Catch up on Outlander: “The Way Out” — Aug. 23, 2014

ByElaine G. Flores, Chief Editor

Jamie gazes at Claire in the "No Way Out" episode of OutlanderNurse Claire Randall had a rough week. She accidentally time traveled from the 20th century to 1743 without her husband, Frank and was immediately nearly raped by Frank’s doppelgänger ancestor, the sadistic redcoat Black Jack Randall. Claire was rescued/kidnaped by Scottish rebels and is now stuck at Castle Leoch. The castle’s sickly laird, Colum MacKenzie, compelled her to stay on as a healer. On the upside, she gets to work from home in the locked dungeon and has a chance to tend chiseled, accident-prone dreamboat Jamie Fraser, a rebel soldier. They share so much in common, an appreciation for music, hatred of Black Jack and a knack for coming up with aliases to save their bacon.

Let’s go!

Outlander wants you to know that Claire’s ahead of her time, so we get a shot of her husband waving goodbye as she goes to serve at the front as a nurse. It’s yet another one of those classic locomotive scenes, but with a gender twist. Frank avoids running alongside waving a hanky. Poor Frank, are there any Frank and Claire shippers? Do they have an amalgamated name yet? Until someone fills me in, I’m going with “Crank.”

Back in the 1700s, Claire has a fake-out fantasy sequence in which she confides her Tardis tale to head housekeeper Mrs. Fitzgibbons. Even in Claire’s daydream, she’s denounced as a witch, so she reconsiders oversharing. That whole demon thing comes up again when a chambermaid’s child dies. This show insists on aiming Chekov’s gun at your head so we know all this demon talk is going to be a theme.

Frank and Claire in the "No Way Out" episode of OutlanderClaire’s mission is to gain trust with Colum and his brother Dougal. Good luck with that last part. Having diagnosed Colum’s degenerative disease, she uses herbal remedies to ease the pain. A spine-massage from Claire does not suck for the bare-bottomed laird. The massage scene results in a happy ending, the laird invites her to enjoy music at the hall that night. Dougal’s form of praise is to refer to Claire as a slightly less feral cat than the one he found on the road. At least, he’s not threatened to slit her throat again, so baby steps.

We learn two things at the recital, Claire talks during performances and Jaime is oblivious to flirtatious lasses when Claire is next to him. The lovestruck lassie is Laoghaire MacKenze, the allegedly “loose” girl whom Jamie saved from a humiliating public beating by being  Katniss Everdeen. Despite Laoghaire’s attempts to capture his attention, Jamie basically says, “Here hold my glass, I gotta go use my wounded shoulder as an excuse to unresolved sexual tension all over the place with Claire.” Jamie “MacTavish” escorts a tipsy “Mistress Beauchamp” to her romantic candlelit dungeon/office so he can exhibit his talent for delivering smoldering glances while simultaneously looking shy. So many mixed messages with this one.The next day Claire sees Laoghaire kiss Jamie. At dinner, Claire snarks about how swollen his lips are and asks if he’s been kicked by a filly. He responds with some footsie under the table. Oh, these two. Claire goes off to cry alone because she wants him so bad misses intimacy with Frank.

Geillis Duncan, Claire’s new friend, and possible witch, tells her that an exorcism is being performed on Mrs. Fitz’s young nephew. Claire scoffs, but Geillis who purrs all her lines in a way that suggests subtext, asks if Claire doesn’t believe in the supernatural. That Geillis knows something about Claire’s predicament, I’m certain of it. In any case, Claire gets to visit her friend in the village since she’s now Claire’s official herb dealer. In addition to exorcism, the year 1743 tortures hungry boys who steal a loaf of bread. Beautiful young Geillis is wedded to the public prosecutor Arthur. He looks like an old toad and is prone to flatulence. Take a moment to swoon, ladies. Geillis uses her seductive charm to convince Arthur to reduce the boy’s horrific punishment to something marginally less horrific. All the child has to do now is to have his ear nailed to a pillory until he rips himself away. This passes as village entertainment. The only way for Claire to help is by distracting the crowd with a dramatic fainting spell while Jamie rips off the Band-Aid by quickly pulling the boy from the nail. See? That wasn’t so bad. Claire’s next order of business is to piss off cruel, superstitious and misogynistic Father Bain by interrupting the exorcism of Mrs. Fitz’s ill nephew with actual medical care. Mrs. Fitz and her sister are grateful. Bain goes home to grumble about witches and cry over his copy of The Crucible.

Jamie brings Claire to another night of music where the bard sings of a folktale about a woman who touched some stones which led her to travel in time, when she touched the stones again, she went back to her own time. Claire finds this song inspirational. The 18th century thinks of ways to keep her around because the year 1743 is a hardcore shipper.

Please note that comments don’t appear immediately. If you’ve read the books, please don’t share any spoilers for those of us who have only watched the TV show. Thanks!!!

Elaine is the chief editor of TV Recappers' Delight. She's an experienced entertainment reporter, reviewer, editor, blogger, columnist and Bon Vivant.

More from TVRD

  • Outlander: “The Search” — May 9, 2015

    ByElaine G. Flores, Chief Editor

    Claire took a wrong turn in 1945 and wound up in 1743 — we’ve all been there, right? Fun fact: 18th-century Scotland gives severe side-eye to an English outsider or “Sassenach.” It’s also an era where weapons training is a necessity for women. On the other hand, there’s Claire’s new husband Jamie Fraser who is made of dreamy. He was also a fugitive from the redcoats due to some trumped-up charges and has been recaptured. You know who doesn’t sit around like a damsel-in-distress? Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, that’s who! The sassy Sassenach set out on a dangerous quest to rescue her man. Jamie’s got a no-nonsense sister, Jenny Murray, a badass godfather Murtagh Fraser. He also has his Uncle Dougal MacKenzie, kind of; Dougal’s a solid warrior, but he can be shifty.

  • Outlander: “Lallybroch” — April 25, 2015

    ByElaine G. Flores, Chief Editor

    Ever since becoming trapped in 18th-century Scotland, Claire has been trying to reach Cragh na Dun, the ancient stones, which caused her accidental time travel. Claire passed the time (no pun intended) by marrying dreamboat Jamie Fraser (it’s complicated), Jamie is nearly perfect, so perfect that after Claire finally confessed her bizarre secret, he took her to the stones so that she could return to 1945. When Jamie walked away so that Claire could go back to Frank, modern conveniences and disinfectant — which the nurse is always yammering about. No woman in her right mind would want to live in the dangerous and violent year of 1743, right? Have you seen Jamie? Buh-bye, disinfectant.

  • Catch up on Outlander: “The Wedding” — Sept. 20, 2014

    ByElaine G. Flores, Chief Editor

    One minute you’re in 1945 with your husband Frank Randall and then you’re in 1743 to unresolved sexual tension all over the place with Jamie Fraser. That’s what happens when you go snooping around pagan ceremonies, Claire. The first person she encountered was Frank’s doppelganger, Captain Black Jack Randall. His curriculum vitae includes attempting to rape Claire and flogging Jamie until he nearly killed him. Claire’s been staying at Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan, Black Jack interrogated her with his fists and now the MacKenzies will have to turn the English woman over to the redcoats— unless she becomes a Scot by marriage. Rebel leader Dougal MacKenzie plays matchmaker and arranges for Claire and Jamie to have a quickie wedding.

  • Catch up on Outlander: “The Gathering” — Aug. 30, 2014

    ByElaine G. Flores, Chief Editor

    Nurse Claire Randall has had just about enough of being imprisoned at Castle Leoch, thank you very much. Now that she’s familiar with a local legend about time travel, Claire is certain that she can find her way to Craigh na Dun and the mystical stone which will deliver her from 1743 to 1945 where she can reunite with her husband, Frank, and her beloved disinfectant which she never shuts up about. She doesn’t realize that the 18th century is still a hardcore Claire and Jamie shipper and has no interest in dousing all that hot unresolved sexual tension.

  • Outlander: “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” — April 11, 2015

    ByElaine G. Flores, Chief Editor

    Returning to 1945 and her husband Frank Randall isn’t the priority it once was for Claire whose unintentional time travel landed her into the arms of 18th century heartthrob Jamie Fraser. Jamie’s hobbies include being handsome, repeatedly getting injured so that he has to take off his shirt, battling the sadistic redcoat Captain Black Jack Randall and working to have his name cleared of trumped-up murder charges so he can come out of hiding and assume his position as laird of his family estate, Lallybroch. Jamie and Claire’s sudden marriage dashed the hopes of Laoghaire MacKenzie, who believes that she would have Jamie were it not for Claire. The petulant pest hopes hocus-pocus will turn Jamie against his new wife. Oh Honey, there’s not enough magic in the world. On the other hand, Claire’s mysterious friend Geillis Duncan knows how to take out her own competition.