Outlander Recap and Reflection! Schemes, Sabotage and Broken Promises!

Strap in…this one was a doozy!

Recap – Episode #6 “Best Laid Schemes…”

Jamie sits at his desk looking all pensive, and after the way the last episode ended, are we surprised? Murtagh enters the room to say he’s met with Randall’s second and he’s found a great spot for the duel. Jamie finally tells Murtagh he can’t duel with Randall. Murtagh’s all um….what?!?!?! Murtagh insists on knowing the reason, which Jamie can’t reveal because that would mean telling Murtagh that Claire is from the future. Um. No Murtagh is NOT HAPPY and walks off.

Sam+Heughan+(as+Jamie+Fraser),+Duncan+Lacroix+(as+Murtagh+Fitzgibbons)-+Episode+206

Claire is at L’Hopital des Anges and looking quite preggers. Monsieur Forez asks her to help prepare a dead body since he’s off to prepare to execute some people the King declares practice the “Dark Arts.” No, they aren’t Death Eaters, but they are fans of the “occult.” He states King Louis wants them drawn and quartered rather than hanged. (Forez is rather proud of his skill at drawing and quartering.) He gives Claire a gruesome description of it…which made us think of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Ugh. He hints that she should visit her friend Master Raymond. Um…so is he saying Master Raymond is in danger? Or is he trying to frame Claire?

Claire goes to Master Raymond – because why not? – to warn him. He doesn’t seem too worried until she explains about Forez already being summoned. Raymond tells Claire she’s put herself at risk (no kidding) and promises to leave the city.

Caitriona+Balfe+(as+Claire+Randall+Fraser),+Dominique+Pinon+(as+Master+Raymond)+-+Episode+206

That night Jamie is rubbing Claire’s feet like any pregnant woman deserves after a full day of work. Guess we got over the upset from last week? Jamie still looks pensive so maybe not.

Jamie states that he’s saved Claire’s life as much as she has his, so therefore he doesn’t owe her a life. However, he tells Claire he is sparing BJR’s life because of Charles Stuart. He thinks, despite their best efforts, Culloden may happen anyway and should that take place, then he wants Claire to go back to her time. He wants to know she has someone there to care for her, so he makes her promise to return to her time if something goes wrong. Gulp. She does.

Caitriona+Balfe+(as+Clarie+Randall+Fraser)+Episode+206

The next day, Claire plays Mr. Potatohead with her herbs to make a tonic that fakes smallpox symptoms. Jamie is her lab rat and downs some liquid as they explain to Murtagh their plan to sabotage the Comte’s wine shipment that will kickstart Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion. Murtagh thinks they should just kill Prince Charles, but Claire points out it will only make him a martyr. Jamie breaks out and starts to heave his guts so, yep, it works! Murtagh is not impressed and storms out.

Jamie wants to tell Murtagh the truth. Claire agrees. Aw, touching moment … until Jamie gets ill again. That potion works really well. It’s a great fauxpox!

Murtagh is pacing the courtyard. Jamie, still a little green but better, goes down to tell him everything. We don’t hear the convo, while Claire watches from upstairs, but Jamie finishes and Murtagh accepts the truth, but thinks Claire is a witch. He then punches Jamie for not trusting him from the beginning. All is forgiven. Oh the Scots! LOL…gotta love these guys.

Jamie and Fergus head off to spread the fauxpox in the first step in this plan. Claire finds Murtagh writing dates down, all the ones she lived through in her time. She tells Murtagh the truth about the uprising and how she knows key dates, but she doesn’t know specifics. Murtagh seems pretty sanguine about it all. Even a little…dare I say it…compassionate.

Caitriona+Balfe+(as+Claire+Randall+Fraser),+Duncan+Lacroix+(as+Murtagh+Fitzgibbons)-+Episode+206

Jamie and Fergus riding through the French countryside montage since they have to slip Claire’s brew to the proper crewmen. Fergus steals some wine which Jamie refills with Claire’s “special” wine. So they go about enacting their plan…sabotage! Cue evil plan laugh!

Jamie returns home because he didn’t want to linger and risk getting caught. His reward for poisoning a ship’s crew? Cuddle time!

Then he’s back to the brothel the next night. (Work, work, work…) Jamie meets with Prince Charles at Madame Elise’s. Oh, the Comte St. Germaine, is there as well. Apparently, his men at the harbor are sick (yes!) and the harbor master is too scrupulous to bribe. They want Jamie to transport the wine immediately to his warehouse for safekeeping (no!).

Stanley Weber (as Le Comte St. Germain), Sam Heughan (as Jamie Fraser)- Episode 206

Jamie skirts the issue, stating it could hurt his cousin’s business. The Comte is not happy (there’s a shocker) and states he doesn’t trust Jamie since he’s ruined the Comte before. Trapped, Jamie says he will transport the wine to his warehouse straight away. The suspicious Comte says he will go along to watch over his investment. Jamie says…um…sure, why not this could be fun. Not.

Right. New plan! Murtagh is getting fitted in a courtiers outfit so he can mask himself as a highwayman to fake-rob/stop the cargo. Claire’s not sure sure about this plan since it feels too risky. The men folk mansplain that it’s going to be fine.

In bed later, Claire states that bad things happy when they’re apart. Jamie reaches to comfort her and feels the baby kick and starts speaking to him/her. Aw. So adorable. Hello Lambert/Dallhousie!

Claire is back at work: anti-rebellion work which means hanging with Louise and the Gossips which sounds like an awful 80’s cover band. Claire leaves to do something useful at the hospital.

Caitriona+Balfe+(as+Claire+Randall+Fraser),+Claire+Sermonne+(as+Louise+De+Rohan)+(2)

Claire isn’t feeling well and Mother Hildegarde forces Claire to lie down and rest. Um…blood there’s blood on Claire’s stockings. (!) Mother Hildegarde says it’s normal and insists Claire stay. Mother Hildegarde will send word home.

Caitriona+Balfe+(as+Claire+Randall+Fraser),+Frances+de+la+Tour+(as+Mother+Hildegarde)-+Episode+206

Meanwhile, Murtagh and his Highwaymen wait to “ambush” Jamie and the precious wine shipment. The Comte is loaded and ready. This hold-up plan does not seem like a good idea.

Murtagh and his crew spring out and Jamie’s group surrenders. The Comte won’t back down and is about to shoot Murtagh when Jamie knocks him down and “attacks” Murtagh. They struggle and Jamie lets Murtagh knock him out while the Comte is threatening to hang everybody. He’s literally using the “Do you know who I am?” thing. What a douchebag. LOL.

Do you know who I am?

Do you know who I am?

Do you know who I am?

Do you know who I am?

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!

Back at the home, Bonnie Prince Charlie mourns their losses. The Comte is very suspicious that the thieves knew exactly where and when to attack. Prince Charles points out that Jamie saved the Comte so why would he do that if he was in on it? Then he gets all boo hoo, woe is the Prince.

Sam Heughan (as Jamie Fraser), Andrew Gower (as Prince Charles Stuart), Stanley Weber (as Le Comte St. Germain)- Episode 206

Fergus finds Jamie and lets him know Claire is at the hospital but is just resting. Jamie informs Fergus that Murtagh is gone to Portugal to sell some wine and lay low for a while. (Wise choice.) The maid comes in and tells Jamie that Prince Charles is at Madame Elise’s and he’s run up debt and refuses to pay so the police are going to arrest him. Classy future King of England here!

Sam+Heughan+(as+Jamie+Fraser),+Romann+Berrux+(as+Fergus)+-+Episode+206

Jamie and Fergus head out to see if they can help. Fergus wanders about and sneaks into a room…oh no. There’s a red coat! Who wears a red coat? Oh no… Warning Fergus…abort! ABORT!

Claire returns to an usually subdued home. The maid comes bustling in and tells Claire that Jamie was at Madame Elise’s to help Prince Charles when he got into a fight with an English soldier and has challenged him to a duel. Uh oh! English Soldier? Duel? It has to be Black Jack…

Claire finds a note from Jamie that says: “I am sorry. I must!” Didn’t she have this conversation with Jamie already?! And despite feeling horrid, she takes off to stop the duel. She’s really not up to a breakneck bouncy carriage ride where she will find either a dead Jamie or a dead Black Jack which means a dead Frank. Either way, she loses her current or past husband. She really doesn’t look like she’s doing well at all.

Outlander Season 2 2016

She runs through the forest and it’s clear the duel has already started. Claire cramps up. She can’t interfere since any distraction in a sword duel can mean death. All she can do is wait to see who wins. (Let’s hope it’s not BJR, sorry Frank!)

Robbie McIntosh (as Magnus), Caitriona Balfe (as Claire Randall Fraser)- Episode 206 (2)

Jamie and Black Jack are really going at it. There’s a break in the fighting and Claire is about call out, but she has a massive cramp. Jamie sees an opening and stabs Randall! In the crotch! Blood seeps out everywhere… Randall collapses.

Tobias Menzies (as Black Jack Randall), Sam Heughan (as Jamie Fraser)- Episode 206

Before Claire can run to Jamie/doctor BJR, Claire’s water breaks and the police (gendarme) show up to arrest everyone for dueling. Claire tells Magnus to take her to Mother Hildegarde. Jamie finally sees her and calls out, but she’s passing out. Randall also passes out. Then, the episode ends! AAAAAAAAAAA…

Robbie McIntosh (as Magnus), Caitriona Balfe (as Claire Randall Fraser)- Episode 206 (2)

Reflection – What did we think?

Alicia – OH NO THE BABY!

Erica – This does NOT look good for the home team.

Alicia – But on the other hand. Jamie stabbed BJR in the balls. Brilliant! Although, poor Frank…

Erica – Way to mess up the timeline, Jamie! Will there be a Frank now? Can they change the future? What does this one little prick (ahem!) do to the timeline?

Alicia – Really that Comte St. Germaine is just not a likable guy, he is literally the 18th c. version of a douchebag. I mean seriously. Although he does have a good tailor.

Erica – He seems like such a bundle of fun at dinner parties. That wicked glare could pretty much scorch the chicken at dinner.

Erica – They finally let Murtagh in on Claire’s big secret! Really, they could have let him know earlier, when they started this whole takedown-the-Prince plan when they arrived in France. He deserved to know why he’s conspiring against a monarch.

Erica – After so many episodes of whispering plans, it’s nice to have such an action-packed adventure episode. Curse you cliffhanger ending!!! It’ll be a long week ahead!


————-BOOK READERS DISCUSSION (Spoilers Alert!!) ————-

Alicia: I mean the changes they make don’t really change the story too much so I feel they’re still handling it pretty well. I get you have to get to the salient points but so much happens in this book that the rearrangements make sense for the most part.

Erica: Considering how densely-packed the books are, the show will always need to streamline and compress. So far I think they are keeping enough to keep the main story going. They also hit a lot of key details like the spoons and the note this week.

Alicia: Oh man, next week is going to be brutal. That was some of the hardest scenes in the book – so watching Claire go through all her depression…yuck.

Erica: Yes, I think we’ll need therapy after the next one. (Check out the name and description below). It’s also written by Toni Graphia and directed by Metin Hüseyin so, yes, they will break hearts!

——END OF BOOK READERS DISCUSSION ——————

Want a sneak peak of next week’s episode? Here’s the official description from Starz:

EPISODE 207: “FAITH”

Claire is brought to L’Hopital Des Anges where doctors try to save her life and that of her unborn baby. King Louis asks Claire to judge two men accused of practicing the dark arts – one an enemy, one a friend.

Stay tuned!

Comment below or email us at Erica@MikeTheFanboy.com or thenovelstrumpet@gmail.com
For more adventures (and live tweeting!), follow us on twitter: @Cambear and @NovelStrumpet

Do you know who I am?!?!

Do you know who I am?!?!

Share on Facebook

Leave a Reply

%d