Well. With only three episodes left after ‘Heaven and Earth’, Outlander will certainly be sailing at full speed to get to where its book counterpart ends up. Although this was very much a side-quest episode, it was a great insight into some of the Outlander characters.
In last week’s episode, Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) left to bring young Ian (John Bell) back after he was captured. Joined by Fergus (César Domboy) and some unexpected baggage in the form of Marsali (Lauren Lyle), they faced many issues whilst at sea. Worst of them all was when Claire was pressed into service by the British to attend to their men who were diagnosed with typhoid fever by Claire. But that’s not all as the British set sail taking Claire essentially hostage and away from her dear Jamie.
Frasers To The Rescue
Things are well on the Artemis with Jamie awaiting the return of Claire whilst Fergus attempts to please Marsali with a scented bag to freshen her cabin. That is, until the Porpoise starts sailing away. Jamie snaps into leader mode and commands the men to sail after it until Captain Raines (Richard Dillane) has Jamie restrained and put into a cell.
On the Porpoise, Claire is also in leader mode commanding the men to scrub the decks with Elias Pound (Albie Marber) at her side to help her and since Elias is only fourteen, Claire acts motherly towards him. Claire has everyone washing their hands in alcohol, and Elias aids her by telling her about two men who can distil alcohol. Unfortunately, this means the men have to go on half rations of alcohol—the poor bastards.
Meanwhile, Fergus steals some food for Jamie (old habits die hard) who is ill and in a cell once again. He’s concerned for Claire’s welfare being on a ship with 300 men and tears up about the thought of losing her again. With this, Jamie asks Fergus to help him by stealing the keys, but he won’t. This causes Jamie to nastily reply that he is glad he didn’t give his blessing as he can’t understand what it is to love.
You would move heaven and earth. You would risk arrest and death. Even hell. You would do it as easy as a prick of a pin.
Jamie says he will give his blessing if he does this and when Fergus talks to Marsali, she’s concerned if it doesn’t work out as she will then be left alone on a ship. Things become hot and heavy between the two, until Fergus stops as he wants them to be wed properly with Jamie’s blessing.
More Trouble
The Porpoise holds a mini-funeral for eleven men who have died and as they wrap the bodies for disposal, Elias informs Claire the last stitch must go through their nose to make sure they are dead and it’s always done by a friend. Claire has also found a cause to the illness spreading as one of the men shows no symptoms, but he is a carrier and he is serving the good. The cook isn’t happy about this and threatens Claire on more than one occasion.
Elias gifts Claire a rabbit’s foot to help her luck and cure the men, until she’s needed as someone has fallen ill. Luckily, but also not so, the man has been drinking the distilled alcohol and has given himself alcohol poisoning. Claire cracks it and Elias is both in shock and awe of her swearing, which was one of many cute moments from this character.
It is there she spies a Portuguese flag and races to check Captain Leonard’s (Charlie Hiett) logs to see if it was the same ship that took young Ian. Unfortunately it isn’t, but she discovers the logs records Jamie’s name after a man named Harry Tompkins (Ian Reddington) identified him. The cook then catches her in the captain’s quarters, but she threatens to pretend he violated her if he says anything.
Fergus begins his mission to free Jamie, but overhears the men talking crudely about Marsali and returns to Jamie saying he can’t do it in case they fail, which would see Marsali alone and unsafe.
Later on, Jamie gazes at the photographs of Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and Claire when Captain Raines and Marsali walk in. Raines is there as they need all hands on deck to navigate the waters, whilst Marsali is there (willingly) to persuade him. He reluctantly agrees and upon his release, Jamie gives Fergus and Marsali his blessing and says they will be wed in Jamaica with a priest.
Threats and Death
Claire pretends Harry Tompkins may be a second carrier and uses the men to have him brought to her. It turns out Tompkins is the man who was searching Jamie’s print-shop and ultimately helped cause the inferno. With Claire threatening him with one of her knives, he reveals they found the man in the crème de menthe, which means Jamie can also be charged with murder.
It looks as though Claire seriously considered killing him, but instead has him locked up near the person who is carrying typhoid in hopes he catches it too.
The men appear to be recovering well with the ship quiet from moans and singing replacing it. Claire enjoys this merriment until she finds a sleeping Elias covered in a rash. Calling out for his death mother, Claire pretends to be her and comforts him in his final moments. She returns the rabbit’s foot and completes the final stitch in his body bag before he cast into the sea.
Walking The Plank
It seems the Porpoise is coming close to an island, which means they can collect fresh water and feed the goats as they need grass—as stated many times by the lady looking after the goats. Claire then realises what the woman was trying to say and that it’s essentially a time for Claire to escape.
Claire begins running and it seems she is free, until she runs into Captain Leonard on a patrol. She claims innocence that she didn’t realise she was running towards the port, but he doesn’t buy it and has her escorted to the ship.
However, goat lady is determined to help Claire and proposes another escape plan—jump off the ship. Claire considers it for a second, before saying no. The lady persists she can reach the shore with the aid of some buoys. After receiving some money from the lady and the removal of Claire’s clothes, she speaks her special cuss and leaps into the churning ocean below.
Overall Thoughts?
Outlander has definitely found its rhythm once again, which was much-needed especially with the Season 3 finale drawing closer and closer. While this episode was essentially a filler, it was nice to see more moments between Marsali and Fergus as their relationship was not only thrown onto Claire and Jamie, but also the viewers. Many were shocked by the pairing, but as we get to see more sweet moments between them, it seems as though they do really care for one another.
The scene stealer for this episode would definitely have to be Albie Marber as Elias Pound. Although he was briefly in the final few minutes of last week’s episode, I really found myself drawn to him because of Claire’s closeness and maternal instinct towards him. One thing I haven’t done in a while is shed a few tears in an Outlander episode, and I certainly found my eyes welling up with his death.
P.S—Sam Heughan, you wear those glasses. You wear those glasses well.
What did you think of the episode? Tell us in the comments below!
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