Outlander 3.13 Eye of the Storm

Previously: a whole bunch of stuff. But Jamie got arrested. Again. AGAIN AGAIN.

The title card is floating white fabric underwater, with the “Faith” theme playing over it. Claire voice overs that she was dead, and we see her, floating under the water: “I Felt peaceful, bodiless, free of terror, and free of rage.”

Cut to Claire, in her suit (she changed out of her fancy clothes) in a carriage. They stop, and there’s a procession of slaves with torches walking past them, to some unknown destination. Once the group passes, the carriage continues. They’re going to Rose Hall, Geillis’ house, to find Young Ian. Claire has them drop her off at the gate, and heads for the slave’s quarters. She asks the driver to wait, and if she’s not back by daybreak, to ask for her at the house.

Team Salt Frog goes to their own lodgings, where Claire’s fancy dress is laid out. Fergus hopes to Yi Tien Cho would have been there, and Fergus is worried. Marsali: He’s smart and can take care of himself, and we don’t know the island, so… we can’t help him, especially if we don’t know what he’s doing. There’s a note from Claire telling them about Jamie’s arrest, and Fergus tells Marsali to stay put while he gets help. Marsali, who is BAD ASS and I love her so much, tells him to shove it- she is his WIFE and her place is AT HIS SIDE SO LET’S GO.

In the Rose Hall slave quarters, which are completely deserted, Claire whispers for Ian. There’s a small dog worrying at a body, but it’s not Ian’s. Claire is grabbed from behind by Geilis’ large slave, Hercules.

The Geilis in question is interrogating Ian- he didn’t tell her about Claire, and it’s obvious that she’s the one after the treasure, RIGHT? Ian: what the fuck are you talking about? Geilis: she knew about the prophecy! Ian: I am tired of YOUR blethering! A slave whispers in Geilis’ ear, and she sends Ian away before Claire is brought in. Claire: sorry to bother you, but I got lost trying to find the house. Geilis and Claire eye each other, each trying to figure out what the other one knows.

Gelis: hey we’re friends, you can come over anytime. Claire: yeah, so Jamie’s been arrested, and they’re after me, too, so I need a place to lay low? Geilis: No prob.

Jamie and babby Captain walk to the docks, and just as they reach the Porpoise, some red coated Marines come and say they have orders to take Jamie into THEIR custody. Babby Captain gets snitty and demands to know WHO GAVE THAT ORDER…

…and it’s Lord John, of course. Babby Captain tells Lord John that a warrant was issued in Scotland, and Lord John is like great, can I see the warrant, Lieutenant Babby? I mean, Captain Babby? “You must forgive my unfamiliarity with the somewhat liberal practices of the Naval service, in so far as conferring rank is concerned.” It’s gloriously bitchy. So what proof, exactly does Captain Babby have against Jamie? Well, a member of the Porpoise’s crew. Great, says, Lord John, so he’s swore out an affidavit? Well, no, I haven’t had time. Lord John: Are you fucking kidding me? Your authority ends at the water’s edge, which is where my authority begins.

So it’s ME you have to satisfy, and YOU HAVE NOT. THANK YOU LIEUTENANT BABBY NOW GOOD DAY SIR. I SAID GOOD DAY.

Through this whole thing, Jamie has wisely kept silent, and then thanks John for saving his life. Again. John: we keep saving each other so I lost count. I mean, that’s sweet, but you’re one up on Jamie at least. Jamie and John say their goodbyes, and they don’t manly hug, but John looks after Jamie with wistfulness.

At Rose Hall, Claire has been telling Geilis her story, and Geilis is like, “that’s a braw tale” but why is Claire THERE? Geilis: you showed up 25 years ago, out of the sky, and I’ve never met another traveller before. Geilis full on tin foil hats: she sacrificed everything for Claire, and Claire’s the one who poisoned Colum’s mind against her and against the Rising! But Geilis knows that Claire is trying to stop Geilis from raising another Scot for the throne. (Claire: what is happening right now?) Geilis knows that Claire knew all about the prophecy and the sapphires and all of it, and Caire tries to peace out, but Geilis has Hercules stop her. Geilis demands to know why Claire has been following her all these years, and Claire’s like, woman, I wasn’t even in this time, and I can prove it! (Geilis: “You went through the stones three times and survived? I’ve read better stories in Mills and Boon.”)

Claire shows Geilis the pictures of Bree, and Geilis recognizes Bree from meeting in 1968. And Geilis realizes that Claire and Bree were the people shouting her name when she went through the stones, and they found what was left of her husband. (“He was one of my favorites. Handsome. Such a lovely cock.”) Claire tells her that a sacrifice isn’t necessary, and that she suspects that it has something to do with someone on the other side, drawing you to them. Geilis would prefer blood, and mutters, “A 200 year old baby.” And puts one of the pictures in her robe.

She sends Claire to a guest room, but naturally Claire is locked in when she sees Geilis and a few slaves dragging a gagged and struggling Ian away. She hears someone opening one of the windows to her room, and she takes a swing with a heavy candelabra- fortunately Jamie as good reflexes and ducks. She tells him that Geilis has Ian and they have to go.

There’s drumming in the sugarcane fields, and they run towards it. In a clearing there’s a whole group of slaves dancing around a fire, and drumming and chanting. There’s one man with a crocodile on his head, who is clearly the leader of what’s happening. Jamie and Claire watch from the edges, and Claire remembers watching another ritual with dancing fire half a world away. They’re seen and dragged out into the crowd, and things don’t look all that welcoming.

(NB: There’s a version of this scene in the book, and the showrunners called this “the voodoo ceremony” but I don’t have enough knowledge to say if this is accurate to what any sort of voodoo ceremonies are like. My guess is probably not?)

Yi Tien Cho runs about and says that they’re with him. He’s there with Margaret, and she’s there by invitation because the group of slaves heard about her gifts, and asked her to come. She’s seen talking to another woman, and looking relaxed and happy. Yi Tien Cho explains that Margaret is the first person to see him, and he sees her. They’re going to go to Martinique and make a home there. Jamie smiles, and asks if Yi Tien Cho has seen Young Ian. He hasn’t, but they go to ask Margaret if she knows anything.

Margaret is happy to see Claire, and she looks much happier and much more lucid that we’ve ever seen her. Yi Tien Cho asks her about where Geilis might be, and Margaret smiles and takes a breath to answer, then she sees Jaime and her face changes. She takes Jamie’s hand and says, in a strange voice, that she sees him in “and orchard of death, sown with blood” and she sees the rabbit (cut to Jamie, dying on Culloden Moor and seeing a rabbit hopping across the field). She takes Claire’s hand, and says she sees a bird on windowsill, that sings when she is sad. Then she takes both of their hands, and says, in an American accent, “I knew it was you! My father! I’ve been dreaming about you! I love you! You, too, Mamma! Oh no, a monster, don’t let it take me! Help me!” Claire and Jamie ask what the actual fuck, and then Margaret’s voice changes again and she growls “Abandawe!”

Before anyone can attempt to unravel this, Archie Campbell finds them, and tries to haul Margaret away. As everyone begins to argue, a chicken is brought into the dance circle. Claire puts two and two together and realizes that a 200 year old baby would be Bree, and hurriedly looks through the pictures and realizes one is missing, the one with the dog. Claire realizes that Geilis’ plan is to go back to 1968 and find Bree and kill her. Claire’s figured out that Abandawe is a time portal.

Yi Tien Cho and Margaret try to leave, but Archie won’t let them. Yi Tien Cho snaps that Archie is not worthy of this woman, and Margaret is like, I am not doing what you say anymore, go fuck yourself. Archie attacks her with a stick, and Yi Tien Cho tackles him, and slits his throat.

Claire and Jamie find a man with a torch and ask him where Abandawe is. He points through the sugar cane, and Jamie asks him to take them there. The man shakes his head like, “no, I’m smart enough not to fuck with that shit.” But he tells them that Ian has been taken there. They run off, while the slaves take Archie’s body away. The last we see of Yi Tien Cho and Margaret is them huddled together, watching.

Claire and Jamie find the cave, and once inside, Claire says she can hear the hum, and if she gets sucked back, she might not be able to return. Jamie tells her that if Geilis goes she has to follow: “We lost Faith. We will not lose Brianna.”

Geilis is doing some shit with salt and the picture of Bree. Young Ian is still alive, but bound and gagged when Claire and Jamie find them. But Hercules is also there with a pistol, so it’s a standoff. Geilis pours something flammable over Ian, and Jamie disarms Hercules. Geilis holds a torch and Claire tries to stop her from setting Ian on fire. Geilis tells Claire that she owes Geilis a life, since Geilis saved her from the pyre at the witch trial, and the life Geilis wants is Bree’s. Hercules has a hand around Jamie’s throat.

Geilis keeps going on about change history, and she gave up her child for the cause. Claire gets her hand on a machete, and in a wild swing, cuts Geilis down, almost all the way through the neck. Everyone stops, and Hercules, with mild prompting from Jamie, is like “I have no reason to be a part of this shit anymore” and peaces out.

Jamie and Ian have a big embrace, while Claire looks down at Geilis, then turns to the pool, and slowly turns to it. The noise draws her, and Jamie shouts her name and takes her hand. That breaks the reverie, and they run out of the cave. It’s dawn, and Young Ian is like, uncle, it’s really nice to see you, but you did leave it a bit late.

Jamie grins to Claire that everything is great, but Claire is looking down at the bloody machete and remembering back to the bones Joe was examining in 1968.

A white woman, late 40s, died 200 years before and found in Abandawe, “Someone tried to cut this lady’s head clean off.” It’s not everyday you get to hold the skull of a woman you haven’t killed yet. Jamie gathers Claire and Young Ian. He told Fergus to get everything together and have the New Things get the ship ready.

On the ship, they’re sailing through blue water, and heading to Scotland. “We’ll return Ian to Jenny straight away.”

Claire is in her shift and tells Jamie not to shave his beard (uh…. What beard?). She likes the… stubble. (He did look pretty hot with the Beard of Sorrow in episode 2). Anyway, she likes the feel of the stubble on her skin. Like, all of her skin. He, too, has given much thought about what he would like to do when he has her “naked… and willing… with no one hearing…” She can manage naked and willing well enough. He lists all the things he would like to do, and the noises she will make when he does them.

Later, they’re dozing, and there’s thunder in the distance. Jamie mumbles that the skies are turning, and then we see that yes, they have indeed turned. It’s a big storm, really big, and on deck, all of the sailors are doing their best to keep the ship turned into the wind. Below deck, Fergus, Marsali, Young Ian, New Things One and Two, and Claire are huddled. There’s an argument about going to help up on deck, but Claire tells everyone to stay put, but SHE’S going up because she is still the ship’s surgeon.

Above, the chaos is worse. They’re trying desperately to turn the ship so it’s into the waves, but it’s hard. Jamie tells Claire to get back below, but one of the sailors has broken his leg. Claire tries to get him below, but the repaired mast gives way and breaks off. The ship goes broadside to the waves, and everyone else books it below, while a HUGE wave crashes over the deck. The ship doesn’t capsize, miraculously, but Claire is washed overboard.

And we go back to the beginning of the episode, which Claire underwater and tangled in a rope with the sinking mast. As she sinks, Jamie swims to her and cuts her loose, and they kick for the surface.

The sun is out, and they cling to a floating bit of flotsam. “Damn you, Sassanach! If you die here now, I swear I’ll kill you!” The camera pulls up and up and up…. And they’re in the eye of a hurricane.

(I swear, I thought they were going to end the episode right here, and I could hear the shrieks of rage from book readers and non-book readers alike.)

On a beach, a little blonde girl plays, and then runs over to Jamie, lying on the beach and covered in sand. The beach is littered with debris from the ship. Jamie wakes up, and crawls over to Claire, and he sadly kisses her on the cheek before she starts coughing. She wakes up enough to tell him that she SAID she wouldn’t leave him again.

As they sit up, they see people coming down towards them. Claire asks where they are, and about the Artemis. Jamie shakes his head, and they embrace sadly, because Jenny is gonna KILL THEM. The people coming to check on them asks if they’re okay, which OBVIOUSLY NOT, and Jamie says they’ve got all their limbs. The man introduces himself as Joseph Olivier, and his wife Patsy. The ship ran around four miles down the beach, and there are survivors, so that’s good. Everyone gets to keep their jobs.

Jamie asks where they are. Les Perles. Claire asks what island they are on, and Joseph is like, bro, you’re on the mainland. Well, okay, but like…. Which mainland? Oh, Georgia. They’re in Georgia. America. So that’s something!

Jamie and Claire embrace, and the Oliviers are like, okay, you need a moment, and not like, water or anything, so we’re gonna peace out. The camera zooms inland, to where the new adventures await.

Elyse: LORD JOHN GREY THROWING SOME SHADE!

Well I guess I finally know whose bones those are.

Overall, I feel like this is the weakest season. It focused, IMO, too much on Claire and Frank when the series does it best work with action and adventure. We’re here for the swashbuckling and fancy dresses!

It felt to me like the second act, which had a lot of movement and action, was too compressed.

Anyway, I’ll obviously be turning in for season four where I hope fucking Geillis stays dead.

RHG: And that brings us to the end of Season 3. I think Elyse is right, it was uneven. To be fair, it’s got uneven source material. I liked the changes they made- especially the changes to Yi Tien Cho (and I loved what Gary Young did with the character). (I just wish the production crew and promotional material used his actual name.)

I have to call bullshit on surviving half a hurricane clinging to some floating wreckage. Just… no.  That’s not gonna work.

One of the things that the show has done is brilliant casting. Not just our major characters, but also Lord John, and Geneva, and Young Ian (little punkin), and Marsali, and adult Fergus. Even characters who we only see for one episode are impeccably cast.

And we’ll be back next year with season 4!