Outlander: The Way Out

In this third episode, the show seems to be settling into its themes and story, with Claire still negotiating elements of 1743, but gradually learning how and when she can assert herself.

In a nice touch, the episode opens with a scene from World War II, where Claire bids farewell to Frank at the train station during which he quietly points out: “this is backwards.” It is indeed a role reversal of gender types, as most train station farewells depict the man in the train and the woman running alongside, waving her handkerchief as the steam billows around her.

This flip on expectations was on display throughout the episode, from Jamie and Claire’s rapport of equals, to Geillis’ clever handling of her husband, to Claire’s daydream of Mrs Fitz turning on her in fear ultimately contradicted by a scene in which the older woman supports Claire’s plea to let her tend to a sick boy.

With that in mind, there’s plenty of female solidarity on display here, from Claire attempting to be Laoghaire’s wingman (woman) in her attempt to snag Jamie’s attention, to Geillis convincing her husband to go easy on the young thief born partly out of Claire’s concern, and the aforementioned support Mrs Fitz gives Claire in the face of the ominous priest.

I like that we’re still getting glimpses of Claire’s old life in the midst of his 18^th century story. The 1940s was very much a period of transition and seeing Claire struggling to cope with the differences between the centuries is brought into stronger relief by the fact that she’s not from our time. It’s a period piece within a period piece, and in a way that gives Claire the advantage of not being too shell-shocked from the loss of modern technology, whilst still being shaken by some of the customs that go on around her.

Just think about how different this show would be if Claire came from 2014 instead of the 1940s.

She’s also intelligent enough to realize some of the dangers inherent in the past; namely the marriage of superstition and sexism that could very easily lead to the conclusion of: “witch!” Her daydream about Mrs Fitz turning on her with fear and loathing was indicative of this latent fear (one that was portrayed without any need for a voiceover!), and though she ends up as an ally to Claire, the priest’s anger and embarrassment that he’s been shown up by a woman will surely be back to haunt her.

(As an aside, I think they went a bit overboard in the depiction of this guy – not just the dismal attitude, but the heavy dark shadows around his eyes. He was practically the Grim Reaper!)

I’m also a bit worried about Geillis. The woman oozes mystery, and yet seems to be testing Claire somehow. Between her red hair and her herb-craft she’s a shoe-in for the role of witch, and her interest in Claire leads me to suspect that she suspects there’s more to her new friend than meets the eye. Given that the harpist at the end was singing a tale that reflects Claire’s experiences, perhaps there’s a chance that this sort of time-travelling malarkey has happened before.

But most of this was the details. The main gist of the plot involved Claire attempting to get into Colum’s good graces by working as an obedient healer – yet her success with Colum’s leg pain and the boy’s “possession” only makes her more valuable to the community. In the latter case she and Jamie form something of an investigative team when it comes to exploring a place called Black Kirk, where boys go to “prove their manhood” and consequently get gravely ill.

The townsfolk put it down to demonic possession, but Claire naturally concludes they’ve been eating something that’s bad for them. Due to her already-established skills at botany and her historical foreknowledge (though she slips for a second and asks if the monks come from “Germany” instead of “Prussia”) she identifies Lily of the Valley, a plant that’s very similar to the harmless wood garlic.

It was a great way of crafting a plot that catered to a character’s abilities without feeling hopelessly contrived (off the top of my head, Once Upon a Time too often contorted itself in the attempt to make a plot hinge on Belle’s love of books).

Ultimately this episode explores the world that Claire has found herself in, even as she tries to escape it. It delves into the good and bad qualities of a community and those who are shaped by it, so even as Claire is witness to a terrible brutality (the young thief who gets his ear nailed to a pillar) and animosity (the antagonist priest) she’s also privy to vulnerability among its strongest members (Colum and Jamie’s self-consciousness about their respective injuries), familiar patterns of behaviour (Geillis gently manipulating her husband without him realizing it, Laoghaire making a pass at Jamie) and moments of unexpected insight (the Scotsman at the table telling Claire that Jamie needs a woman, not someone who will be “a girl until she’s fifty” and Mrs Fitz making a stand for her nephew’s life in direct contrast to Claire’s worst-case-scenario daydream).

And then there’s that which comes entirely unexpectedly but naturally – a rapport with Jamie that allows the two of them to communicate without words, to effortlessly pull off a rescue of the young thief from the pillar, and to talk as equals without emasculation or posturing. As with last week, I’m still not entirely captivated by the romance (yeah it’s weird, as I know that for some people it’s the only reason they’re watching) but I’m glad that the show is taking its time in establishing their attraction to each other.