Outlander 2014

Outlander: Both Sides Now – Review

Did anyone else watch this episode with a sinking heart? The last new episode before a cruel 6-month “hiatus…” more like hate us. They must, they really must hate us, whining and moaning about having to wait so long for the second half of the season! But this episode gave us a fair amount to think about and hold over – both completely true to the book and totally new material; Claire’s conflict and dilemma, and Frank’s heartbreak and anger.

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If you haven’t read the books, it’s at this point in the story when Frank nearly ceases to be a factor. Diana Gabaldon has given us nothing of his search, his panic and worry; here, we have that gap filled. Ron Moore couldn’t leave it like this – and I will say, many fans will tell you that they had no interest in Frank’s side of the story, what with Jamie and all. But Frank is important – to Claire – and should be important to us. Why can’t she just say, oh heck, I thought I knew what love was, but look, look at this stunning Highlander who I now know is my soulmate? Because then why would she still want to run off to the stones if she felt that way! Frank isn’t a bad man, he didn’t treat her poorly (despite the efforts of viewers trying to make parallels to Frank’s wanting a quickie, registry office wedding compared to the concern-for-her-feelings event Jamie put together with the help of the Mackenzie Wedding Planner group) – he loves her. And she loves him. Maybe it’s not the same love that she will grow to have with Jamie – at this moment, really, it’s stronger and deeper than her bond with Jamie. To both of them, it’s worth fighting for and trying to keep.

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(A note on the above picture – this is a sketch made from Frank’s glimpse of the “man” outside Claire’s window in episode 1. If you can’t read the handwritten note on it, it says “Jacobite brooch, possibly Eighteenth Century,” with something that looks suspiciously like Ellen’s brooch – seen in last week’s episode. How good of a look did Frank really have, in the dark and in the rain?!?)

Frank’s descent – his “taste of the cup,” as Reverend Wakefield puts it, is completely understandable. Despite their efforts, the Inverness police don’t really think anything sinister has happened to Claire. They believe, as Frank refuses to, that’s she’s run off with the mysterious Highlander, her lover.

Disappointed. That’s an interesting word. That suggests expectations that were unmet. My expectations of your department were low to begin with, and I can assure you, you’ve met those expectations at every turn.

Reverend Wakefield has tried to be a good friend, putting up with Frank’s grieving for 7 weeks at this point, offering any help he could, but he too begins to think that maybe Claire has chosen to leave. “Go back to Oxford, start your life over,” he tells Frank. “Let her go, just as she has let you go.” But Frank holds out hope, even being taken in by a con artist, who preys on his desperation and sets him up to be robbed of the reward he’s offered. At this point, we see just how far down Frank has fallen – he beats the thief, reminding us of his ancestor Jack Randall. But without seeing Frank’s frantic worry, we won’t understand why Claire is so conflicted and guilt-ridden!

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Mrs. Graham, the Reverend’s housekeeper, and leader of the druid dancers from Episode 1, sees the disappearance as something potentially completely different (and I apologize, I keep wanting to break into Monty Python at this point, thank you Alyson Bailey). Frank is unwilling to put any stock in this possibility, even though his historian background should tell him that not everything has a logical explanation.

The stories are old, some say as old as the stones themselves. The stories are passed down from generation to generation, through ballads and songs. I first heard them from my grandmother, and she from hers. The songs tell stories of people who… travel thorugh the stones. Not literally through the stone itself. You see, the circle at Craigh na Dun marks a place where the powers of nature come together. The stones gather the powers and give it focus, like a glass, ye ken? And for certain people, on certain days, it allows them to pierce the veil of time. You know your wife went up that hill on the day she vanished, and she didn’t come back down, at least not in 1945.  I believe she traveled to… some other time.

Can I add here, how cute is little Roger Wakefield? That adorable round face! Those of you who haven’t read the books – you’re probably sitting there saying, “but who is that little cutie and what the heck is he doing in my story?” I know I promised not to write from the viewpoint of someone who knows more than you do – but I think it’s only fair to give you just a bit of information so you don’t think that Ron Moore went off his rocker. Roger is a character that we will see next season, in a very important role. If you are enjoying this show so far, I think it might be at this point, since you have six months without any new episodes, that you may want to pick up a copy of Outlander and read it.

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And what is Claire doing while Frank has fallen into the pit? She seems to be finding a bit of happiness in her forced marriage, not seeming any too displeased with herself. Jamie certainly isn’t displeased with what life has handed to him!

Can I ask you a question? I don’t mean to imply that you have some vast knowledge of men, but you certainly have more knowledge than I do in such matters. Is it usual, what it is between us when I touch you, and you lie with me? Is it always so between a man and a woman?

It’s often something like this, but no, this isn’t usual. It’s different.

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Oh, Claire, you have such a way with words… Different, indeed.

At some point, obviously, Jamie has told Claire (but not the audience, so here’s some info you need to know) that he is actually a Laird in his own right – not as powerful as Colum, certainly, but he is the laird of an estate called Lallybroch. Remember the scene from episode 2 where Black Jack defiles Jamie’s sister Jenny? That is at their home, and Jamie is the head of the estate, following the death of his father. But circumstances – and the price on his head – have kept him from returning home.

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Now, though, fate, and the wonderfully sweet Hugh Munro, may have brought an opportunity to remove that price by being able to present the truth of Jamie’s innocence in the crime of which he has been accused. I love Claire’s sweetness with this maimed, mute beggar man, as she recognizes him to be intelligent, caring, and a good friend to Jamie. The “wedding present” he gives her has significance – this is a dragonfly preserved in ancient amber – and what’s the name of book 2, that will become Season 2? Why, it’s Dragonfly in Amber! (Get that next week, after you’ve finished Outlander.)

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Lest you think all is fun and love out on the road (remember, our group is still on their rent-collecting sojourn), we get a wee bit o’action with the raiding party. I, and anyone else who likes their scifi/time travel/romance/history stories with a bit of adventure on the side, might have enjoyed this scene a bit more had it not been so quick to pass. The swordsmanship and expertise of our men could have been shown to better advantage; this is one of those times when Ron Moore’s choice to use natural lighting turns a good scene into a barely viewable one. But Ned Gowan sure seemed pleased with himself, as he chased off the raiders with one shot!

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And having tasted a bit of danger, the crew decides that Claire needs to know how to defend herself. “I still say the only good weapon for a woman is poison,” Murtagh mutters to Dougal. “Aye, but has certain deficiencies in combat,” he answers. They find Claire a small knife – a sgian dhu, and teach her to use it. Who knew it would come in so handy so soon? As Jamie and Claire have a romantic moment, they’re set upon by a pair of dirty Redcoat deserters, and Claire is nearly raped; her little knife and her self-defense class save her life. Jamie’s guilt for putting her in this situation and not being able to protect her rip them both apart – Claire goes into shock and Jamie goes into extremely protective mode.

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Jamie leaves with the men to meet the mysterious man who may be able to clear his name, and puts young Willy in charge of protecting her; little do any of them know that they’ve left her within sight of Craigh na Dun, and left alone, afraid, and still in some state of shock from the previous days’ encounter, she is pulled in many directions.

The last time I was here, I was Claire Randall. Then Claire Beauchamp. Then Claire Fraser.
The question was, who did I want to be?

I can hear you all screaming at the TV – “Claire Fraser! You want to be Claire Fraser!” But keep in mind that while she may have enjoyed her so-far-brief marriage to Jamie, he is not yet the love of her life – and she believes still that Frank is. She takes a deep breath – and off she goes, toward the stones. At the same time, Frank, trying to find a way to a life without her, arrives at Craigh na Dun at the the same time (202 years apart). I love the juxtaposition of Claire, running toward Frank, and Frank, desperate to find her, calling out to each other, somehow able to hear the calls across time.

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Whether Claire would have been able to go back through the stones or not – remember, it was Samhain (pronounce Sawain, see episode 1), one of the mystical days Mrs. Graham referred to when Claire came through the first time – she isn’t given the chance. Why were those Redcoats there? How did they know to grab her? Was there a BOLO out for a wild-haired woman? But take her they do – and she knows it’s back to Black Jack Randall – and the wheels turn.

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Claire uses the few moments she has to think – think hard, girl – how can she save herself from what she knows is coming? Aha! The ol’ Duke of Sandringham gambit – good thing she listened when she had the chance.

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But Claire doesn’t know when to stop talking – and Jack trips her up by asking if she’s been in communication with the Duchess – and he knows she’s bluffing, as the Duke has never been married (and you’ll learn why in future shows…). The 18th century was brutal on women, wasn’t it? Claire is nearly raped twice in one episode – and we have our 6-month cliffhanger!

I’ll thank you to take your hands off my wife.

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I have a couple of problems with this being our last episode before a 6-month break – the first is, we don’t get any more episodes for six months! But the biggest one is, are you invested enough in this story to come back? The huge majority of fans of the books – those clamoring for every bit of information we can find – will be back, probably trying to figure out how to overcome their alcohol addiction gained from trying to numb the pain of six months away. But those of you who are enjoying this right now without having read the books – can the show, ending at this point, sustain your interest for six months, enough to make you eager to rejoin Jamie and Claire, to be waiting breathlessly to find out whether he actually saves her from the sadist? I’m not sure. This wasn’t a “who shot JR” type of cliffhanger – Jamie’s our hero, we now know, so odds are good that Claire will be rescued, but was this enough of a taste to make you come back begging for more? I hope so! The first half of the season hasn’t been without its flaws, some slight missteps, and a few things that Ron Moore may be wishing he could do over at this point; but overall, the writing, acting and photography have been excellent – but will you come back? We’ll see… come April 4, 2015.

I’ll have lots of stuff for you between now and then – I’m thinking a contest or two, some fun articles, and of course any news Starz passes along to us. Watch for an announcement about a Facebook event threeifbyspace is planning for Outlander, and keep coming back to join us – we’ll make it through!

Go Inside the World of Outlander

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