Recap of Outlander
Season 3, Episode 6:
A. Malcolm
Involuntarily parted for over twenty years, Jamie and Claire finally reunite, hoping to rekindle their emotional and physical bonds. However, they find that time has changed them as individuals and it's not as easy as they'd hoped to reclaim the easy familiarity they once shared. Additionally, complications with Jamie's business dealings jeopardize the couple's hopes for a simple life together.
Tropes:
- Bad Liar: Claire's story about going to the American Colonies after presuming Jamie dead only to later discover that he was actually alive doesn't really make sense given her behavior all the other times Jamie has been kidnapped or arrested and sentenced to die. Anyone who knows Claire knows she wouldn't have given up unless she was one hundred percent sure he was dead. But most of the people she tells are willing to ignore the inconsistencies as they believe she's a White Witch and that she's covering for the fact that she went to live with the fairies and is just now returning.
- Bastard Angst: This is the second time Jamie's had to confess to Claire about a bastard in his lineage. In addition to having sired a bastard child, Jamie is the son of a bastard, as Brian was the bastard son of Lord Simon of Lovat. In season 2, Jamie had tell Claire before meeting Lord Simon in person, knowing that callig out Brian's bastard status is Lord Simon's favorite way of insulting Jamie. Neither case causes Claire to think less of Jamie.
- Big Damn Reunion: Claire and Jamie have been apart for over twenty years, and this episode deals with them reuniting.
- Bring My Brown Pants: Averted. After passing out from shock, Jamie realizes his pants are wet. He initially thinks he may have loss control of his bladder, but then realizes he'd simply knocked over his ale pot when he fell.
- This Bed of Rose's: Jamie is living in a room in a brothel.
- Clarke's Third Law: Jamie is startled by the photographs Claire gives him, as the concept won't be introduced for roughly another half-century. Claire explains that it's similar to portraits, but the painting is done with light instead.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with a henchman threatening to rape Claire if she doesn't reveal where Jamie stores his hidden ledgers.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: After twenty years apart, Claire continually seeks reassurance that Jamie has never had feelings for any other women and is visibly disturbed by indications that he wasn't fully celibate while she was gone. She asks if he loved Geneva when she finds out about Jamie's son Willie, she asks if he's ever slept with Madame Jean or any of the brothel women when she discovers he boards in the brothel.
- Continuity Nod:
- When told that Brianna has red hair like him, Jamie notes that Brianna's sister, Faith, (another child he never got to see in person) also had red-hair. Faith's stillbirth was the focus of a season 2 episode.
- Jamie and Claire discuss his most recent scar, but all of his previous wounds are also shown. In addition to the infamous lash scars on his back, he has a scar from removing Black Jack's branding, a slash scar from where he was stabbed by the MacDonald brothers following the Duke of Sandringham's duel, and a scar on his thigh from where Black Jack slashed him at the Battle of Culloden.
- Deadpan Snarker: Geordie follows Jamie's orders, but only with the greatest of dry sarcasm every step of the way.
- The Eeyore: Geordi doesn't like Jamie because he's a papist and he doesn't like Jamie's friends who are obvious criminals that tease him about the large goiter on his neck. He takes pride in his work, but even that's not enough to keep him from quitting when he walks in on Jamie kissing Claire.
- Faint in Shock: Jamie is so surprised to see Claire, he passes out.
- Feeling Their Age: Jamie is embarrassed that he now needs glasses to see. Claire makes him feel better by admitting that she actually has gray hair that she dyed prior to leaving the 20th century.
- Forbidden Friendship: Jamie is loyal to Lesley and Hayes but he can't be seen associating with them as they are known criminals. If his friendship with them becomes known, his print shop would come under increased scrutiny and would likely lose business.
- Foreshadowing: Mr. Willoughby consistently calls Claire "honorable wife". In some Asian cultures, this is the term used to distinguish a man's first wife from any other wives or lovers he's taken on.
- Fully-Clothed Nudity: Jamie is scandalized to see a photo of Brianna in a bikini. By the standards of the mid-18th century she's all but nude and furthermore she's unaccompanied in the presence of a boy in a similar state of undress.
- Hypocrite: Sir Percival looks down on Jamie for being a smuggler but doesn't seem to believe that being a corrupt government official who's in on the take in any way diminishes his moral standing.
- Illegal Religion: Catholicism is looked down upon, particularly as it is the primary religion of the Jacobites who attempted to overthrow the Crown. Outward displays of Catholicism are heavily suppressed and anyone known to be a Papist is subject to severe scrutiny to make sure they are not helping to plan any additional rebellions against the government. Jamie has hide his rosary, saint figurines, and prayer candles.
- Internal Reveal:
- Jamie tells Claire about William. He's never told anyone, not even his sister Jenny, because if anyone were to find out the William, the ninth Earl of Ellesmere, was actually the bastard son of a convicted Jacobite traitor, the boy's life would be ruined.
- Claire discusses the eventual fate of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Jamie is relieved to know that the Prince survived even if he's destined to live an unhappy life.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Everyone who is introduced to Claire is surprised, particularly because they know that Jamie is married to another woman.
- Mood Killer: Jamie and Claire's long awaited Reunion Kiss is interrupted by Geordi who is scandalized to find his employer standing in the middle of the print shop, naked from the waist down, kissing a strange woman.Geordi: I quit! I'm Free Church. Working for a papist is one thing, working for an immoral papist is another. Do as ye like wi' yer own soul, man, but if it's come to orgies in the shop, it's come too far. Oh, God's tooth. It's not even noon!
- Morning Routine: The episode with Jamie dressing for the day, walking from his rooms to his shop, greeting people on the street, and opening his print shop for the day. He continues about his normal routine, preparing prints until he is interrupted by Claire's arrival.
- Ms. Fanservice: One of Claire's photos of Brianna features the latter in a bikini.
- "No Peeking!" Request: Needing to change his pants, Jamie requests for Claire to turn away. She reminds him that they're married. After a moments hesitation, he removes his pants in front of her.
- The Power of Language: As Scots are no longer allowed to carry weapons, Jamie has shifted to using his printing press to subvert the Crown.
- Precious Photo: Jamie is nearly moved to tears when he finally gets to see Brianna through photographs.
- Reunion Kiss: Jamie asks for a kiss to prove to himself that Claire is real, since he's envisioned her dozens of times over the years, usually when he's at his lowest, but he's never been able to touch her.
- Sickening "Crunch!": Invoked by Jamie. Unused to kissing one another, Claire and Jamie bumps heads forcefully, leading Claire to fear she's broken her nose. Jamie assures her she has not because if she had, they'd have her a nasty crunching noise and her nose would be spouting blood.
- Spoiled Brat: Jamie acknowledges that as a member of the aristocracy, William is very spoiled. But he still loves the boy because William is his son.
- Tell Me About My Father: Inverted. Jamie finally gets to learn about his unborn child. Up to this point, he had no idea if the child had survived or what gender the child was. He relishes getting to see photos of her, hearing about her first words, and hearing stories of what she was like as a child. In return, he shares a painting of his son William with Claire and tells her about how William came to be, what he's like, and why he's not around.
- Time-Shifted Actor: César Domboy takes over the role of the now-adult Fergus from Romann Berrux
- Unfortunate Names: Jamie's associate is called Mr. Willoughby because his actual name, Yi Tien Cho, sounds too much like a dirty Gaelic word to be used in Scotland.
