OUTLANDER Fights for a "Man's Soul"

Article originally published as OUTLANDER Review Season 1 Episode 16 To Ransom a Man's Soul on Seat42F.

OUTLANDER wonders how much it costs “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” in its first season finale, airing tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Starz and already available on StarzPlay and On Demand. (If you have not watched the finale yet, go watch it before continuing on in this article).

“To Ransom a Man’s Soul” begins with Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), Rupert (Grant O’Rourke), and Angus (Stephen Walters) rescuing Jamie (Sam Heughan) from prison. They are in time to save his body from execution, but not in time to save his psyche, as the man they find lying naked in the dungeon is broken in mind as well as body. With Claire (Caitriona Balfe), they rush him to a monk’s retreat, where the true depth of his shame slowly reveals itself.

This week’s hour is easier to watch than last week’s. While what Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) is seen doing to Jamie in the finale is rough and scenes of rape are never fun, at least there isn’t the blood and gore of last week’s outing. Instead, most of the torture this time around is psychological, with Black Jack determined to break Jamie and “make love” to him. Black Jack sadly succeeds at his wicked mission.

None blame Jamie for what happens to him save Jamie himself. Everyone else understands that Jamie was in a very bad position, worried about Claire, delusional and beaten. No one tries to make him feel bad or want anything more than to protect him, not one of the men questioning his manhood. This is a rare glimpse of the depth of affection these clansmen have, both MacKenzies and Frasers, and how understanding they can be in the right circumstances, as caring as they are stubborn.

Claire, the one Jamie is most afraid of disappointing, is the most compassionate. When Jamie refuses to open up and asks Willie (Finn Den Hertog) for a knife so that Jamie might kill himself, Claire goes to him and forces him to relive sensation until he spills the full story. And when he does, Claire remains unwaveringly there for him. A weaker woman would shy away in horror, or let her jealousy override the sweetness this man needs to get through what he’s been though. Claire succumbs to neither, being his rock.

That’s why their marriage must last. Claire still carries guilt about having two husbands, as we see when she spills her entire tale to Father Anselm (Ian Hanmore, Game of Thrones, The Fades). But her love for Jamie is true, as evidenced by the way she stands by her man, even fleeing the country with him for France at the close of “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” when it’s clear that no place in Scotland will be safe. Plus, they now have a wee one on the way, raising the stakes for them both.

Will Black Jack pursue the couple? He has a twisted devotion to Jamie, but “To Ransom a Man’s Soul” doesn’t give us much of him after the sex, so we don’t know if his urges have been satisfied or if he’ll always be obsessed with trying to get Jamie away from Claire. He remains one of the most demented characters on television screens, and I can’t help but admire how believable Menzies plays him, even as I’m focusing more on the pain Heughan makes us feel for Jamie.

OUTLANDER also brings up a very interesting idea in the mythology in the season finale. Claire and Jamie decide to try to change history and save the Highlanders from being wiped out. In any time travel story, leaving the timeline alone tends to be a primary concern. OUTLANDER takes the opposite tack, and it’s hard to blame Claire for her decision, given how fond she’s become of the Scots and how deserving they are of her protection. It’s unknown if she can alter the course of events, or if that might split off an alternate timeline. But for a show so far not heavy in studying the mystery at its heart, I’m deeply intrigued that these characters are going to make such a bold move.

OUTLANDER has, at times, made its viewers very uncomfortable, but it’s a good story with as high a degree of authenticity one can expect from a time traveling adventure. The music, the production, the performances, and the writing are all of top-notch quality, and I’m glad this final hour of the freshman run balances horror with a happy ending and hope. The show knows how to make us squirm and how to go dark, but it also doesn’t make the fans suffer needlessly. Let’s hope these trends continue in season two.

OUTLANDER has been renewed and will return to Starz later this year.

OUTLANDER Locked in "Wentworth Prison"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The penultimate episode of OUTLANDER season one on Starz, which aired tonight, is called “Wentworth Prison.” Jamie (Sam Heughan) awaits execution there following his capture, but an unexpected visitor gives the Highlander at least a temporary stay. Meanwhile, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and her small band of recruits tries to figure out how to penetrate the jail, find Jamie, and get him out before it’s too late.

“Wentworth Prison” is the first episode of OUTLANDER that I didn’t enjoy much overall. This is not because the series is bad, the writing is weak, or the acting is wooden. None of those are true. Instead, it’s the constant brutal torture that permeates the hour. I haven’t read the books, so can only assume that the television program is being faithful to the source material. But all of the things Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) does to Jamie turn one’s stomach, and there are oh so many of them this week that it makes the episode hard to watch, and not in a good way.

I assume Jamie will be rescued. It doesn’t happen this week, but Claire plants the seeds that Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) and the others can follow to get past the walls and get to their clansman. Jamie is too essential a character to lose, and I think we see him in the 1940s in the pilot of the show, so he has to survive to get there.

The person that cannot survive is Black Jack. I do not know when he will die (though he himself now does), but I hope it’s sooner rather than later. OUTLANDER can bring in other villains to stay interesting. It doesn’t need this man who has been so ruthless and so awful to Claire and Jamie. I am ready for him to go down, and go down hard.

What I wonder is, how can Claire ever return to Frank after this? While Frank is not Black Jack and Claire has known him long enough to know this, there is no getting past that they look exactly the same (both played by the same actor). Any time Frank would get annoyed with her in the future, she’d have to see a bit of Black Jack in him. I don’t know much of what’s to come on OUTLANDER, but I’m pretty sure Claire gets home at some point long before the series finale (given some casting news that has been publicly released), so I wonder how her experiences in the past will affect her marriage.

Despite how much I didn’t much enjoy watching “Wentworth Prison,” there are some awesome parts worth praising. When Claire tells Black Jack she’s a witch and gives him the day of his death, I cheered. When Angus (Stephen Walters) gambles in the tavern and gleans valuable info, that’s a really fun scene. OUTLANDER maintains its layered, enjoyable characters and setting, even when the plot takes a dark turn.

There’s a bit of fun trivia that pertains to “Wentworth Prison.” The man running the place, Sir Fletcher Gordon, is played by Frazer Hines. Hines is famous for playing The Second Doctor’s (Patrick Troughton) companion in Doctor Who for several years, mostly during the late 1960s, and being the longest-running companion in the show. His character’s name was Jamie McCrimmon, and he was from 1746 Scotland. Diana Gabaldon, author of the OUTLANDER books, says her character and setting is inspired by this role. So, very cool to have him show up!

I don’t want to rag on “Wentworth Prison” too much. While I didn’t like it, it was the subject material, not the quality of the production, that sparked that opinion. I still think it sets up next week for a heck of a season finale, and I have no plans to lessen my admiration for the show as a whole.

OUTLANDER airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

No "Search" for Goodness in OUTLANDER

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s episode of OUTLANDER on Starz is all about “The Search” for Jamie (Sam Heughan). Learning he has been captured by the British, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jenny (Laura Donnelly) set out to rescue their husband and brother, respectively. But rushing off without a plan could get Jamie into more dire straits than he’s presently in.

I like the arc of “The Search.” The episode begins with Jamie captured, and ends with the same. In the middle, though we do not see him, he is free for a time. However, Claire’s efforts to find him lead to him being nabbed again, or so we hear, which has to make her feel even worse than she already does, her actions resulting in the exact opposite outcome than what she wants.

It’s not all Claire’s fault. Jenny doesn’t have a plan, either, and having just given birth, she shouldn’t be out anywhere. She ends up heading home relatively early on, after a disturbing torture session, needing to return to nurse her child. Then, Claire’s second companion, Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), comes up with the idea to make a reputation for themselves so that Jamie can find them. But Claire doesn’t just stick to his theory, introducing jazz music (highly amusing!) and trying to pay off a gypsy that is copying their shtick. That the gypsy ends up being helpful probably makes the whole thing a wash, at best.

Even with these setbacks, “The Search” is an entertaining episode of OUTLANDER. Jenny and Claire are still fairly new in their relationship, so it’s nice to see them bonding, even when it involves unwanted, painful branding. Murtagh is often around, but so little is known about him. Claire and Murtagh share one powerful scene this week that really helps flesh out his character.

In the end, though, it’s Clan MacKenzie that must help Claire rescue Jamie. First Willie (Finn Den Hertog) volunteers, then Angus (Stephen Walters), then the rest. Dougal (Graham McTavish) isn’t enthusiastic about the scheme to free Jamie from captivity, believing his nephew doomed, but he does allow his men to participate, so even if he’s not an asset, he’s not a strong detractor, either. Now we’ll just have to wait ‘til next week to see if they succeed, since “The Search” runs out of time before we actually get to the rescue.

A strange thing happens when Claire encounters Dougal in that he proposes she marry him. Dougal is obviously attracted to Claire, given that time he tried to rape her, but he never seems to like her very much. Why would he want her to be his bride? On the other hand, Dougal was in love with Geillis, who has much in common with Claire including being a time traveler, so perhaps he has a type that is not obvious to the observer. Or he just thinks he’s doing her a favor.

Claire is offended because, to her eyes, Dougal is leaving his nephew to die while trying to steal his bride, but I don’t think Dougal sees it that way. He is a practical man, and as much as he likes to fight for what he believes in, he’s not anxious to embark upon a suicide mission. I think if Dougal thought there were a decent chance to save Jamie, he would do so, and his dismissing the idea is purely because he doesn’t see a good way to make that happen.

Similarly, he seems to think he’s being noble by offering Claire protection, not trying to be an opportunist. Dougal is a man of his time, and I believe he is acting in what he thinks is a kind-hearted manner to a relation. Or, at least as kind-hearted as Dougal MacKenzie can get.

Not a lot happens in “The Search,” but it is chock full of compelling scenes, funny moments, and has great character development, especially for Murtagh and Dougal. That makes it a great episode in my book.

OUTLANDER airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

OUTLANDER Review Season 1 Episode 2 Castle Leoch

Article first published as OUTLANDER Review Season 1 Episode 2 Castle Leoch on Seat42F.

Graham McTavish, Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan | OUTLANDER

Episode two of Starz’s original series OUTLANDER is likely a truer indicator of what this show will be than the first hour, which was mainly set in the 1940s. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is slowly adjusting to Scotland in the 1740s, but wants to escape the clan that has her so she can look for a way home. Arriving at “Castle Leoch,” the seat of the clan the show present, as well as this installment’s title, Claire finds new friends, foes, and a realization that getting home may be even harder than she expects.

OUTLANDER does a good job setting up the principal cast in “Castle Leoch.” Most importantly, we’re introduced to Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) uncles, Colum MacKenzie (Gary Lewis, Gangs of New York) and Dougal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish, The Hobbit movies). Colum is the leader of the castle, but his younger brother, Dougal, is the muscle. It’s not an unfamiliar arrangement, but it does leave the show unpredictable. Would Dougal ever go around his sibling? Will Colum die from the debilitating condition from which he suffers, leaving Dougal in charge? Can Claire count on either one for assistance?

It’s clear in “Castle Leoch” that while Colum is not cruel, he is fiercely protective of those under his charge. He seems a friend to Claire at first, but surreptitiously interrogates her, even after she thinks the questioning is done. Claire isn’t dumb, but she also isn’t used to not being able to take people at face value, still adjusting to these more dangerous times, and slips up, making her untrustworthy. The result is that she is kept at “Castle Leoch” against her will until such time that she can earn Colum’s faith in her. Though, as mentioned above, that might not even be enough, should Dougal rise to power.

This complex dynamic is one in which neither Claire nor Colum is a villain. The viewer may side with Claire, of course, as she is our protagonist we’ve been instructed to root for. Yet, Colum seems fair, and though his suspicions will surely ultimately prove to be unfounded, they are understandable at the present, especially given Claire’s English accent, a people the Scots are not in league with exactly. It’s an uneasy truce between the two, with Colum not quite imprisoning her, but neither is Claire free to leave.

Others in the clan are much easier to win over. Jamie, of course, is for Claire, and as she tends his wounds, they bond even more as he shares his tragic, noble history. Claire finds the closest thing there is to a peer here in Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek, The Borgias), whose knowledge of plants and herbs have some viewing her as a witch, though Claire is scientific-minded enough to know better. And there’s goodly, motherly Mrs. Fitzgibbons (Annette Badland, The Sparticle Mystery), whose disapproval over Claire’s risqué (for the time) clothing is soon replaced by affection.

More a mystery is the only main character I haven’t yet mentioned in OUTLANDER, Murtagh Fitzgibbons (Duncan Lacroix, Wikings). Murtagh is seemingly pleasant and married to Mrs. Fitz, which earns him some respect. But he serves as the eyes of Dougal, too, which seems a dubious task. It’s not clear yet if Murtagh is in this position willingly or out of a sense of duty. Can Claire trust him?

The other thing “Castle Leoch” has me wondering is how Claire’s glimpse of Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) is affecting her impression of her husband, Frank (also Menzies). Hearing from Jamie about Black Jack’s brutality, it has to be shocking for Claire to think that this is her love’s forbearer, and that these deeds are in his blood. She has to wonder if Frank acted anything like Black Jack when thrust into war himself. The physical similarity, which I am not in favor of as an element of the show, also has to make it even easier for her to draw a parallel. Might this be why she starts to tell people Frank is dead, acting more like a widow than a married women?

I like this episode of OUTLANDER a lot. It provides much insight into the chemistry between the various characters and paints a very authentic-seeming portrait of a clan in Scotland at the time. It provides historical context while staying engaging with interesting, complex characters. The Gaelic language comes in bursts, and while at first I didn’t like the fact that it isn’t subtitled, I can see how that helps the viewer put themselves in Claire’s situation even more, as she must rely on a kindly interpreter. Flashes of the twentieth century and Jamie’s past are used sparingly and effectively, thankfully, as some shows overuse this device. And, as I mentioned in my pilot review, OUTLANDER is in a simply gorgeous setting that only enhances the style and tone.

My only real complaint about “Castle Leoch” is that Claire seems to be getting over Frank much too fast. She does want to go home, that is true, and she has to adjust somehow in order to cope with her current existence. But her draw to Jamie is strong, and while she is fighting it, it’s a battle she’s losing far too quickly. Is Frank not the man she thought he was, given what she now knows about his lineage, and is Jamie her true man? Only time will tell.

OUTLANDER airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.