In the last episode, just as Claire
had become extremely disillusioned with Dougal and his MacKenzie sidekicks, she
is offered an escape by a gallant English officer, Lieutenant Jeremy
Foster. Claire hesitates, but tells the
Lieutenant that she is the guest of Clan MacKenzie. He insists that she accompany him to see his
commanding officer, and Dougal says he will go with her (although Claire knows
he hates the English soldiers). A
foppish English officer (Brigadier General Sir Oliver Lord Thomas) welcomes
Claire to his dinner table – he appears to have wandered out of Georgette Heyer
– and he and his pals insult Dougal, who says softly they should have stayed in
London if they don’t like the local accent.
Claire appears quite at home
with the nobility despite having been camping for weeks and wearing the same
dress all that time. At first she revels
in the company of her countrymen and they are equally delighted to be
entertained by a delicately bred Englishwoman.
Genially, Lord Thomas instructs Lieutenant Foster to escort her to Inverness,
and Claire thinks she is home free until Captain Jonathan Randall, our villain,
bursts in. They glare at each other but
pretend they haven’t met. Lord Thomas
suggests that Captain Randall bring Claire to Inverness so he can hear about
her adventures. Captain Randall tells
Claire about an English private who was killed by the Scots, Isis-style. While Claire expresses sorrow over his fate,
she points out that she encountered some Highlanders who had apparently been
crucified by the English without due process.
The English officers don’t see that both sides are exercising vigilante
justice, and see Claire’s candid opinions as disloyal. Captain Randall seizes the opportunity to
impugn her morals and accuses her of sleeping with Dougal (in Dougal's dreams!). Claire says that’s a
scurrilous lie, and Randall pretends to apologize. Claire is so angry she defends the Scots and
their right to their own land, which offends her hosts.
There is a skirmish outside
the town and Claire offers to help with the wounded, startling the English officers
who don’t know she’s a healer. She warns
Dougal to make himself scarce because the English will want someone to blame,
then she assists with an amputation without anesthesia (just in case you forgot
that medicine in the 18th century is primitive). When she returns to the elegant dining room,
the English officers are all gone except Randall who is being shaved by his batsman. Claire has a flashback to Frank, using the
same blade, but with her affectionate assistance. Randall dismisses the servant and tells
Claire that her outspoken comments make her loyalty questionable. However, he tells her he wants to apologize
for their previous encounters and says he hopes they can start again with
honesty on both sides. “My honesty will
match yours, Captain,” Claire replies warily.
Randall states her behavior
labels her as a trollop or a spy. Desperate,
Claire makes up a new story, saying she was betrayed by a lover stationed in
Scotland. Randall doesn’t believe her,
but says if she gives him evidence that Dougal is raising money for the
Jacobites, he will bring her to Inverness.
Claire insists she never heard any discussion of treason. Randall threatens to torture her to get the
information he wants. Furious, Claire
tells Randall she’s heard about his notorious lashing of a young Scot and we
get an unpleasant and way too long flashback to Jamie getting flogged while Randall enjoys it. Jamie’s refusal to beg for mercy made his
punishment worse, just as Claire refuses to back down to Randall. If you had any doubt about Randall's character, hearing
him talk about the beauty of the flogging shows you how sick he is. Claire, revolted but trying not to show weakness, listens to Randall blame
war and the Scots for what he has become.
She tells him he can choose to be the man he wants to be, despite what
he has done. He says he can start by escorting
her to Inverness but he is toying with her; he calls his servant, Corporal
Hawkins, back into the room, but when he helps Claire up, he punches her in the
stomach. As she lies gasping on the
floor, he forces the corporal to kick her Kick her, milksop!” Dougal bursts in just in time to rescue
Claire, warning Randall to let her go unless he wants to start a war. here.
on this day.
Randall gives in reluctantly
but commands Dougal, “Be sure to deliver her to Fort William by sundown
tomorrow, if she is not present at the appointed time, you’ll be accused of
harboring a fugitive from English law and you’ll hunted down and punished even unto
death, war chief or not.”
How Claire could get on a
horse after Randall’s abuse, I don’t know, but they gallop away and she manages
stay on while Dougal leads her to a mysterious pool and tells her to drink. Then Dougal pulls a
sword and asks her yet again if she is a spy.
Angrily, Claire denies it. He
tells her he brought her to St. Ninian’s Spring; according to legend, anyone
who drinks must tell the truth, so because she drank he finally believes she isn’t a spy. Dougal explains the only way he can save Claire
from Captain Randall is for her to marry a Scot: then the English would have no
jurisdiction over her. Claire refuses
and asks suspiciously if she is to marry Dougal but he makes it clear that
while he lusts for her (like everyone else), Jamie is the lucky guy.
When Jamie appears, looking a million times
more attractive than Dougal (although Dougal looked pretty good when he rescued
Claire from Randall), Claire is reading her own marriage contract drafted by
everyone’s favorite 18th century lawyer, Ned Gowan. Claire is surprised that Jamie is willing to
marry her and asks if there isn’t someone he is interested in. Surprised,
Jamie reminds her he has a price on his head so isn’t the most eligible prospect. She can’t believe he is so willing to go
along with Dougal’s plan and finally pulls out her last objection, “Doesn’t it
bother you that I’m not a virgin?” Jamie
replies slowly, “Ah, no, so long as it doesn’t bother you that I am.” Shyly he
adds, “I reckon one of use should ken what they’re doing!” Stunned,
Claire gulps down some convenient alcohol as Jamie saunters back to the men,
who are waiting patiently for the wedding.
What’s Important About This Episode:
·
Claire is torn
between the Highlanders who have more or less protected her and the English,
her own people, who (by disappearing) allow Randall to mistreat her
·
Claire continues
to be freaked out by Randall’s resemblance to his descendant, Frank, one who
hates her and one who loves her.
·
Randall’s
obsession with torturing Jamie is made all too clear – both in the flashback
and in his delight in recounting it to Claire
·
Fabulous scene
with Claire and Randall with incredible tension and great acting on both
sides. Just as in the book, the viewer
forgets to breathe and is stunned by Randall’s unexpected brutality at the end.
·
Lord Thomas may
be the garrison commander but it is Captain Randall who decides who gets kicked
·
Despite Dougal’s
flaws, he protects Claire even when dangerous to do so (partly because she is
the clan’s guest and partly because he hates Randall)
·
Claire and Jamie
to marry! Isn’t that what we’ve been
waiting for since episode one?! But what
role reversal – it’s the hero who is young and so-to-speak untouched and the
heroine who is experienced.
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