If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know that I don’t do superfluous adulation. I don’t kiss ass, and if I tell you I liked something, I actually did. With that said, I liked this episode. Like a lot. I think I can go on record now as saying that Matt Roberts writes my favorite Outlander episodes. MARK ME, BISHES.
Real talk: there have been four episodes this season of Outlander that I thought were really great hours of television. And by that I mean: stand-alone from the books, entertaining, well-written, concise and well-paced shows. Well, three and a half. They are: the first half of episode one, “Faith”, “The Fox’s Lair” and this week’s “Je Suis Prest.” What do almost all of those episodes have in common? The character missing from the rest of this season, and my first top ten moment.
1. Scotland
It seems obvious, but this show belongs in the Highlands. Everything about it improves when it’s set in Scotland. Don’t get me wrong; France was diverting. The sets and costumes were intricate and elaborate and impressive, but it always felt like the characters, the plot and the pace were competing with the aesthetics. Maybe it’s the open air, maybe it’s the ridiculously lush landscapes, maybe it’s the dirt and the horse manure, but these characters are allowed to breathe in Scotland. And when that happens, we get great moments between them.
2. Claire’s Belted Plaid
This is such a hot look. Please keep it forever. It’s structured while also being casual, her waist looks impossibly tiny, she looks warm and 0% matronly. AND it’s character-defining. It makes Claire look resourceful, using Jamie’s Mackenzie tartan and old belt, which is sexy AND smart. Also I just want to copy this look in all ways possible come fall.
We Noticed That Too: Is that the same belt Jamie whipped her with? Fight the patriarchy with fashion, Claire. FIGHT IT HARD.
3. This Smirk
Oh, you thought this Top Ten was going to have like really important insights into why this episode worked so well? It does. One of those important insights is THIS LOOK RIGHT TF HERE. Which basically killed me dead. Need more. Will work for more of this.
Oh you need more than “Jamie looks hot here”??? Ok here it is: Jamie needs levity. Every chance we get at seeing Jamie enjoying his life, his station as a commander, as husband, as laird, as surrogate dad is precious. Cherish it. Because it’s hot.
4. These Goobers
The Timon and Pumbaa of Outlander have returned to remind us that best buddies sidekicks are important story telling devices. They offer comic relief, but also give us enough connection to the main characters to give us an emotional center important to the secondary plot line. Also, toe jam and anal jokes.
5. Laird James
Any complaints that Jamie was ever underdeveloped (which was a certified fandom thing in season one, and in some ways migrated over into this season as well) can really be put to rest after the last couple of episodes. In “The Reckoning” (another episode written by Matt Roberts … HEY YO), we started to see evidence of his cunning, his political savvy and his muster, and that came to fruition last week as he went toe to toe with the Old Fox. Now, we see him command men with fortitude and good faith, grace and stability and honor. This is the Jamie that you expect men to follow into battle. I loved his pep talk to his men. It was straightforward and funny but not bombastic. He didn’t need to be William Wallace. JAMMF is much more effective. Because he’s hot.
Not to mention how successful he was going up against Uncle Doug. How many altercations do these guys need to have before Dougal gets the point that Jamie’s in charge and he’s not putting up with your shit? I lost count but I’m glad Jamie didn’t back down. If he had bowed to Dougal even for a moment, we would have despaired of that aspect we know and love about JAMMF. Plus it was hot.
6. Claire’s Bitch Faces to Dougal
I think I counted 9 different bitch faces when Dougal returned. I cherished each and every one of them. But there’s a reason this makes the list and not Dougal’s half hearted attempt to manipulate Claire into helping him calm Jamie down. Very simply, Claire does best when her disdain is underhanded. She has no chill over that cauldron later with Dougal, and it weakens her assertion that “I would hold a grudge if I ever thought of you, but I don’t.” Uh, methinks the lady doth protest too much and all that. Because you are on fire the moment he starts talking. Take it down a notch, Claire. BITCH FACE HIM OUT instead.
We Noticed That Too: Claire as the ultimate Outsplainer … thanks for giving us that Greek mythology lesson. That really really showed Dougal who was boss.
7. Claire’s Trauma
It always appeared to me in the books that Claire was overly stoic about her time in WWII, so I considered this thread of her post-traumatic stress syndrome a fantastic addition to what surely had to be a harrowing situation for her. She wasn’t just enlisted in a war, serving with strangers with a list of duties and a timetable for trench foot lectures. She’s following the love of her life, the people she’s made her family into a battle she KNOWS they are going to lose.
I loved how the flashbacks to her time as a WWII nurse were peppered throughout the clansmen’s preparations. It felt organic and original, and was a perfect insight into her state of mind. Jamie’s concern for her and attempts to bring her out of it and into his confidence were huge reminders of their connection. Jamie’s quiet strength bolstering Claire when she’s vulnerable is part of what makes them so compelling. Also, it’s hot.
8. Lord Grey vs Red Jamie
If you aren’t a book reader, William Grey seems like a pretty inconsequential character, maybe even a plot device to keep the company moving and to give them a small advantage in any upcoming skirmishes. Not to Outsplain™ to anyone who hasn’t read the books, but readers know that he will be a very important character soon enough. (So much so that Diana Gabaldon has an entire series of novels dedicated to him alone).
And that’s kind of how it gets interesting. He denounces Jamie as the traitorous rebel “Red Jamie” and JAMMF plays the part to perfection. You can imagine Lord Grey as the hero of his own story coming across a band of Highland warriors, arm being broken by the head of the clan, tortured for information, etc. How different Jamie and the entire situation looks from his POV.
We Noticed That Too: When Jamie flipped Lord Grey onto the ground he landed right where he’d been relieving himself. Is there anything on this show that doesn’t eventually end up drenched in piss?
We Noticed That Too: How long had Lord Grey been watching Jamie with his kilt lifted in order to recognize him as Red Jamie by firelight? I thought guys were supposed to avert their eyes. But you know…Jamie’s hot, so.
9. Improv Claire
This is two weeks in a row that Claire has had to put on a little impromptu show to get shit done. Forget Health and Wellness Class During Trench Foot Awareness Week, Claire needs to go on the encampment circuit doing improv classes.
I love that Claire assessed the situation and acted quickly and mostly in an effort to save Jamie from having to mutilate a young boy. What else could her motivation have been? Although it felt like kind of a low blow for her to use the same wordage for her fake-sacrifice to save this stranger as Jamie used in his real one to save her in Wentworth. Too soon.
We Noticed That Too: Claire is always repeating things VERBATIM that other people have said to her in other contexts when she is “acting.”
This scene gave us all kinds of goodness: Jamie’s under-his-breath “sassenach” after getting kneed in the balls was probably my favorite. Good for you coming to the rescue again with your mediocre stage skills, Claire Fraser. Also for giving Jamie a reason to say “ravish.” Twas hot.
We Noticed That Too: Murtagh was enjoying this a little too much.
10. Commando Jamie
(I was under the impression that he was always commando.) HOWEVER, I love hyped up, post-raid Jamie a whole lot. In fact, he was so cute coming back from his little coup, that it would have been a perfect opportunity to slip in that waterweed we were missing from season one. NOT THAT I AM BITTER ABOUT THAT. More success-drunk Jamie, please. It’s hot.
We Noticed That Too: Lord Grey found them because of their unsheltered fires, so what do they do right when the British troops are going to be pissed that someone took the wheels from their canon? Light a giant bonfire.
Bonus We Noticed That Too: WTF are these tools?
So, am I alone in thinking this was one of the better episodes of the season? What did you think of how they handled Claire’s PTSD? What about Lord John Grey’s introduction? What are you looking forward to next week?
Join us Monday night, June 6th at 10pm EST/7pm PST for our discussion of this week’s episode LIVE on Google Hangouts/YouTube. You can RSVP at this link to get a reminder before it starts, or you can follow the #Hangoutlander hashtag on twitter. We will tweet out the LIVE link on YouTube minutes before we get started. See you Monday night!
