As Jamie returns home with Claire, those who remained in Lallybroch might not be too welcoming. Get a preview of the upcoming Outlander, “Lallybroch” airing Saturday, April 25 at 9:00pm ET|PT on STARZ.
Last week’s #OutlanderTrial had us all on the edge of our seats. I think even those of us familiar with the books found several moments shocking…and overall, the episode was brilliantly executed with incredible performances from cast and crew.
“The Devil’s Mark” picked up with Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Geillis (Lotte Verbeek) being tossed into the thieves’ hole to await their trial for witchcraft. With only rats and the darkness as companions, the two women bickered…did Claire reveal Geillis’ secret relationship with Dougal? Should Geillis have flaunted her love of the occult and, in truth, killed her husband? Geillis was sure that Dougal would come for them, but Claire had no hope at all…Dougal (Graham McTavish) was gone and had taken Jamie (Sam Heughan) with him.
After suffering a freezing night in the hole, Claire and Geillis were bound and led through the town square (where they were already setting up the pyre to burn them) to the Church’s court. They were charged with inflicting pain, suffering, and death on the townsfolk via practice of “unholy arts” as onlookers jeered and cursed them. Claire didn’t see a familiar face in the room and grew even more despondent…that is until Ned Gowan (Bill Paterson) arrived to serve as Claire and Geillis’ defense lawyer. With that, the trial began.
Over the two days, witnesses were called including Geillis’ former housekeeper Jeanie Hume (Lucy Hollis, who claimed she saw Claire and Geillis making charms and potions and chanting evil incantations), Robena Donaldson (Kim Allan, mother to the changeling Claire tried to save in the forest, who accused her of speaking spells over the baby and killing the child); Alistair Duffie (Mark Prendergast, who claimed he saw a red-eyed Geillis fly during a storm like a bird); Laoghaire (Nell Hudson, who accused Claire of hexing Jamie to make him fall in love with her); and Father Bain (Tim McInnerny, who called Claire the “whore of Babylon” and in a turn of events confessed to being prideful and failing the community. Surely, only a witch could compel a man of God to leave his parish). *SIDENOTE* At this point I wanted to slap Bain and Laoghaire’s smug faces!
With that said, Ned was brilliant! He showed Jeanie to be a grasping and disgruntled servant; sympathized with Robena while explaining how Claire’s interference ensured that the changeling died and Robena’s child would live forever with the fairies; and exposed Laoghaire for acting from her broken heart, rage, and quest for vengeance. However, as Claire figured, this crowd was determined to see her and Geillis burned.
During another night in the thieves’ hole Geillis admitted to stealing over 1,000 pounds from Arthur Duncan…all for the Jacobite cause. It was their political views that brought Geillis and Dougal together. She loved him and they would both fight for Scotland’s future. Even if she would die as a result of the trial, Geillis had no regrets because it was all in support of the Scottish rising. In an attempt to commiserate Claire unknowingly made an error…she repeated the quote “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” (said by Nathan Hale during the American Revolution). It seemed that Geillis might have recognized the quote…
The next day, Ned appealed to Claire—he could only save her if she claimed Geillis bewitched her and renounced their friendship. But if Geillis was to die as a witch she needed to know the whole truth about Claire, which was that she came through the stones as an accident. Then Geillis said (in my opinion) the best line of the night “looks like I’m going to a fucking barbecue!” When they returned to court, Claire refused to turn on her friend and the court pronounced them both of witchcraft and condemned them do death. Ned tried to fend off the crowd, but Claire was seized, stripped, and whipped. As the crowd cheered Jamie stormed into the room and fought them back. He was prepared to do anything to protect Claire.
Geillis couldn’t stand it anymore…she confessed to being a witch, killing Arthur Duncan, bewitching Claire, and carrying the child of the devil. She tore her clothes, exposing her mark of the devil (her smallpox vaccination). And as Jamie and Claire escaped, she realized that Geillis was also from the future (1968).
Once they reached the forest, Jamie asked Claire if she was a witch (he’d also seen that same “devil’s mark” on Claire. Then she confessed it ALL—being from the future, World War II, Frank, Craigh na Dun, and trying to return home. AND HE BELIEVED HER. Jamie listened, believed, apologized, comforted, and then took Claire back to the stones. *SIDENOTE* You know I can’t not talk about that glorious sexy times scene by the fire… “No mo nighean donn. I want to watch you.” Jamie Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, King of Men!
Now Claire had a decision to make. She might have been ready to go home, but which home would she journey to? Would Claire return to Frank or remain with Jamie? It was clear that she was torn, just as it broke Jamie’s heart to send away the woman he loved. But Claire walked back down that hill, and asked Jamie to take her home to Lallybroch. *SWOONS*
As I said in the beginning, this was a SENSATIONAL episode with spectacular performances from Cait, Lotte, Sam, Bill Paterson, Nell Hudson, and Tim McInnerny. BRAVO!
In Saturday’s episode “Lallybroch” written by Anne Kenney and directed by Mike Barker:
Reunited, Claire and Jamie make their way to Lallybroch – Jamie’s family home. Reality quickly sets in, and old wounds are reopened between Jamie and his sister, Jenny. (via STARZ)
YES, the laird of Lallybroch finally returns home with his lady. And as Jamie reunites with his sister, we’ll learn what really occurred between Jenny (Laura Donnelly) and Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) on the day in October when he left home…
Watch these two clips from the upcoming show (below). In the first video, Jamie and Claire are on their way to Lallybroch and he tells her of the rumors about his sister Jenny and Black Jack. In the second, Claire and Jenny have a little confrontation about a public celebration of Jamie’s homecoming. And in the last clip (via Entertainment Tonight/SamCaitLife), Jamie and Claire have arrived in home and he encourages her to conduct herself in a way that reflects her new new station as his Lady:
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Nope, not a single person would look at Claire and mistake her for being meek. What I enjoy most about that tet-a-tet is the smirk on Jamie’s face the entire time!
Take a look at photo stills from “Lallybroch” which feature Jamie, Claire, Jenny, and Ian settling into this new phase of their life at home.
Make sure to tune into STARZ at 9:00pm ET|PT this Saturday, April 25 for the new Outlander and join me over on twitter to live tweet while we watch!
Trouble follows Claire & Jamie wherever they go & Saturday’s heart-pounding new episode is no exception. #Outlander http://t.co/54OTT31OcA
— Outlander (@Outlander_Starz) April 21, 2015