The honeymoon period is over for Claire and Jamie in this new episode. It showed the romance between these two star-crossed lovers is about to be tested and the dangers that exist for Jamie. While it didn’t necessarily move the overall season plot forward, it was enough to get things more moving from the last episode.
Synopsis: In the aftermath of a violent confrontation, Claire follows her conscience as a surgeon, even though it could put her and Jamie’s lives at risk. At the same time, Jamie attempts to evade the reach of the Crown as its representative closes in on his illegal dealings. (IMDB)
Writer: Karen Campbell
Director: Norma Bailey
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 64mins
Picking up from the last episode, Claire is fending off her attacker (named Barton), who was rummaging through their room in search of Jamie’s ledger. Luckily, Barton, clumsily falls backwards and hits his head on the stone base of a fireplace; causing him to be knocked out. Arriving shortly after, Jamie finding out that Barton is still breathing, wants to dispose of the man and kill him. However, Claire, being a doctor, desires to try and save the man’s life, whisking herself off to a healing place for some supplies
As Claire does that (as well as coming across an interesting woman who claims to be a seer but is really a individual who has a mental disorder and has been “doped” up on too much laudanum), Jamie gets an unexpected visit from Sir Perceval (the guy that Jamie met with during the last episode). Perceval, who shares in the profits of Jamie’s smuggling trade but has gotten wind of Jamie’s expanding operations elsewhere, begins to search Madame Jeanne’s brothel (along with his hired man named Tompkins) to find Jamie’s storage of smuggled wine. Thankfully, Jamie instructed Fergus and Young Ian (the son of Ian and Jenny, making him Jamie’s nephew) to move the hidden cache of smuggled wine of the brothel earlier and try to sell it off. So, with Percival and Tompkins not finding the cache, the pair storm off, warning Jamie to be on his guard as they will be watching him.
Following that, Claire, returning with the necessary supplies and tools, begins to help Barton, trying to delicately remove the swelling of his head before he dies. Unfortunately, Claire is unsuccessful and Barton dies from his wounds, despite Claire’s attempt to save him. Later that night, after the trying events of the day, Claire and Jamie share a private moment, but the mood is tarnished as the pair have their first spat since their reunion, challenging their beliefs and their large time apart from one another. This was a very interesting part of the episode as it showed that their romantic reunion with each other is starting to wane. Plus, Jamie dropped hints (via talking to Fergus) that Claire doesn’t know about Jamie’s “other wife”. Who is it?
Anyways, while this event is going on between Claire and Jamie, Young Ian, after a flirtatious go around with a young barmaid (who he taken a shine to), discovers that Tompkins is searching around Jamie’s printshop for clues on where he’s hiding the smuggled wine cache. After a confrontation with Tompkins, who finds Jamie’s printed pamphlets against the crown with the evidence to accuse him of sedition, Young Ian is hurt as the print shop is suddenly set ablaze with fire. Also, Claire and Jamie got a visit from Young Ian’s father (Ian), who asks if they have seen his son. Jamie states to Ian that he hasn’t seen his son, later explaining to Claire that Young Ian has repeatedly left home to venture off with Jamie, revealing that there’s more to Young Ian than meets the eyes as he will probably become a major player in the coming episodes. The episode ends with Jamie entering his burning print shop and saving Young Ian from the building. As the building continues to burn, Jamie and Claire decide to leave Edinburgh and take Young Ian back to Lallybroch and stay there for a while to regroup and plan their next move
All in all, this was an episode that felt more like a filler episode. It was good, but wasn’t grand as it didn’t show much of the passion of the last episode or move the season’s narrative forward. It did, however, show that the relationship between Claire and Jamie is about to make a sudden turn, foreshadowing that their relationship is about to be tested. One can only imagine what awaits them for the rest of this season.
7.5 Out of 10
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