Lieutenant Jeremy Foster thinks the MacKenzie clan might be holding Claire against her will. While she is technically a prisoner at Castle Leoch, it’s kind of complicated since Claire has a rapport with the Scots and gets to go to music recitals and everything. As the redcoats escort Claire to meet British officers. Dougal insists on coming along, when he’s not threatening to kill Claire, he can seem almost protective in his own suspicious and occasionally groping way. Claire realizes that yes the redcoats torture people, and yes they oppress the Scottish, but the Brits are her people. They don’t imprison her, exclude her by speaking Gaelic or look at her with suspicion. Claire thinks this is her chance to get dropped off in Inverness and find Criagh na Dun, the mystical standing stones that transported her to the 18th century.

Just because Dougal MacKenzie threatens to slit your throat or assault you doesn’t mean he’s no fun at all. The Scottish rebel leader has invited Claire Randall on a road trip to collect rent for the laird because the travel party might need a healer. The only trip Claire wants to make is one on the Tardis so she get out of 1743 and return to her husband Frank who is all by his lonesome in 1945. Dreamy Jaime Fraser is on the trip too, but he doesn’t have as much time to unresolved sexual tension all over the place when he’s with his bros. It’s all “me too” instead of saying “I love you” when they’re on the phone.

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 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.”

Claire is taken to meet Colum MacKenzie, laird of the castle and Jamie’s maternal uncle. Gotta be honest, he’s no Dougal. Claire has the good sense to keep mum about her ride on the Tardis, so she makes up a cover story about being a widow, who was traveling to France. She does tell the truth about nearly being raped by Black Jack Randall, but wisely uses the surname Beauchamp since a tie to Black Jack is the kind of thing that gets your throat slit.

Poking around in Druid business is the kind of thing that pulls you out of the 1945 and lands you in the 1743. It’s a rough era, especially for a woman and there’s not so much in the way of a good dental plan, but there are definitely perks.