The constant scheming starts to take a toll on Jamie and Claire’s relationship. Get a sneak peek of this week’s Outlander (“Useful Occupations and Deceptions”), airing Saturday, April 23 at 9pm ET|PT on STARZ.
Also, watch a new BTS featurette where Ron Moore, Sam Heughan, and Caitriona Balfe, talk about Jamie and Claire’s Parisian friends and (fr)enemies.
Sassenachs, we need to talk because last week’s episode still has me extremely upset. Of course Black Jack Randall is alive, because Jamie and Claire (and we) can’t have nice things. This is terrifying for several reasons. First, if a wild cattle stampede isn’t enough to kill BJR, I don’t know if anything will kill that man. I’m morbidly curious to learn how he survived… But the bigger concern is what Claire will do now. She *has* to tell Jamie. This is too big a secret to keep to herself!
With that said, I would understand why Claire would want to shield Jamie. “Not in Scotland Anymore” demonstrated that the Jamie is still plagued by the emotional, psychological, and physical scars from Black Jack’s rape. It’s taken a toll on Jamie’s ability to sleep, engage in physical activity (like wielding a sword), and be intimate with Claire. Believing that BJR was dead offered some sort of closure. However, learning that Black Jack is still alive could unleash even more torment for Jamie, including a quest for revenge. In fact, it’s this pursuit of revenge that really worries Claire, especially if it detracted from Operation Stop Culloden. *sigh*
And you could just tell that Sandringham got so much joy out of Claire’s distress in learning BJR lived. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sandringham tells Black Jack to come to Paris… (YIKES!)
Well, at least Jamie and Claire’s plan to infiltrate the Jacobite Movement is going well… the Bonnie Prince is clearly wanting Jamie on his side. And Jamie has made in-roads with Joseph Duverney (the Minister of Finance) and King Louis too (shout-out to parritch/porridge)!
Yet, leading a double-life can be tough on a person, and in this Saturday’s episode we see that Jamie and Claire’s devotion to their goal starts to take a toll on their relationship.
In “Useful Occupations and Deceptions” (written by Anne Kenney, directed by Metin Hüseyin):
Jamie’s days and nights are dominated by political machinations, while Claire finds solace in her healing skills. As their plan to stop Culloden progresses, including engaging the aid of a young pickpocket, the past threatens to derail their forward momentum. (via STARZ)
We have FOUR clips from the upcoming episode for you to see.
In the first, Jamie tells Claire about his plan to access Prince Charles’ mail, which includes a young pickpocket.
In the second clip, Claire’s friendship with Master Raymond deepens, and he encourages her to use her healing skills in a constructive way.
We then see Claire at L’Hopital des Anges with Mother Hildegard and demonstrating her medical acumen.
Finally, Jamie makes a friend of his own when he takes Monsieur Duverney up on his offer to play chess.
I’m so looking forward to meeting more of the characters that make up Jamie and Claire’s new Parisian circles, including Wee Fergus and Mother Hildegard. However, there is a concern about who Jamie and Claire can really trust, especially since they’re actively engaging in subterfuge. In a new featurette, Ron Moore, Sam Heughan, and Caitriona Balfe, talk more about Jamie and Claire’s friends, foes, and frenemies:
There’s so much scheming, conspiracy, and intrigue… regardless, I need for Claire and Jamie to always be on the same team!
Check out 10+ images from “Useful Occupations and Deceptions” and make sure to tune into STARZ at 9pm ET|PT on STARZ on Saturday for the episode. I’ll be live tweeting, so join me while we watch (@WeSoNerdy)!
