Outlander has spent a lot of time this season focusing on moving their characters successfully into positions of power within their historical backdrop. Still, we have very little understanding of the inner workings of their relationships, how anyone feels about what’s going on, or whether Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) gotten so wrapped up in seeing this mission through that they can’t see above the water of rebellion. Very few decisions are left up to our duo anymore, and they seem to be tagging along rather than pushing the story forward themselves.
This episode found Prince Charles (Andrew Gower) at a crossroads: wanting to move farther into England or turn back for safety. The Prince, as set in his ways as he is, does take the advice of his generals to turn back to Scotland and stock up before winter, although Jamie and Dougal (Graham McTavish) get a special assignment from the generals. Because of Jamie’s ability to whisper in the Prince’s ear, they’ve been put on notice and are essentially exiled from the army, sent to Inverness. Dougal and Jamie see right through the message of this assignment, but with the Army packing up and the Prince already gallivanting away on Jamie’s horse, there’s little either can do.
While trying to take refuge on their journey after being attacked by some red coats, the group comes across a small church. Fellow Fraser’s are already staked out inside. But of course, the red coats make their reappearance. Leaving little to chance, they surround the building hoping for the Scots to come out for their arrest. Here we go again; Claire and Jamie are trapped and one must become a martyr. Jamie claims that he’s responsible for his men, but she also claims to be responsible for them; she’s the Lady as much as he’s the Lord of Lallybroch. Claire makes a rash decision to scream and pretend, yet again, to be an English hostage. They disagree on the plan, but it’s hard to change now, and they part. Jamie stays hidden because of the price on his head, and Dougal delivers a “fainted” Claire to the red coats.
Claire finds herself being delivered to a large house that’s being guarded by the British army. Luckily, just before leaving a small village, Claire and her escort come upon Jamie’s friends Hugh Munro (Simon Meacock), to which Claire subtly gives him her whereabouts and destination.
Hugh Munro’s an interesting character because he doesn’t have the ability to speak, and thus becomes more of a plot device than a character. We don’t know much about his past or his relationship with Jamie; he only appears when information needs to be passed from one person to the next as inconspicuously as possible. His beggar status only adds to his ability to hide in plain sight. He seems to be in the right place at the right time with the right information; how convenient.
The home that Claire is (oh so kindly) dropped off at has an unhappy host, The Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow). We seem to have found a loose end that needs tying up; how convenient. The Duke, under suspicion of being a Jacobite sympathizer, is being watched at all time and thusly doesn’t inform Claire’s guard of her true identity. The Duke claims he wants out of his house as much as she does and they can help each other. But please, who would really believe that? Sandringham is clearly a pathological liar more interested in the death of Comte St. Germain (Stanley Weber) than anything else.
Remember when the writers like to put all their troubles not so far away and cram all the excitement under one roof? (Think, Parisian dinner party.) Enter Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day), stage left. Again, how convenient. The goddaughter of the Duke, she’s now engaged (yet, again) to someone she hates and hopes Claire can find her a way out of it (yet, again.) Despite all these plot contrivances, however, this is where things get interesting; when asking for Mary’s life to be put under her own control it’s revealed that one of the Duke’s servants was Mary’s attacker back in Paris and has been living under the same roof as Mary ever since.
The Duke seems less than remorseful as all comes to light. The attack had long been credited to St. Germain, but in fact, the Duke had set it up as a way to repay a debt to the Comte to attack Claire. Mary was an unfortunate side effect.
Jamie’s fast approaching the castle and Claire writes a letter to him in bad Gaelic to give to Munro, as well as give word to Mary to tell Munro to tell Jamie the whole castle is a trap. Jamie, of course, isn’t one to avoid a trap; in fact, he finds the challenge of saving his wife somewhat of a pleasant pastime. “Do you really think marrying Claire was the wisest idea?” Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) says to him as they storm the castle alone and take out soldiers one by one.
Everyone, to the kitchen! Claire finds herself calming after she learns about the Paris attack, but with a new plan to escape through the kitchen and meet up with Jamie outside. Unfortunately, there’s the Duke, eating everything in sight, really just because he can. He invites Claire to sit with him and partake in his midnight cheese board when Mary also finds her way to the front door to connect with Munro and deliver Claire’s final message for Jamie. Mary’s taken to the kitchen by the servant/resident rapist for trying to run. Mary smoothly finds a knife and unflinchingly stabs her rapist in the side. A personal victory not to be overlooked, but as with much of Outlander this season, it is overlooked.
Murtagh and Jamie bust into the kitchen to save the day, and learn the truth about the Duke and the attack in Paris. Murtagh, having blamed himself for the attack, takes it upon himself to kill the Duke, right here, right now. Heads will literally roll. The Duke’s beheaded, with an extra whack for good measure. Murtagh has, “laid vengeance at their feet”. And this is where we’re left. The Duke is dead. Claire, Jamie, Murtagh and Mary are trapped in a house surrounded by red coats and have two dead bodies to explain.
All of this is very exciting, with the characters move swiftly from plot point to plot point, but what it offers is an interesting story without heart. The series is pointing us in the direction of the Battle of Culloden, but this episode is a detour from even that storyline. As the end of the season approaches, we do get the mystery of Paris solved, and the looming threat of the Duke is gone. Randall needs to make a reappearance, because what’s a show with a villain? And, of course, we need to see the Battle.
Yet, I want to know where Claire and Jamie stand. Has Claire gotten over her PTSD? Has Jamie? Have the conflicts between them resolved to the point of not needing to mention it? Has this time on the road been healing for them, but destructive for their cause? The power of Outlander season one was in its ability to have close and intimate conversations between characters privy to the audience, but this thick, foggy storyline has blurred out the emotion within the series. Hopefully, as the season comes to a close and the ending of this Battle is determined, the fog will clear and we’ll see where everyone stands.