SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
Drama bomb! This episode was, as we Bajans would say, “hot!” And one Jenny Murray was at the centre of the entire thing, particularly as an instigator. No offense to this show and I mean this in the most sincere way possible, but in terms of the type of drama that was in this episode, it was like an episode of Jerry Springer or some trashy soap opera. Which only made it all the more amusing. Really, this episode was such a trip.
The show wasted no time in returning us to Lallybroch and having Jamie answer to Jenny for more than one crime. Firstly for making Young Ian a criminal. Which even before we found out that Jenny and Ian Sr. didn’t know that he was with Jamie, I knew that she wouldn’t have approved of. Secondly, for taking up with Claire again and bringing her back home when he had a second wife. Said second wife, of course, being the one and only Laoghaire, who is still a silly, vengeful and conniving little girl.
Honestly, the woman hasn’t changed at all and it’s even more disappointing given the redemption she received in the last season. A season in which she begged Claire for forgiveness, only to curse the woman’s existence again (not literally, verbally). Clearly she’d never gotten over her obsession with Jamie, even after two marriages.
I understand her being angered by losing the man she’d always wanted and finally had, especially to the same woman she lost him to before. But trying to kill Claire? Extorting ridiculous sums of money out of Jamie as alimony? She’s just despicable.
Claire was justifiably upset about the whole thing. He’d kept the fact that he had another wife from her and that said wife was Laoghaire made it even worse.Leading to one of their classic Claire and Jamie fights. He was really unfair to her then. Throwing the fact that she had asked him to be nice to Laoghaire into her face and then acting like she didn’t experience the same pain he did in their twenty years apart. Sometimes Jamie can be thick, but gosh, he seriously can’t be that daft that he would honestly believe that Claire was all sunshine and roses for those twenty years.
I was waiting on Claire to tell him precisely how her marriage with Frank was. Particularly to clear up the notions that she and Frank had any sort of sex life to speak of. Their marriage was loveless, sexless and cold. Not at all like the marriage she has with Jamie. He’s clearly insecure about it so I would have liked for her to explain to him what life with Frank was like during those twenty yeas.
I’m not too fond of the fact that Jamie initiated sex with Claire during the fight. To, in his words, prove how much he loved her. That’s hardly evidence of the fact. I’m even less fond of the fact that she give into it. It kind of come off like he was trying to silence her, but I know – or at least hope – that that wasn’t what he was trying to do. The fight wasn’t over at all. Claire was still very much upset, ready to leave and the matter had not at all been resolved.That was the most inappropriate time to initiate. Jenny throwing water on them was hilarious, though.
Perhaps if Jamie had had the opportunity to tell Claire about it himself, it wouldn’t have gone so terribly. And he was just about to too, before Laoghaire’s daughter and Laoghaire herself barged in. But Jenny hadn’t let Jamie tell Claire, of course.
I could not figure out why she had been so cold to Claire when she saw her again. It felt so off and weird. Then she insulted her when they were arguing about Young Ian and had just been distant for the entire episode. It was like they’d gone backward to when Jamie had first married Claire and she didn’t like her at all. But it all made sense when Jenny explained where all of that was coming from. She felt like Claire had abandoned Jamie and the rest of his family. She was right, though; had Claire stayed, she never would have given up on looking for Jamie.
If there was ever a time when I felt like Claire and Jamie should tell Jemmy the truth about everything, it was in this episode. And there were so many moments that would have been the perfect time for them to tell her. Neither of them were able to successfully lie to her. She could tell, every single time, when they were holding back information. And a few times I thought that they would have told her. Especially when she and Claire had talked alone, sitting outside. But I will trust Jamie’s judgement on how his sister would react it.
I was so excited about the prospect of them returning to Paris. I really wanted to see Louise and find out what she’s up to at present time and find out about her and Charles’ child. But with Young Ian being captured by whoever those sailors were, it looks like the trip may not happen at all. This was another moment in which I was sure the youth would die and, once again, because of Jamie. Just the boy’s capture will earn him the further ire of Jenny. I’m curious to see who these sailors are and what they want. Besides the treasure, of course.
Random thoughts:
- Jenny is a grandmother!
- Isn’t Young Ian too old for corporal punishment?
- Why is Ian the only one with a full head of grey hair?
- First Claire and now Jenny is taking a dig at Jamie for his lack of parenting experience despite having children? Low blow.
- Jenny is the real MVP! I forgot that Claire and Jamie were in a house full of people.
- Can nothing go smoothly for these two?
Outlander airs Sundays at 10 PM on Starz.
