Outlander Episode 9: The Reckoning

Previously: Jamie has left Claire to go see a man about a murder, and Claire realized she was super close to Craig Na Dun, and in her attempt to get home, she gets snatched by red coats, who then bring her to Black Jack Randall.  Jamie shows up and there’s a 7 month long stand off.

Now:

Jamie does the voice over- pondering how he has lived his life up to this point, what choices mean.  It’s very philosophical.

Horrocks, the English deserter Jamie has gone to meet, knows who killed the man Jamie is accused of murdering.  It was Black Jack Randall, which kinda sucks for any attempt Jamie might have in proving his innocence.  Willie rides up, and tells Jamie and the boys that Claire’s been snatched by the redcoats and they all ride off to the rescue.

I’VE MISSED THE CREDITS.

Jamie puts on his kilt and gets the rest of the way dressed.  Terry probably put that scene in.  At the fort, the boys sneak in, doing their best to not actually kill anyone.  Castration is not actually off the table, though.  Jamie heads up, leaving Murtagh and Thing one and Thing Two in the armory, and then Jamie rapells down to the window where he hears Claire screaming and Randall gloating.  “I’ll thank ye to take your hands off my wife” and I’m still delighted by Randall’s “OMG PLOT TWIST” face.

Randall asks to see Jamie’s back, and Jamie’s like, no… and Randall holds a knife to Claire’s throat to get Jamie to put his pistol down.  Jamie does, reluctantly, and Randall picks it up, villain-alogues a bit more, and then pulls the trigger.  However, Jamie bluffed his way in with an unloaded gun.  Randall is taken by surprise and then Jamie knocks him out.  “Sometimes I wonder why I chose not to take his life.” Jamie voiceovers.  Everyone else wonders that, too.

Jamie and Claire run, but there are soldiers all over the place, but then a bunch of gunpowder blows up, covering everyone’s escape.  Claire and Jamie jump into the loch, and everyone rides off into the sunrise.

They stop to rest, and Claire and Jamie have a truly vicious fight.  He wants an apology for her wandering off; she doesn’t think she has anything to apologize for.

“You didn’t listen to me!” “WELL YOU DIDN’T LISTEN TO ME!” She slaps him, and he snaps that she just wandered off to get back at him for not protecting her from those deserters that tried to rape her.  She says that’s basically ridiculous. Cait and Sam own this fight, and she keeps getting into his space. She calls him a fucking bastard, he calls her a foul mouthed bitch, and they both go “oh… so…that went too far.”

“I went to Fort William armed with an empty pistol and my bare hands.”  Claire does apologize, and he forgives her, and he apologizes too, for calling her a bitch.  She forgives him, too.  The voiceover admits that he’s fallen in love.

The party arrives at an inn for the night, and Claire tries to join into the conversation.  No one will acknowledge she’s even there, and after a few very awkward forays, she gives up goes to bed.  Jamie follows, after a meaningful look from Thing One.  “She does not understand what she nearly cost us.”  “Aye,” Jamie says.  “And she needs to.”

Claire is curled up in bed, and asks Jamie to come to bed, but… “I’m afraid we have a matter to settle between us.”  Any man that caused that much trouble would be punished, as must Claire, and it’s Jamie’s job to administer it.  He means a beating with his belt on her butt.  She’s not down with this.  At all.  The music becomes jig-like, which is a terrible choice (Ronald D. Moore, the showrunner, has said that this was an attempt to make it clear that everything would be fine, you don’t need to worry.  Which okay, we know that, but Claire doesn’t!).  Claire does kick him in the face and tries to claw his eyes out, but still.  It’s not a fair fight.

The neck morning, Claire eats her breakfast standing up.  Not near Jamie.  “Justice done, problem solved.  Or so I thought.”  Oh, Jamie, you naive puppy.

Back at Castle Leoch, both Jamie and Claire are feted, until Colum and Letticia show up expressing their disappointment.  Actually, Colum is PISSED.

He’s not the only one.  Jamie runs into Laoghaire, and she wants to know why.  She was counting days!  Jamie tries to let her down easy- it was an arrangement, it wasn’t planned, etc, etc.  She’s 16, though, and doesn’t understand letting down easy.  “We’ll speak again.”

Colum calls up Jamie, Ned, and Dougal to discuss the situation.  Who’s gonna get the shit for blowing up a fort?  Jamie.  Now how about the rents?  Ned goes over what’s been collected.  Fantastic.  How about the extra money collected for the Jacobite cause?  Oh, you didn’t think I knew about that?  Or that I have it?  CUZ I DO.  Dougal politely pulls Jamie out from under the bus, and that restoring the rightful king is super important!  Colum’s like, I’m the fucking chief now, and I’m concerned about the welfare of the clan!

Dougal says that he is, too!  He’s always been loyal!  He’s protected your lands and collected your rents and even assured your bloodline!  I gasp “DOUGAL MACKENZIE YOU DON’T SAY THAT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE” and both Ned and Jamie wish they could be swallowed up by the floor like, RIGHT NOW.  It’s super awkward.  Ned leaves, but Colum tells Jamie to stay.

Colum points out that he’s given Jamie sanctuary, hidden him from the English, and even politely didn’t kill him when Jamie wouldn’t pledge fealty.  And here he is, having married a Sassanach!  “Knowing full well that now no one will support you as my successor.”  Jamie’s like I didn’t want that, so… Colum:  “Get out.”

In their room, Claire says she knew it, that Dougal was being a bit more fatherly to Hamish than uncle would require.  She gets into bed, Jamie thinks maybe he could….

The boys are beating up the kid who ratted them all out to Colum, saying things about loyalty to the war chief versus loyalty to the Mackenzie and it’s a whole thing.  Dougal finds them mid “discussion” and it’s awkward. Dougal wants to know who’s on his side, and it gets more awkward.  Murtagh and Jamie piss on a wall* and Murtagh’s like how’s about we three peace the fuck out?  Jamie’s a bit more pragmatic- how would they live?  Murtagh suggests leaving Claire but Jamie (and his dick) say no.  Murtagh points out that staying means picking a side and Jamie says well, how about….

Smash cut to a raging Colum, who’s RIPSHIT at the idea that Dougal would be plotting against him.  Jamie suggests that Colum gives Dougal the Jacobite gold, as a gift, after all, it’s not like there’s a chance in hell of a rebellion actually happening.  It’ll pacify Dougal and his boys, and if Dougal wants to whisper “Free Scotland!” while Colum sits back to see where things are going.  “Dougal may be war chief, but he knows only you can cry for war.”  Colum sees the wisdom in this and has Jamie summon Dougal and Ned.

Dougal and Ned stand on the carpet, with Dougal demanding to know what the purpose is.  Colum remind him of his oath, and Dougal claims he’s not broken it.  Colum tosses back the gold, and Dougal is (reasonably- he’s known his brother his entire life) suspicious.  Colum has Ned invote the Duke of Sandringham to a banquet (Dougal suggests telling the men to keep their asses away from His Grace, and Ned’s like “OMG IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AGAIN WOULD YOU SHUT UP”) (he’s more refined than that, but the gist is the same.  Ned and I would be besties).  Ned tries to give Colum some flattery, and Colum’s like nope.  I’m still pissed at you.

Jamie goes to the river to ponder his relationship with his wife, and who should find him but Laoghaire?  “You promised we would speak.”  She doesn’t think he looks happy, and he’s not.  She reminds him that he sucked face with her, and under her cloak, she’s in her underwear.  She tries to kiss him, and offers herself, but he’s like, “No.  you deserve so much better.”  This is DEEPLY humiliating (and it is, oh my god) and she runs off in embarrassing tears.

Back in his and Claire’s room, Jamie gives Claire the rundown on what happened, but she’s still not speaking to him.  He explains that seeing Colum change his position made him think about change and maybe his marriage isn’t going to be like how his parents’ was.  He pulls his dirk and swears fealty to her, and that if his hand ever be raised against her again, “may the iron pierce my heart.”  She stares, but her face has gone through several subtle changes, and she admits she should want to lose him, but she doesn’t.

“The key to Lallybroch.”  “What?”  “Your ring.  I had the blacksmith fashion it from the key to my home.”  He isn’t sure if they’ll ever make it back there, but he doesn’t feel as bad about it- “You are my home, now.”

Commence make-up sex. On the floor, and he’s still got his kilt on.

But before they can finish, she grabs the dirk and holds it to his throat.  “If you ever raise a hand on me again, James Fraiser, I will cut your heart out and have it for breakfast.”  He gets it.  He also means to have her call him Master, and then “I am your master, and you are mine.  It seems I cannot possess your soul without losing mine.”  (Sorry y’all, I wanted a gif of that, but I couldn’t find one without nekkidness.)

Later, they STILL haven’t made it to the bed, but pulled over the coverlet, and he asks what “fucking” means.  Also “sadist”?  She explains, and he’s like well, that’s fair.  She admits that she’s really hungry, that maybe some food before more sex would be a good idea?

While scrounging up their assorted clothing, Claire finds a bundle of plants and things under the bed.  Jamie says it’s an “ill wish” and put there in order to cause pain, and he knows that Laoghaire is the one who put it there.

COMING UP:  JENNY AND IAN (not next week BUT SOON!)

Reviews

RHG:  WELCOME BACK SHOW I MISSED YOU.

I said back in the fall that I was really looking forward to the discussion the beating would generate, and I still stand by that.  (I think that says a LOT about the commentariat at SBTB.)

First, I think the artistic choice of the music underlying the beating scene was a poor one- it’s too “Oh, isn’t this wacky Scottishness!” and undermines the seriousness about what was happening.

But there’s something about the differences in contexts that Jamie and Claire were operating in, and how they both try to force the other one into their point of view.  When that doesn’t work (SPECTACULARLY on both sides), then they find a middle ground. That middle ground ends up with threats of frying hearts for breakfast. I feel like appreciating that heightened version of negotiating marital relations doesn’t discount the fact that Jamie felt like he had to beat her to get his point across.  He does come out the other side going, “Yeah, okay, this is the way adult relationships have been modeled for me, but I think maybe this is not the only way or the best way”?  That’s gotta count for something.

Book readers: I am super sad that the late-night ride discussion about Jamie’s father and his experiences with being whipped, and the one time he got whipped in Castle Leoch got cut.  I hope to GOD that it gets relocated somewhere else, because that’s one of my very favorite scenes in Outlander.  Gabaldon is at her best when she lets people just talk to each other. I love that conversation.

Other things I want to mention: Cait and Sam’s argument right after they get out of the Fort? Masterful.  They KILLED that scene, and there’s chemistry, but there’s also trust, and the amount of trust they have in each other in both that fight and the beating? That’s a pair you can learn a lot about acting from just watching them.

*When I was being shown around the medieval city of Visby, in Sweden, my friend Åsa said that I could touch the 11th century wall if I wanted.  I said no, I really could not, as it is older than my country by several times, and she said “They don’t care if you touch it!  …they kinda frown if you pee on it, though.”

I did not pee on it.

CARRIE:

I feel that the show cheated with the beating scene by showing it from Jamie’s point of view.  The thing is, the two characters are having two completely different experiences.  Jamie is in a scene that is unpleasant but necessary, and even sort of funny (I have to admit that I cracked up when Claire kicked him in the face, and it says a lot about how he sees the scene that he’s so good-natured about it).

In a way, he’s not even wrong.  He cannot lead people in combat if anyone, even his wife, thinks they can disobey an order without consequence.  Plus, he has issues of time and place, and youth and inexperience in relationships, giving him horrible messages about his duty as a husband.  He and Claire are expected to fit certain roles to which he is accustomed.  That’s the scene that we see.

But of course Claire is in a totally different scene, one of absolute horror and betrayal, and because of the way the scene is shot and the music used, we barely get a glimpse of that scene.  She was rescued from humiliation, rape, and mutilation only to find that the one person she thought she could trust hits her.  Claire is incredibly isolated.  Jamie is her only reliable ally, and now just as she thinks she safe for a minute, he hits her.  It’s not cute for her.  Jamie learns as pretty easy lesson about respecting his wife but Claire learns something else entirely – she is never, ever safe.  Jamie is in a slightly comedic Very Special Episode, but Claire is in a horror movie, and her decision to trust Jamie again is harrowing.

It’s to Cait’s credit that you can see this in Claire’s face in subsequent scenes – she’s a woman without hope until Jamie swears his oath to her, and even that is something she accepts more as  “only port in a storm, also the sex is terrific” than any sense of surety.

I was glad the producers didn’t skip over the scene entirely.  I think it’s important that Claire respect Jamie, and sometimes she falls into a habit of thinking of him as a sexy pet.  I most certainly do not mean to imply that men should beat disrespectful wives, now or in the past.  What I mean is that it’s important for Claire to realize that she cannot control Jamie, or ignore his feelings and opinions, and it’s important for Jamie to learn that he cannot control Claire.  Also, mild spoiler: it’s very different to look at the scene after reading all the books than it is to read or watch it for the first time.  It would be utterly inconceivable for current Jamie to beat Claire, not because of any vows but because he just wouldn’t.  He’d scoff at the thought of it.  He’s older and he doesn’t need to earn the respect of people, plus he has no interest in the respect of people who require that kind of proof.  Meanwhile, Claire has many more resources than she once did, and she’s perfectly capable of breaking his arm or dumping his ass.  Their relationship starts off with Claire trying to get Jamie to do what she wants and Jamie trying to make Claire fit into a traditional role, but it doesn’t stay that way.

In general, I thought this was a weirdly paced episode.  I was frankly rather bored by the clan politics.  There was this horrible attempted rape, and then a great shouting argument, and then everything just slowed to a crawl while Jamie worked out clan issues, and then there was sex.  I found it interesting that of the two leads, Claire is more likely to be seen doing something active than Jamie.  She’s always making medicine or stitching people or waulking wool or picking herbs – domestic things, but often in motion, where Jamie is a more static character when he isn’t getting flogged or stabbed.  I didn’t hate the episode – the screaming argument was electric.  But it wasn’t the best.

Elyse:

This episode should have been titled Trigger Warning: first the attempted rape scene, then Jamie whipping Claire.

I think there was a lot going on in this episode. Jamie realizes he loves Claire, but he lacks the awareness to realize that 1. beating his wife is wrong and even if it wasn’t 2. whipping her IMMEDIATELY after she’s been traumatized and nearly raped is a bad fucking plan.

The scene where Claire thrashes around and kicks Jamie, I think, was supposed to have an element of humor to it, but I found it a little hard to watch. Cait really sold Claire’s absolute horror at what was happening.

I didn’t find Jamie’s realization that he needs to treat Claire differently all that satisfying since it stopped short of actually acknowledging “this is wrong.” It was “we are a different kind of couple” versus a moral realization.

I know I’m looking at this scene through the gaze of a modern reader (and with my own personal lens–domestic abuse is a hot button issue for me), not taking into account the historical reality of it, but I have an issue with my heroes beating women. I guess I’d have an issue with them beating men now that I think about it. I also thought Claire holding a knife to Jamie’s throat while telling him to never lay hands on her again didn’t exactly underscore her point.

Basically I think they tried, but overall the scene didn’t work for me at all.

I’m interested to see how the Laoghaire storyline plays out. The ill wish scene was especially ominous and also foreshadows what’s coming.

Are you watching again?  Are you happy the show has finally returned?