As the episode begins, I guessed that what happened to Jamie would be shown in flashbacks. Seeing Jamie, lying on the cot, in the dungeon cell, bruised and broken, was painful to watch. Loved when “Black Jack” got trampled by the cattle. It would have been even more satisfying if when Murtagh saw him lying under the trampled door that he slit hos throat, just to ensure that he was dead, which those viewers who have read the books, know he isn’t. Murtagh’s somber look as he carried Jamie out of the prison over his shoulder displayed his deep pain at seeing Jamie so physically and obviously emotionally hurt.
[Clip: Is He Alive?
Embed: ]
It’s heartbreaking when Claire sees Jamie for the first time after he’s rescued. You can see that she sees that “Black Jack” did a number on Jamie’s body. That she was suspicious of the lavender smell on Jamie as being sinister in nature rather than healing was quite perceptive.
The priests at the monastery were adorable as they gave Claire everything she needed to help heal Jamie’s physical wounds and helped her as well. That Jamie couldn’t look at Claire was evidence, for those who haven’t read the books, that “Black Jack’s” torture of him wasn’t just physical. Sam Heughan has the phenomenal ability to display emotion on his face and then with his body, which was shown each time he refused help from the priests and a touch from Claire. Caitriona Balfe was wonderful in showing Claire’s inner anguish that her husband didn’t want to have her touch him or tell her what “Black Jack” did to him.
Seeing “Black Jack” kiss Jamie was repulsive, but the other sexual things he did to him at the beginning of the episode really were revolting. Though shown as tastefully as possible, the innuendo was still quite graphic. “Black Jack” putting his hand between Jamie’s legs to elicit a sexual response was nauseating, but I thought both Heughan and Tobias Menzies (“Black Jack”) did a wonderful job of keeping an overtly sexual scene as tasteful as could be. Many of the sickening lines “Black Jack” says to Jamie, with their sexual overtones were a bit much, but adhered to the book, which was good. The excessively violent way “Black Jack” rapes Jamie over the table was very disturbing, but well acted by both men. For those who haven’t read the books, it must have been a shock, but for those who did read the books, they knew what was coming and were prepared. Personally, it was upsetting to hear Jamie scream in such agony at the perverse act “Black Jack” was doing to him.
It wasn’t surprising that Jamie wanted to die after the depraved acts “Black Jack” made him to and did to him. If such things were done to someone in real life, they assuredly would feel the same, not wanting anyone to touch them and wanting to die.
The voiceover from Claire as she tended to Jamie’s broken hand was perfect. How she said doing similar repairs on soldiers in the war was different than doing it on her husband was brilliant. How she worried about his hand getting infected and if his middle finger would ever function correctly showed her profound concern and wifely feelings at her husband so physically broken. That she threw up again after leaving the room, only accentuated her inner turmoil at seeing her beloved Jamie so hurt.
Having Claire confess everything to the head priest, just like in the books was so touching. That she needed to finally tell someone who she really was and how she got there and that she chose a priest was also a perfect choice. His response that her journey was a “miracle” and Claire being surprised at him saying that was also picture-perfect. Claire didn’t expect that reaction and Caitriona’s face reflected that seamlessly.
Murtagh’s reaction to Jamie not wanting to eat made sense since he knows him so well. Him saying that if Jamie didn’t want to be saved, there was little they could do showed a warrior’s response to what Jamie had just endured.
It was sweet how Angus, Murtagh and Rupert talked on their own about Jamie’s situation. William’s story about his uncle starving himself after losing his arm wasn’t meant to be a comparison to Jamie’s behavior, as he told Murtagh when he got upset upon hearing it. William only wanted to help Jamie like he helped him, but this misstep was sweet yet naïve.
Seeing in flashbacks that a delirious Jamie kept flashing between “Black Jack” and Claire’s face as “Black Jack” tortured him showed that his mind was an ideal way to show how Jamie’s mind was becoming fractured. When “Black Jack” makes Jamie brand himself with his initials, I wanted to cry. How Heughan tried to hold back the agony that Jamie must have felt showed what an excellent actor he is.
Seeing Claire, Murtagh, Angus, Rupert and William confer as where Claire and Jamie could go to be safe was a nice break from the disturbing sexual scenes. How Claire covered when William asked why they couldn’t go to Claire’s family in France, which she said was where she was headed when they found her was masterful. Saying they were her late husband’s relatives and probably wouldn’t want to get involved was a master impromptu stroke.
William going into Jamie’s room to ask him how can help was sweet. That he got so upset when Jamie asked him to give him his dagger so he could kill himself was even sweeter because he wanted Jamie to see how much Claire loves him and how good a person he is. Better than someone who would kill themselves even after what Jamie just had happen to him.
When Claire yells at Murtagh for not telling her that Jamie wanted to kill himself showed again how much Claire won’t give up on Jamie. The distress that Murtagh showed when he said that he wouldn’t want any more pain to come to Jamie except if he saw that he was “past the point of healing” was poignant.
Murtagh telling Claire that the only way to save Jamie was to “go into the darkness with him” displayed Claire’s unwavering stance that she would go to any length to save Jamie. That Claire went to such extremes to get Jamie to tell her the real reason he wouldn’t look at her was tear-jerking. It was truly moving when he finally confessed why and she told him that there was nothing to forgive. He thought “Black Jack” was Claire when he finally gave into “Black Jack” and he “made love” to him, but Jamie’s ashamed response displayed how a warrior would view what happened.
[Clip: Step Into the Darkness
]
After Claire tried everything else to bring Jamie back and finally said that she would die with him and THAT made him not want to kill himself showed how Claire remembered how Jamie said that he could bear pain, but couldn’t bear her to endure any pain. Their mutual embrace brought tears to my eyes.
When Claire told Jamie on the boat to France that she was pregnant, how Heughan made Jamie’s dark expression suddenly lighten with joy was magnificent. Seeing Murtagh smile behind them as they embraced and the ship headed toward France gave hope for the couple’s future and was very romance novel-esque!
[Clip: I’m Pregnant
]
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