Outlander S1E16: To Ransom a Man's Soul, A Recap

Here it is. The end of the line. The final episode of the first season of Outlander. When we first started our journey in August, who knew that this show would garner the following it has. The tumblr I run with my best friend has a mass following of ten thousand people. We see fantastic reviews from the critics and from 95% of the show watchers who are also book readers. As a book reader, I'll admit to some disappointment over the past season. Now Ron Moore has done a rather fantastic job and this is one of the best book to screen adaptions I've ever seen, second only to 1995's Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, but I do miss certain lines of dialogue. I think it's safe to assume that we book readers have all had small disappoints, some more than others. And I know that a few of us have hated the show but I am not one of those people. I loved it. Kudos to Sam, Cait and Tobias for their acting skills and much graciousness to Ron Moore for bringing the book to the screen. But mostly, I want to thank Diana Gabaldon. The woman who brought us these characters, and their stories. A woman who created one of the most epic romantic, historical, fantasy, dramatic novels of all time. She is truly one of the great American writers of all time. And with that, it's time to discuss the Outlander Season Finale.

The show opens with a scene of the British flag being raised at the Prison. But all of that is nothing to the shot we have of Jamie. He's laying there on a table, his broken and abused hand present, his eyes vacant, his body filthy and naked. He doesn't move, he seemingly doesn't breathe. He is completely and utterly shattered. We see Black Jack Randall behind him sleeping, only to rouse and begin dressing. It's as he is dressing that Jamie snaps out of it and it is apparent that what he wants is for BJR to slit his throat. Randall grabs the knife to do just that but before he can, there are noises that rouse his attention. As Jamie sobs in defeat and anguish, BJR goes to inspect what is going on and as he nears the door...BAM....a heard of cattle come and run his ass over. Murtagh, Angus, and Rupert enter and save Jamie, then ride him to Claire waiting in the middle of the road.

When she sees his condition, she knows he needs help and so they ride to an abbey, intent upon getting him better. Now in the books, they travel to France before they even start the healing process but moving it up in the show, makes sense. A lot of stuff was left out to make time for what happens in this episode and therein lies some disappointments that we book readers have, but overall, I understood that the adaption had to make sense for non-book readers. And that little bit of the unexpected, keeps book readers on our toes.

So they are in the abbey, discussing what needs to be done. Jamie's having serious moments of PTSD, Claire's face, interchangeable to that of Black Jack Randall is having serious emotional repercussions. He's angry, hurt, broken, and utterly destroyed. The monks speak of his soul needing saving and there are several hints to his soul throughout the episode, no doubt hints to the title of this episode.

One of the most heartbreakingly delivered lines of the entire episode is when Claire asks him what happened and his response:

"To much, and not enough."

I will leave it to you, dear readers, to ascertain exactly what that statement means.

As the scene cuts back to a flashback of Jamie with BJR, I'm sick to my stomach. Tobias Menzies is gut wrenching, using kindness as a way of debasing and humiliating Jamie. This whole entire moment of glory is about his power over Jamie. He refers to Jamie as a "beautiful creature" rather than a human being and kisses him, but is not satisfied with Jamie's lack of response to him. Well that certainly won't do. He starts to give Jamie a few strokes with his hand and Jamie finds himself unwillingly responding, loses his temper and spits on him, telling him to take his pleasure and be done with it.

And then BJR picks him up, bends him over, spits on his hand and then proceeds to rape Jame Fraser until he screams. It is graphic, it is disturbing but it is not gratuitous. It's gut wrenching and terrible and horrible but in no way a gratuitious scene of violence. I started to cry and cry hard. Selena Gomez style:

As the flash back zones out, Jamie takes a healthy swig of laudenum, letting the opiate overtake him and then Claire sets to work. We hear her narration, discussing how Jamie had once said he could handle pain for himself but couldn't bear hers and it relates both ways. How she managed to have the strength, I will never know. As she is dismissed by the monk to go rest, she sets herself in the chapel. Another monk, the head of them I'm sure, enters and tells her he'll hear her confession. And so she confesses. She confesses EVERYTHING, blaming herself, ultimately for what has happened and the monk wisely tells her that perhaps her being here is some sort of miracle and tells her "whatever your sins my lady, have faith they will be forgiven,"

Murtagh and Jamie have a discussion but it is all in Gaelic. At moments like these, I really wish for the subtitles but understand that we are supposed to be as clueless as Claire about the Gaelic since this story was initially her point of view. Even so, it would be nice. I don't know what's being said at this point but Murtagh is looking like he's saying, use your damn head, don't be stupid, or are you insane?

We're having another flashback. Jamie's got blood all over between his thighs. And he's broken down enough that BJR manages to get him to brand himself with his initials. Marking him as property, debasing him even further. It breaks my heart in two and just when I'm finished sobbing about the first flashback, I'm reverted back to tears. It's so bad, so achingly realistic and disturbing.

As we're back in the allie, Willie tries to liven Jamie's spirits, try to help and Jamie tells him to cut his throat, that dying is far better than remaining here on earth. We find out in the next scene with Claire that that was essentially what he told Murtagh and the knowledge that Jamie wants to kill himself, put himself out of his misery, is enough for Claire to faint. When she comes to, the monk says that his soul is in danger of being lost forever in the darkness and Murtagh suggests that someone might have to slip into the darkness with him.

In the book, this was more self reflection on Claire's part than anyone telling her but that wouldn't exactly translate well to screen and so it was changed with Murtagh giving the suggestion of going there, rescuing him from his own thoughts. And so, she makes a vat of oil of lavender and goes to his room, determined. The resulting scene is her rousing anger out of him, and finally getting him to react to her in more than a dead stare and muted words. they end up on the ground, her trying to figure out why he's so destroyed, wanting to heal him and then she sees the brand. He tells her that he put the brand there himself and then goes on to explain that he was not just raped but made love too.

The final BJR flashback is the one scene that truly breaks my heart. Where Black Jack Randall uses lavender oil and uses his manipulation for Jamie to think of Claire. He uses Claire's power over Jamie to destroy him. This young man has faced hell, death and destruction but his breaking point is BJR using Claire to debase him, to demean him, to destroy him utterly and completely. Jamie finds pleasure with this final rape, the sort that comes from mental, emotionally and physical exhaustion. And when he comes to, and realizes that he found pleasure with his rapist, it's the moment that you see this man so full of pride and honor, break and shatter into a thousand pieces.

Male Rape has often been used as a punch line in tv shows and in movies while female rape is often used as a lazy plot device/place holder/shock value. Most times, female rape is meant to be gratutitous, appealing to the basement dwelling men who get off on the fantasy of a helpless woman. The rape of Jamie Fraser by BJR is none of those things. It's a disturbing look of violence, trauma and true destruction. It was depicted as the disgusting crime it is and not as a weak plot device meant to shock viewers. It was groundbreaking and horrifying.

As he finishes with his confession, thinking Claire would never forgive him, she does...and she manages to bring him out of the darkness enough that he can distinguish her from BJR. He comes back to reality. Is he completely healed? No he is not. I think that for people saying that he was healed with just a few hugs and tears are missing the point. He isn't healed. He isn't completely himself. All she's managed to do, is pull him out of the darkness enough that he has a will to live again. That's what he had lost and she brought it back. He's not completely better, he's not back to normal, and he is still traumatized, but at least now, he is not wanting to die and put himself out of his misery. He's willing to fight his way back to normacly or at least a semblance of it.

With Murtagh's help, they cut away the brand and then they get ready to travel to France.

As all say their goodbyes, we finally get a little bit of comic relief by Angus who decides to kiss Claire in a not so gentlemanly fashion and then Rupert does it with a bit more finesse by kissing her knuckles as that is the proper way to kiss a lady.

The final scenes of the episode are on a boat. Jamie makes a small joke, Claire is glad to see he has a sense of humor and he admits to trying. And then she suggests that they try and change the future. He doesn't think they can but he's at least game for it and then she makes one final reveal. That she is pregnant.

Jamie, who had thought he would never be a father, is struck with a moment of pure joy. For the first time in the episode, his eyes light up and he smiles and admits he never thought he'd be happy again, but he is and they embrace and so the episode ends.

It's been a long time coming, the end of a fantastic debut season. I'm so happy to see the books brought to screen, but very much sad that we now have to wait until next spring for Outlander: Dragonfly in Amber.

So a big thank you to all of the followers we have on tumblr, to the readers in Outlander groups on Facebook that read what I have to write, and thank you most of all to the cast and crew of Outlander for bringing us a wonderful first season. And with that, I make this special announcement:

Outlander S1E15: Wentworth, A Recap (sort of)

First off, I wish to apologize for the lack of recap last week. I won't divulge my personal life to you guys, unless you ask. I did that once before and had some rather rude anons on Tumblr get mad at me for it and I just can't handle the drama of that again. That being said, I will do this recap a little differently than what I normally do for this episode. Instead I want to focus on the acting, rather than what happens. And I doubt there will be much humor in this because there was nothing funny about this episode. It was grim, gut wrenching and disturbing. Also if you have any possible triggers involving brutality, torture, death by hanging and/or suicide, it would be in your best interest not to watch this episode. Also note that this post has possible spoilers for the final episode. You have been warned.

This episode was mostly focused on Jamie and Black Jack Randall. There were bits and pieces of Claire but the majority of it focused on the terrible BJR and his would be victim Jamie Fraser. There are several moments of true depravity in this episode. Moments of gut wrenching disgust at what the man does to our poor hero, but also moments of light. 

Sam Heughan, until this point, has done a great job as Jamie Fraser but perhaps has been slightly outacted by the older and more experienced Tobias Menzies. Tonight, all of that changed. Instead, it was Sam Heughan who shone through in his riveting moments on screen. First when he is sentenced to hang. Even when facing his death, Jamie shows humor, poking fun at how his wife would be disappointed to know how he might die by the noose. Even joking with McQuarrie. And Jamie tries to go out by being shot but instead, is moments away from being hung before the bastard that is Black Jack Randall rides in on his fiery hell horse, giving Jamie a temporary stay of execution. 

The moments after this are pivotal when considering the roles of Jamie Fraser and Captain Randall. Tobias Menzies manages to show cool aloofness, and true sexual pleasure in all the pain and torture he causes his captive. Sam Heughan, plays a man who even in the face of sexual deviance, and torture and true evil, can still find a sense of humor, still give a fighting chance. The struggle plays well on his face. Randall gives him the chance to give over his body in order to make his death quick and noble but Jamie Fraser is strong. The way Sam manages to convey his inner thoughts is truly a wonder. 

At the pivotal moments in this episode, the hand being crushed, the moment Claire comes in to save the day, only to be thwarted and Jamie's hand being nailed to the table...Sam Heughan conveys all of it. Pain, anguish, heartbreak, humor. Even when he is at his lowest point, giving in to what BJR wants to protect his wife, there is that moment when the two are embracing and I can feel his heartbreak but also his determination. I can see that even though he knows the worst thing to happen to him is soon to occur, he wants her to feel reassured, to know that he loves her, even for what he must do. It is a full self sacrafice. 

Sam manages to make me feel strongly, every emotion that comes into play in these moments. I'll admit that I cried. I didn't cry when he was having his hand smashed to bits. I didn't cry when his hand was being nailed to the table...I cried when he resigned himself to his fate and sat there with BJR licking his back and reveling in his defeat.

Before this episode aired, my favorite episode was Episode Six: The Garrison Commander. I had found Tobias' performance to be truly engrossing, and disturbing and every time the man is on screen, he steels the spotlight. Until tonight. Tonight it was all about Sam Heughan. He is a brilliant actor, who has had very little in the way experience compared to Tobias. Much like Cait, he's never truly carried many hard hitting, emotionally geared roles and he executes the part of Jamie Fraser so well, it is very hard to seperate the man from the part. 

In real life, Sam Heughan seems to be an utter gentleman, a truly humorous and good man, unused to the limelight and yet he truly deserves some sort of accolade for the performance given tonight. It outdoes any performance he has done in the show or movies of the past. It's brilliant and genius and true perfection.

Even if this episode was hard to watch, it has become my favorite episode because it managed to make me feel so deeply, more than I've ever felt about any sort of show before. I'm an avid TV lover but no other episode of any show I have ever watched, has ever made me fell the way I feel tonight. Knowing that we haven't seen the end of Jamie Fraser's ordeal, knowing what's coming, I can only applaud Sam Heughan, Tobias Menzies, and Catriona Balfe for all giving great performances. And mostly, I give thanks to Diana Gabaldon because without her talent for writing, we would of never seen how truly wonderful each of these individual actors could be. 

If this show doesn't win any awards, I feel like I'm going to riot. 

With no new episode next week, and with the finale a week from next Saturday, be content in the knowledge that this story has a happy ending. That the final chapter soon to play out on screen, ends with our two main characters setting sail for a whole new life. That despite the horrors soon to play out, that Jamie recovers. After all, Claire has to save his soul does she not?

See you in a couple of weeks Sassenachs, and as always, thank you for reading my thoughts on the matter. 

Outlander S1E13: The Watch, A Recap

It is time ladies and gents for a new episode of Outlander. We were left with quite the cliffhanger last time with a gun pointed squarely at Jamie's head and the threat of his brains being sprayed all over the floor and so now it's time to play the game of "Who the Fuck are These People?". It's one of my favorites. So without further adieu, let's commence with the review and recap of the episode.

Turns out the man pointing a gun to Jamie's temple is a man named Talum who is in charge of some of The Watch. He's rather well acquainted with Jenny and Ian and it turns out the two of him have been paying them to keep the redcoats away and it's part of the reason for their visit. Ian's quite chummy with this Talum fellow and has even had the man's sword repaired or what have you. Since the men are hungry, Jenny departs to the kitchen to start some dinner and is followed by her brother and her husband and eventually Claire. Jamie's a wee bit pissed about the whole idea of the Watch being there, saying that it wasn't right at all for them to decide that sort of decision but Jenny was like "fuck you bro, we had to do what we had to do without you around..." Well you get the idea.

They all agree the best course of action is for Jamie to keep his nose clean and his head down and then the Watch will be gone and no one will be the wiser. All shall be well in the land of Lallybroch.

At dinner, we learn more about the relationship between Ian and Jamie through the questioning of Talum MacQuarrie. He is quite suspicious of the two but says very little on the matter and gives the greatest toast I've ever heard.

"Here's to a good life and a long one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A good lass and an honest one.
To great whiskey, and another one."

Gif makers take note, I'd love to have this giffed for me. I'll pay you in hugs and internet cookies I promise.

The following day Jamie is guiding a horse to the stables in order to have a look at his leg since he's supposedly lame, seeing one man smoking on Ian's tobacco. He's a bit of a smartass to the man and goes about trying to mend the horse's leg with the help of wee Rabbie. Next thing you know, there's a big ass fire and the dick who was smoking the pipe had lit it. Fucker! Well Jamie and a few others manage to get it out but Jamie's fucking pissed and decides he's not going to take this shit any further. His clean nose didn't last eighteen hours.

A fight breaks out, Jamie ends up kicking ass and MacQuarrie ends the squabble and apologizes. You know, for all he does, he's certainly a bit of a charmer. I can see why Ian likes him. He suggests that Jamie would be a great fighter on his team but Jamie's like "nah dude. I love my wife, I'm settled..." Smart guy Jamie Fraser.

As the men are returning to the main house from the stables, there are the men that MacQuarrie's been waiting on and who'd be in their ranks but Horracks. In case you don't recall, Horracks was the man that knew Black Jack Randall was responsible for killing his own man in order to frame Jamie for it. All for a price ye ken. Now he's with the Watch, and they are all at Lallybroch and he knows who Jamie is. If he spills the beans, Jamie's sure as shit off to Fort William and Black Jack Randall's clutches. Jamie is fucked.

Thankfully, Horracks keeps his mouth shut on first meeting and all seems to be well. Claire of course is scared to death that something bad is going to happen but she's Jamie's strength in this moment.

"What ever happens, we'll handle it...no matter the cost."

Later on we see Claire and Jenny doing the wash. There's a cute moment with Wee Jamie (who is super adorable, omg I want one) and Claire. They talk and wash, of bairns and children, of Jamie and Ian and all of sudden, Jenny's water breaks. Looks like there is a wee babe a coming. And come to find out, Claire discovers the babe is breach, meaning it's in the wrong position. In case you aren't familiar with old time child birth, this is very dangerous for the mother and the baby. Claire tries to get the child right in her belly but it doesn't work and there is nothing to do but wait out the birthing.

During this time, Jamie approaches Horracks and they discuss what the bastard wants. Well he wants to go to Boston of course (as all Irishmen seem to do) and make a life for himself in the American colonies. Problem is, he needs money and he wants Jamie to give it to him, if only to keep his mouth shut. Jamie concedes but is none to pleased about it. Who would be? After all, the bastard is blackmailing him.

Cut back to Jenny and Claire, Jenny's pacing and Claire asks what it's like to be pregnant. Jenny's description is verbatim from the book. I've never been pregnant before but the way Jenny describes it, it's both a mixture of beauty and misery. Claire is calm through it all and no doubt sees the conversation as a way to distract Jenny from her contractions. It's going to be a long day. I'm very glad they decided to keep all of this dialogue from the books in the show. A midwife was supposed to help out Jenny but the midwife's away (of course), so it's up to Claire.

Claire: It's alright. It is possible to deliver a breached baby. I'll only have to reach inside and guide it out.
Jenny: Alright. You'll be fetching me a good stiff dram before we start.
Claire: In that case the baby will likely be drunk too.
Jenny: Well then he'll come into the world a true Scot.
Claire: Alright

The show cuts to Jamie and Ian speaking while cleaning the wagon with the burned hay. Ian explains why he likes MacQuarrie and why he enlists The Watch to look out for them. He doesn't want Jenny in the same position she had been in when Jamie was taken away. He does it to protect Jenny the only way he can. Jamie confides in him about Horracks and Ian speaks to him of the money that Jamie's father put aside for him.

Jamie doesn't want to take it and explains why to Claire. It was meant for her, and for their children. It's at this point that our strong heroine Claire Fraser confides in Jamie, what she feels is a major shortcoming. The inability to have children. It's so heartbreaking, seeing her pain in thinking she is barren and there is some disappointment in Jamie's features but he brushes it aside.

Again, there is more dialogue very close to the book and he comforts her. One of the many reasons I love Jamie Fraser. He's truly a good and kind man and even if he is powerful and strong, he can be sensitive too. He's the King of Men for a reason and this only reinforces my opinion. It's just sweetness and love.

Our next scene is when Jamie meets Horracks with the cash. But as all blackmailing goes, it's not enough. He needs more money to keep his mouth shut and even goes so far as to threaten Jamie's family. Before Jamie can do the job of killing him, Ian runs him through with a sword, the death affecting him. This scene is pivotal, showing the true bond betwen Ian and Jamie and what makes them almost as brothers, not just brothers in law.

As they return home, Jenny's in the throes of labor upstairs and the guys from the Watch are being rude as fuck. Horracks is nowhere in sight and MacQuarrie querries about what might of happened to him. See what I did there? Jamie's like, fuck if I know where he is.

It's morning now. Jenny's still in labor and MacQuarrie is still wondering where Horracks is at. His horse is still there? Man wouldn't take ten steps to piss, let alone run off. MacQuarrie's a pretty good smartass and then Jamie tells him the truth, kind of. He says he kills Horracks because he dared blackmail him and threaten his family. At first we think everything is going to hell in a handbasket but then MacQuarrie laughs it off.

"Yeah fuck that guy. Fuck that old Irish son of a bitch..."

Unfortunately, the man has a wee bit of a problem. He needs a man on his mission to ambush a party of the British and Jamie agrees to go along, Ian too.

Before they leave, Claire gives him a carved snake that his brother William had carved for him. And they kiss and she makes him promise to come back to her. It's love and it's beauty and I"m crying. Not really, but I'm heartbroken, knowing what's coming.

So the men go off and then Jenny's actually having the baby. Holy fuck. She's giving birth and Claire reaches right on in there and pulls the babe out.

At the same moments of this, the scene cuts to where Jamie is with the other men of the Watch, waiting on the chance to ambush. Jamie, observant as ever, realizes to late that it's an attack and there's no way of escaping. The screen white's out as the British attack and fire the guns and we are left in the dark as to what happened.

As the scene moves to Claire and Jenny it's touching and sweet. Instead of the son Jenny thought it was, it's a wee daughter. Margaret Eleanor Marie Murray and she's totes adorbs. Okay, I quit.

Three days pass and there is still no sign of Jamie or of Ian. Claire's worried and Jenny has turned into the quiet sort of strength that Claire usually is with Jamie. Then the dogs bark and there are two figures hobbling down the road. It's Ian! But it's not Jamie with him but a man of the watch.

He explains that Jamie stayed behind to help a wounded MacQuarrie and that the British took him. My response is Oh Fuck!

So Diana Gabaldon has already said her piece on the matter so far as what happens. Half of the episode is very much straight from the book (Jenny's birthing) while the other half is not (The watch, backstory on Ian and how Jamie gets taken into custody). We also get a bit of background on Ian and Jamie not in the original novel but in a story she wrote for an anthology called "Virgins". See picture below:

I really like how they did this episode and how they changed it from the book. It was a major change but it easily transitioned the story to where it needed to go. Now the job of Claire is to find Jamie and for book readers, we know that we're less than an hour of the season away from the dreaded Wentworth Prison.

Until next time my fellow Sassenach and Outlander Addicts.

Picture Credit: Starz/Showcase/Amazon Prime UK