'Outlander' opinion recap – Episode 109 – 'The Reckoning'

This episode is the first one of the second half of season one of Outlander. Unlike the previous episodes, it’s shown from Jamie NOT Claire’s point of view, with frequent voiceovers from Jamie with his thoughts on what’s happening in the episode.

The episode begins where the last episode left off six months ago. Jamie has a wonderfully insightful voiceover/inner monologue as he throws stones into a spring, where he talks about looking back on his life and how he became a man when he realized that “every step I’d taken was a choice. To go left, to go right, to go forward or even not go at all. Every day, every man has a choice. Between right and wrong, between love and hate sometimes between life and death, and the sum of those choices, becomes your life. The day I realized that, was the day I became a man.” This was a powerful monologue because it foreshadows the difficult choices he must make in this episode and in his new marriage to Claire.

Then, Murtagh comes to tell Jamie that Horrocks has arrived for their meeting. Horrocks is a British army deserter, who has agreed to give Jamie the name of the man who really killed the British Sergeant that the British think Jamie killed. There is some understandable tension during the meeting, but then Horrocks tells Jamie and the others that it was “Black Jack” who killed the British Sergeant. Ned and the others are skeptical that “Black Jack” would kill one of his own men, but Jamie doesn’t look surprised. He shouldn’t be, he knows how twisted “Black Jack” is, but he replies that he can’t name “Black Jack” as the killer to save himself for obvious reasons, who would believe him especially without any proof? Horrocks then leaves and Willie rides up screaming for Jamie, who immediately knows something must have happened with Claire.

Willie tells Jamie that he left Claire to relieve himself and when he came back she had wondered off and been captured by British soldiers. Jamie’s face says it all; he MUST rescue her because he knows she was taken to “Black Jack” at Fort William.

We next see Jamie getting dressed in his kilt and armed with a pistol. Then, at nightfall, he, Murtagh, Angus and Rupert go to Fort William to rescue Claire. Jamie and Murtagh accost a British patrolman and threaten him until he tells them where Claire is being held. Murtagh has no problem threatening to castrate the patrolman if he doesn’t tell them where she is. Then, once he does, he knocks him in the head with his rifle anyway, which I found humorous. The men then separate as Jamie goes to the roof.

Jamie then knocks out another patrolman on the roof. He then checks his pistol and climbs down a rope to the window where Claire is being held. As Jamie is climbing down a rope on the side of the tower, he can hear Claire screaming since “Black Jack” already has her over a table with a knife to her bare nipple (which we saw in the previous episode.) Jamie then bursts in the window, pistol drawn and says to “Black Jack” with a look of sheer determination, “I’ll thank you to take your hands off my wife.” In true sick “Black Jack” fashion, instead of being intimidated, he starts to laugh and asks Jamie how the scars on his back from the floggings he gave him look, all the while not removing the knife from Claire. Jamie then comes into the room as Claire begs him to shoot “Black Jack,” who then moves the knife to her throat. Jamie never waivers his pistol’s aim at “Black Jack,” who remains calm and collected as he asks if Jamie would like to join them (i.e. threesome, ick!) Heughan’s (Jamie) expression of pure hate makes the scene even more compelling and Menzies (“Black Jack”) eerily cool demeanor while speaking of rape, murder and mutilation makes the scene as riveting as it is creepy! “Black Jack” then demands that Jamie out the pistol on the table and move back threatening to slit Claire’s throat if he doesn’t. Jamie reluctantly does as Claire looks despondent. Caitriona Balfe’s portrayal of Claire being helpless, a trait that isn’t usual for Claire, conveyed just how serious the situation. Then, Claire then yells for Jamie to leave, but a few minutes later displays some of Claire’s familiar fire as she tells “Black Jack” that Jamie will “cut his balls off.” Those who have read the later books in the series know how ironic that statement is, LOL!

Once Jamie puts down the pistol, Menzies gives “Black Jack” a truly smug expression, of course thinking that he’s won. He keeps a hold of Claire and the knife to her throat, but then reaches for the pistol. He aims it at Jamie as Balfe has a defiant expression on her face as “Black Jack” perversely asks her if she would like Jamie to watch him rape her. Menzies, low, soft tone while uttering such vile lines makes the character of “Black Jack” that much more twisted, but shows Menzies talent for portraying such a sadistic individual. “Black Jack” then shoots the pistol, but finds that it’s EMPTY! Jamie’s facial expression then becomes almost animal as he lunges at “Black Jack,” slamming his head on the table and knocking “Black Jack” unconscious. Claire is stunned and can’t believe that Jamie “bluffed your way in here with an empty pistol?” He quickly explains as he unties her hands how Ned advised them that all weapons brought should be empty. This was a VERY smart idea, IMO, since Jamie is already wanted for murder. Okay, he’s innocent, but it wouldn’t help things if he goes and really does kill a British soldier while trying to save Claire.

Jamie then has a quick voiceover/inner monologue about how he didn’t even think of killing “Black Jack” even though he was lying on the floor out cold and helpless. Those who have read the later books in the series I’m sure are saying that he should of given what “Black Jack” does to Jamie later, but his not killing him displayed Jamie’s honor despite all “Black Jack” has done to him and Claire up to that point!

They are then seen by other British soldiers trying to escape and the alarm is raised. Troops get ready to shoot at them, but then a massive explosion (obviously set by Rupert, Angus and Murtagh, while Jamie went to save Claire) aids in their escape, which is jumping from the roof into the water below. IMO, the music was PERFECT as they leapt into the water to freedom!

Next, we see Jamie, Claire and the rest of the men on horses. They stop to let the horses rest and drink water from a nearby spring. Jamie and Claire go off alone. Jamie then asks Claire if she’s okay and if “Black Jack” hurt her. She replies that he stopped him before he could. Then, Jamie asks her to apologize. She doesn’t see why she has to and he explains that by her not listening to him to stay where he left her, she put all the men in danger in order to rescue her. She yells back that it wasn’t her fault that she got captured, but he fires back that as his wife, if she had listened and stayed where he left her, she wouldn’t have been captured. She then fires back how she asked him to take her with him, but he refused. She then starts ranting about how he thinks of her only as his property, that her thoughts and feelings mean nothing and how she’s only there to warm his bed and have sex with whenever he pleases. The fire in Balfe’s eyes conveyed how angry Claire was at being treated so lowly. Jamie then says that he thinks she disobeyed him as punishment for the British deserters almost raping her and him failing to protect her from them. He reiterates his order that she stay where he left her and she fires back that she doesn’t have to obey his orders. Jamie then grabs her and tells her that as his wife, she’s required to obey his orders whether she likes it or not. She then pushes him away saying that she doesn’t like being his wife one bit, that he thinks she “is your property and that I belong to you.” Then, an intense exchange erupts between them as she starts calling him names like “f**king bastard.” He then calls her a “foul-mouthed b**ch” as they struggle. Then, all of a sudden, you see how the words, spoken by him and Claire, got to him, as Jamie leaned against a rock and told Claire how he went to rescue her with “an empty pistol and my bare hands.” He goes on to say, almost weeping, how when he heard her scream as he was climbing down the wall, “it ate my guts out.” How can ANY woman be mad at a man for saying that? IMO, Claire was quite naïve about how much Jamie (and the other men for that matter) sacrificed to rescue her. How could she think that he only looked as a bed warmer? Didn’t that prove to her how much he loves her?

I found this fiery battle of words to be one that enabled both to let out their individual frustrations with the other. It was like their irritations with one another were just as passionate as there attraction and love for each other. Then, they both apologized for what they said to each other and asked each other’s forgiveness, which each gave and they held each other. Yet, a voiceover/inner monologue from Jamie indicated how he would forgive Claire no matter what she did, now or in the future because “there was no choice, that was falling in love.” But, he also indicated that wasn’t the end of it.

Later, the men wouldn’t talk to Claire, blatantly ignoring her, given the danger she put them all in. IMO, she should have known all of them enough by then to know that it would take time for them to forgive her disobedience. Claire then went up to their room and asks Jamie to come to bed. He then tells her that they must settle something first and tells her that if a man had disobeyed orders as she had, he would have been flogged or killed. He then removes his belt and says that if she has put only his life in danger, the matter would have been forgotten, but since she put all of the men in danger, she had to be properly punished. He then asks her to bend over and bare her behind. Of course, Claire vehemently protests reiterating her apology, but Jamie says that isn’t good enough and she must be punished according to their customs. What follows is Jamie chasing her around the room as she throws things at him and calls him a ‘sadist” to which he replies, “What’s a sadist?” This I found amusing. He even eventually grabs her and repeatedly beats her bare behind with his belt, but she never stops struggling, punching him in the face and even kicking him “down there.” IMO, the whole scene was very well choreographed and showed through Jamie’s comments throughout how he didn’t want to hit her, but to me, in his eyes, he liked the spirit she conveyed by fighting back and even striking him.

Of course, the next morning, she came down for food and was met by jokes about being sore from the other men and she was understandably angry at Jamie. Then, a Jamie voiceover/inner monologue indicated how his naivety as a husband made him think the matter was over, but he didn’t realize the damage it had done to his relationship with Claire. One would think that would have been obvious, but I guess to Jamie it wasn’t.

Then, they all rode back to Castle Leoch and Jamie and Claire were met with cheers and congrats from everyone regarding their marriage. Then, Collum and his wife appeared. Collum welcomed Claire to the family, but noticeably ignored Jamie. This was insulting and everyone there knew it. Jamie was then later summoned by Collum, but on the way, runs into Laoghaire, who tells him that she waited for his return, assumed they were promised to each other given his actions toward her and finally asked why he married Claire. He told her he couldn’t keep Collum waiting and she bugged him to talk later to which he agreed.

Jamie then meets with Collum. Ned and Dougal are also present. Collum then questions the repercussions of Claire’s rescue. Jamie, ever honorable, replies that the consequences of that would fall on him and him alone, not the clan. Such typical romantic hero behavior, to take the brunt, this made me love the character even more.

Collum then questions the three men’s loyalty to the clan based on money they had raised they thought he wasn’t aware of. Collum then accused Jamie or treachery and secretly siding with Prince Charles and James against the cause of putting the rightful king back on the throne. Dougal defended Jamie saying that the money they had raised by Dougal showing the flogging scars on Jamie’s back to “illustrate British justice and they never concealed the fact that they were raising money to put the rightful king to his throne. That is a cause more important than any clan or man.” Collum replies that he decides what causes the clan fights for. The tension in this scene you could cut with a knife! Dougal fires back about how he has proven his loyalty to Collum over and over, by fighting for him and he even going as far as to say he “ensured your [Collum’s] bloodline,” meaning for the first time, publicly acknowledging young Hamish as his (Dougal’s) son. Collum then orders Dougal to leave. Lewis’ (Collum) expression as he grits his teeth making it look, to me at least, that he wanted to hit Dougal, but refrained, added to the conflict in the scene. Once alone with Jamie, Collum yells at him for marrying Claire, a British woman, which takes him out of the running to be his successor in the clan. Jamie replies that he meant no disloyalty by doing so.

Later, in their room, Jamie and Claire talk about what happened between him, Dougal and Collum. Jamie then mistakenly thinks that Claire will let him back into bed with her; she coldly rebuffs him so he goes elsewhere to sleep. Another example of Jamie’s naivety as a husband, thinking she had forgiven the spanking so quickly.

Jamie then meets with Collum, imploring to make peace with his brother, Dougal. Collum still feels he has been disloyal, yet Jamie, wanting peace within the clan McKenzie, advises Collum to give Dougal the gold they raised, making Dougal appear as the hero and he will be ”pacified.” That way, Collum can bide his time to see how it all works out and then decide what side he will back. To me, this scene showed that Jamie was more concerned with peace within the clan then who was king. I don’t think he was being sneaky in his efforts; he just wanted what he thought was best for all involved at the time. Collum then asks Jamie to bring Dougal and Ned to his quarters. He then gives Dougal back the gold, and then tells Ned to send a message to the Duke of Sandringham, inviting him to a banquet. Collum then warns Ned that he isn’t back in his good graces yet.

Jamie is then by the spring as he was at the beginning of the episode. Jamie has a voiceover/inner monologue about how to repair his relationship with Claire after the spanking. This, IMO, showed me that she was on his mind and his sole concern was to repair the rift between them.

Then, Laoghaire appears wanting to talk. She goes on about how she adored him the first time she saw him and how because he took her punishment in the hall and how he kissed her, she assumed they would end up together. She then asks him if he’s happy in his marriage, then seductively removes her cape, places his hand on her breast and tells him that she wants him to be the only one to “have me.” She then tries to entice him into a kiss, but he rebuffs her, reminding her that’s he’s married and will not break his vow to Claire. Laoghaire then runs off, upset at being rejected as Jamie’s screams after her apologizing. IMO, she made more out of their relationship than there was. Okay, his taking her punishment would indicate he cared for her and their kiss would confirm that, but he made no formal promise to her and she made like he did. She seemed content with being his mistress since she asked if he was happy with Claire and her being so forward with him showed that. Yet, to me, there was miscommunication from both of them in regards to the seriousness of their relationship.

Jamie returns to Castle Leoch and has a voiceover/inner monologue where he says that for the first time since he was a boy, he felt uncertain about his next step. IMO, this showed his inner vulnerability, something someone in his position, should NEVER show. He then went to his and Claire’s room. She’s still acting cold to him as he tells her that Dougal and Collum “mended fences.” Then, he reiterate about their custom of wives obeying their husbands and being punished for disobedience. But, then he adds that maybe their relationship was meant to be different. He then pulls out his dagger, kneels down in front of Claire and vows that if he ever strikes her again, he would stab himself with it. She’s silent, I think from the shock of such a romantic gesture. He then asks her if she still wants him and if she wants them to live apart from now on. She replies that is what she should want, but doesn’t. Then, they start touching and kissing. He whispers how he wants her so much that he can’t breathe and asks if she’ll “have him?” She breathlessly replies that she will and then they proceed to rip each other clothes off.

This love scene, IMO, was tastefully done even with the nudity and fondling. As a viewer, I could feel their passion, their need, their hunger for each other. Then, suddenly, while they are having wild sex, Claire grabs his dagger, puts it to his throat and tells him that if he “ever lays a hand on me again, I’ll cut your heart out and eat it for breakfast. Do you understand me?” He says that he does, she then throws the dagger away and they continue having unbridled passionate sex. Their afterglow, to me, displayed the tenderness of their relationship versus the wild abandon of a few moments before as he tells her that she’s his master and she’s his. He then adds that he “can’t have your soul without losing my own.” SO ROMANTIC!! What woman wouldn’t want her husband to say this to her? I swear, the character of Jamie Fraser has ruined it for all married men out there in terms of romantic words and gestures!

Then, some humor is injected into the scene as Jamie asks her what “f**king” means since she called him a “f**king bastard.” She tells him that it means what they just did and then he asks her what a “sadist” is since she also called him that. She replies that it’s someone “who takes sexual pleasure from hurting someone.” He then laughs and starts nibbling on her naked body again. He then says he’s going to get them some food. As she covers up a bit, she finds a tied up bunch of sticks and things under their bed and asks Jamie what it is. He replies that it’s “an ill wish. Meant to bring pain and harm and even death.” He then throws it into the corner of the room. Claire then asks him who would put such a thing under their bed. Jamie slowly replies, “Laoghaire.”

So, obviously, Laoghaire was more rejected than we realize and will be yet another obstacle for Jamie and Claire. So, we have both Laoghaire and “Black Jack” wishing Claire harm. Can’t these two people be happy for two seconds without worrying about scorned women and perverted British captains wanting to harm them! IMO, an INCREDIBLE episode to start the second half of the first season! Can’t wait for next Saturday!