Lots of mixed feelings and emotions going around about this episode. The scenery is magnificent, the land is empty and vacant and such serene beauty you just want to get lost in, the alienation of Claire was done superbly, but damn this time around we needed subtitles to be able to take it all in.
The Sassenach was first showed in front of the lake reciting a John Donne poem, ringing back to her English roots, and a new character comes in continuing to recite the poem Ned Gowan, played by Bill Patterson. She seemed shocked that he knew who she was speaking of let alone, be able to recite the poem as well. With the hate the Scot’s have for the English and vice verse I don’t blame her. They chat up a bit, and he is a lawyer an educated man, I think Claire was happy to have someone not look down upon her and be able to strike up an intelligent conversation.
The next scene that stands out is when they are in the village and collecting the rent. It amazes me that people just line up and give what they can, and they must give after all to the Clan MacKenzie, some silver, some grain and various farm animals even if it means that they go without food, or milk for their young. Claire wonders off to explore and she hears a chanting, with a splash of song mixed in with it, and she finds the women working on dyeing the wool. What a lovely traditional moment … even if it did involve a bucket full of hot urine. Google it. That’s really how that worked. Makes you look at those kilts and shawls a little differently.
Claire’s jumping in to participate in a very communal task among the women marks her continued immersion in this time and land. For a story, that is so heavily masculine at times, it was a beautiful glimpse into “woman’s work.” It also gave emotional depth to Claire’s shock and surprise that no matter what the price, the MacKenzie always gets their rent. Nice decision to allow her to act on her outrage by trying to release the goat back to the needy family (even if it does point her out once again as a Sassenach.)
Claire being pushed to the edge of the traveling group and the men using Gaelic and lewdness to make her uncomfortable has the show continuing to find subtle ways to heighten the story’s drama.
Dougal’s collection of money for the Stuarts, and the scene using Jamie as the scarred example of English tyranny was outstanding. It’s impact was so emotional that it almost seem real. Kudos for having Claire “mend it yourself!” retort, only to then acquiesce and be helpful, if only for Jamie’s sake made her connection to him and the situation form a firmer gound.
I didn’t, however, like the fact that Claire didn’t immediately catch on to the fact that Dougal was raising money for the Stuart Rebellion, instead deciding Dougal was just lining his own pockets. She’s a smart woman — let her be smart. Save her the embarrassment of being so stubborn and wrong at first for the sake of the drama. At times, Claire almost seems to lose or not be able to recall her own time and easily forget things, that if nothing, she just learned from her husband and should be fresh in her mind.
Claire’s stubbornness (and again, not understanding the political situation right away) changes her story somewhat. Angus drawing a knife on her was significant, as was Jamie’s soothing of Claire’s ruffled feathers. I was glad she was given the opportunity to wittily endear herself to the men at the end; making a joke, “I didn’t know a woman that could be funny or tell a joke,” after they came to her rescue during the bar brawl. For which she truly looked humbled and speechless when she found out what they did for her. And the quote was something like, “We can talk down to you and put you down, because you are ours and part of the Clan MacKenzie, but no one else can.”
Finding ourselves again with a new set of characters one in particular in the form of the young English redcoat Lieutenant Jeremy Foster and his men finding the MacKenzie party at the end, and making Dougal answer for having Claire with him was well done. The real question is will she after her bonding with the Clan stay with them or speak up to the English redcoats? The show’s abrupt ending had me screaming and squealing at my TV and longing for next week’s episode already.
What did you think of last night’s episode?
Related
Claire’s jumping in to participate in a very communal task among the women marks her continued immersion in this time and land. For a story, that is so heavily masculine at times, it was a beautiful glimpse into “woman’s work.” It also gave emotional depth to Claire’s shock and surprise that no matter what the price, the MacKenzie always gets their rent. Nice decision to allow her to act on her outrage by trying to release the goat back to the needy family (even if it does point her out once again as a Sassenach.)
