Just when Claire and Jamie finally reconnect emotionally, a series of attacks threaten their safety and plans. Full recap of “La Dame Blanche”, including new clips and images (first aired Saturday, April 30 at 9:00pm ET|PT on STARZ).
***SPOILER ALERT***
“La Dame Blanche” opened with Jamie and Claire joining Monsieur Duverney at Versailles. Claire observed as the two men played a game of chess. To make conversation, Duverney asked if they had considered any names for the baby. Claire shared that, if the baby was a boy, she would like to name him Lambert after her uncle. Jamie wasn’t very pleased with the ultra-English name and suggested Dalhousie instead, after the castle. Claire didn’t like that at all (“It sounds like a sneeze!”).
Le Comte St. Germain then interrupted the game/conversation and made observations about how Duverney would beat Jamie in two moves. Duverney took offense to Le Comte exposing his strategies. Le Comte then called the outcome obvious and claimed the game was too boring to stick around to observe. He then took his leave. Afterward, Jamie acknowledged that Duverney had won the game and conceded. (Yet, Duverney insisted that the game was really a draw since Claire had been distracting Jamie.)
As Jamie and Duverney switched places to begin another game, they began to talk politics and Claire walked away to have a drink. Duverney expressed that King Louis was very intrigued by the news that Prince Charles had wealthy English aristocrats backing his Jacobite Movement. But before the conversation could continue, Claire started to cough and choke. She had been poisoned! Jamie ran to her and rushed Claire out of the room to get help. (Le Comte observed the whole thing with a smug smile.)
Later that evening, Claire recuperated in bed with Jamie by her side. She didn’t think it was poison, rather she detected an aftertaste of bitter cascara. Claire was feeling better and had brewed a tea to help counteract the effects. She also believed the baby would be fine… but she confessed to Jamie that she had been so afraid she would lose their child. Claire also speculated that St. Germain was the person who tried to poison her, probably by bribing one of the Versailles servants to put the cascara in her wine. (He was still really mad about Claire exposing the smallpox on his ship!)
Jamie wanted to make Le Comte pay for attacking Claire, but she encouraged Jamie to be calm. They didn’t have any definitive proof. Plus, a public scandal/conflict could cause Prince Charles to distance himself from Jamie. Instead, Claire asked for an update on Operation Stop Culloden. Jamie told her that Duverney had spoken to King Louis and Louis was intrigued by Charles’ promise of an alliance between France and England (in the event the Jacobite plan was a success). If Charles was able to secure the funds from Sandringham, Louis would join in as well. Jamie suggested that they host a dinner for the duke. Sandringham and Charles would meet in person, and it would give Jamie and Claire the opportunity to undercut Charles and expose the Prince as a man full of delusions of grandeur. Sandringham couldn’t support him then!
Claire was clearly distraught about the idea of having Sandringham in their home, anywhere near Jamie. She then confessed that Black Jack was alive… that she had met Alex Randall (via Sandringham) at Versailles, and confirmed that his brother was “injured” but well. Jamie’s response: “This is… wonderful news! But why’d you wait so long to tell me?” Jamie even laughed! (WHATTTT???!!!)
Apparently, the idea that BJR had died and he hadn’t been able to witness it firsthand, had disturbed Jamie for months. He didn’t plan to go back to Scotland and be captured by the Red Coats, but this did give Jamie hope that, one day, he would kill BJR himself:
“…you’ve given me something to hold on to… Something to look forward to, and that is a gift. Thank you, truly.”
The next morning, on her way out, Claire saw Murtagh in passing. He observed that Jamie was in a cheery mood and Claire told Murtagh that she had confessed the truth about Black Jack Randall. It seemed Murtagh had completely misjudged what Jamie’s response would be. (But honestly, I think we ALL did!)
Claire then left to visit Master Raymond’s Apothecary… Remember how in Episode 2, Master Raymond told Claire that, instead of real poison, he would sell bitter cascara to patrons who were intent on killing a rival? Claire was going to get answers from her new “friend”! According to Master Raymond, in the past few months, he had only sold the cascara to one person, a servant he didn’t recognize. It could have been someone working for St. Germain.
After received a warning from Delphine, Master Raymond insisted they continue their conversation in a more private location, a secret room in the apothecary. (The police were watching the apothecary for any “mystical” activities, which the King disapproved of.) The secret room was filled with even more curiosities, skulls and bones: “I’m fascinated by things not of this time.” (*wink*wink* Claire!)
Claire then confessed that she had something else on her mind. She was worried about an “old friend”, Frank. “I believe his future is in doubt.”
Master Raymond believed they could get some answers from reading bones. (Interestingly, Claire was familiar with this practice. When traveling in Africa with Uncle Lambert, she had seen the Zulu do something similar.) Claire held her question about Frank’s future in her mind and cast the bones. When Master Raymond read them he reported that there was no need to worry, Claire would “see” Frank again. (See him again?!) Before Claire could focus too much on the message, Master Raymond offered her a gift. A necklace with a stone that would change color in the presence of poison. It would protect her.
Afterwards, Claire went to see Louise and Mary. Louise needed Claire’s assistance… she was pregnant by her lover and needed help with an abortion. It wasn’t an easy decision for Louise, but she had made it. Claire suggested a concoction that was potent, but might even kill Louise as well. Louise wanted the baby, but did she have another choice? Maybe she could leave her husband and marry her lover. According to Louise, her lover did want to marry her, but it wasn’t possible. The risk was too great. An affair was one thing, but if her husband learned of the baby, he could have Louise arrested for adultery or sent to a convent.
Claire instead suggested that Louise sleep with her husband and then convince him the baby was his. This really disturbed Louise because her lover would be furious…
Louise: “But how will I raise a child with a man who is not the father?”
Claire: “All that matters is that the child is brought up with love.”
(Did anyone flash back to the premiere episode and Frank’s conversation with Reverend Wakefield?!)
Later that night while Claire was sleeping, Jamie woke her up with a kiss and was real interested in sexy times. But as he disrobed, Claire noticed hickeys on Jamie’s thighs! (OH NO!) A girl at Maison Elise had tried to have some sexy times/”69” fun with Jamie. Claire was very upset, but Jamie insisted that nothing happened. He seemed more excited about the fact that he had gotten… well, excited about the prospect of sex. Intimacy had been so difficult for Jamie, but tonight was the first time in a while that he had felt like himself again. The hope of being able to kill BJR himself was part of that.
Claire: “So you had to stir yourself up with a whore before you could bring yourself to be with me?”
Claire was incensed. She was struggling too. Jamie had left her alone in this marriage, alone with carrying this child. Jamie needed to talk to her and make her understand what he was going through.
Jamie: “There was this place inside me, a place I think everyone has that they keep to themselves. A fortress where the most private part of you lives. Maybe it’s your soul, the bit that makes you yourself and not anyone else. But after Wentworth, it was like my fortress had been blown apart. The thing that once lived there was suddenly exposed, out in the open, without shelter… That’s where I’ve been ever since, Claire. Naked. Alone. Trying to hide under a blade of grass.” *WEEEEEEEEEPING*
Jamie left the room to sleep somewhere else. But later Claire came to him where he was sleeping on the daybed: “Come find me Jamie. Come find me. Find us.”
After their very beautiful and intimate moment, Jamie didn’t feel as lost: “Well I think… perhaps you’ve built me a lean-to at least. And a roof to keep out the rain.”
They were interrupted when Jamie heard someone walking on the roof of the apartment. This person called for Jamie and knocked on the window… Prince Charles himself, and he was drunk and hurt. Charles sat by the fire while Claire tended to his hurt hand and Jamie offered him a drink. Charles told them that he had been at his lover’s home and had an argument. She had sworn that she loved him, but then spurned him. While they were quarreling, her husband had arrived home. Charles had to flee out the window and leapt from roof to roof until reaching the Fraser apartments.
“God is forever testing me, placing obstacles in my path. I’ve overcome everyone of them, I’ll overcome this one too. I won’t be deterred. Mark me, I will win her back!”
When Claire asked how Charles had injured his hand, he said that his lover’s pet had bit him… a monkey. (Recall that Louise de Rohan has a pet monkey and is also having lover problems!)
Later Claire and Jamie speculated about how Charles and Louise were perfect for each other. This also provided an opportunity to use their affair. If they invited Louise and her husband to dinner with Sandringham, Charles would come unhinged when hearing that Louise was pregnant. This would cause the Duke to lose faith in the Jacobites.
Claire: “Does this make us bad people?”
Jamie: “The way I see it, we’re doing a bad thing, but for a good reason.”
Claire: “Isn’t that what all bad people say?”
A week later, the preparations for the dinner party were underway. However, Claire had to go to L’hopital Des Anges. There was an explosion at the Royal Armory, and the hospital would need help. She promised to be back home in time to help Jamie welcome their guests. Jamie sent Murtagh and Fergus along to make sure Claire kept the promise.
Mary joined Claire at the hospital and helped tend to very serious injuries, alongside Monsieur Forez (who also served as a Royal executioner…)
Outside, Fergus and Murtagh had a little talk about understanding women. For example, Fergus observed that Mary was conflicted. She was sad about having to marrying Vicomte Marigny, but was happy because she had found love with another. Murtagh claimed that men shouldn’t concern themselves with the affairs of women. However, he made sure to ask about Fergus’ thoughts on Suzette:
Murtagh: “…is she in love with anyone?”
Fergus: “Her? Oui, with any many who walks past her door.” (OUCH!)
When Claire and Mary were ready to leave the hospital, they came outside to find the carriage wheel was broken. Murtagh had sent Fergus ahead to tell Jamie they would be late. However, Claire insisted that they start walking home to try and make it before the dinner began.
As they walked home, Mary told Claire about her newfound love with Alex Randall, who she had met at Versailles. Unfortunately, during the conversation, they were attacked. Murtagh was knocked out, and Claire was held while one of the men raped Mary. Claire screamed for help, but no one came. She did notice that one of the attackers had a large, red (birth?) mark on his hand. When the man who held Claire took off her hood, he called her “La Dame Blanche” and became distressed. He made the sign of the cross and screamed for them to run away. Claire was able to get to Mary, who was badly hurt. Murtagh came to as the assailants ran off.
Meanwhile, Jamie greeted the dinner guests, including Sandringham and Alex Randall, Silas Hawkins (Mary’s Uncle) and Vicomte Marigny, Prince Charles, Louise and her husband (Jules), and St. Germain and his wife (invited by Sandringham). There were several uncomfortable moments, like Jamie introducing Louise and Jules to Prince Charles, only to have the prince kiss Louise’s hand in a totally inappropriate way.
By the time Claire, Mary, and Murtagh arrived home, Mary had passed out from the shock. Jamie wanted to get a party together to go find the assailants, but Claire believed tonight was too important to their cause. They would take care of Mary in the guest room and Claire and Jamie would attend the dinner, as planned.
In the midst of this, Alex came out and saw Mary. He was upset, but sat by her side the entire time: “…You’re safe now. I love you Mary. I’ll take good care of you.”
Claire initially wanted to call the police to report Mary’s rape, but Jamie was adamant that they didn’t. If the news got out, it would ruin Mary’s reputation and engagement. Jamie also believed St. Germain was behind the attack too…
Claire joined the guests downstairs and led them to dinner. On the way to the dining room she had a brief conversation with Louise who shared that she had convinced Jules that the baby was his and he was overjoyed.
At dinner conversation commenced. Charles and Sandringham butted heads a little. Things got real awkward when Jamie announced that Louise was pregnant. Charles did NOT take the news well. Charles raised a toast, but then spoke about unhappiness in the world and called Jules “a man in the dark, indeed”
Claire was seated between Le Comte and his wife, which was altogether uncomfortable. The Comtesse asked about the necklace Claire was wearing (the stone from Master Raymond), and Le Comte intervened to say it was a stone to detect poison by changing color:
St. Germain: “If the Lady is so worried about the cooking in her own home, perhaps we should all have a stone?”
Claire: “Perhaps you should.”
Upstairs, Mary woke up and was insensible. Alex tried to calm her, but she ran from the room and went downstairs. Alex tried again to calm Mary, but she started screaming. The dinner guests overheard and came to the next room, where they saw Alex on top of Mary. Jamie intervened, but it was too late. The men assumed Alex was raping Mary and attacked him. Silas Hawkins, Marigny, and other men attacked Jamie for trying to protect Alex. It turned into a huge rumble.
Sandringham lamented losing the chance to enjoy dessert and left.
St. Germain had the police called and convinced Prince Charles to leave with him.
Fergus sat down to enjoy the leftovers of the lavish dinner.
Claire watched as the fighting continued (she also intervened to throw Jamie a curtain tassel to use as a weapon).
If you missed tonight’s episode, you can watch “La Dame Blanche” on STARZ Play online HERE or via the STARZ Play app.
What did you think of the episode? Do you think Mary and Alex will be alright? And do you really think it was St. Germain who ordered the attack on Claire, Mary, and Murtagh? Share your thoughts in comments!