Outlander Season 2: Episodes 5 & 6: Best Laid Schemes Go Asunder

Hello all! 

First off I do want to apologize to the loyal readers for my lack of a review last week. I've been having a lot of issues at home and I've actually been dealing with quite a bit of a financial crisis and seemingly hit after hit of bad luck. So thanks all for being so patient with me. So consider this a double episode review and what a review it is.

I have to say that these two episodes were certainly intense and in their own ways. We saw the re-emergence of the disgusting Black Jack Randall and the repercussions of that, as well as the strain of responsibility Jamie is under in trying to prevent Bonnie Prince Cry-Baby from getting necessary funds to run his uprising and build an army.  All of the relationships explored in these two episodes show their strengths and weakness.

Episode 5 had two great stand out moments. The first being when Black Jack comes back into the picture. The friction of that moment, followed with King Louis' subsequent humiliation of Black Jack left me tense and at the same time in a fit of giggles. I don't think I've seen anything quite as satisfying as Jack being forced to his knees to beg, only to be called a fool and be laughed at for it. Ah. That disgusting piece of crap deserved it and the best part was seeing the smiles on the faces of our dear Jamie and Claire as they looked on his humiliation with glee.

The scene was certainly more intense than it might have been considering that Jamie and Jack could do absolutely nothing to each other for they were in the presence of the King and as it has been noted before, drawing a blade, or any weapon in the presence of the king is a death sentence. Richard Kahan, the writer of Episode 5, I think has done the best job this season. He gets it. He totally understand Jack's character, Jamie's and Claire's and the writing was absolutely superb.

The second scene of Episode 5 that I thought was worthy of note was the final scene between Jamie and Claire when Claire forces Jamie to choose to wait to kill Black Jack because she knows that in the Family Bible, Jack has to marry Mary Hawkins and have a child with her. That child has to happen in order for her husband from the future, Frank, to be born. The intensity in that scene is palatable. Jamie's anger, though rather restricted is shown well in the stiffness of his body and on his face. He eventually agrees to wait a year before he kills Black Jack and when she reaches for him and he snatches back, recoils, it's a stab to Claire's heart. Mine too.

It's Sam Heughan's best acting since Wentworth. I know heaps of praise gets placed on Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies but when Sam Heughan is given material to work with that highlights his acting skills, he definitely puts them to work and this scene highlights his great skill of using facial expressions and his eyes to convey more than what his words do. You can feel the anger, feel the hurt and betrayal coming forth with a single look in Claire's direction. Bravo Sam. bravo. All the awards. Maybe the Emmys and Golden Globes will show you some attention this season where they certainly didn't last year.

Episode Six: Best Laid Schemes... is perhaps more action packed but up until the last few minutes, less impactful than what happened in Episode 5. Even so there were plenty of moments to make you smile, and even crack a little laugh. We have Jamie and Murtagh trying to ensure that the wine that will be used to make money for the Jacobite cause  is never delivered. Murtagh even posing as a Highwayman which I'm thinking the Comte might be aware of. Murtagh's French isn't exactly impeccable and when he mentions how it was probably a set up, Charlie of course defends Jamie for it.

Of course, losing the wine and the money that he would have gained from it, makes Bonnie Prince Charlie cry and honestly, it's the highlight of the whole episode to see that man be a little crybaby and have to possibly go to, of all places, POLAND! It was a much needed laugh because the last minutes of the episode are even more intense, and heart breaking than the last moments of the episode before.

Bonnie Prince Crybaby

Jamie had gone to the brothel to settle Prince Charlie's debts and Fergus, the adorable little pick pocket, had gone into an open room and found some lavender oil. Liking the smell, he'd stuck it in his pocket and the camera had panned onto a British Officer's Uniform. Which of course, revealed the room to belong to Black Jack Randall.

When Claire returns home after staying the night at the hospital, she discovers a note, and a house full of frantic servants trying not to tell her that Jamie has gone to the woods to duel Black Jack. There is a note from Jamie apologizing and Claire is left reeling as to why he would break his promise. Not even the audience knows why he broke his promise, only that Fergus and Black Jack Randall are somehow involved.

The dueling scene between Jack and Jamie is already underway when Claire finally makes it there. We can hear Jack trying to get a rise out of Jamie asking "How could she forgive you?" to Jamie and I think it's because Jack knew well, that he had managed to break Jamie's will back at Wentworth and hopes to get under Jamie's skin. Jamie manages to get a stab to the crotch area of Jack and we can only hope and pray the man's junk was permanently damaged, especially just show watchers who haven't read the books.

It is after Jack is stabbed that the Gen d' Arms arrives to arrest them for their illegal dueling and when Jamie finally notices Claire who is in the middle of a very harsh miscarriage. When he calls to her, tries to get to her, and is unable to, the grief, the fear for her safety is palatable. In Season One, Episode Nine: The Reckoning, he states how seeing her and being unable to do anything, was like tearing his guts out and in that moment, you can see how he can't do anything to get to her. He's helpless to aid his pained wife and we're left with Claire calling out to Jamie, and fading into darkness. It's heartbreaking, and now we have to wait a week to see the outcome of that. Needless to say, for you show watchers, I'd recommend a box or three of kleenex. You're going to need it.

Also we are selling t-shirts here at Outlander Sassenach. Shirts are 20 bucks plus 3.99 shipping and handling. The link is below and the campaign for selling them ends on May 22nd, 2016 so be sure to order quickly before time runs out! Various colors, sizes and shirt styles available.

Link to Buy The Shirt: https://teespring.com/blaming-diana-gabaldon


Check out our Links!
Tumblr: http://outlandersassenach.tumblr.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/outlandersassenachpage
Podcast: http://outlandersassenachfanpodcast.podomatic.com/