE DINOSAURS WILL RULE THE EARTH.” Or something.  And all Claire thought she wanted was to go home.  What she really wanted was the chance to make a choice.  Should I stay or should I go?  Jamie gives her the space to make that choice- the first major choice she’s had the freedom to make since she left 1945. Frank would never give her that space.  Jamie did.

What about you? Did this episode hit you in the feels? What did you think?

Add Your Comment →

  1. DonnaMarie says:

    Carrie you’ll have a fight on your hands because Ned is mine, all mine!! I called dibs back when he got Claire’s wedding dress. Oh, those twinkling eyes and little boy grin.

    I am so distressed that Gellis is toast (toasted?… sorry). She added a nice level of crazy. I do have a question. Was the judge yelling about the baby because he’s horrified, or because he’s trying to stop the crowd? Many women accused of witchcraft languished in jails till their babies were born.

  2. BethSmash says:

    I really liked this episode, but Claire’s revelation wasn’t quite as hysterical as I’ve always imagined it would be. But I still enjoyed it.

  3. laj says:

    I haven’t seen any of Starz Outlander…waiting for the ending of the entire series to watch it all. But I wanted to say that Bill Paterson is just perfect casting for Ned Gowen…..just perfect.

  4. Em says:

    I always knew that I was gonna love this episode. (Geillie is basically my fave.) And it didn’t disappoint.

  5. […] “And all Claire thought she wanted was to go home. What she really wanted was the chance to make a choice. Should I stay or should I go? Jamie gives her the space to make that choice- the first major choice she’s had the freedom to make since she left 1945. Frank would never give her that space. Jamie did.”– Smart Bitches Trashy Books […]

  6. KristieJ says:

    For the first time this episode had me in tears, all three times I watched it. It was because it was so clear that Jamie is the best hero ever.
    He rescued Claire from being burned as a witch.
    He listened and believed her outlandish tale
    He felt so bad at how he treated her when she was trying to get home.
    The sex scene was all about her – and not for the first time
    He took her back to the stones so she could leave him even though he’s clearly madly in love with her.
    He is just so damn good looking and that accent. Sigh

  7. Hanna says:

    Yes, a great great episode. I never read the books, so one thing bothers me: Claire figured out, that Geillis was also from the future, from 1968, because she said that number. The sentence about the “fucking barbecue” was meant to illustrate to the audience that Geillis indeed wasn’t from that era and place (because “barbecue” and “fucking”, a word, that Jamie didn’t know either and had to ask about). But if Geillis was from the future, she must have realized from the beginning that Claire was, too. So why didn’t she say something, ever? And why was Geillis a Jacobite, when she – as being from the future – must have known about history? (Well, I give it to her that not everyone in 1968 knows about Scottish history, though.) And when Claire told Jamie that she knew that the clans would go down, he just accepted it? Not being horrified by the thought that all they would do, there was already an outcome that none of them wanted? I can’t imagine how they will live on with that knowledge. Again – I never read the books and won’t. Love the cast, all of them. Even Collum is so very very sexy. Can’t wait for further episodes and am at the same time dreading the season finale already! (The wait! Sigh.)

  8. Redheadedgirl says:

    As far and Geillis goes, remember what she said to Claire when she was asking why Claire was even there: “You didn’t come to change anything?” Yes, Geillis knows what happens. Geillis wanted to change that, and she hoped that (among other things) the money she stole would help. She was a Jacobite because she wants the Jacobites to win.

    As for what Jamie will do with the knowledge Claire gave him…. that’ll be addressed.

  9. shoshana says:

    i also want to add, in response to Hanna, that Geillis didn’t necessarily know from the beginning, though i think you can see she gives her some odd looks in previous episodes that may suggest suspicion. but Claire gave herself away when she quoted Nathan Hale in the thieves’ hole: “I only regret that I have one life to give for my country.” then Geillis knew for sure.

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