Outlander 2.03: “Useful Occupations and Deceptions”

Previously: Did you notice how we weren’t in Scotland anymore? Cuz we’re not.

Title card over a chessboard and a fallen king.

Claire is asleep in the early dawn, and is woken by a horse’s whinny. Out the window, she sees Jamie arriving home after a long night, yelling that he’ll be leaving in a few minutes. As he comes up to their room, he’s handed a few letters from Jared, and he tells her that Charles is getting more insistent about meeting with M. Duverney (“Supito! That’s Italian for right away.”) Claire’s like a) I know what that means, and 2) We should just be happy that you’ve managed to delay this meeting for as long as you have – you think Duverney will go for it?

Jamie doesn’t know, but he doesn’t have time – he’s got to meet with government inspectors at the warehouses, then he has to go to Versailles and play chess, then he has to go back to Mason Elise (hopefully with Duverney) and that’s his day. And night. (While he’s describing this, he’s changing into a new coat and waistcoat, with the help of his non-English speaking valet.) He muses that stopping a revolution is worth losing a bit of sleep over, and Claire’s like um, dude, you need actual sleep sometime. Also you smell like a brothel (note, he did not change his actual shirt which is what absorbs the sweat so…ew, James. Ew).

Jamie sends Claire back to sleep – there’s time before she meets with Louise and the ladies for tea. “You never know when you’ll get some vital bit of information.” Claire scoffs at the idea of any of the ladies dropping such a bit of info, and Jamie doesn’t notice her tone at all. What he does notice is that his tiny wooden snake (carved by his older brother) is missing from his pouch. Claire is sure that the snake is around somewhere, and Jamie asks her to give the house a going over. “Give me regards to your ladies at tea!” Jamie leaves, and Claire mutters, darkly, “They’re not ‘my ladies’.”

At tea, Claire is playing cards with Louise and Little Mary, and finally Mary bursts out that she CANNOT marry a Frenchman. Claire asks if there’s something wrong with Frenchman, and Louise side-eyes Mary. Mary asks if Claire doesn’t know about Frenchman, and Claire’s like uh, and Louise demands to know if Claire, being English, know what the fuck Mary is on about. Mary: Of course you don’t know, your husband is very gentle. “I know he doesn’t trouble you in that way.” Louise starts to giggle, and Mary’s like “WHAT THE FRENCH DO IN BED” (Louise hides behind her deck of cards and Mary explains that Frenchmen put “their thing right in between a lady’s LEGS.” (Louise: NO. Mary: Yes! Me: DYING) See, an Englishman or even a Scot wouldn’t do that. Louise can’t hold it in anymore and busts a gut. Claire: “I think you and I must have a little talk.” Mary: MEN DON’T DO THAT WHERE I COME FROM. Louise: “And where is that? The moon?” Mary is from Sussex, which triggers Claire’s memory – Frank’s grandmother was from Sussex, and Frank showed her a genealogy chart once – Miss Mary Hawkins marries Jonathan Wolverton Randall in 1746.

Claire voiceovers that she must have known on some level – if BlackJack was dead, then he couldn’t have sired the line that leads to Frank. She gets into a carriage, worrying that in order to keep Frank alive, BlackJack needs to live for another year. At home, the butler gives her the rundown on the events of the day – invitations, thank you cards, the search for the snake continues, and oh, here’s a bit of lace that was found in the kitchen. The lace was something Claire gave to her maid, Suzette, to mend, and Claire’s anger funnels into this new path of least resistance: she stalks to the upstairs and finds Suzette and Murtagh in bed, doing bed things. Claire stalks off.

Later, Claire is mending the lace herself and Murtagh finds her, with his pants on, and just a shirt, and says he won’t apologize, and Claire’s like I don’t care what you do, but she has stuff to do, and don’t you have things to do? Murtagh growls that he doesn’t have anything else to do “and when did you become a priggish scold when it comes to frolicking between the sheets?” Claire snaps at him that he can mind his business and also remember who runs the house. Murtagh simply turns and walks away, and Claire remembers herself and apologizes. “I’m not myself.”

Murtagh has noticed, and she tells him that BlackJack Randall is alive. Murtagh says that he saw him bleeding on the stones himself. Claire tells him that her source is pretty good, and that he was wounded in the line of duty, but recovered. “Jesus wept. He really is the Devil’s Spawn.” He asks if Claire has told Jamie, and she says no, and he says good. Because if Jamie knew, he’d run off to Scotland for revenge, and that would be bad on several levels. Claire doesn’t like living a lie, and Murtagh’s like yeah, but for really good reasons, and I’ll be doing the same.

All of this emotion is far too much for Murtagh, and he’s got some business with Suzette to finish. Claire asks if they’ve thought of birth control, and when Murtagh just furrows his brow, she says never mind, she’ll grab something.

At Versailles, it’s all terribly classy while Jamie and Duverney play chess. Duverney is muttering about Austria and resources, and claims that he’s just here to play chess, not politics, and that he’ll get Jamie in three moves. Jamie: Politics is just chess on a grander scale, and makes what I am sure is a very clever move. Duverney is impressed at the cleverness and makes his OWN clever move, and then they go back and forth a bit before Jamie wins.

Jamie is ready to call in the “you offered help once” favor, and Duverney muses that if Jamie really wanted his help, he’d let Duverney win once in a while. Jamie: I respect you too much for that. Duverney: I give you permission to respect me less. Jamie would like Duverney to tell Prince Charles that King Louis has no intention of funding a rebellion. D: You want to thwart your whole rebellion thing? Jamie: I do when it’s one we can’t win. D: I can’t be seen having this conversation, though! Jamie: Come with me to a place that values discretion! Maison Elise! D: I haven’t been there in months, and no one will tell my wife, right?

Claire, in her gorgeous yellow gown and hooded cloak, goes to see Maitre Raymond, and is greeted by the sight of the Comte de St. Germain preparing to leave. Claire, wisely, attempts to sneak away, but is seen by Raymond and the Comte (who is, to my eyes, gloriously hate-fuckable and I volunteer as tribute). Raymond politely re-introduces them, much to everyone’s discomfort. It’s Frenchishly awkward. The Comte leaves, and Claire asks, pointedly, if Raymond is always so friendly with his enemies. Raymond allows that sometimes circumstances requires one to be cordial.

Inside, Claire tells him that she looking to stop a pregnancy from happening. Not for her. Bon, bon, bon. Raymond sends Delphine (his shop girl) in the back for a few things, while Claire picks up a bottle and notes that it’s full of monkshood. Why on earth, Raymond, do you have an item for sale that’s got no medicinal value? “I have it in my shop.” When people want poison, he sells them bitter cascara, which causes dramatic diarrhea, and the lack of death is attributed to the intervention of a priest or other magician. Sure. Claire admires both the canny businessman and the humanitarian.

Raymond asks who the contraceptive is for, and is amused that it’s for Claire’s maid. It’s usually the other way around, you see – the lady’s maid buying the contraceptive for the lady. “I am an unusual lady. Or at least I used to be.” Claire is BORED. “I feel since I’ve come to Paris, my life has gotten more and more conventional by the day.” Raymond has a suggestion – L’Hopital des Anges is a charity hospital, and is always looking for medical volunteers. The usual volunteers are… dodgy… but Claire needs an occupation and perhaps they could help each other out.

Claire clearly rushed home and changed into a less satiny, fancy gown (but still amazeballs with an adorable tricorn), and Murtagh is with her as she steps out of the carriage at L’Hopital. He’s less than impressed, and she’s suddenly looking far more alive at the sight of people in need of help. “Jamie won’t like this.” “He’ll be happy if I’m happy.” Claire goes in.

Inside, there are patients in every nook and cranny – the inside looks like an old church. Claire is being led around by a nun, who asks if it’s what she imagined. It is. Claire nods at some men, and asks if they are the volunteer doctors. They are – they donate their time because they are interested in the medical arts. One is a butcher (He works with muscles and bones) and that other one makes trusses, but here he’s a urinoscopist.

There’s is also a dog, Bouton. He belongs to Mother Hildegarde (Played by Frances de la Tour, perhaps best known in the US for her work in the Harry Potter movies). Mother Hildegarde gives Claire the once over. “How can we help you, Madame? Is one of your servants here today?” (Bouton has politely set himself down at Hildegarde’s feet.) Claire says that she’s there to help, and Hildegarde tells the other nun to find Claire something to do. She sweeps off, Bouton at her heels.

Claire, having deposited her hat and stock somewhere, pushes a basin that she empties chamberpots into, with Mother Hildegarde watching. She notes a young woman weakly in bed, with a full flask flask of urine next to her bed. Claire sniffs it, and Mother Hildegarde walks up and asks if Claire can tell what the woman is suffering from. “Possibly.” The woman says that she is always thirsty, and always hungry, but cannot gain weight, no matter what she eats. Claire takes a minute to recall the period correct term for diabetes, and says it’s sugar sickness, and she won’t last the month. Hildegarde nods, and muses that she’s never seen a woman who understands the science of urinoscopy. Perhaps Claire (now that she has clearly passed a test) could help another nun dress the wounds of a boy with scrofula?

At Madame Elise’s Jamie, Charles and D are hanging out, as a small boy slips through the crowd, liberating items from various pockets as he goes. D is waxing poetic on the politics of international finance. Charles explains that he understands that wars are expensive, and that he wouldn’t approach the King with empty pockets- see, he’s got the majority of the funds needed for his cause. D covers his surprise and looks are exchanged between him and Jamie. “Perhaps I have been mistaken as to your position. Please forgive my error.” Oh, no prob. Charles confides that he’s been in negotiations with rich British aristocrats who prefer King James, and they have pledged money.

Charles manages to notice that Jamie is suprirsed, but thinks it’s relief and shock, not crap and shock. D asks what Charles wants from Louis. Charles offers an alliance with France and Britain, and D does note that this would have a massive effect on foreign policy. Indeed it would, but Charles needs to close the gap between what he has and what he needs. “…and I will give you the world.” D will speak to the King, but needs evidence of the money. Charles promises that he will get it. They toast.

Jamie leaves Madame Elise’s deep in thought, and rushes home. He calls for Claire, but there’s no answer, and Suzette tells him that she hasn’t been home since she and Murtagh left that afternoon. Hours later, Jamie is doing figures, crankily, while he waits, not very patiently – time passes and it’s full night before Claire gets home.

She’s had a wonderful day – she’s lanced boils, changed dressings, and MOST EXCITING saw her first case of full-blown scrofula (Murtagh is less than excited over the “delightful tales” he got to hear on the way home). Jamie asks where she’s been (“Certainly not at Lousie’s for tea.”) and is less than pleased to hear that she’s been at L’Hopital des Anges. (Murtagh peaces out because he can see a fight coming. “I told ye he wouldn’t like it.”)

Claire explains that she heard they needed help, and waxes rhapsodic on Mother Hildegarde – she a force of nature and a musical prodigy and the goddaughter of Louis’ great-grandfather and she’s basically the best. “But when she saw me taste the urine, tides began to turn.” Jamie is silent. “I thought you’d be happy for me…what’s wrong?”

Well, she’s pregnant and she could catch a filthy disease. Claire’s thought of that, she’ll only deal with patients with injuries or diseases she can’t catch. “Why take the risk?” Well, see, Jamie, she needs to feel useful, to have a sense of accomplishment. Jamie snipes that their purpose was to stop the rebellion. “It is, that hasn’t changed.” Well then how will lancing boils or tasting urine help that? Claire rightly asks what he’d prefer- going to Elise’s with him, or running the wine business so he doesn’t have to? “What I want is when I come home with a problem is to be able to turn to my wife for help.”

He explains that Charles says he’s got money, and Charles offered an alliance with England. “But that’s impossible, Britain and France won’t become allies for another century.” (okay but you’re trying to change the future, Claire.) Anyway, Jamie is put out that Claire wasn’t home for his emotional needs when he wanted her to be. Claire is sorry for that, and she knows that all of this is on his shoulders, and she will help.

“So believed…instead you were out indulging yourself with poultices and potions.”

HOLD THE FUCK UP THERE ASSFACE.

Claire coldly says that there was no indulging involved – she was helping people and yes, that made her feel good, but she needs an occupation. Jamie, of course, stuck in his wallow of self-pity is all about him. “When do I get to feel good? When do I get to find meaning in my day.” He stalks off, and Murtagh and Suzette notice his leaving, and Murtagh’s like well that was never going to go well. Suzette: “How can there be love in the marriage, when there is no love in the bed?” Murtagh: Eh? Suzette points out that the lady’s maid knows what happens in the boudoir.

At Elise’s, a prostitute is getting her body painted, while Jamie drinks and sulks. He notices the boy from earlier, and notes that he’s listing things from people’s pockets. Jamie gets up and ambushes the kid, who (reasonably) runs. Jamie is led on a merry chase, and catches the kid, who promptly calls him a dirty English bastard. Jamie takes offense – he is Scottish. The kid says fine, take me to the police, and I’ll tell your wife you rut with whores. Jamie says he won’t go to the police, but Madam Elise, on the other hand… “No, no, not Madam Elise! She will kill me if she thinks I steal from her customers.”

He assures Jamie that he doesn’t steal EVERY night, just when it’s busy. And the gentlemen are drunk. Jamie doesn’t care about the kid’s MO, just in the kid. “I’m no whore!” (I am unreasonably charmed by how the French say “whore” and I don’t know why.) Jamie’s like no, no, not that. I want to offer you a job. As a pickpocket. Jamie turns him upside down and shakes – all sorts of things fall out of his pockets, including the little snake. “How much do you pay?” asks the kid, being a pragmatist.

At home, Claire tosses and turns, and then sits up when she hears a crash. She hurries downstairs to find the kid in the dining room. In response to her reasonable “who and what” questions, he gets up, awkwardly bows and then tells her (in French) that she has the most beautiful breasts. Murtagh snaps that he said the same thing to Suzette. “Well, that doesn’t make me feel very special.” See, the ladies at Madam Elise’s were generous when he gave them compliments, and so was Suzette – she gave him a chicken leg. Claire’s like, cool, but who are you, kid?

Jamie tells Murtagh to take the kid upstairs where there’s a bath and bed waiting for him. The kid politely tells Claire good night, and bows again, before Murtagh marches him up. “And watch your [speaking Gaelic]” according to the subtitles. (The Gaelic was “sporran.”)

Jamie explains that he is named Fergus (“Well, Claudel, but we agreed that wasn’t very manly.”) and he’s a pickpocket. Jamie hired him to steal letters from Charles – from his father, financiers, wealthy English aristocrats. Fergus steals the letters, they copy them, and Fergus gets them back before anyone knows they’re missing. Simple. Claire admits that it’s a good plan. Jamie’s like fuck yeah it is, and goes to bed.

Cue montage of couriers, Fergus stealing, and Jamie and Claire and Murtagh copying. Jamie also spent his days drinking with Charles ,“who continued to be long on rhetoric and short on specifics.” (Politics has not changed, Claire.) Claire spends her time between social engagements at L’Hopital, where Mother Hildegarde continues to be awesome.

Jamie pours over a set of letters, muttering that King James’ letter is mostly in code, and Murtagh notes that the seal had been removed at least three times before he took it off. Jamie says that the codes are generally fairly simple, and Murtagh gets a letter that’s just music. “A Song of the Country.” The lyrics are about a day in a meadow, but in German. Murtagh muses that maybe it’s not a code at all – just some German friend of Charles’. But it was sent from England. Murtagh narrows his eyes. “A code in music.” Jamie mutters that maybe Murtagh can nose around for a music teacher who knows German. As it so happens, Murtagh does know a guy. Well, lady. Well, mother. “But you’re not gonna like it.”

At the hopsital, Claire, is giving the symptoms of a patient – the wound is healing, but there’s a fever and indications of an infection. Hildegarde asks if maybe there’s an unrelated infection – appendix, maybe? Claire says probably not – there’s no abdominal tenderness. “Bouton! A la bouche, Bouton!” Bouton hops up on the bed and sniffs the man’s mouth and then lays down, whining slightly. “No, you are right, that’s not it. Look elsewhere, Bouton, but carefully. The man has a broken leg.” Bouton sniffs around a bit, then barks.

Mother Hildegarde praises him (because he is a good doggie! YES HE IS!) and Claire’s like uh, that’s a small wound that has healed? Hildegarde presses on it, and puss oozes out while the patient groans. “A small pocket of putrefaction!” (Also I am now doubly charmed by the French pronunciation of “putrefaction.”) Claire calls for a scalpel, cloths, and alcohol, and removes a large splinter – there was an infection around it that was not visible to human senses. Claire displays the splinter, and Hildegarde says (to Bouton), “Yes, she’ll do perfectly.”

Jamie comes in as Claire is finishing up, and says that he needs help – musically speaking, and Mother Hildegarde does know music. In her office, Hildegarde asks, not unreasonably, if they can assure her what they’re doing is neither illegal nor dangerous? The awkward silence answers that. Claire: It’s for a good reason? That’s enough.

Hildegard sits down at her harpsichord, and plays something sort of like that song that shows up in all incarnations of Hannibal. Hildegarde mutters that it sounds like something a German friend of hers wrote – a Herr Bach. Claire visibly swallows. “Johann Sebastian Bach?” Hildegarde is surprised that Claire has heard of him, and he’d send Hildegarde things from time to time – “inventions” that are “really quite clever, but I’m afraid his music isn’t the sort to endure. Clever, but no heart.” Hildegarde says that the “Song of the Country” is a clumsy version of this – “The Goldberg Variations.”

Claire touches the music and probably pees a little.

The “Song of the Country” keeps changing the key for basically no reason, and Jamie’s like “Oh, a key” and they eventually figure out that the key changes are the key to the code. And the letter says: “I have successfully concluded negotiations with our three partners, all of whom are willing to contribute to our cause. I can guarantee the amount of 40,000 pounds to be made available to you.” Murtagh: That’s it? So he was lying? Jamie: Exaggerating. Duverney is smart enough to know that exaggeration is part of these things. 40K might not fund the war, but it might be sufficient seed money.

“I will be back in Paris at the month’s end, and am eager finally meet you face to face to solidify our arrangement. S.” S might be a signature, or just a letter to make the words come out… “SANDRINGHAM.” Sandringham’s had secret dealings with Dougal, and now he’s hedging his bets for and against a Stuart restoration… “If we can meet with Sandringham, convince him its a bad investment… we’ve figured it out!” Jamie thinks this calls for a celebration.

Murtagh reminds Claire what sitting down with Sandringham means – he’ll find out that BlackJack is still alive. She needs to tell him, and now. Jamie is just so happy that they’ve finally made actual progress, and proposes a toast – to Mother Hildegarde, and to his wife “who is always there when I need her.” Claire tries let it out, and can’t – “I just love to see you so happy.” He pulls her into his arms, and she worriedly looks over his shoulder.

Elyse: First of all, this episode is gorgeous. The Outlander team is knocking it out of the park in creating a show that’s visually sumptuous.

I feel RULL BAD for Mary Hawkins. The idea of intercourse terrifies her and we know she has sex with Randall at least once. That poor, poor woman.

Then I got to the pee scene. Urinoscopy. When she saw me taste the urine… And I was drinking a nice hard cider at the time. So yeah.

Jamie deserves to be kicked in the sack in this episode. He’s a whiney, selfish, man-child. I think what’s made clear is that Claire is the real powerhouse in the relationship and probably would feel better and do better at all the political machinations than Jamie, but she’s restricted to a back seat due to her gender. I think on some level Jamie realizes that and it bothers him.

I want a whole episode of Murtagh and Fergus. Like where they solve crimes and pick pockets and unveil government conspiracies and break codes.

I also think Bouton needs his own show. Maybe a web series.

Overall I liked this episode, but it never answered my burning question: has King Louis pooped yet?

RHG: The scene with Bouton the Diagnostic Wonder is one of my top ten favorite scenes from the books, and it was about perfect. Frances de la Tour is perfect as Mother Hildegarde and I love her and her familiar so much.

One of my other favorite scenes is working out the code in the music and how Bach is just a tertiary part to the whole thing.

I do also appreciate how the show isn’t making light of Jamie’s trauma, or making it a quick and easy fix. It’s going to take time for him, and they’re taking their time.  I appreciate that very much.