Outlander - Mid-season Premiere “The Reckoning” (Recap & Review)
(SPOILERS BELOW!!!)
Contrary to the first part of the season when Claire serves as our narrator, we open with Jamie's narration and his point of view. I think this is an interesting choice. It is clever because we get to see and hear his point of view, which is nice since he can seem mysterious at times. It is also a great move because we get to see what happened leading up to that intense showdown at the end of “Both Sides Now”, the mid-season finale. As a refresher, Claire was captured by Black Jack Randall's soldiers while she was trying to touch the stone and return home. (I thought the scene when she was expecting Frank but was captured was depicted nicely.) Randall was threatening Claire at knife point (the audience was surely angry by this point) but then in a flash (probably accompanied by many cheers from the audience) Jamie was at the window. “The Reckoning” shows us what happened between Claire going missing and when Jamie appears at the window and says, “I'll thank you to take your hands off my wife.”
It also shows us what happens after he enters the window. Remember how I said how much of a relief it was to have Jamie come in the window just in the nick of time before Randall could assault Claire? Well...it feels as though it takes forever for him to actually stop the could-be assault once he is in the window. He is wielding an unloaded pistol to prevent any actual war with Randall or the soldiers. Randall doesn't know it's unloaded and just has his knife. However, it seems Randall has all the power here at first. It felt a bit uncomfortable with how long Claire, top flowing openly, was being held and tortured. I hoped that the suggestions Randall was making were not actually going to happen and was glad when Jamie outmaneuvered him. Of course Jamie does not kill Randall, which makes sense in many ways. Although it ultimately would make more sense to kill him because he is destined to be a foe in many ways, he cannot because (well, he is the antagonist of the story) this would seem dangerous for the relations between the British and Scotland. Jamie says, “It never occurred to me to kill a helpless man, even one such as Randall.” I thought to myself, Randall is not helpless and that this will come back to haunt him soon.
Jamie and Claire escape while Randall is knocked out. They follow the beautiful, flowing water and rejoin the men in the thick, green forest. The lush scenery is always a favorite part of the show. It's poignant to point out how beautiful the land is compared to the disgusting scene of what could have been before with Randall. It's a strong contrast. Jamie scolds Claire for not listening to him and asks if she has an apology. She is dumbstruck and cannot believe that he's saying none of this would have happened if she had listened to his orders. She questions him, “I'm only a woman and only fit to obey orders.” I wanted to scream “No, you're not!” That's one of the things that makes Claire stand out as a female protagonist. I enjoyed her strong personality and convictions in the first half of the season. I really hope we see more of that Claire and less of the damsel in distress. They continue to fight and find the blame in each other. However, it's clear they're fighting because they were both frightened and are just now feeling how worried they were. They seem to make up, but Claire finds that the men are mad at her as well. They ignore her at dinner and call for her to “understand” what she did.
Jamie joins Claire in their room. He still seems jovial and relieved that she is safe, but Claire soon discovers something else. He tells her that what she did was very dangerous and could have repercussions for the clan. Men are usually flogged or have even faced death if they do something like this. He is telling her this while removing his belt. He tells her it's what happens and that he even felt “a good hiding makes you understand things in a more serious light”. So it seems Jamie Fraser has become Jamie Dornan, aka Christian Grey. This seems in-line with the romance novel idea that some might enjoy and is something that was accepted at this time as well. It's a playful, yet odd cat and mouse game as they run around the room. She's throwing things at him, he catches her and whips her, she manages to escape, kicks him in the face, and then he's on top of her whipping her again. Of course the men heard and laugh about it when they join them for breakfast. Claire is still playing the quiet, determined character here when she ignores them and Jamie especially. I wonder, though, if her character is not as fleshed out in this episode because Jamie is the narrator. Perhaps this is not because this is how he sees her or how she should be depicted, but maybe because she confuses him and is strange to him as well.
They return back to Castle Leoch and are welcomed by jovial cheers and music. Colum MacKenzie welcomes them and congratulates Claire on her recent marriage, but is noticeably silent to Jamie. Later Jamie finds himself in MacKenzie's room with the other two of the “three weasels” Dougal and Ned where they are told off for collecting money by showing Jamie's back while on the road and for not reporting it. (Dougal wants to collect this money for his army.) Colum says, “This clan's plans come from this man.” Dougal is very offended by this and brings up all he has done for the clan and for his brother including fathering his son. Once alone Colum continues on with his annoyance at Jamie for marrying Claire, which he believes will cause the others not to support him. Jamie, tired from the day, returns to his and Claire's room. She refuses his advances and he leaves.
Jamie finds the men threatening the man who confessed about the money to Colum and acts to stop the fight. He says that any man would do what his leader asked. This reminded me of earlier when Jamie told Claire how men were treated if they did something disloyal or dangerous to the group. I was a bit surprised that he spoke up for the man and didn't think it might be part of the natural way for him to get some punishment for his disloyalty to Dougal. This storyline is definitely heating up and could be teasing a civil war between the brothers and their followers. Jamie sees this threat coming as well and convinces Colum to allow Dougal to keep the money and “play the rebel”. Colum agrees after some scathing words to Dougal. “One day, brother, you'll talk your head right off your shoulders and onto a pike.” Then he asks “what's a man's word worth these days?” I think this is an important question and is one that we will definitely have answered in the rest of the season.
Jamie is glad he salvaged his relationship with Dougal and Colum after this, but is still feeling guilty because of his rift with Claire. He refuses the advances from his old paramour, Laoghaire. (This might come back to haunt him. More on that later.) He knows he cares about Claire and he also knows he has made a vow and does not plan to break it. He goes to her and talks about seeing a rigid man bend and how that makes him think that “maybe for you and me, there is a different way.” He bends literally, holds out his weapon, and swears that he pledges his loyalty to her and that he will not raise his hand to her again or that the weapon may pierce his heart. He tells her about the ring he gave her and how it's made from his key. He wanted to take her to his home to show her it belongs to her as well, but he cannot return home and says “you are my home now.” This seems to be the truth for Claire as well. She accepts his apology and his advances this time. It seems to be a good reconciliation until Claire pulls the knife and holds it to his throat. She tells him that he will not raise his hand to her again or she'll have his heart. What?!? This is a strange twist. Afterward he asks her the meaning of a sadist because she called him this earlier in an argument. She tells him after proving to be the Anastasia Steele to his earlier Christian Grey.
Claire finds something hidden under the bed while Jamie is preparing to go get food for them. It's a strange grouping of wood. She is confused and he seems mortified. He says it represents ill will and that it's meant to bring pain or harm or death. We're left with the eerie feeling that someone is out to get them. Could this be Laoghaire because she feels jilted by the man she loves or is someone else after them? What will happen with Randall? Will there be civil war in the clan? Will Claire try to make it back to the stones? There's a lot more to find out. The rest of the season promises more betrayal, love, wartime, tactics, and division.
Review by: LBurden
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