Before I get to my review of Outlander – Through a Glass, Darkly, let me just say thank heavens that droughtlander is finally over. I’ll be honest I didn’t think I’d get through it, but thankfully having bought Outlander on DVD, it was able to keep me warm at night and squashing the madness that was droughtlander.
When we last saw Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) they were sailing the seas along with Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) to France. We knew it wasn’t going to be a happily ever after, but I know I wasn’t expecting the beginning that we saw, Claire back at Craigh na Dun.
It was truly a WTF moment for me. I knew the last we saw of our couple the were on a boat. Did I miss something? How did Claire get back here? I was completely lost in my thoughts until I heard the bone curdling screams and cries from Claire. I knew we were back at the stones, and Jamie was clearly not around, but what year was it. Claire couldn’t even answer those questions for us.
Claire picked herself up and wandered down a road, looking completely and utterly out of it and lost and confused. A car pulls up and a man proceeds to ask Claire if she is alright, if she speaks English. All Claire can get out of hr mouth was, “what year is it” and “who won the war, who won the Battle of Culloden.” The man clearly baffled, answers Claire, the British, and it was 1948. The life Claire left behind moments ago was dust, you hear.
Claire is brought into a hospital or a doctors office for sure. Of course Frank is called. Claire looking out the window when he enters, complains of the noise not realizing it was her husband. Let’s talk about the fact the window faces out over a busy street. Just a tad different then we are used to seeing. Ok let’s get back to the awkwardness of Frank and Claire talking. They have’t seen each other is two years and Claire is lost without Jamie and Frank still is carrying a torch for his wife. Sadly when Frank approaches Claire recoils from him and seeing only Blackjack in him.
Frank has made arrangements with Reverend Wakefield for her to convalesce. Claire seems eager to talk to Mrs. Graham. Claire stays to herself, and barely speaks to Frank. Frank sends off Claire’s clothes, and finds out they are authentic 18th century Scottish woman’s clothing. Which puzzles both him and the good reverend. Baffling more, is that now Claire is desperately looking for answers about the war. She must find out if Jamie survived or her other friends and family she made.
We can assume that Claire told or darted around her whereabouts to Mrs. Graham, because she keeps confiding her love for Jamie. Mrs Graham is quick to point out that she often talks about Jamie that he is funny. Mrs Graham tells her to treasure her time and keep it locked up in her heart, and not to chase a ghost. Ummm.. Easier said than done. Jamie is super duper hot, and well Frank looks like the sadist that both harmed her and husband. Not so easy to look past.
The moment we have been waiting for, Claire finally asks Frank to her room to talk. Frank brakes the ice and talks of their last night together, and the night we “saw” Jamie looking into the window. Poor Frank is so loving and just wants his wife back and doesn’t care where she has been and who she was with. Claire wants to tell him, she needs to. Flash forward to the morning, and Frank is drunk and looking tired, but looks at the clothing she came with, and I am sure something is ticking in his mind. Frank is willing to believe her and take a leap of faith. Man is this man in love.
Claire finally blurts out that she is pregnant. First Frank is elated. Then the rage that we saw in Blackjack comes bubbling to surface. Frank is relentless in his love for Claire. Unconditional no matter what kind of love. The good reverend brings Frank back to reality.He did want to have kids with Claire but couldn’t have them. Frank confesses that he is sterile. Just because he’s another mans child, doesn’t mean he isn’t loved, or could be loved.
Claire and Frank decide to move on. Frank tells her of a job at Harvard, and that they would be moving to Boston. But he has conditions. I mean one would have to in order to accept this all and move on right? Raise the child as their own for one. Only one more condition. She can no longer look for the life she once led, or the man she once loved. Claire let’s Frank know she made a promise to him, that she would move on and live, so she accepts his conditions. Claire reluctant to take off her wedding band, Frank early leaves with the Scottish clothing his wife was found in.
Forward to a plane ride to the states. Frank walks down the steps, and Claire looks lost. Just as Claire is getting to the bottom, Frank gives her his hand and says, one more step….
BAM flashback to Jamie!
Can I just say waiting over thirty minutes to see hunky Jamie on our screens was HELL! Yes I know there are many facets of the story, but let’s face it our one true pairing is Claire and Jamie.
So we are in France. Thank heavens that did happen. Murtagh is Murtagh and I am thankful for that. He is feisty and almost crotchety. Keep in mind they are there, no money, no means and are tasked with finding a place to stay.
There is a ghost with them, the memories of Blackjack.
Claire is all ready to talk about the plans for stopping the Jacobite rebellion, Jamie wants to help the Jacobites win. Claire knows the only chance of winning is to stop it before it starts. I mean that does make sense. She has no clue as to how to help them win.
We meet Jamie’s cousin Jared. Jamie is not keen on lying to his cousin, but he can’t say no to his wife.
Jamie and Jared make a deal. Jared will be traveling and whilst he travels Jamie will run his wine business and have the run of his house, and a percentage of the money. Good thing he likes Jamie. With no job, and not the proper clothes Jamie and Claire will stand out like sore thumbs.
In true fashion Claire and Jamie make an enemy. After the deal is struck with Jared, Claire sees a commotion on the docks. She pushes her way through, stating she is a healer in french of course. Right away she knows its not good. Men were being brought in on make shift stretchers, and they have the pox, small pox. Claire has been vaccinated against, she is from the future. She makes a fuss, while a snotty looking aristocrat looks on, Comte St. Germain. He finds out that Claire and Jamie and the relatives of his friend Jared. It doesn’t help the cause. There is still a confrontation and the Comte said they will pay. Jared warns that they had made an enemy.
The cure for the boat that arrived with small pox? Burn the boat, and all the contents. The boat of course belongs to Comte St. Germain, hence my above, statement that they made an enemy.
The drama is set up for this upcoming season for sure. We get to see Paris and all it has to offer and yes, we need to find out how and why Claire ended back in her time.
My takeaways:
- The Comte is not to be trusted. I have a feeling as soon as Jared leaves and Jamie is in charge he will make his move.
- Adding French in the theme song, pure brilliance. It links the seasons together.
- The drama is still at peak form
- Droughtlander is over
What did you think of the new episode of Outlander – Through a Glass, Darkly? Sign off in the comments below.
