Blacklanderz® Convos! Outlander S3 Epi12

Blacklanderz Convos!

Outlander S3 Epi12 – The Bakra

Directed by Charlotte Brändström Written by Luke Schelhaas

This conversation is between Blacklanderz Amanda, Kandra and Tqwana. Arranged and edited by Vida [Yes, I interrupt in this one too.].

PASSIONATE | SUPERNATURAL | HAUNTING | REPETITION

Kandra: This episode used Ian’s kidnapping as the catalyst for two characters from the past to resurface and cause unrest between our protagonists. Seeing ghosts, like Geillis and Lord John, was exciting at first, but then changed to problematic and worrisome for the Fraser clan. I think we now know for a fact, Geillis is indeed a witch (not totally in the conventional sense), while Lord John will always have Jamie in his sights and heart. We see the tried and true love between Jamie and Claire, the eerie prophecy spoken by Margaret Campbell, the overall sinister plot of Geillis and the repeating theme of separation of our beloved couple.

CREEPY | INTRIGUING | DISTURBING IMAGERY

Tqwana: I’ve been dreading this episode because I knew the imagery of the slave trade would be infuriating, and it indeed was. I watched those scenes with a knot in my stomach. Those images will be upsetting for a lot of viewers. The rest of the episode is about the ghosts of our past coming back to haunt us, especially with the return of one particular character. All the pieces are falling into place and we’re actually back to the plot and saving Young Ian.

CRIMSON | DECEIT | PARALLELS | HORROR | SUBJUGATION

Amanda: The episode was really effective in showcasing the suspense, action, and also inherent horror in this section of Voyager. Ian’s struggle was well-balanced with the complete degradation of African slaves. I was particularly worried coming into this season about how the show would deal with slavery and how Ian’s rape would be depicted. It’s very clear that Geillis had to coerce him through drugs and psychology. The show also clearly brought the depths of evil of slavery in the West Indies to life. Cait, Lotte, and John were especially strong in their performances.

K: I have been truly astonished at how amazing the special effects have been this season. The boats, the ocean and this cold opening on Silkie Island. It’s exactly how I pictured it in my mind while reading Voyager.

T: John Bell is so great as Young Ian.

He has such a mix of youth, vulnerability and fierceness. He’s going to be amazing next season.

K: I have to be honest, I was a little apprehensive about how well John Bell would portray wee Ian. Thus far, he nails him. I love his innocence, yet fierce loyalty to his family, especially his Uncle Jamie. He may look fragile, but he is a true highlander through and through. I mean, he bit a pirate/smuggler!

A: So, we snapped back to Ian’s capture. The Bakra likes young boys. Really ominous. Based on the books, I already know who this refers to, but I am not sure what language that is. Patois from Jamaica, a West African language, Zulu or Xhosa from South Africa??

You’ll notice a repeated phrase here—that the Bakra likes young boys. In this instance, we establish that the Bakra is a “she.” However, we never intended to have that phrase said in both scenes. In rewrites, and even as late as post production, we were reshaping how this Young Ian story played out…taking a line that had been in one scene and placing it instead in another. If you’ve watched the episode, you’ll notice that we initially intended to spread the Young Ian scenes out over the course of the episode, intercutting them with Jamie and Claire’s story. But in post-production, we decided to put all of Young Ian’s scenes at the top of the episode. The primary reason for this was to get the biggest impact out of revealing who the Bakra actually is. It also gave the episode great drive right off the top. It was tricky—and fun—editing.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

K: Beautiful coastal view of Jamaica. Calgon take me away.

K: Using the word Bakra was a neat idea. Giving said person lots of mystery. I don’t recall it from the book. I, of course, had to Google it and it translated as meaning slave owner. This definition is definitely more accurate than “boss” in my humble opinion.

A: Henry looking like Scottish Gollum. “Portuguese bastards” equates to the hardcore slave traders. From an historical standpoint, this throwaway line is actually quite important. They were considered the cruelest slave owners.

Much of what happens to Ian in this episode, though not everything, comes directly from the book. But in the book, we didn’t “see” it happening to him. Rather, he tells Jamie about it once he’s been rescued. That’s a wonderful way of telling the story—but we felt intuitively that we should see what he went through and not tell the story in flashback. So we see the pit Young Ian was held in, we see the other boys who were with him, we hear about the Bakra (in the book, she is simply known as Mrs. Abernathy), and the awful fear these kids have of this entity who rules their lives…

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

My favorite scene of the episode. John Bell is so good. Lotte Verbeek is so good. A lot of this scene comes from the book, including the “truth tea” —things Young Ian tells Jamie after he’s been rescued. But some of it—the stuff about the sapphire for example—we invented. And the blood bath—wow. That was a late addition to the scene. The scene had been written for weeks, and shortly before shooting, we had the idea to amplify Young Ian’s horror—and teenage hormones—by showing Geillis climbing out of a bathtub full of blood. What’s amazing is that the dialogue that had been written weeks before did not have to change at all.

It was this moment—the leg rising out of the blood, the reveal of Geillis as she stands up out of the tub—that made us want to rearrange the Young Ian scenes. We knew intuitively upon watching the initial cut that this had to be the moment we first see Geillis in the episode.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

T: I’ve been waiting for the Geillis reveal all season! And wow! The literal blood bath. They went full-on Carrie here.

The music is just creepy enough to give you horror movie vibes too. Geillis is scary and dangerous in her own way.

Are you the Bakra?

The idea is that I walk out [of the bathtub] like this tigress, but all I was trying to do was not fall flat on my face. It was really slippery. We took an entire day for that scene. I’m glad we did; it was supposed to be an epic moment of this woman returning.

~ Lotte Verbeek, The New York Post

Ye can call me Geillis.

A: Geillis bathing in blood. EEEWWWWW THAT BETTER BE JELLO and not actual goat’s blood. Lotte’s body is ON POINT though. This is an excellent way of showing that she’s a legit witch. It’s so clear why she’s the villain of the season now.

K: Yes, there she is, the true witch, Geillis Duncan! What a way to reintroduce herself. That is one visual not easily forgotten or topped. Had to be fun and liberating for Lotte to do it. Bloody brilliant, literally! She is not a prude in the least. Perfect for the role.

T: I also love that the Rose Plantation is grand, but seems a bit run-down, as if something isn’t quite right. Sort of like the mistress isn’t quite right either.

A: The house, at first, does appear really stately. But then, you see the paint peeling and now it’s a Jamaican haunted mansion.

K: Ian doesn’t know whether to scream or undress. LOL

T: He looks both terrified and turned on here. And Geillis, as usual, is both sexy and a bit psychotic.

A: The pudding Geillis offers Ian is probably blood pudding.

T: I wanted to scream at Ian not to drink the tea. Ian’s surprised confusion at telling Geillis Jamie might’ve taken the jewel is a really good bit of acting. I’ll say it again; I adore John Bell as Young Ian.

A: Poor Ian just blew up Jamie’s spot. We can blame the truth telling roofie tea.

K: I love his bug eyes when spilling the tea. LOL *pun intended*

T: The foot thing is weird. Please stop.

K: Yuck, funky lookin’ feet… Poor Ian. Geillis is such a man eater.

A: Well, I’m glad they left Geillis’ abuse to the imagination and faded out on it. I wasn’t happy about how DG frequently used rape in the novels to advance the story or create suspense. Ian’s overall confusion and fear of his fate drives this part of the season.

Ian’s face is a good mix of sheer terror and intrigue. Geillis is using his teenage curiosity against him. You can clearly see he’s being pressured into something creepy. I am glad the show decided against showing the actual rape. Geillis comes across as a skilled manipulator.

A: This was the longest cold open (amount of time before the credits) on the show so far . . . eleven minutes before the credits.

K: The new Afro-Cuban theme and opening titles are so refreshing and add to the excitement of this season. I prefer it over last season’s French translation. However, Bear can do no wrong. Every time I see that coastline of the island, I am reminded how badly I need a tropical getaway. *Le sigh*

A: The South African drumming makes more sense now that we’re in Jamaica.

Jamaica, the jewel of the Caribbean.
I had seen pictures in travel brochures.
Rum drinks with little umbrellas in them.

This was a bit more primitive. But still, after
months at sea, the bustling port could not have
been a more welcome sight.

Our dearest hope was
that young Ian was close. And Captain Leonard was not.

T: I am still not a fan of the voice-overs, especially here when it just seems unnecessary. I think the viewers are aware that we’ve finally reached Jamaica and that it would be different from modern-day Jamaica.

A: Fergus and Marsali found the Pineapples of Delicious Flavor!!! (Yes, this is a Psych reference since the movie is out on Thursday!)

K: The Fraser Clan is thick as thieves.

Funny how Jamie jinxed himself about being separated from Claire so early on in the episode.

Had to get a lot of info out in this scene and find an elegant way of setting up “The Governor’s Ball,” which readers of the books will know well.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

K: Cousin Jared is such an asset to his family. Thank God for him and his connections and resources.

A: Typical Claire, she doesn’t think about a woman’s respectability.

K: As African Americans, I am sure we are all in agreement in terms of dreading these scenes of slavery. However, it is so necessary to stay as true to the books as possible while not sugarcoating the atrocities of the past. I think they portrayed it with just the right amount of realism and tragedy.

T: The show isn’t shying away from the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade, which is good in a way, but it’s still very, very hard to watch.

There are children in these cages being treated like livestock.

Livid isn’t a strong enough word when I see these images.

K: One of the reasons Claire is so beloved as a feminist character is because she stands up for not only herself, but also for others. She is very to the point. I wouldn’t want her any other way.

A: I winced at the branding scene.

The slave market scenes were actually less traumatizing than I had prepped. At work I have dealt with the public outcry over the crisis in Libya, which helped me with my emotions.

This scene is very similar to what is depicted in the Roots book and miniseries, which means the Outlander writers are on the right track.

My ancestors arrived in Trinidad, as far as I know, after slavery was abolished, but it’s possible some cousin many years ago was the one on the stocks.

They didn’t skimp on making the audience uncomfortable which is important and necessary.

T: I would’ve hit someone too. Claire was too easy on those bastards.

K: On the flip side, she does act before thinking which time and time again gets her and her acquaintances in big trouble.

I wish this was their only interaction with the slave trade but alas, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

T: I’m not sure this is what she meant, Jamie, but you can’t argue his logic.

But, let’s hurry up with the freeing of this man. We don’t want Claire owning another human any longer than she has to, which should be not at all. At least, they always have the best intentions.

A: Buying a slave is morally questionable, but Claire definitely sees it as the only way to help Temeraire.

Is he Joe Abernathy’s ancestor?

T: There’s a huge difference between indentured servitude and chattel slavery. This is my one major criticism about this episode. They keep equating the two.

Ian would not be a slave in the way Temeraire is. No one is going to brand Ian like that slave trader did that woman in the earlier scene. It’s a bit irresponsible of the writers.

We wish to free you, Temeraire.
We don’t know where yet or how
to safely. But we will free you.

You buy me . . . to set me free?

We plan to leave this island soon.
But first there’s someone we must find.
My nephew has been kidnapped. Taken into slavery,
as you were. There are men that may ken where
he is, but I canna speak with them . . . they are slaves.
If ye’ll come wi’ us to the Governor’s residence tonight,
speak with these men to learn what has become of my
nephew, we would be in debt to you.

A: I also find it weird that they’re using the terms interchangeably. Historically, the indentured servants – who eventually gained their freedom – were either Irish, Scottish and English peasants or convicted Jacobites and other criminals the British wanted to punish. Slaves were mostly African and remained slaves for life. I am hoping this confusion doesn’t perpetuate the already existing bad information on this topic.

T: The Campbells are working for Geillis!

The prophecy states that a seer
must hold all three sapphires at once!
‘Tis the only way I’ll ken when the
new Scottish king is to rise!

K: Okay, it has been over a year since I’ve read Voyager, I am currently on book seven, so my memory fails me at times. I do not recall there being a partnership between Mistress Abernathy (Geillis) and the Campbell siblings.

Surely it displays how manipulative and selfish both Geillis and Archie are.

I fear the treasure, Archie.
‘Tis born o’ blood and death —

How did ye hear of the jewels?

They were handed down from father
to son for generations, until they came into
the hands of Dougal MacKenzie. He hid them
along wi’ the family treasure on Silkie
Island . . . never got to use it, poor
man. He died a hero in the Battle of Culloden.

Then ye’ve truly no use for the
treasure other than the stones
ye require?

K: Who doesn’t live for a grand ball? Total throwback of their time in France at the King’s palace.

T: Claire still refuses to wear a wig like all the other “respectable” women.

K: To be honest, I am not feeling her lopsided updo either. It reminds me of Winifred from Hocus Pocus. ut, I still love you, Claire and Jamie!!! Lol

T: I love seeing the French fashions make a reappearance, but with that little touch of the tropics with the flower in Claire’s hair. Is that a hibiscus?

A: Jamie and Fergus look handsome, but also slightly understated in Jamie’s old black suits. The outfit reuse/reworking lends hand-in-hand into the theme of mirroring the Paris suspense.

K: It doesn’t hurt that Terry repurposed S2’s costumes for not only Claire and Jamie, but also Fergus and Marsali. Everyone looks gorgeous, including Mr. Willoughby.

A: I like that Marsali is wearing Claire’s brown gown from S2.

I also love Yi Tien Cho’s blue suit; it reminds me of the blue china porcelain. That’s a nice touch.

When breaking this episode, we took a number of elements—John Grey and Jamie’s reunion, Temeraire, the search for Young Ian, Claire’s reunion with Geillis, Archie and Margaret Campbell, the prophecy, the Silkie Treasure, the sapphire Jamie gave John Grey, Archie’s suspicion of Mr. Willoughby, and the revelation of Ian’s whereabouts—and put them all into one extended sequence. Great fun to write. We were of course forced to make the hard decision of what not to include: the fiend, the murder of Mina Alcott, etc.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

A: Oh, the sight of Archibald is bad news central!!

K: Dare I say, I am not as distracted by Jamie’s powdered wig as I am with the one under it. I can’t stand his “aged” hair/wig this season. I am trying my hardest to ignore/overlook it.

A: LOLZ JAMIE’S WIG!! It’s actually supposed to look like a Founding Father wig, that was one of the popular styles at the time. To be honest, it’s supposed to look ridiculous, not like modern lace fronts.

T: Claire is probably thinking what I’m thinking here . . . looking around at all this opulence, while there are human beings in cages. Human beings that these people own, standing right in front of their faces, and it’s as if they don’t exist. Claire’s disdain and disapproval is obvious.

K: I love that she can’t hide her utter disgust and unsettledness about being in the days of the slave trade. And, that Jamie doesn’t ignore it and they always confide in one another.

When does it end? Slavery?

A: All Claire can see are the slaves standing like statues with no life, no identity. She’s essentially the audience POV into this world.

Not for another seventy years in
the British Empire and a hundred in
America, which is its own country by then.

T: These people should be ashamed. And the fetishizing of Yi Tien Cho, like he’s a circus act. I’m disgusted, but I believe that’s exactly what they want us to feel. It’s what we should feel anyway.

K: Though the writers and producers have masterfully transformed Mr. Willoughby, aka Yi Tien Cho’s, character for the better from the book’s depiction, it also bothers me that he is still used as a pawn by the Europeans around him. It’s sadly the sign of the times. The ladies at the party treat him as though he is some exotic animal.

A: Another good move this season was adding humanity back to Yi Tien Cho. But, these scenes where he’s treated as a fetish object are so much more horrifying as a result.

Mr. Willoughby and Margaret Campbell’s blossoming relationship was something we came up with in the room to take the place of “the fiend” thread; a way of wrapping up Willoughby’s story this season. Readers of the books will know what I mean by “the fiend.”

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

One day ye’ll be free of the
shackles that bind ye.

T: This scene with Margaret and Yi Tien Cho is intriguing.

A: I do like that he made a connection with Margaret. He seems to appreciate her fortune telling skills. Maybe he knew of someone back in China like her?

A: Aww I liked that little relationship reminiscing bit for Jamie and Claire. It shows how their relationship essentially grew out of times of great distress.

T: Wow, this look between Jamie and Claire. Hot!

K: Yes, that prolonged stare down was EVERYTHING. They looked at one another as if they were gonna strip naked and get busy right then and there. HaHa

Some viewers wondered, two weeks ago, why John Grey wasn’t on the Porpoise. This was another hard decision. The problem was that in fact two people from Claire and Jamie’s past were set to appear on the ship—milky-eyed Tompkins from the print shop fire and John Grey. There was a danger of it seeming convenient that both of these people were on the same ship in the same episode—often what totally works in book form doesn’t quite work when you see it on a TV screen. So we pushed John Grey’s reveal to the very moment Jamie and Claire see him here at the Governor’s Ball. The problem was that even here, two people from Jamie and Claire’s past appear in the same episode—John Grey and Geillis. In the balance, it seemed best to reveal John Grey here—allowing Jamie to see him without first being warned by Claire that he would be there.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

Perhaps it is because of yer coming
back through the stones, Sassenach.

T: Yes Jamie, there are ghosts everywhere tonight. Lord John looks like Christmas just came early for him seeing Jamie.

The ghosts that keep comin’ into
our lives. As though drawn to us,
the way we are drawn to each other.

A: Hi Lord John Grey! This episode mirrors several of the Paris intrigue scenes, particularly in S2 Epi2 at Versailles and S2 Epi5 when Black Jack Randall reappears. I’m glad they kept Lord John Grey’s identity a secret until the Frasers arrive in Jamaica.

Initially, I questioned this deletion, but during this episode it’s clear the writers wanted a huge dramatic payoff. And it worked because there’s more of a focus on Jamie’s fate at the hands of the warrant out for his arrest.

K: Claire and Lord John knew straight away they share the same feelings for ol’ Jamie.

We already know Claire can’t conceal her emotions, especially via her face.

As a point of interest, all of the interior Governor’s Ball scenes were filmed in Scotland, a month or more before the rest of the episode, which was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

This is my wife, Claire. Claire, this is Lord John.

I don’t [see Geillis as a villain], I see her as a slightly outrageous human. I like that campiness, especially in these moments. There is the truly sincere and passionate belief she has in the cause and that’s what she’s fighting for. So that’s very straight and real.

~ Lotte Verbeek, The New York Post

A: Uh-oh, Geillis and her massive weave are here!

And now it’s time for … AMANDA’S COSTUME CRYING CORNER!

I’d like to thank Terry Dresbach for trolling my wallet with this episode! There’s so many new and not so new ideas here for me. First of all, Geillis’ white embroidered sacque back gown from the scene where she talks with the Archibald’s is EPIC. Costume GOALS. Claire’s reworked saffron gown from S2 is amazing as well. I have my work cut out for me remaking the one I made last year.

They combined elements of the Italian and Polonaise style gowns (both feature raised and ruched skirts) and added tons of trim. I’m going to have to buy more yards of fabric in order to add volume to the skirt and to make the trimming. The good news is I have the patterns already from my previous experiments and research. Geillis’ fuschia dress is more of a later in time Round Gown, but it’s still magnificent. I also saw a few sacque back gowns at the party (The gowns that appear to have a cape attached to them.). This was a style that was very popular around the time of S2, but also appears in the 1760s where we are now in time.

T: They should’ve hugged! Oh, John. He makes it so obvious how he feels about Jamie. His eyes tell everything.

And, Claire is picking up on it here.

K: Oh, baby boy Willie. I pray we make it to a season where he reappears in the flesh!

A: Poor Jamie and Willie. He’ll always feel a bit sad because he’s missing out on Willie’s childhood.

K: “OUR nephew has been kidnapped.” Truly a family affair.

A: Lord John Grey and Jamie totally have that odd bromance tension still after all of these years.

The sapphire. We saw an opportunity here to reintroduce the sapphire from Silkie Island—and to create a slightly different back story as to why Geillis wants the Silkie Treasure. Could it be that what she needs to complete her mission is the very thing Jamie took from the island and gave to John? Could that play into the Brahan Seer’s prophecy? We thought that would be cool.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

T: This sapphire is going to cause so much trouble.

Claire looks at Jamie like . . . is there something you need to tell me??

K: If looks could kill . . . bang, bang. Lord John doesn’t even care to conceal his love for Jamie, even in front of Claire. God bless him, he will never let go.

T: More Yi Tien Cho and Margaret. This is such a sweet scene.

This is different from the book, so I’m curious where they’re going with this.

K: I didn’t see this Margaret and Yi Tien Cho romance angle coming. I guess. Meh, not into it.

T: There’s some tension here between Claire and John.

It’s as if they’re staking their claim on Jamie to each other.

Yes. Though to be honest, he didn’t give it to me.
He surrendered it after he’d escaped. He found the stone while
searching for you. He believed you might have come
back to him. And now . . . you have.

K: He doesn’t seem to grasp how deep Jamie and Claire are in terms of love and devotion. His bad!

Yes. I have.

T: John actually looks a bit heartbroken that Claire is back.

Well, it’s certainly a pleasure to
finally meet the love that was
his every heartbeat.

K: There she is!

Geillis also sporting a hideous wig. Must be a themed ball – wear your fugliest wig!

Will you excuse me? I believe I’ve seen a ghost.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…” It’s absolutely amazing to have these two back together again.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

Of all of the gin joints in all the towns in all the world . . .

A: I like that they’re starting to show Claire and Geillis compare notes on time travel. We all want Geillis to die, but there’s a lot we don’t know.

T: Is the show going to gloss over the Abernathy connection? They keep dropping that name, but no mention of Dr. Joe?

[V: I am hoping they say something about it in the next episode.]

K: They let me hold him, and he was as warm as his Father’s balls. ONLY CRAZY GEILLIS WOULD SAY SUCH FILTH! She is off the chain, ew.

T: Geillis is good. Distract Claire with her story and get information about the jewel at the same time.

K: Sneaky devil she is. Gotta give it to her, she knows how to keep things lively and scandalous.

[V: This is Claire’s umpteenth puzzling look when she sees Lord John and Jamie being all chummy.

I know she had a knot in her stomach because she knows neither why they are so close nor, more importantly, how they became so close.]

K: How is Jamie not freaked out by seeing Geillis though?

Guess when you’ve lead the life he has…

nothing truly phases you.

[V: No, it probably doesn’t at this point. And Geillis is acting so weird, as if they just saw each other yesterday.]

T: She did not dare touch Lord John’s precious gift from Jamie!

[V: Yes, she did. She surely had a grip on it. I thought she was going to snatch it off right then and there.]

[V: Then, she suddenly exits, stage left.]

She’s a trifle odd, isn’t she?

K: Here comes more of the supernatural odyssey.

As if Geillis alone isn’t enough…

K: I’m just marveling, once again, at all the grandiose splendor of the setting and costumes, absolutely stunning.

[V: So was I. The set design/art departments did an outstanding job!]

A: Margaret’s being used as a distraction.

[V: Yes, she is and Geillis only has her eyes set on one person to get THAT reading.]

When I bring ye the Governor, Margaret,
ye’ll need these. And ye will know what to
do when ye see his pretty fob.

[V: Once again, Yi Tien Cho sees Archibald mistreating Margaret.]

The prophecy. We came up with a different sort of prophecy here—not about the line of Lovat, but about a 200-year-old baby. I wrote the prophecy/vision that Margaret Campbell has in this scene. There was a second (alt) version early on as well—which we never filmed. It went like this…

A Scottish head will wear a crown
When child’s blood lies on the ground
Which is in age two hundred years
Upon the birthday of its peers

“What a peculiar pastime!” It’s my favorite line in the episode, and I didn’t even write it. It was something they came up with on set in Scotland. When I watched the dailies back in LA, it caught me by surprise and absolutely cracked me up.

Mark Hadfield and Alison Pargeter, who play Archie and Margaret, are so wonderful in this scene. So many layers to these characters—and “munificent” is now one of my favorite words.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

K: Margaret is nailing that possessed look. YIKES!

When twice twelve hundred moons have coursed,
‘tween man’s attack and woman’s curse,
and when the issue is cut down,
then will a Scotsman wear a crown.

A: What the heck does that prophecy mean??

[V: Lord John is looking at Margaret like – what hell are you talking about, lady?!]

And there is the [aspect that is] wicked and outrageous with sort of no boundaries. I think that’s possible to put both in one character. We all have different sides; nobody is just one thing. It’s really a gift to be able to play with that.

~ Lotte Verbeek, The New York Post

T: A 200-year-old baby? Hmmm… That sounds familiar. I think I might know a girl that fits the description.

K: What a deep translation of the prophecy.

A new king will rise in Scotland
at the death of a child that is
200 years old on the day if its birth.

A: Hummm, F Scott Fitzgerald’s story did NOT exist back then? Now, the Benjamin Button reference makes no sense.

T: Wait, how does Geillis know about Benjamin Button? I looked this up. It’s based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story from 1922. But, the look on Campbell’s face when she said that is priceless.

K: Ha, I love the story of Benjamin Button, good one Geillis!

K: Aww, young love. So refreshingly sweet. #fersaliforlife

T: Isn’t this a bit tacky to show up to the Governor’s ball to arrest someone? You’d think an ambitious young man like Captain Leonard would have more decorum.

A: OH CRAP IT’S CAPTAIN LEONARD! Shaking a bit.

K: Capt. Leonard, ruh roh. He has such a baby face too.

Seeing him makes me mourn over Elias all over again. *sad face*

T: Yes Claire, she lied to you . . . as she’s lied before.

Slave on Bruja remember white
boy . . . tall, yellow hair . . . speak
strange, same as you . . .

Did they know where the ship took him?

Mistress Abernathy. Rose Hall.

K: Claire c’mon, she is NOT yo’ friend. She is a snake and true witch!

[V: Bet ‘Little Lenny’ is tired of them getting away from him.]

There were a lot of different versions of this scene. How to set Temeraire free… I think we landed on a great version in the end. In one iteration of the script, this was the last scene of the episode and it wasn’t until this moment that Jamie and Claire learned of Ian’s whereabouts. That used to be the cliffhanger—the knowledge that Geillis had Ian. But we ultimately felt we needed more. Ron pitched the idea of Jamie’s arrest at the hands of Captain Leonard, and suddenly we had an even better cliffhanger for the penultimate episode of the season—Jamie arrested, Claire alone in the woods, and Ian’s fate hanging in the balance.

~ Luke Schelhaas, Outlander Community

A: The jungle looks like a horror movie waiting to happen. Bear McCreary’s soundtrack totally helped with that effect.

K: Well, at least the slave escaped…

A: Bye Temeraire, FIND YOUR FREEDOM!!! Also, I’m hoping you are Joe Abernathy’s ancestor.

Side note: For people who read the book, no I don’t miss the mini Agatha Christie murder mystery that was deleted from the party scene. Geillis’ secret and Captain Leonard crashing the fun times were enough to deal with on screen. Also, that plot relied a lot on Yi Tien Cho’s outsider status being exploited, which would not have worked with the other edits they made.

[V: I am so glad that they let the audience know Jamie had the pictures of Brianna and Willie and wanted them safeguarded.]

T: Captain Leonard should just be happy his crew even made it to Jamaica.

Arresting Jamie is just coldhearted.

Mistress Fraser. I see you found your husband.

James Fraser, also known as Alexander Malcolm:
You are charged with the willful murder of John
Barton, Exciseman, and with High Treason for
the printing of seditious libel. I apprehend you
in the name of His Majesty King George.

After all I did for you and your
men!? You bloody bastard! I’m the
only reason any of you survived!

K: Jamie and Claire separated, yet again. Definitely a central running theme through all seasons and books. I’m kind of over it.

Go! Find Ian!

A: How is Claire going to get out of the woods without any weapons to stop someone from attacking her??

Episode Rating (1-5): 4 – Shots

We give this episode 4 Shots. There were two reasons this episode did not get all 5-shots. One, the use of separating Jamie and Claire once again. It is such a predictable cliffhanger by now. And YES, before you say it, we read the book! Two, there was so much information dumping and exposition.

Although this is the case, we enjoyed the sinister nature of this episode overall. Geillis’ BIG reveal in the bloodbath alone was visually disturbing and stunning at the same time. We liked the seamless way the writers and producers kept key elements, while altering others. At one point, we were beginning to worry that the last two would be rushed. The episode also did a really good job with tying together all of the major plot lines from earlier episodes. It was a nice change of pace, considering the previous three did not do much to advance the plot. It’s also a huge standout in terms of the costumes compared to the other episodes earlier in this season.

We also loved seeing Lord John again, and also the change involving Yi Tien Cho and Margaret Campbell. We also appreciated Thapelo J. Sebogodi’s portrayal of Temeraire and the writers, cast and crew for delving into an area that most people are uncomfortable discussing. We all could feel the pain and agony of the slaves and what was happening at the slave market.

However, there is a need to once again mention the trend happening in this season regarding indentured servitude and slavery (chattel) being used interchangeably, as if the circumstances are the same. First, as was pointed out in a previous Convo, an indentured servant, by definition, is an employee (indenturee) within a system of unfree labor who is bound by a signed or forced contract (indenture) to work for a particular employer for a fixed period of time, as was the case with Murtagh and the men from Ardsmuir and possibly Laoghaire, if they’d had a trial and she was found guilty. Once they have completed the contract time, they are free to go and they sometimes received land.

Second, as was pointed out in this Convo, the indentured servants who eventually gained their freedom were either Irish, Scottish and English peasants or convicted Jacobites/other criminals the British wanted to punish. The slaves were African and remained slaves for life. Last, yes Young Ian was kidnapped, but not specifically for slavery; thus, he is not a slave in the way Temeraire is. No one is going to brand him like that slave trader did that woman in the earlier scene. It would be nice if someone from the show provided an explanation as to why the dialog contains the use of these words in the manner they do.

LOOKING FORWARD

What we are looking forward to in the upcoming episode.

Tqwana: I can’t believe next week is the season finale. The scenes look action-packed. I’m looking forward to finding out how Jamie gets away from Captain Leonard and what’s going to go down in that cave with Geillis.

Amanda: I want Geillis to scare the crap out of everyone who hasn’t read the books. I also want to see Claire shine under serious pressure. She has to juggle Ian’s release from Geillis and Jamie’s release from prison. I also want to see how Ian copes with the abuse he has suffered under Geillis.

Kandra: The paramount showdown between two former friends now enemies is on the horizon. Family comes first for the Fraser Clan, whereas Geillis is all for herself. Will good outweigh evil? I cannot believe how fast this season flew by, a total roller coaster of emotion from the start. I can’t wait to see what type of bow they choose to wrap up season three. Whew!

Up next:

Outlander S3 Epi13 Preview – Eye Of the Storm – Season Finale ~ Video via AresPromo

Directed by Matthew B. Roberts Written by Matthew B. Roberts & Toni Graphia

Claire is forced to play a game of cat and mouse with an old adversary as she searches for Young Ian. The Frasers race through the jungles of Jamaica to prevent the unthinkable.