As Jamie works to get the Lallybroch men ready for war, familiar MacKenzie faces arrive to join the Jacobite rebellion. Get a sneak peek of this week’s Outlander (“Je Suis Prest”), airing Saturday, June 4 at 9:00pm ET|PT on STARZ.
Sassenachs, why can’t we have nice things? In last week’s Outlander, Jamie and Claire were back in Lallybroch, reconnecting with one another and settling back into a peaceful life, full of family and love. Can we talk about Jamie holding his baby niece through the night and talking to her?! *SWOONS*
Of course, Prince Charles Stuart completely ruins this by FORGING Jamie’s name on a list of Highland chieftans who support his claim to the British crown. So now Charlie has arrived in Scotland and he’s about to carry out his Jacobite rebellion. As my homegirl Katie said in her review: “MARK ME. Charles deserves to die.”
But surprisingly, Jamie takes it in stride. If he has to fight in this stupid war, then he’s determined to win… not because James deserves the throne, but because if the Scots don’t win, Claire has already told him what it will cost the Highlands and his family. Can they change the future? Well, Jamie is optimistic!
There were two aspects of “The Fox’s Lair” that stood out most to me. First, I enjoyed learning more about the Fraser family, even if it meant meeting the despicable Lord Lovat. What a horrendous man! But at least, in the end, he decided to send men to support the Jacobites (even if it was for his own selfish reasons… and even if it took some theatrics from Claire as La Dame Blanche).
Second, the episode gave us the first contact with the MacKenzies of Lallybroch that we’d had in awhile. Colum was determined to stay neutral (good luck with that since his brother Dougal has been stanning for the Stuarts since the beginning). Then there was Laoghaire…
As Anne Kenney mentioned in her breakdown of “The Fox’s Lair“, bringing Laoghaire into the story was a way to redeem her a little (getting us ready for something that happens down the line). To be honest, I did find Laoghaire to be a little sympathetic, but then she did things to reaffirm her creepiness… like smelling Jamie’s shirt while laundering it and then whispering that she still planned to gain Jamie’s love one day. UGH. (Go HERE for a full recap of “The Fox’s Lair”.)
Alas, we have bigger fish to fry, and I’m talking about Culloden.
In this week’s Outlander, Dougal MacKenzie and his men are back, including our faves Rupert and Angus! The Highlands are preparing for battle, and Jamie is training his men for the inevitable clash against the British. Meanwhile, the Frasers gain some insightful information from an unlikely source.
In “Je Suis Prest”, written by Matthew B. Roberts, directed by Philip John:
Claire and Jamie reunite with the Lallybroch and MacKenzie men as they train for war. Jamie’s power struggles with Dougal and Claire’s personal battle with her memories of WWII weigh upon them, but new, helpful information comes to light when a young Englishman named William Grey pays a surprise visit to their camp. (via STARZ)
The episode title takes on a double-meaning. If you’ll recall, “Je Suis Prest” is the Fraser clan motto. It also means “I am ready”, which relates to Jamie, Claire, and the Scots getting ready for their Jacobite war.
In a clip from the upcoming episode, Jamie and Dougal observe as Murtagh (Jamie’s second in command) works to train the Lallybroch men:
Unsurprisingly, Murtagh is a tough taskmaster, but these men have a long way to go before they become soldiers that can take on the Red Coats!
I’m definitely eager to see what role Claire takes in all this… but I might be more interested in seeing how Jamie and Dougal’s relationship may/may not change.
Take a look at 16 photo stills from “Je Suis Prest”, for even more insight into the battle preparations. Remember to come watch the new episode when when it airs this Saturday, June 4 at 9:00pm ET|PT on STARZ. Tune in and come live tweet with @WeSoNerdy!
