First off, I want to apologize for the delay as I've been quite busy with real life and so it's been a bit hard to bang out a recap and review worthy of a read. So here we are on episode three out of thirteen and even though so much has happened in the past three episodes, there is still so much more to go. Crazy right? So let's get down to business and discuss those useful occupations.
There were certainly several key point that the show highlighted and focused on. Jamie has been run ragged working to undermine the Jacobite cause of Charles Stuart and Claire has been bored as hell doing nothing but attending teas and card games with Louise and Mary. Claire is a woman who's life has come to a stand still. She's not exactly the stay at home and mend a shirt type and her idea of a good time is actually doing something with her time that doesn't involve tittering behind a fan. She's envious of Jamie's coming and going and bored to tears and honestly I don't blame her for that. Sure it's a rich person's problem but Claire's never lived a life where she wasn't needed. She worked with her Uncle Lamb as a kid, a nurse as an adult and when she fell through time, she was a healer for the MacKenzie crew so she's never really been without something to do and it works her nerves.
Jamie on the other hand, is being run to his limit, playing politics, trying to garner information and like Claire, has the knowledge that a Jacobite uprising will end in the decimation of his culture and homeland. It's a huge weight to carry and it takes a toll on their relationship and at a key point in the episode it seems all for naught. Charles pressures Jamie into a meeting with Duvernay and it is at that meeting with Duvernay that we find out that Charles does not need as much money as Jamie nor Claire originally thought. It is revealed that high ranking members of English society are financially backing Charles and that means the amount of money needed isn't all that much. Charles also manages to turn Duvernay's head with he possibility of an alliance with England. It's to good a deal to pass up and Duvernay at least agrees to consider it and present it to King Louis once the proof is provided hat he does indeed, not need all that much from the treasury.
At the same time hat Jamie's hopes of stopping financial backers is being crushed, Claire has found a renewed purpose in life as Master Raymond has suggested to her that she could volunteer at a charity hospital. She takes that into advice and finds a renewed sense of purpose by working at the hospital. It's there we meet a very important character by name of Mother Hildegarde. A stern older woman who at first thinks that Claire is nothing more that a rich woman wanting to get a few props for doing a little charity work without much of the actual work involved. After Claire proves her knowledge of medicine and sickness, you can see that Mother Hildegarde finds some respect for a woman whom she had only assumed to be a rich lady without substance.
So after spending an entire day tending to the sick, she comes home to a waiting and impatient Jamie who is angry that she would dare subject herself to the sickly while pregnant. Their argument was certainly one that needed to happen and both of them were right to their anger. Jamie's anger stems from doing nothing but lying constantly. Claire's anger stems from Jamie's anger at her which ultimately I think is just jealousy on both of their ends. She's jealous that he's working to end the cause while he's jealous that she gets to do something that she enjoys. Obviously a more open line of communication between them would help them out.
After their fight, Jamie leaves in a huff and goes back to the brothel, where he notes the actions of a young boy picking the pockets of the brothel customers. An idea forms in his mind and he swiftly chases the boy down until he captures him and after some humorous back and forth, he essentially blackmails the boy, Fergus, into working for him and stealing letters.
The funniest part of the entire episode was when Claire discovers Fergus in the house eating some chicken and his response to her presence was to essentially tell her "nice boobs." Of course Murtagh interjects and states that he said the same thing to Suzette, the ladie's maid and Claire's response is quite funny. "Well that doesn't make me feel very special." It was honestly to me, the funniest part of the scene and Fergus is quite the little scamp and charmer. I just adore him.
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Once the code is cracked, Jamie and Murtagh and Claire are all celebrating but there is a dark stain on that celebration because it involves working with the Duke of Sandgringham and if Jamie sits down with the Duke, then Jamie will most definitely learn about the survival of Black Jack Randall.
It's also worth noting that earlier in the episode, there was a HUGE revelation about Black Jack Randall and Mary Hawkins. Turns out that Mary is he ancestor of Frank Randall and so that's certainly thrown a huge wrench into the cogs of the story. So how does Mary become the future great great grandmother of Frank Randall? Well, we'll just have to find out and see won't we?
I think the major head scratcher for this episode, if I were to really have a complaint, would be how openly Claire, Jamie and Murtagh talk subterfuge of the Jacobite cause in front of Jared's servants. True, Jared's servants are loyal, but they also know that Jared is a very firm Jacobite. Wouldn't such open conversation make it easy for the servants to relate the undermining to their employer? Not to say that this might be utilized by the show later. I don't think it will, it's just something funky I noticed.
So what did you think of Fergus? What did you think of Mother Hildegarde? And most importantly what are you looking forward to in next week's episode or at least hoping to happen? Sound off in the comments below.
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