Blacklanderz Convos!

Outlander S3 Epi6 – A. Malcolm 

Directed by Norma Bailey      Written by Matthew B. Roberts

 

This conversation is between Blacklanderz Evelyn, Erica and Michelle. Edited by Vida.

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APPREHENSIVE | INHIBITED | JOYOUS | EUPHORIC

Evelyn (Ev):  This is the episode that we have all been waiting to see; the reunion.

How to reclaim something that has been lost, but highly treasured. Will it work? Will he be happy to see me? Will she love me for who I am today not who I was? All questions answered over the 74 minutes in a way that was real. The miscommunication brought on by years of separation while they both yearned for each other was palpable. They are desperate to make it work. We’ve all been there. Stepping on each other’s toes, saying the wrong thing when you mean something different and above all not saying what you truly want to say, I came back for you and will ye have me now and stay forever? Well the moment we have been waiting for – Claire and Jamie are . . .

Reunited, and it feels so good
Reunited ’cause we understood
There’s one perfect fit
And, sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited ’cause we’re reunited, hey, hey. . .

The writers including some of the lines from their wedding was masterfully woven throughout the episode. It brought that episode back to mind and allowed the audience to be in the moment of remembering their love along with them.

NEW DAY | TREASON | LOVE RETURNED | REUNIONS

Erica (E):  Finally, we are where we have all wanted to be since the conclusion of S2 Epi13. Jamie and Claire are together again. The entire season has built us up to get here. The day starts off as usual it appears. A new day has dawned. Jamie is on his way to work. Here at A. Malcolm Printer and Bookseller, Mr. Malcolm meets with men he met while at Ardsmuir. All basic so far. A delivery is to be made…be careful. This delivery could cost you your life. In the midst of it all, the bell at the door tolls several hours after Geordie has left on an errand. We think it is Geordie. It is not. Love walks in. Finally, the two lovers are reunited. Epi6 – A. Malcolm is a love story 20 years in the making.

LONGING | ANTICIPATION | RECONNECTION

Michelle:  A. Malcolm, or the Print Shop episode as many of us know it, is the most highly anticipated episode of S3. After five episodes and 20 years apart, we finally get to see Jamie and Claire reunited. We watch two people, who have lived half-lives for so long, navigate the tricky waters of reconnection. Secrets are revealed, questions are asked and we learn that Claire and Jamie’s love has and will stand the test of time (not that there was ever a doubt).

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We wanted to let this episode breathe, to be special. And we also felt it was important they reconnect. Look at all that has happened to our characters in the first five episodes. It’s been an emotional battle. We needed them to get back together and take a really deep breath, find out a little bit about each other again before we throw ’em back into the rush of what’s coming in the second half. A little bit of extra episode doesn’t hurt.

~ Matthew B. Roberts, Entertainment Weekly

I’m most excited that we chose to do something that most people wouldn’t do, which is to spend about 40 minutes in one set with two characters and see them reconnecting. Most people would do like 10 minutes and then get out. It’s so long to sit with them in there but to me, it’s a luxury and a journey. It’s a love letter to the fans to be like, let’s see Jamie and Claire reunite and let’s have this bubble fantasy episode before all this stuff comes crashing down on them. They have to go back to the real world so it’s a real luxurious time to spend with them and I think the fans will really enjoy it.

~ Maril Davis, The Hollywood Reporter

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Ev: Opening this episode from Jaime’s perspective was the best. He had no idea how his day was going to pan out. We saw glimpses of the script this past year from Matt B. Roberts, and I think it made the episode work that much better than picking up from Claire walking into the print shop.  Jaime not knowing what is about to occur makes the print shop reunion much more enjoyable.

E: I liked how it started.  It appears that his day starts off as usual. A new day has dawned as he is on his way to work.

Ev: Jaime was looking very dapper in his overcoat and Tricorn. Madam Jeanne has very hungry eyes…the one customer she can’t seem to bed. His integrity is what seems to draw the oddest people to him.

M: Yes, that hat is very befitting. I think this is called a cold open? Given that we ended with Jamie fainting, I was surprised this is where we started off. My first reaction was ‘who is this broad and why is she dressing Jamie’?

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I thought that it’s a great ‘out’ on the faint. You’re not going to get a better out than that. Where do you pick up the next episode? We didn’t want to just repeat the joke. We didn’t want to just pick up in real time so it wouldn’t have any momentum in it anymore. So it felt like we should reset a little bit. He doesn’t know what’s coming and we all do. He’s living in Edinburgh and has this other life, who are all these people in that life? It’s a whole different atmosphere. I wanted to really relish and enjoy the tension of that waiting for the doorbell to ring and to see what happened from his perspective. It was a fun way to set it up.

~ Ron Moore, The Hollywood Reporter

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Ev: With his tricorn on, he looks like the same old Jaime, ever young. They have lightened his hair and straighten the curls out a bit so the ageing is a bit subtle.  They have also given him a more ashen/weathered look to his face. His lips are no longer that perfect shade of pink. He still has his boyish charm and smirk but he is definitely older in his mannerisms too.

M: The song is the background as Jamie walks down the street is one of my absolute favorite songs from S1. Bear is an absolute genius and I always look forward to his work.

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Ev: I have always been amazed at people/men who can re-invent themselves at a moment’s notice. They have an uncanny ability to see four moves ahead and never miss a beat. Jaime is well into his next career as a printer all the while doing a bit of side work printing sedition pamphlets and smuggling. He’s very canny.

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It’s an iconic scene in the book. We knew fans were really going to be looking forward to it. Gary Steele, our production designer, spent a lot of time designing the print shop. It was a big set on stage. We just knew it was important so we made sure to give it the time and space and energy. We didn’t slavishly follow exactly the moment-by-moment of the book but it basically did tell the same thread with a lot of the same dialogue and delivered what people wanted to see from that moment.

~ Ron. D. Moore, The Hollywood Reporter

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M: Are Jamie’s two “co-workers” supposed to mirror Angus and Rupert?

E: Perhaps just there to add a little humor.

Ev: Well, I thought Geordie was actually the comic relief. He was not so intertwined in the book and I hope he will be around for a bit. His banter with everyone was needed for such a dramatic episode. The goiter hidden in his neck scarf should have its own lines!

Absolutely hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed him telling Jaime to give him his chores before he leaves for the day so he doesn’t have to backtrack his steps.

M: Yeah, Geordie is that intern who forgets that he works for you, not the other way around. So mouthy.

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Ev: The first doorbell I heard was Geordie leaving and my heart jumped into my throat. I thought to myself…too soon for Claire’s entrance.

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Yeah, they are [actual printing presses]! We have two working printing presses that we built specifically for the show. The typeset really works. Sam Heughan is really doing them on camera.

~ Matthew B. Roberts, Entertainment Weekly

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Ev: I have never seen a printing press work before and the details they put into that scene…showing all of the intricate steps that must be taken before you have a printed document was incredible. I really enjoy a show when I can learn something while being entertained.

M: Seeing the print press in action was a nice touch. The print shop set is a true work of art. Some fans were able to see it up close at comic con and it was stunning.

Ev: The glasses…nice addition to insinuate age.

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It was my idea. They [the producers] will claim it is theirs. But I sent an email to Ron Moore last year saying, ‘How about glasses?’ It’s not something in the books but I thought it would be a nice surprise. It’s a weakness of Jamie’s. He doesn’t have many. It’s nice, and it’s something we can play off. It’s kind of a disguise as well. He plays so many different characters and I felt when we first see Jamie, it would nice to see him as a completely different character, a gentrified Edinburgh man who has his own business.

~ Sam Heughan, Entertainment Weekly

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Ev: I have watched this scene at least 10 times over the past two weeks and I still get heart palpitations when he asks if it is Geordie. Claire gasps as it dawns on her that it really is Jaime when she hears his voice. I have no idea how she didn’t just run to the window.

It isn’t Geordie.

E: Yeah, they wanted us to think it was Geordie and it is not. It’s love that walks in.

It’s me. Claire.

M: Yes and again, music from S1 reminds us of their time together.

Ev: The look on his face when he hears Claire’s voice is one of amazement and fear. He has seen and heard her in his dreams for years and he truly believes that he is hallucinating now.  The slow turn around from his perception makes the scene that much more anxiety ridden. Will he believe what his eyes and mind are telling him?  And he faints!

E: YES. It is really you? Jamie’s face says it all. Claire’s face says it all.

Ev: The cliffhanger break to the opening song was brilliant. It gives the audience exactly what they wanted. Similar to the scene in S1 where Jaime has to rescue Claire from BJR at Fort William.  It rounds it out from both perspectives and the crescendo of the music makes you really feel the emotion of the moment.

M: Yes, it does. Also, seeing Matt B. Roberts name on the paper was a nice touch.

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Everything was important to get right about that scene.

What’s so interesting to me is that people always talk about the print shop scene, and really for me it’s the print shop episode. [Writer] Matt Roberts did such a great job in giving fans, hopefully, what they want in trying to create his own story as well. For me, it’s just the whole episode I needed to get right, not just that moment. It’s not just one scene.

~ Maril Davis, The Hollywood Reporter

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Ev: I had to giggle a bit at the look on Jaime’s face when he opened his eyes; he clearly thinks he has seen a ghost. Even after Claire confirms she’s real he’s still not quite sure.

You’re real.

So are you.

Ev: Love his sense of humor about pissing on himself. Sam has a way of delivering those lines in such a humorous way. It has been missing over the past five episodes as he hasn’t been able to see much humor in his life.  He is still amazed at the site of her and only comes to his senses when he has to undress and she’s standing there.

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It’s gonna be everything…you know, these two people haven’t seen each other, and they’re going to rediscover that bond, that attraction, that love for each other, but also it’s kind of awkward because they haven’t seen each other for so long and there’s so much riding on it. It’s almost like they’re teenagers again.

~ Sam Heughan, E! News

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Ev: Good old Claire, never one to shy away from a naked body doesn’t even blink until he mentions it. “It’s alright; we are married” which stumps him again.

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Ev: I love the shyness and unintentional awkwardness that is between them. When he grabs her hand and realizes she is still wearing the key to Lallybroch, I thought he was going to lose it. It brought back a lot of emotions and the love of his family home. Asking Claire if he can kiss her was so sweet. He’s still pinching himself to make sure she is real.

M: It’s almost like they can’t believe they are real.

I never took it off.

I want . . .

I would very much like to kiss you

May I?

E: Their first embrace…their first kiss. It was beautifully done. The music sets the mood and you know something good is about to happen. Enter Geordie and the moment is gone.

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They’re different people now. Plus, they’ve been thinking about the other and where they are and who they’re with—that’s plagued them both in their quiet moments.

~ Sam Heughan, TV Insider

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Ev: When Jaime tells her about all of the times she has come to him in his time of need but she never touches him that just made my cry. Bear McCreary your music on this episode was off the charts.

I saw you so many times. Ye came to me so often.

When I dream sometimes. When I was in a fever.

I was so afraid and so lonely, I knew I must die.

Whenever I needed you. I would see ye,

smiling, your hair curled around your face.

Ye never touched me.

I can touch you now. Do not be afraid.

There’s the two of us now.

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E: Yes, it was emotional. But, with Jamie standing there with no pants on attempting to explain the scene to Geordie, he breaks the mood. Old Geordie wants no part of it and before noon to boot.

M: That was pretty funny. An orgy? LMAO, what is with this dude!

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E: Yea, but then we see that Jamie is afraid to have Claire leave his sight.

Come wi’ me? If ye dinna think it immoral.

Ev: It still has not sunk in completely that Claire is there so he asks her to come with him to get a new pair of trousers. He wants to make sure she doesn’t vanish into thin air again. Claire looks over at his lodgings and is relieved they are for “ONE”.

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Ev: I liked how Sam plays this part of the scene. Everything is coming to him in fits and starts as he is absorbing this new situation. He can’t think of everything at once but when it hits him, he blurts out what comes to his mind. He is so stunned to see Claire that he completely forgot about their “child”.

E: Watching him learn about the technology of the 20^th century will be fun. Sam is an amazing actor. You really believe that he does not know what she is talking about.

M: So the glasses thing…What do you all think? Because I’m on the fence. I do think they introduce the glasses earlier as a physical indicator of age, since they aren’t aging their faces.  Same concept with Claire’s grey streaks. Both are easy to do and can be easily forgotten if needed aka Claire dyed her hair and boom, no more grey.

Ev: He is so relieved when she tells him their daughter is alive and well and that she knows about him. The “Pictures” freaked him out (“the devil”). As for the glasses, I really like them and it was so sweet that he didn’t want to seem like an old man to Claire. Claire letting him know she dyed her hair put him somewhat set at ease.   “Time doesn’t matter, Sassenach”.

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I think in terms of the relationship, actually, it’s: Who are you now? Who have you grown into? Within that, there’s also a slight regression. It’s like when you go home, you’re always going to be sort of a teenager in your parents’ house. It’s the same with Jamie and Claire; they meet on such a fundamental soul level that they’re always going to be slightly ageless with each other, so the passion is still there and all of that.

~ Caitriona Balfe, Parade

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E: Jamie’s love of Claire is something else. “You will always be beautiful to me.”

Time does not matter, Sassenach.

Ye will always be beautiful to me.

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M: I like that they acknowledge Faith.

Ev: He is so amazed to see Brianna. His questions go to the ordinary of what was she like and what were her first words.  He is stunned, emotional, and when he brings up Faith…gusher.

E: Isn’t he. Looking at him look at the pictures of Bri makes me want S4 to air as soon as S3 ends. This entire exchange was straight from the book. I remember reading this part for the first time. I could not stop smiling. The same could be said for seeing Diana’s words come to life on screen. Beautifully done.

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[Jamie’s] just overwhelmed. He does get to hear about his daughter Brianna and that‘s very emotional for him. So I imagine meeting her would be very powerful.

~ Sam Heughan, TV Insider

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Ev: Jaime was funny when he learned Brianna’s name. Thinking it is an awful name for a wee lass but I guess he forgot Claire promised to name their child after his father Brian.

What did you name her?

Brianna.

Ev: His reaction to Brianna in a bikini was hilarious and so 18^th century.

Ev: Adding the picture of Brianna splitting wood and fishing, hopefully, lays the foundation for some future flashbacks of Frank showing Brianna how to live off the land and hunt…because he she is going to need it in her future.

Ev: Did anyone notice the Easter-Egg that Matthew B. Roberts planted??  Nice touch to have S4, the Drums of Autumn book, just over Jaime’s shoulder while he was looking at the pictures.

M: I heard about it later, but did not see it. The revelation of Willie is important and Claire needed to be told but this wasn’t the time. They needed time to bond over Bree. I don’t like the voice overs, usually, but I would have given anything to know what Claire was thinking as Jamie told her about Willie.

Ev: I enjoyed the miss communications and miss-steps between Claire and Jaime. They know each other but don’t know each other. She thinks Jaime is upset about Brianna’s bikini but he really is searching for a way to tell her about Willie. Funny how we project what we are feeling onto the other person in a conversation.

I like that Willie was disclosed early and not in Jamaica like in the book. It’s so sad when he tells Claire he has a son and he can’t claim him …”he’s a bastard”. He is in pain, as I imagine he may not have vocalized it before. Claire is surprised and sad, but she gets what she needs by asking if he loved Willie’s mother…an emphatic “No”. I like that they didn’t trash Geneva but true to form Jaime takes all of the bad upon himself. I can’t remember what was said in the book but I believe it was not so pleasing.

E: I like it too. That is one thing I liked in this adaptation was him telling Claire about him now. But, it makes me wonder about her meeting LJG. The love that Jamie has for Willie is constant. By now, it has been years since he has seen him and that love is as strong as the day he saw him last – as it should be. A parents’ love has no end. Even after the death of a Faith, he brings her to mind easily when Claire is talking about Bri.

Ev: His description of Willie is so sweet and Claire’s reaction to it was brilliant…”and yours”.

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M: I love Claire’s outfit! I am going to make it one of these days!

Ev: It’s really nice. When you make it, you have to post a picture. Once we get to “I’m late”, this is where in the books takes off like a speeding rocket. I was hoping the whirlwind from the book was not replicated. In the book Claire couldn’t catch her breath and similar to S1 she had to constantly adapt to everything coming at her. So funny they included a Prince Charlie update (I wish someone would have said “mark me”) that he’s alive, but won’t live a very happy life. Nincompoop. It’s still weird to hear Jaime call her Claire since “Sassenach” was his term of endearment for her. I think he is enjoying how her name rolls off his tongue especially since he couldn’t/wouldn’t say her name out loud for such a long time.

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M: OMG! It’s Fergus! He was the MVP of S2 and I think he will be in S3 as well. The perfect combination of sweet and confident. Truly the child of Jamie and Claire! Aww, he still calls her milady!

Look at grown up Fergus (César Domboy)!

Milady?

Ev: I loved that her called her that too. He is truly her other child! Cesar Domboy kept a lot of Roman’s mannerisms and it helps the leap with the character going from a child to a man. Claire’s shock and then her acceptance of his missing hand was sweet.  Fergus, ever the braggart about his heroic deeds.  I like that Fergus has a blended accent and mixes in both the Scots and the French.  He himself is of two worlds.  Claire was always good coming up with an answer when out on the spot. “I was in America”. A wee transgression!

E: Yes, he is. The explanation at her appearance is classic. “Keep to the truth as much as possible only changing what’s needed to keep your cover.” Remember that line from S 1 Epi 2 – Castle Leoch? Claire’s voice over while talking to Colum.

M. Yes, but I also forget Claire can lie on a dime in the show.

E: The first notion of . . . who shall not be named. I can’t wait to see Ned Gowan. What must his makeup look like? Jamie is so happy to see Claire that he has totally forgotten that he does have ties, that Claire alluded to. I wonder what the non-book readers will wonder about his conversation with Fergus?

Ev: Yes, I love him. He always gets right to the heart of the matter – Is she staying with you? What to do about? – as it dawns on Jaime that … so now we need to speak to Ned Gowan!  I can’t wait to hear what Ned has to say about this. I loved his character in S1 and hoped he had not been written off.

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There was a ton of discussion about Mr. Willoughby, because I love Mr. Willoughby, but I totally recognize that there is some very offensive stuff in the books. We talked so often about how are we going to deal with this and still be able to include him? Because it felt like a loss not to.

~ Maril Davis, Popsugar

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Ev: Yi Tien Cho: Licking elbows…it costs a penny a minute…that man has some odd predilections. In the book it was a foot fetish but let’s see what it turns out to be on Starz. I hope they develop his character more as there is quite a lot of Voyager that pertains to him.  I’m still holding out hope for more Joe but we’ll see how they treat the characters who are not the main story line. Poor Claire, she has been a Randall for so long and she can’t use Fraser…good thing Jaime is there to correct her.

M: I cringe every time I think of Mr. Willoughby. I hope the show makes some changes, as they decided to keep the character.

It’s Mr. Willoughby, Yi Tien Cho (Gary Young)!

E: I love how they changed his character. The people in the tavern seem more tolerant than in the book.

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We don’t dumb down characters. We just try to be as authentic as possible. We didn’t just go to books. [We] read as many diaries of people in the time to depict what it was like in the time as accurately as possible. And then we let the audience come to their own conclusion about things. For us, that’s the best way to do it.

~ Matthew B. Roberts, BuzzFeed News

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Ev: Poor Claire, she has been a Randall for so long and she can’t use Fraser…good thing Jaime is there to correct her. I have to laugh every time anyone says “your wife?”, wife?? I think everyone thought he was celibate, gay, or a eunuch.

Claire — Malcolm, my wife.

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There’s more of a sense of respect between Claire, Willoughby, and Jamie, that’s a really unique relationship. We wanted to keep him in, but strip some of that stuff away because he has such an interesting story. We wanted to be true to the fact that he still would not have been accepted in Scotland or among the people he’s traveling with, so we wanted to be true to that and hopefully show it in a way that’s not gratuitous and incredibly offensive.

~ Maril Davis, Popsugar

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Ev: I love the old Claire being back. She is engaged and open when speaking with Mr. Willoughby. She has shelved the reserve she had in Boston as a Doctor and around Frank. Pretending to be someone you’re not is hard and it takes a toll on you.

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[Matthew B.] Roberts mentioned that the show has a majority female staff with two Asian writers. Gary Young, the actor who plays Cho, was also essential in the redrafting of his character, changing his dialect from Mandarin to Cantonese, Young’s native language.

~ Tyrese Coleman, BuzzFeed News

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Ev: Smuggler Jaime at work. The tax man is always evil. I love it when he tells him he’s not paying the 25% increase. We‘ll see what else transpires in the coming episodes. Hopefully, these stay true to the book as they were interesting.

M: Well, Jamie is not about to be taken advantage of by this English man!

E: We shall see Mr. Malcolm. Yeah, sounds like a threat. So glad there was no chase through the city. I would have been sad if her bat-suit was destroyed.

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M: I can’t tell if the Madame likes Jamie or is just protective of him? Why is she acting like this?

Ev: This relationship was clearly predicated on necessity for Jaime, but Madame Jeanne had other plans for him.

Yeah, Madam Jeanne is so happy to see Jaime and Claire is having none of it. Love the look of WTF on Madame Jean’s face. How dare you bring a woman to my establishment and on top of that “your wife”!!! HA!

E: Madame Jeanne is in shock. She didn’t expect him to have a wife, never seen her.

E: Claire looks at her as if to say, who the hell do you think you are.

Ev: Claire was shooting daggers her way as she literally chokes on the word “wife”. Claire has to be thinking what sweet hell have I gotten myself into by coming back here. He took me to a brothel!!! WTF!!

I’d like to introduce you to my wife . . . Madame Malcolm.

Ev: Jamie gives Madame Jeanne the “you better watch your step” look… and she finally acquiesces.

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Ev: Claire checks out the room and all the while still confused as to what just transpired. With all of the umm… background noise from the brothel it is hard for Claire to comprehend and digest what is right in front of her. She looks so sad and confused at the same time.  I guess she hit her limit of surprises for the time being because now she picks the time to be more direct?

M: When you are reading about their time at the brothel, you often forget about the sounds of a brothel. Talk about ambiance.

Ev: Yeah, reuniting in a brothel is a bit odd and humorous at the same time.

E: Claire is now in full SHOCK. Why do you have a room in a brothel? The explanation is suitable. This entire exchange reminds me of that scene in S2 Epi4. Remember the scene?

Ev: I had a flashback to the night Jamie came home from Madame Elise’s and he was trying to explain how he was desiring a woman that was not his wife. He has the same confused face but this time a much better response. With age comes wisdom. Is that the same episode? Claire is having none of it and at the same time trying to come to terms with what she is experiencing and if it was truly a good decision to come back.  I love Jaime’s turning the table and gets to the point of why she came back. I think he is feeling judged and he has to know.

M: Claire looks like she is on the verge of tears throughout most of this scene. Poor lass.

Sassenach . . .Why have you come back?

Ev: She does. But these scenes with Claire’s, I knew you would have had a life, statement jolts Jaime again back to reality. Why is Claire here? Did she leave Frank? What does/did he know about me? Just a litany of thoughts running through Jaime’s head. More questions than he can probably consume at the moment. Would he turn her away if she said she had left Frank instead of him dying? It would be a hard decision for sure but I think he would tell her stay.  She would have chosen Jaime like the last time and I think he would have been okay with that.

Why do people talk around the subject? Jaime ask her point blank if she was happy with Frank and she answers with, I was happy raising Brianna with him. Girl, I would have said, I tried, but I could never forget you. You’re a hard man for anyone to live up to or replace, and then . . . drop the mic! She even could have said Frank was stability and it was necessary for Brianna. Jaime would understand that; it happens all the time in the 18^th century. Husbands die, widowers remarry out of necessity.

Why do you think I’ve come back?

The restrained emotion between the two of them is palpable and draining. I just want them to throw caution to the wind and say what they want and mean. Again, miscommunication and body language driving the conversation and not feelings. SPEAK!! They are talking around the elephant in the room and each is having negative thoughts that this is not going to work. Neither want to feel the pain and devastation of losing the other again.  Do you want me? May be one of the hottest lines of the episode right behind I have burned for you. People really need to go back to speaking in that fashion. It really is hot and there is no misconstruing the meaning.

But have you come back to be my wife again or only to bring me word of my daughter?

I have burned for you for so long do ye not know that?

Ev: I really wish the script had delved into Claire’s explanation of how she found Jaime and how long she looked for him and how she almost gave up. I hope we hear more as the season evolves.

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[Vida: This is the only interruption; I promise. I had a song in my head before the airing of this episode and it still fits, especially here.]

Now that I have found you
In the coolth of your evening smile
The shade of your parasol
And your love flows through me
Though I drink at your pool
I burn for you, I burn for . . . 

~ I Burn for You, Sting

[I’ll finish the song below.]

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E: Dinner is served. Getting to know you…getting to know all about you. This is the song playing in my head as they eat.

M: OMG! The interruptions. Jamie better lock that door!

Ev: Isn’t that the truth! I love the parallel to the wedding night. This time its French wine instead of Whisky. They are sitting on the opposite side of the table as they were in Epi 7. They thought of everything. I do wish they had given us more details with minimal voice over, but time will tell if more will come out. They looked more than hungry; food was just foreplay.

We ate slowly, savoring each other as much as the before us.
We began reminiscing about our life together those many years ago,
and carefully filling in details of our time apart.
We began to know each other again. And discover whether we were, in fact,
the same two who had once existed as one . . . and whether we might be one again.

After we finished, the same thought was uppermost in both our minds.

It could scarcely be otherwise.

Will ye come to bed wi’ me, then?

Ev: Who in their right mind can say no to that offer?

E: Not raising my hand!

Yes.

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I think they [Caitriona Balfe & Sam Heughan] definitely found the small moments in the reality of being apart for 20 years. That’s what made it so special; no matter how many different takes we did, each take was pretty special. That’s a tough thing when you get into editing. Which take do we want to use? Sometimes you only get one choice. But in this case, we had a few choices. We shot episodes 5 and 6 at the same time.

~ Matthew B. Roberts, Entertainment Weekly

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M: Okay, now that I think about it, almost all of the music is from S1 right?

Ev: Yes. I loved the slow undressing of each other creates more anticipation; it was just right. There really are only two ways to shoot this scene; slow and steady or ravenous frenzy. I’m glad they chose slow and steady.  A lot of throwbacks to season one – music, woman gazing, etc.  All of the camera angles to get this final scene was amazing and really showed the entirety of their reactions. I felt like I was imposing because the close shots made it so intimate.

M: Do the stones have magic hair growing properties, because her hair wasn’t that long, right?

Ev: Funny. I loved they kept the “zipper” conversation. Jaime’s face was classic. He is always surprised when it comes to Claire.  I still marvel at the Bat outfit Claire had to make. She had to make a bum roll too!!  The suspenders on the faux corset comes from a garter & girdle set Claire owned. I guess in the 60’s there wasn’t any place to buy a corset so she thought of the next best thing. She thought of everything in that outfit including the hidden pockets.

E: I don’t know about the stones and hair. But, this is reminiscent of The Wedding. Slow and methodical. Jamie touches Claire’s hair. So sensual I made me crazy.

M: Yes, this undressing scene definitely draws from the wedding episode. It also reminds me of a comment Terry D. made about how long it usually takes for them to get down to business due to all of the layers of clothing.

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I think they have absolutely grown up. When we first started, she was a more experienced woman and he’s young and falling in love. But it was that their love was brand-new and they were finding each other for the first time. This time, they’ve lived their own lives separately so they reconnect on, “Oh, it’s you. I know this person.” And there’s a great joy of that but then it’s the rediscovery. There are parallels to Season 1 even in the way the episodes are written, shot and play out.

It’s great. There was a lot of anticipation about that moment but, honestly, for me that’s not the moment. Personally, it’s not. I think it’s everything that happens before and everything that happens afterwards. The moment they see each other, of course, to him it’s a complete shock. It goes through from the print shop onward to then going on this adventure journey in Jamaica.

~ Sam Heughan, Parade

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M: This episode and Epi 5 showed Claire in such a vulnerable state. She is nervous, awkward and uncomfortable – way more so than when they first met or wed. We are so used to seeing her as the strong, authoritative woman, it was nice to see this side of her. You can feel her trepidation.

E: What’s this? Claire is self-conscious? He is so in love with her and she with him. This is LOVE!

Ev: Shy Claire was wonderful. She was so worried she wouldn’t look the same to him. Jaime’s long gaze makes her self-conscious which is something we have rarely seen with Claire. Still, Jaime had the same look as he did on their wedding night, amazement at the beauty of her body.  I love the way Sam takes off a shirt. I could watch him do that all day. I love that they talk through how scared they are at this moment. You remember what you had between the two of you and hope that it is still there.

Bringing it back to touching for comfort was great.  In the first book, Jaime recommends this as he wanted to make Claire feel comfortable. Now it’s the other way around and Claire has to take the lead as she has dreamed of this day for a few years and Jaime needs to be made comfortable.

M: More drawbacks to the wedding episode. Do these work for you all?

E: I loved it. This entire episode has reminders of earlier episodes – S Epi2, S1 Epi 7 and S2 Epi 4. It all ties in so beautifully.

E: Another side note…is it me or are his scars more pronounced than before?

Ev: Funny you should ask. When I saw the shot of back it was interesting because I had completely forgot about the scars. I think they aged them as they should be on a 40+ year old man in addition to all of his other scars that he acquired in S1.

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Their physical rhythm is obviously a huge part of their relationship and a huge part of who Claire is. That’s a side of Claire that she shelved for a long time. It’s very liberating for her to express that side of herself again. Being physical with Jamie is part of Claire learning to be whole again.. After you’ve lost something as important as that, it can fracture who you are. We see her being able to put those pieces back together.

~ Caitriona Balfe, TV Insider

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M: LOL I guess it takes some time to get back in the groove of things.

E: That was a rough start. A head-butt to the nose for Claire and then a bang on the head before they get their rhythm down.

Ev: The head bump is classic. There are always starts and stops when re-learning how to ride a bicycle.  That was funny…a nice tension breaker. They are so out of practice with one another and in general it’s endearing.

Jaime wants to slowly enjoy Claire’s body, but Claire’s taking control and telling him straight: “do it now and don’t be gentle!!” The old Claire is back. This was one of the best scenes of the episode. I’m surprised there weren’t more tears in this scene as you feel it. I don’t know how they filmed it with a dry eye. It was powerful.

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You and I are lovers
When night time folds around our bed
In peace we sleep entwined
And your love flows through me
Though an ocean soothes my head
I burn for you, I burn for

Stars will fall from dark skies
As ancient rocks are turning
Quiet fills the room
And your love flows through me
Though I lie here so still
I burn for you, I burn for you

I burn…~ I Burn for You, Sting

E: Notice she keeps her eyes open. Remember when she was having sex with Frank, she closed her eyes? Now they remain open so that she can see his beautiful face. Such happiness. Such release. Twenty years of pent up sexual frustration!

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It’s an iconic scene, and it’s as special as we wanted it to be. It’s about the joy of their reuniting.

~ Sam Heughan, TV Insider

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M: “It’s always been forever for me Sassenach” is one of my favorite lines from the book. Jamie has always known she was the one.

E: The tables have been turned. Surprisingly, more nudity from Jamie than Claire.

Ev: Guessing games of what he does for a living was a great way to extend the learning between the two. When Jaime gets out of the bed for food Claire does the woman gaze as does every woman watching the show.

I would stare at that body too. She can’t believe he is still as fit as he was when he was younger and interestingly enough she wants to know why. I really enjoyed the perspective of Claire during this scene as for once the man is parading around nude for once. Such a treat!

E: Why does Claire keep covering herself up? Is this still her being self-conscious? Not really feeling Jamie’s hair. Perhaps it was done this way to show age.

M: I don’t understand Jamie’s hair and don’t like it either.

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M: Lets play a game of ‘what does Jamie do?” It is nice to see them being a bit playful.

Ev: When Claire says she knew Jaime spent time in prison and a bit more, I thought we were going to get more back story, but no. Jaime’s interest was piqued as to how she knew more, but I’m sure it will come out in subsequent episodes. Seditious activities and possible future hanging will not keep Claire away. The “unless you do something immoral” statement threw Jaime. I thought this was when he was going to bring up … Hmmm.

Wonder when and how this will unfold. Claire thought it was going to be something worse than seditious pamphlets and was grateful to know it was smuggling. Little does she know what is yet to come. I guess we can’t fault Jaime for not disclosing as he is trying to grapple with Claire returning, how it impacts his daily life which doesn’t include . . . so, he has put that out of his mind for now. He is drinking from a water hose and is totally in the present. Until something jogs his memory, he won’t be able to tell all or ask the right questions. Claire has had two years of preparation before coming back to Jaime so she aired her laundry quickly upon seeing him.

Admittedly, Claire has less to disclose than Jaime. She went to a home, was well taken care of by Frank, and got to do the things she wanted to do other than to be with Jaime. Jaime has had many more experiences, a lot of them not good, and he has suffered alone even if friends and family were around.

Ev: Claire, ever the prodder… she had to know if Jaime is getting paid in trade and or slipping it to Madame Jeanne. She wants it all out on the table to establish she is the one and only for Jaime. Good ole Jaime… true to his word but then there is still . . . .

That scar on Jamie’s leg from BJR was hideous. Even in death that man will always be part of them. Jamie doesn’t remember much about Culloden but he remembers where he got the scar. I can’t remember if it was book 2 or 3 that spoke about Jamie having a limp but I can’t really tell if Sam has incorporated that or not since there wasn’t a lot of him walking in this episode. Jamie has moved on and never really thinks about Culloden and you can see his hesitation in remembering. It’s like he went back for a flash or that odd sensation when someone points out something that happened to you but you don’t really remember it.

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M: What was she meaning when she asked “is that what you do, when you have the need?” What did he think she was getting at? (this may be more of an internal question; I didn’t understand what she was as king him.)

Ev: Jamie watching Claire sleep is winsome. He is so amazed and in awe she is there; in his bed.  Good lord the way that man says Sassenach gets me all tingly inside. While their conversation was getting more informative, at first, I could not even make out what he was initially saying and had to turn on the Closed Captions to get – save as a brute blind with need. I think he was remembering what happened with Geneva and is still unsettled with what transpired. Claire’s response really made him sad. She may have been joking, but she doesn’t know where Jaime’s statement came from.

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Ev: Every fade to black, I thought it was the end of the episode…they were killing me!!

E: Jamie is going to take care of some business. Loved that he advises Claire to Kizzy (Stay Put in Mandinka. Remember Roots?).

This is the happiest we’ve seen Claire all season. Wonder why?

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M: Yes! Young Ian! What a nugget! He is so intrigued by her. I’m excited to see how their relationship grows.

E: Glad she told him to come in and had the opportunity to meet Young Ian. It was funny when she explains who she is. Nice variation from the book here.

Ev: Yes, welcome John Bell!  Love his reaction … But, you’re dead! We all thought you a witch or a fairy. Everyone is thinking of . . . who shall not be named…including Ian, disturbing and intriguing. I can’t wait to see more of him as the series progresses.

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E: You know Claire, she is not going to do as she is told.  After her impromptu introduction with Ian, she ventures downstairs.

Breakfast with the ladies is educational to say the least.

M: Wow, they are really calling her out! Hickey and all! Birth control 1700-style. What a fun scene.

Ev: Yes, they are. This was the scene I wanted to see after the reunion. I was hoping they would keep the breakfast of the girls. The banter was off the charts hilarious. You are a bit older than Madame usually takes on. But when Madame Jeanne walked in, there was that WTF look again. Classic Claire, always getting into trouble when she thinks there is no trouble.

E: Yeah, she was funny sending Claire to her room.

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M: Thoughts on the cliffhanger ending? I hope we don’t continue the trend.

Ev: What I like about Outlander is the inherent danger that can occur at any time. The sense of law and order that Claire is used to is not available in the 18^th century.  I like the last scene which is a different take from the book. It will be interesting to see what occurs in the next episode but I remember from the book that Claire encountered this man downstairs and Mr. Willoughby had to intervene. This is going to be very interesting. As always, Claire is so sure she is right and it gets her into trouble…have you forgotten you’re in a brothel?

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Episode Rating (1-5): 4.5 – Shots

We give this episode 4.5-shots because some of us did not think it was perfect!

For the most part, this episode brought everything full circle. Tied all prior episodes into this one. Finally, Claire and Jamie are longing no more; they are now whole. To quote Matthew B. Roberts, who wrote this episode, “We just wanted this episode to breathe” and it did. The intimacy was on point; the changes were on point. This adaptation was beautifully done and delivered all that we had hoped. Matt Roberts was right to let the important scenes evolve in their on time. We also appreciated the extended scenes.  The long gazing into each other’s eyes was sexy. It definitely proved Claire was not thinking of Frank when they were together as she kept her eyes opened.

It was really an emotional episode. Our heart flutters; we felt sick and happy for them as they tried to carve through this rough patch of getting to know one another again. All of the joy, sadness, excitement and trepidation that they felt, we felt with them. It was like we were on a roller coaster with the characters and we would definitely ride it again. Well, we won’t tell how many times some of us have watched the episode.

We liked being introduced to new character in this episode. Fergus! Romann perfectly embodied Fergus in S2 us and was the highlight of that entire season. From his only scene, we think Cesar is going to do the same. We are not sure if they linked up and Cesar studied and worked with Romann, but it’s perfection. Another character introduced in this episode was John Bell, aka Young Ian. We loved his cheeky smiles and his curiosity about Claire. We also liked that they introduced Mr. Willoughby and changed the character for the show. Hopefully, there will be more changes in future episodes. Once again, the actors – Sam and Cait – showed the depth of their acting abilities. We could feel all of their emotions. As always, the production value of Outlander is outstanding.

The sets – brothel, streets of Edinburgh – and the costumes were stunning; they all add another layer to the show. However, the print shop deserves serious praise. Though some of us were able to see the print shop at Comic Con, tit should be a traveling exhibit of its own. We all would spend time in there!

However, some of us were a bit underwhelmed by their reunion in general and did not particularly care for the ending – not just the cliff hanger. Claire was not there 24-hours and she was under the threat of rape. With that being said, it is very true to the book as rape/sexual assault is often used to drive the plot. Some of us missed Jamie’s reaction to Bree, not falling to bits over seeing her pictures and knowing she is alive. Maril did tweet out that it was in script, but now the tweet is deleted. During a Q & A, Sam put this issue to rest.

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LOOKING FORWARD

What we are looking forward to in the upcoming episode.

Erica: What am I looking forward to in Epi7? E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Considering how quickly they moved through time (pardon the pun) in the earlier episodes, I anticipate Claire learning more about Jamie’s ties and seeing Ned Gowan before the episode is done.

Michelle: I am looking forward to seeing more Fergus and Young Ian. From the preview, the next episode appears to be action packed. I also think I saw Ian, which is super exciting. I can’t wait until he sees Claire! More than anything, I am looking forward to seeing how they progress past this initial reunion and rebuild their relationship.

Evelyn: I am looking forward to seeing Jamie’s relational entanglements once he is back at Lallybroch. We all know it will be a screamer. Hopefully, we will get to see Ned Gowan. I also want to see more Young Ian and Fergus.

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Up next:

Outlander S3 Epi7 Preview – Crème de Menthe ~ Video via AresPromo

Directed by Norma Bailey      Written by Karen Campbell