THE TERROR

Article first published as TV Review: THE TERROR on Seat42F.

THE TERROR comes to television at a time when there are a great many “true story” dramas on television. Given that this show is about an actual boat, two boats really, called Terror and Erebus, that went missing in the Arctic Sea in the 1840s, it is a logical conclusion to make that the events portrayed actually happened, at least in part. Especially because quite a bit was found from these lost ships.

However, the AMC series is not claiming to be true, nor does it take many of its cues from real life. It is an adaptation of a novel, also called The Terror, by Dan Simmons, in which supernatural horror mixes with reality. This historical fiction is meant to be a good companion for The Walking Dead, still the network’s (and scripted television’s) most popular show. Whether it’s scary or gory enough to run in those circles, well, you can make that determination yourself.

The cast is headlined by some familiar faces. Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones) plays Captain John Franklin, the man in charge of the expedition, whose poor decision gets the ships stuck in ice before the first hour is over. He is assisted by a bunch of officers, primary first mate Francis Crozier (Jared Harris, The Crown) and second mate James Fitzjames (Tobias Menzies, Outlander). The show is slow to really distinguish many of the characters as individuals, but these three do lend it some heft that will buy the series some time to find its footing. Though I couldn’t tell you much else about anyone else in the cast.

The tone of the piece is pretty cool. The cold is well communicated in both design and performance, likely to give some in the audience chills just from watching. There’s also an underlying feeling of dread from start to finish of the first hour, giving you chills of a different sort. The isolated, dark, desolate locale the ships are traveling through effectively sets the right mood. It feels like there’s always something lurking around the corner, like death could occur at any time. And it occasionally does.

Without having read the novel, I do not know what is coming, other than that all hands were lost (going by historical events). Some people may be hesitant to get too attached to any of the characters, knowing their demise is certain. But without knowing who will go and when, THE TERROR is good at building tension, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Which is the point.

THE TERROR doesn’t seem to have much of a mission beyond that. Since it’s a fictional take, it doesn’t inform the viewer. The pacing is slow and character development seems minimal. The focus is less on building a fully realized world and cast of characters than having some highly qualified performers fill screen time until the series gets around to killing them off. The names at the top of the cast list (the three above) are likely to be some of the last ones just for that reason.

And that’s why I have trouble recommending THE TERROR. I enjoyed it, sure, and I may watch more of it simply because I like both history and the actors. But I don’t think the writers are really giving us a full story. It’s a valid choice to write for the situation, not the players, but it makes for a far less compelling narrative. Will anyone even care when any of the leads depart this life? I’m not sure. Other shows offer more, so that knocks this one down the priority list, even though it does expertly set a tone.

THE TERROR airs Mondays on AMC.

Check In With THE NIGHT MANAGER

Article first published as THE NIGHT MANAGER Review on Seat42F.

AMC recently co-produced a six-episode miniseries with the BBC, and beginning this week, less than a month after it completed its run in England, Americans will get their first look at the tale. Titled THE NIGHT MANAGER, it is based on the novel of the same name by John le Carre (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), first published in 1993, and updated to seem more timely. Essentially, it presents a cat-and-mouse game of two vastly mismatched partners who just might somehow be a perfect pairing.

The hero of the piece is Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston, The Avengers), a former British soldier who now handles things after dark at a very upscale hotel in Cairo, Egypt. An accidental run-in with a woman who is connected to the seedy underworld sparks feelings of protectiveness in Jonathan, and it isn’t long before he becomes involved in international espionage, given face by MI6 agent Angela Burr (Olivia Colman, Broadchurch).

Cue the villain, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie, House), who values money above people. Traveling with an entourage, which includes girlfriend Jed Marshall (Elizabeth Debicki, The Great Gatsby) and protector Corky (Tom Hollander, Rev.), Roper comes in contact with Pine, who knows Roper is responsible for some unfortunate things Pine cannot get over. Thus begins their competition.

Hiddleston and Laurie are absolutely phenomenal in the leading roles, as one would expect. Hiddleston is the star, with his Pine as every bit as sympathetic and heroic as Loki, the character he is best known for playing, is scheming and twisted. Laurie has the smaller role, especially in the first hour, but that makes his screen time even more powerful, grabbing attention the moment he shows up.

With two such talented performers leading the story, it’s little wonder that the series is incredibly captivating. They’re the type of men who could carry a single-set, small drama, and given the larger world stage (THE NIGHT MANAGER hops countries a few times), they still steal focus from the impressive scenery.

I mentioned in the opening that the story has been updated, but not to worry, the changes are not startling nor distracting. The televised version of THE NIGHT MANAGER plays upon Egypt’s Arab Spring and the Syrian crisis. Since the novel came out more than two decades ago, those weren’t elements in the original work. But while I have not read the book, I think it’s smart to make the surrounding details more relevant to the moment, giving easily understood context to the larger picture, even though the main points are the characters, whom could exist the same in any number of settings.

Besides our leads, the three other main players are amazing as well, and the supporting cast includes the likes of Tobias Menzies (Outlander), David Harewood (Homeland), Alistair Petrie (Rush), and Russell Tovey (Being Human). If these are the kind of people coming in to play the smaller roles, I think that’s a sure sign the program is heading in the right direction.

Pretty much every direction THE NIGHT MANAGER takes is correct. The pacing is slow enough to dwell in the appropriate moments, but stays far ahead of boring. The locales are sweeping and beautiful. The hotels that Pine works at are extravagant masterpieces. The score accentuates without distracting. Honestly, other than the fact that the story being told is longer than would fit, THE NIGHT MANAGER could make a very well-regarded motion picture. After only viewing a single hour, I am totally hooked and convinced the entire half dozen installments will be well worth your time. I’m putting them on my schedule.

THE NIGHT MANAGER premieres Tuesday at 10/9c on AMC.

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.

"Watch" OUTLANDER Please!

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s OUTLANDER on Starz continues Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) stay at Lollybroch. Their safety is threatened, though, when outsiders come to the keep, first Taran MacQuarrie (Douglas Henshall, Primeval) and his men, known as “TheWatch,” also the title of the episode, then Redcoat deserter Horrocks (Lochlainn O Mearainn, King Arthur). Will one of them turn Jamie into the British for the price on his head? Or might the cost to keep them from doing so be even worse?

The first clue that MacQuarrie isn’t as bad as he seems is that Ian (Steven Cree) genuinely seems to like him. Jenny (Laura Donnelly) tolerates him, which is probably about as much one would expect from the lass, but Ian does MacQuarrie favors not to garner praise, but out of sheer respect. This is something Jamie can’t comprehend at first, MacQuarrie and his men being mercenaries who take a “protection fee” from his sister and her husband. But over time, Ian’s impression turns out to be true, MacQuarrie making up for his men’s bad behavior and giving back to the clan generously.

MacQuarrie is an interesting type. The type of security he offers is necessary in this time and place, the British patrolling around and bullying. While it, at first glance, his group might seem like a mob leaning on local business owners, MacQuarrie has to feed and clothe his men, and riding around trying to keep people safe is a full-time job. In this, he appears to be doing honest work for what his clients feel are fair wages. He lives in a grey area, but is not evil.

That conclusion is tested in “The Watch” when MacQuarrie essentially blackmails Jamie into helping him on a raid. The reason this can be overlooked is three-fold. First, he asks Jamie only for a single favor and doesn’t appear to be intending to keep changing or stretching out their terms, even if we would welcome Jamie on his team permanently. Second, the venture seems a reasonable trade for not collecting money he could very well collect. And three, by stealing from the Brits, he can charge the Scottish customers less, and in the minds of both Jamie and MacQuarrie, the British kind of deserve it. Thus, while the situation isn’t the most pleasant, it is reasonable.

“The Watch” again reminds us that Jamie is more a part of this world than ours, as civilized as he might seem at times. He understands MacQuarrie and does develop a sort of friendship with him over the course of the hour, or at least mutual respect. He also executes Horrocks when threatened financially, not bodily, which is about protecting his family, but is certainly more than simple self-defense. That Ian is the one who actually runs Horrocks through gives me even more respect for Jamie’s brother-in-law, a fine man and worthy husband, but that matters not to this point, as Jamie would have shot Horrocks anyway had Ian not shown up.

The end of “The Watch” is yet another cliffhanger. I am glad and surprised to see that Ian survived to return home to his wife and newborn daughter. It’s not so surprising that Jamie is captured. Ambushed as Jamie, Ian, and The Watch are, captured or killed are the two most likely options, far more realistic than escaping. One can assume Ian makes it out because he’s not seen as a threat with his bad leg and he’s the least important target. Jamie is exactly the opposite, and the British already have a price on his head.

Hopefully, Jamie will be rescued. I can’t imagine Claire successfully mounting a defense on her own, and Jenny and Ian certainly aren’t equipped to do so. This seems to necessitate a return to the MacKenzies, Claire needing their assistance, and it will be welcome to see them be back on OUTLANDER. It’s only been two episodes since they were last glimpsed, but they are missed.

The other subplot in “The Watch” involves Claire helping Jenny deliver her baby. The drama over the breach birth is real, given the almost barbaric medical knowledge of the era. But Claire is not from here, and brings enough know-how to see things through to a positive outcome for both mother and child. More importantly, it raises the question as to whether Jamie and Claire will have children, as they seem like natural parents are they are certainly expected to continue the family line.

Claire’s confession to Jamie that she fears she is unable to bear children, given her failure to do so for Frank (Tobias Menzies), is met with typical acceptance and warmth by Jamie. One has to applaud a man for taking what would be, in these days at least, devastating news and seeing past it for love. It shows the depth of his affection for Claire. I can’t help but hope, and assume, that they will manage to do what Claire and Frank could not and produce a kid.

“The Watch” is another excellent installment of the series. Expanding the world with layered characters is always welcome, and it balances a very personal story with action and suspense. Each week, I find myself looking forward to the next installment, and this one is no different. If I had next week’s episode available, I would likely have already watched it.

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

OUTLANDER Goes Home to "Lallybroch"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

On this week’s OUTLANDER, Jamie (Sam Heughan) brings Claire (Caitriona Balfe) home to meet the family. While they may already be married, it still feels a bit like the dating scene, where Claire is judged by her new relations and she gets herself into the middle of family issues in which she isn’t invited nor wanted involved in. Even if the start is a little rocky, though, the episode, “Lallybroch,” gives us great insight into who Jamie is and what is his life is like pre-Claire.

Earlier this season, we see Jamie flogged by Captain Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) and witness his sister, Jenny (Laura Donnelly), have herself exposed by the soldier. “Lallybroch” begins with the weight of these events hanging between the two siblings, and to help us understand what remains unsaid between them, OUTLANDER shows us more of the past.

Black Jack is cruel, and that is not a new revelation. Nothing he does in “Lallybroch,” from trying to rape Jenny, whose laughter makes him angry but saves her modesty, to wanting to humiliate Jamie through “buggering” him and flogging him again when Jamie refuses, is surprising. He’s a twisted individual, and it makes me wonder again how a man as decent as Frank sprang from this seed, even if Black Jack is quite a bit back in the past.

The other element not known beforehand is that Brian (Andrew Whipp, Emmerdale), Jamie and Jenny’s father, perishes during this. Both Fraser siblings blame themselves for their patriarch’s passing, and that makes it hard to look their kin in the eye. Knowing all that transpired really informs the excellent, uneasy chemistry between Heughan and Donnelly. Their final airing of guilt and affirming their love for one another is that much sweeter because of the hardship.

Claire has been around enough Scots to know their personalities can be a bit rough, but she is not prepared for Jenny’s cold reception to her new sister-in-law, which is tied to Jenny’s uneasiness with Jamie. I guess that, because Jamie always seems more compassionate than the MacKenzie clan, one sometimes forgets that he is part of this society, too, with the same emotional makeup, something I commented on in another recent review, and was still surprised by again this week.

Luckily, one does not have to be like a Fraser to love them. Jenny’s husband, Ian (Steven Cree, Brave), is as good-natured as they come, making up for Jenny’s standoffishness. I think, even though he and Claire don’t really share much time alone together, he is a big part of why she is able to settle in so easily, relatively speaking.

Claire is Claire, so she does cause trouble. She interferes with a man disciplining his son, and speaks up against Jamie in front of his sister. Part of this is being a product of her time, but part of it is just because she’s a woman unable to hold her tongue. That may not be the norm for this place, but it’s not different enough to startle the people of “Lallybroch,” and she is pretty much accepted by the end of the hour.

I greatly enjoy “Lallybroch” and the greater understanding of Jamie it provides, as well as the fun, tense scene at the mill, but I find myself missing the MacKenzies. OUTLANDER is structured to follow Claire; it is not an ensemble piece. When she is away from the supporting characters, we don’t get to see what happens to them. That’s fine, but it’s a testament to the other performers in the series that the episodes in which they are absent make one look forward even more to catching back up with them again.

OUTLANDER remains excellent. Don’t miss it, Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

OUTLANDER Gets Another Good "Mark"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Tonight’s OUTLANDER episode, “The Devil’s Mark,” could be divided into two parts. In the first, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Geillis (Lotte Verbeek) stand trial on the charge of witchcraft, with an execution all but certain. In the second, time travel secrets are spilled and Claire must make a very difficult choice about where she wants to spend the rest of her life. Both are quite compelling, and together, they make for a hell of an hour, more connected than they first appear.

At the start of “The Devil’s Mark,” Claire and Geillis, previously good friends, are on the outs, both blaming the other for the position that they are in. In truth, though, they’ve been keeping secrets from one another. Those secrets come out too late to do any good, but if they’d only confided more fully in each other earlier, they could have been better pals, and maybe a different outcome could have been reached.

See, Geillis is from the future, too; in fact, about twenty-five years further in the future than Claire. This is a huge bombshell that is telegraphed, but not enough that I saw it coming. Her dance in the woods, her knowledge of the supernatural; these things are clues to who she really is. She and Claire have something extremely important in common. Her vaccination mark leaves no doubt that Geillis is telling the truth when she confesses this.

But by the time she does, she is taking the fall for both herself and Claire in court, and Jamie (Sam Heughan) is escorting Claire away from the rioting mob. Claire can do nothing to save Geillis, and as far as Claire knows, she is once more the sole time traveler in the area. However, hearing Geillis spill her guts, in a fashion, makes Claire realize she must do the same, and Claire confides everything to Jamie.

Jamie, of course, is from this time, and has no reason to believe Claire other than his love for her. Even taking for granted that Jamie accepts some things beyond his comprehension, a product of the superstitious time he lives in, it’s a stretch for Claire to expect Jamie to believe anything she says. Yet, he does, fully and without question.

This proves how much love Jamie has for Claire. What is less certain is the love Claire has for Jamie. She’s fond of him, sure, and enjoys their sexy times, but she has not stuck her neck out for him in the same way that he has for her. In “The Devil’s Mark,” I think Claire finally realizes this. She may or may not be able to get home again through the stones, but by making a conscious decision not to try (or at least that’s how it appears), she does something monumental for Jamie, and the tears on his cheeks show how he feels about that.

Claire can be a bit of a jerk, and some may argue that she isn’t doing right by Frank (Tobias Menzies) to stay in the past. Frank loves her, and even if they aren’t particularly close at the time of her disappearance, given their long separation during the war, he isn’t ready to give her up. At the same time, there is no arguing that what Claire has been through with Jamie is significantly more dramatic, and the bond she has forged with the young Scot is probably quite a bit stronger than the one she shares with Frank. For now, anyway.

The fact that now is the time in which Claire makes this decision makes it much weightier. She has just barely survived a sham of a trail in which she lost a good friend. Claire knows what will become of the Scots, the MacKenzies and their ilk in particular, and she has no reason to think she won’t eventually suffer the same fate as Geillis or worse. Claire isn’t just choosing Jamie, she’s giving up safety to be with him. This is super important.

The trial itself is very gripping television. Despite Ned’s (Bill Paterson) best attempt at mounting a defense, something he says Colum (Gary Lewis) would disapprove of, the crowd is with Laoghaire’s (Nell Hudson) lies and the co-accusers that Laoghaire recruits. Until Jamie shows up and Geillis makes a false confession, things look dire for Claire, and it’s all the more frustrating because viewers know without a doubt that the charges are unfounded.

Except, from Laoghaire’s perspective, she might very well believe what she’s saying. After all, she thinks she has Jamie until Claire steals him away. Since Laoghaire believes in witches and can’t bring herself to accept Jamie’s rejection, she might justifiably think Claire is one.

Perhaps it’s good that this civilization didn’t last. As much as Claire might care for certain individuals she encounters and as sympathetic as many of the personalities portrayed are, society as a whole is lacking. Magic and religion rule the day, most people buying into things they are told by people no wiser and a great deal more crooked than themselves. The present has certainly not eliminated all of that, but it’s with a certain amount of (admittedly smug) superiority one can look back at how far we’ve come.

None of that matters in crafting a story, though, and OUTLANDER is crafting a doozy. There is no ‘typical’ hour for the program, “The Devil’s Mark” being as different as any other installment from the others. Its strength rests in the characters and the authenticity of the setting, both of which are done with the highest quality. OUTLANDER remains “must-see,” by far the best program on Starz.

Oh, and Dougal (Graham McTavish) will not be happy his love and unborn child are killed to save Claire. He may not know about the baby yet, but he’ll probably find out. Knowing that certainly provides a bit of a cliffhanger.

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

OUTLANDER "Pricking" Fans' "Thumbs" and Hearts

Article first published as OUTLANDER Review Season 1 Episode 10 By the Pricking of My Thumbs" on Seat42F.

A lot happens in this week’s Outlander on Starz, “By the Pricking of My Thumbs.” Each of the primary players has disagreements with others, and the fall-out from some of these conflicts will cause unpleasantness for some time to come. There is no denying that Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is a part of this time and place now, as she has been seamlessly integrated into history.

The hour begins with Jamie (Sam Heughan) petitioning the Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow, Amadeus) to clear his name. When Claire warns Jamie than the Duke and Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) are friends, Jamie then sets out to discredit Black Jack. However, it is Claire’s interference that eventually gets Jamie saved, and his own quips that land him in hot water again very soon after.

Watching Claire manipulate and blackmail the Duke is not pleasant. I understand that Claire is protecting her innocent husband against a corrupt system, but the coldness in her eyes is not easy to overlook. She does this with such ease and composure that it feels natural, not like she compromising her morals, and that’s why this is disturbing. Claire can be ruthless when she wants to be.

Jamie seems much more light-hearted. His feud with another clan happens quite by accident, as he trades insults with them after seconding the Duke in a duel. He isn’t trying to start a fight, and only defends himself as far as he must, never on the attack. Jamie is a good man, and his actions stand in stark contrast to Claire’s, making them seem like they might not fit together as a couple as well as they appear to in the opening scene of “By the Pricking of My Thumbs.”

For Jamie’s actions, Colum (Gary Lewis) sends him away. Colum doesn’t give Jamie a chance to explain, which can be overlooked given the other things on Colum’s mind at the moment. Still, despite Jamie’s name being cleared, the outcome is not at all what Jamie and Claire hope for, nor what the viewers would like to see. Our heroes have still more to overcome.

Colum is distracted because of the behavior of his brother, Dougal (Graham McTavish). Dougal has been having an affair with Geillis (Lotte Verbeek) and she is pregnant with his child. At first, it seems like Geillis is counting on fate to bring her and Dougal together, but after both of their spouses die, some begin to suspect foul play, at least on Geillis’ part. Colum sends Dougal away to try to minimize the fall-out to the clan, frustrated with the threat Dougal causes them.

I still think Geillis is a true friend to Claire. I don’t sense anything ill between them, even after Claire accuses Geillis of murder. Geillis’ romantic issues are hers, not Claire’s, and they remain friends, Claire even trying to help Geillis escape the law.

Unfortunately for the both of them, Laoghaire (Nell Hudson) isn’t so kind. When Claire confronts Laoghaire over what she’s been doing, trying to break up Claire’s marriage, Laoghaire not only admits to it, but pledges to keep up the fight. Claire and Geillis’ arrest for witchcraft at the close of “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” is Laoghaire’s doing, as she wins the latest round of battle. So I guess all three main women on OUTLANDER can be pretty bad.

Laoghaire cannot be triumphant for long. Jamie loves Claire, and whatever feelings he had or has for Laoghaire, he is an honorable and dedicated husband. Were Jamie to see what Laoghaire has been doing, he would not approve and it would kill any chance of the outcome she desires. I guess she thinks that she can get away with being sneaky, but that doesn’t seem likely.

Will Claire’s relationship with the Duke, tenuous as it is, get her and Geillis out of trouble? Or at least save Claire? If he is the one to sit in judgment over the girls, they stand a chance of getting off without too much trouble. Claire still has the dirt on him, and Laoghaire’s evidence is faked, so cannot possibly hold up to much scrutiny, even by old court standards. Claire has friends in the castle who will surely speak up for her. I don’t think this is a serious, lasting problem, dire as the situation might seem in the cliffhanger.

OUTLANDER certainly knows how to keep things exciting. None of what goes down in “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” is expected, at least not by those who haven’t read the book series, and drama keeps building. The characters are well-defined enough at this point to get a read on them, yet they still have hidden depths to be explored, such as when we learn about Dougal and Geillis’ affair. Even if not a lot happens in this hour, I come away satisfied and ready for the next installment, which sadly is a full week away.

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

OUTLANDER Sails Through Any "Reckoning"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

“The Reckoning” picks up pretty much right where Starz’s OUTLANDER left off in its midseason finale last fall. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is in the custody of one Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies), about to be raped. The episode, which is narrated by Jamie (Sam Heughan) for a change, begins with his daring rescue of his wife, which of course must happen. But Black Jack trying to rape Claire and make Jamie watch is actually arguably not the most disturbing thing in the hour.

Yes, that scene is absolutely awful. Black Jack is a truly twisted individual, a cold-blooded exhibitionist and sadist who would kill Jamie while taking Claire against her will and probably take extreme pleasure from it. But we expect that from Black Jack. We know he’s a bad dude, and no one would think he’d do anything more civil than this.

No, “Reckoning” takes the aftereffects of this event and continues to make us uncomfortable with them. Claire and Jamie’s reconciliation is easy enough. There’s an ugly screaming match, but as soon as she realizes that his anger comes from a place of fear for her safety, she can forgive him. He’s a noble man who just wants to protect his wife, and she can understand that, as she is surely scared, too. The fight is emotionally raw and moving, and concludes with mutual forgiveness.

That doesn’t satisfy the clan, however, who are not her husband and are also put in danger. In modern times, a heartfelt apology and some fresh baked goods might be enough to get Claire back into their good graces, but that is not the way of the MacKenzie clan of past centuries. Instead, Jamie takes Claire upstairs and beats her bare bottom with a belt as punishment for her recklessness.

I find this scene even more disturbing than what Black Jack does. Not because of the clan’s reaction, which seems in character for those rough and tumble men, but for Jamie’s. He doesn’t offer Claire an out; he doesn’t try to keep her from harm. He thinks he’s doing her a favor, fighting her physically to be able to inflict the lashes, and enjoying her squirming in pain. This is 50 Shades, but without the sub agreeing to it.

I know I am judging Jamie through modern eyes, and I can’t help that. Because Jamie is so loving towards Claire, I forget he is part of that larger group and expect him to be better than them. It’s Claire’s resistance and anger, more than anything, that ruin this scene for me, and Claire seems perfectly justified in freezing Jamie out until he promises to never do it again, even threatening him with a knife during sex to even the score. Now, Jamie will be the man that Claire, I, and other fans want him to be, but he must be punished to get there, which has a certain sort of poetic justice, even if his chastisement is emotional, rather than physical.

“Reckoning” may understand what it’s doing to Jamie, and thus gives him a more respectable plot as well. Colum (Gary Lewis) is furious with Dougal (Graham McTavish) for collecting money for the Jacobites and confiscates the funds. The clan almost splits into civil war, with various members siding with one brother or the other. Jamie intervenes, though, and brokers peace as only an outsider can. This proves his worth to Colum, even if he won’t swear fealty, and shows Jamie’s level headedness that many of the Highlanders lack.

Lastly, Jamie gets a very cold welcome at the castle from Laoghaire (Nell Hudson). She has flirtation with him before he leaves and he returns a married man, so she has plenty of reason to be upset. However, she handles it poorly, offering herself up as a fling in the woods and planting bad totems in the couple’s bedroom. Thankfully, Jamie resists, though he does appear tempted by her charms, as many men would be. I’ve heard Scottish women have a temper and can be vindictive (a stereotype I know that does not apply to all of the group), but Laoghaire takes this to a terrible level. She isn’t going to accept the union anytime soon, which makes her a danger to Claire in the meantime. Let’s hope she doesn’t step up her stunts to the level of violence against our heroine.

Despite the scene I spend a great deal of this review discussing, or maybe even because of it, I do think “Reckoning” is a strong return for OUTLANDER. It gets us back to the characters, tells an unexpected, engaging story, and maintains the complex, beautiful tale told over the first eight episodes. I’m greatly enjoying the show, and think it has stayed true to form during its break.

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