Hi friends! This is a recap. That means spoilers. So just don’t read on if you haven’t seen episode 113 of Outlander, “The Watch.” Thanks!
Damnit! Damnit, damnit, damnit, you guys. Saturday night’s episode of Outlander, “The Watch,” really mucked things up, now didn’t it? We thought it was going to be Jenny Fraser we’d have to worry about — what with her having to give birth in the 1740s with a woman whose never delivered a baby under those conditions, or ever, before — but as it turns out? Nope, it was Jamie. You see, that rapscallion went ahead and got himself captured after a longstanding battle for control with the arrival of Taran McQuarrie and his men. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, for the bounty of this episode is plenty.
Thank goodness, this episode picked up right where last week’s left off: with a gun to Jamie’s head because why not? You see Taran McQuarrie — essentially the Scottish highlands’ version of a roving Tony Soprano — and his merry crew of fire-starters (literally) have shown up a bit early in order to take shelter at (and advantage of) Lallybroch. See, while Jamie was away, Jenny and Ian had to do something to keep the Red Coats at bay and their only option was this uneasy alliance. A working relationship made all the more tedious by Jamie’s presence and the need to keep his true identity a secret. Because Taran McQuarrie is a bullshit artist and he can smell a lie a mile away — and Ian and Jenny’s insistence that he is a cousin and nothing more doesn’t sit well with him for a second.
Particularly after Horrocks the bollocks showed up at the manse, chockablock with knowledge as to Jamie’s true identity and an itching to make a quick buck or two off of it. It’s a tricky situation Jamie finds himself in, but it couldn’t possibly be all that surprising to him, could it? After all, the cost of this situation is far bigger than the price on his head. It meant Jenny and Ian had to do more to protect themselves and their land, and it also means that there won’t ever be a time where Jamie’s life isn’t in potential danger. Bad guys are everywhere and have no problem turning someone in for a quick payout.
Which is exactly why Horrocks had to go. Jamie and Ian’s bromance went cold — as in cold-blooded — as they took down Horrocks in the name of protecting Jamie. (Well Ian did it, which, TWIST right?) Why they thought it would go unnoticed or that Taran’s suspicions wouldn’t start a-ringing immediately is beyond our comprehension, but we’re also not living in the 1740s so I guess having 20/20 vision on the events at hand is everything. So, Taran calls the boys’ bluff, convincing them to come on a raiding mission with them (they’re going to go steal some tax money!) in order to keep everything quiet.
Naturally, Claire’s a bit wary about all of this, but she doesn’t necessarily have all the time in the world to do anything about it given that Jenny’s water broke and that baby of hers was a-comin’! Wee little Margaret (welcome, baby Fraser!) had other plans and they involved Claire and Jenny finally finding their friendly footing. Which, let’s be real: THANK GOODNESS. These two women are too badass and strong to be enemies. The intimacy and honesty of their conversation about childbirth was both refreshing and surprising — to see such frank openness from Jenny was not just a surprise to Claire.
Still, it was Jenny’s pregnancy that revealed a sad reality for Claire: she may not be able to have children. During a conversation with Jamie before his ultimate capture, she admitted to her husband, tearfully, that she’d tried so hard in the past to have a child with Frank but never could — a burden she takes on as wholly her own. It was a heartbreaking moment, to see her utter to Jamie “I never counted on loving you,” and we don’t really see what Jamie actually thinks about such a revelation beyond being a comforting gemstone like always. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability for Claire, and showed the true depths of her love for Jamie if she’s toying with the idea of having his children.
Which is exactly what makes Horrock’s double-crossing-gone-right that much worse. Taran stringing Jamie along for a raid is one thing, promising to him that you’d never give him over to the Red Coats, only to then go ahead and get caught by the Red Coats was one of the more frustrating moments we’ve seen. Even the dead can still hold power in life, huh?
The Watch may signify freedom, but it’s also a ticking clock.
Other Things to Note:
– Those bracelets HAVE TO HAVE more significance, right?
– Momma Fraser’s coyness game is on-point.
– “They want to come back.” – Jenny’s words of wisdom are SO REAL.
– We’re a little bit worried about Ian’s mental state after that murderous moment, no?
– Are roving mafia-types a thing? SPOOKY.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments!
