In this week’s TV Review of Outlander – Useful Occupations and Deceptions, we meet a few new characters and see a couple of oldish faces we haven’t seen since way back in the first episode.
The episode starts, with Claire getting woken up my Jamie making his entrance. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) are in a rut in their marriage, and I think only Claire is aware that’s its even going on. Jamie is barely sleeping and running on fumes, fumes of wine that is, working by day as a wine merchant and by night he is taking meetings in brothels and hobnobbing with the Prince. Such a busy rough life, James is having. Yes, they are now calling him James, well not Claire, or Murtagh, (Duncan Lacroix) the minister of finance and the Prince.
Louise’s house Mary doesn’t want to marry the Vicomte, she reveals she is from sussex, Claire is stunned.
While Jamie is getting lost in the world of politics, his wife is trying to enjoy her life and have tea with the ladies. On one such day, Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day) blurted out that she doesn’t want to marry a Frenchman. The reasons why and what followed had me laughing quite loudly. She doesn’t want to marry a Frenchman, bc they will put their thing inside her, and a proper Englishman wouldn’t do that. At first Louise (Claire Sermonne) politely giggled as poor young and innocent Mary attempted to explain why, without saying the words. When she finally said the reason why she couldn’t Louise laughed quite loudly, and Claire just smiled as polite as she could. Louise even asked if she was from the moon. The hilarity and awkwardness didn’t stop there, Claire volunteered to have, “the talk” with the poor young girl.
Remember when we first met Mary Hawkins and Claire couldn’t place why she knew her name? It came to her in this very conversation, that she marries and has a child that is the direct lineage of her husband Frank. So if she stops this, no Frank. But then again why would she stop this? Oh yeah she wouldn’t but, if James finds out the Blackjack is alive, he may kill him before anything can happen between he and young Mary. Oh the fun in knowing the future.
Claire, went home only to get the shock, of finding her ladies maid getting busy with none other than Murtagh. And by shock I mean she walked in on them getting busy. Which led to awkward talk between Claire and Murtagh and a visit back to our friend Master Raymond. Who does Claire run into when she nears Master Raymond’s shop, none other than the Comte himself. Talk was brief and left a poor taste in Claire’s mouth.
Master Raymond has a plan for Claire. Helping out at L’Hôpital des Anges, to treat the sick. There are not enough people with her skills around. Claire jumps at the chance, and drags Murtagh along. Murtagh has a bad feeling, about Jamie’s reaction, but we all know, once Claire gets an idea, there is no stopping her.
We meet Sister Angelique (Audrey Brisson) first who then introduces Lady Broch Tuarach, Claire to Mother Hildegarde (Frances de la Tour, Madame Maxine for all you Harry Potter fans). Mother Hildegarde is not impressed with Claire at first. In true Claire fashion proves her knowledge and worth, almost right away. Claire finally has a reason to smile, she is being useful.
While Claire is being useful, Jamie is learning new information about the Prince and thwarting the efforts of the war have become more troublesome. The Prince, who had no money to fund the war, has suddenly found backers, of English decent. Jamie runs to Claire to tell her, and she nor Murtagh are no where to be found. This does not sit well with Lord Broch Tuarach. Once Claire returns home beaming of her accomplishments of the day, Jamie announces his displeasure about it all. Claire did get into the conversation that Mother Hildegarde was a study of music, and is an accomplished player herself (this will become useful down the road). Jamie and Claire have a fight, and James storms out to the brothel.
I am going to assume there were no bars back in the day. Jamie was interested only in the drink and not of anyones companionship. While drinking, Jamie notices something interesting, a pickpocket, Fergus ( Romann Berrux). After a chase and finding out that he stole Jamie’s wooden snake, he offers the lad a job.
Claire wakes to commotion again (Jamie needs to let his pregnant wife rest more), and find Murtagh with Fergus. Fergus is a little rough around the edges to put it mildly. Jamie in a round about way let’s Claire know that he is working for them and is living with them, and his job is that of a pickpocket. Claire is confused, but Jamie explains he can learn of the Prince’s plans and maybe his backers through his correspondences. Claire smiles and gives her approval.
Fergus, well dressed, manages to knick letters, pass them on to Murtagh who then transcribes them with Jamie, reseals them, and gets them back before they are missed. So Jamie has yet another job! The letters are of course not making sense as they are coded. When will they get a break? Claire is allowed to go about her business at the hospital, long as she keeps more normal hours.
Jamie comes across an interesting letter, sheet music. He nor Murtagh have no idea about what it is, Murtagh makes a suggestion that Jamie will not like, Mother Hildegarde. Shocked to see him at the hospital, Claire vouches for Jamie as Mother Hildegarde sits down and plays the music. Shocked that it changes so much. Says it reminds her of a friend, that is not very talented, Bach. Claire is amused that she knows this very famous German composer. When Mother Hildegarde pulls out his sheet music, I swear Claire looked as if she was going to lunge and grab it. It was explained the similarities and why the piece brought to her made no sense, so many changes in such a short piece. Lightbulb moment for Jamie.
Jamie suddenly puts it together, that the sheet music is not music at all, but just what he needed to break the code.
Newsflash, the Prince has lied! Not much of a shocker there I know, but he wants his daddy on the throne and the best way to do that is lie and get money from France. The minister of finance is intrigued, and is tempted. But what’s more interesting is that not only is 40000 GBP not enough to fund a war, but the code they broke, the music, is signed by S. Who do we know with that letter? The Duke of Sandringham. The Duke is playing both sides and staying right in the middle of it all.
We all knew he was not to be trusted, but this is an entire different level. With the Duke in play and going to France to meet face to face with the Prince, we have a new worry, Jamie learning that Blackjack is alive and well.
Take aways:
- We now know who the Prince has been talking to
- A major step was taken, we have a code, and know what and who is involved in financing the rebellion
- Jamie will not be happy when he comes face to face with the Duke and finds out that Blackjack is alive
- Murtagh may not be so unhappy now that he is knocking boots with the ladies maid
- The ladies maid Suzette, knows Jamie and Claire aren’t knocking boots
What did you think of this week’s
What did you think of this week’s Outlander – Useful Occupations and Deceptions? We want to hear from you below in the comments!
Outlander is on Saturday nights 9PM/ET on Starz.
