Outlander: The Reckoning (1x09)

When I first heard they were going to do make this TV show, I wondered about a lot of different things. Sure, there's a lot of sex and violence in this show - but then again I watch Game of Thrones, so I figured that wouldn't be too tricky. My biggest concern was in how the relationship between Jamie and Claire would translate to the small screen. It's a hard sell - a 20th century woman and an 18th century man? There are just so many potential pitfalls right there. How can you tell a story about two equals who fall in love, when there's so much historical sexism weighing everything down? It works in the books because there are hundreds upon hundreds of pages with which to sell the romance. In the show? Well, I was nervous. And one of the things I was most nervous about was the whole spanking incident. Let's dive into the plot, and then I'll tell you what I thought!

We pick up where we left off, this time getting a glimpse into Jamie's head. He meets with a British deserter who has information that might lead to his getting his name cleared. The information is that Jack Randall is responsible for killing one of his own men. Jamie knows he can't use Randall to clear his own name. At this point, the kid who was supposed to be guarding Claire rides up and informs everybody that Claire has been taken hostage.

Jamie, along with help from the others, gets into Fort William. He confronts Randall and Claire with an empty pistol, and manages to bluff his way close enough to knock Randall out. He and Claire escape, with the aid of the others causing an explosion as a distraction. Jamie wants an apology from Claire for wandering off and getting herself into trouble. He says that Claire is his wife, and thus should have obeyed his orders. Claire is incensed by being treated like property. The two get into a screaming match, but ultimately they apologize to one another and reconcile.

Later, however, Jamie informs Claire that he will need to punish her to be sure she won't make such a mistake again. He wants to spank her. Claire resists, threatening that she will never forgive him. Jamie belts her, to her disgust and humiliation.

Back at Castle Leoch, Claire and Jamie awkwardly accept the congratulations of Colum for their wedding. Colum is not happy with Dougal, however. He has discovered that Dougal was secretly gathering money for the Jacobite cause. Colum takes the money away from Dougal. This causes a rift among the men, as some declare loyalty to Dougal, and others to Colum. Murtagh tells Jamie that they'll have to pick a side soon. Colum is not too happy with Jamie either, since he married a Sassenach. However, Jamie still attempts to smooth things over. He suggests that Colum gift the money for the Jacobite cause back to Dougal. Then, it will still be Colum's decision, but it will appease the men and prevent conflict. Colum takes Jamie's advice.

Meanwhile, Laoghaire is devastated that Jamie has gotten married. She tries to seduce him anyway, insisting that he must feel the same way about her as she always has about him. Jamie rebuffs her, saying that he must keep his vow to Claire.

Jamie goes to Claire. He tells her that he's always thought of marriage in one way. A wife obeys her husband, and if she doesn't, she must be punished. He now understands that things must be different between them. He vows to never, ever lay a hand against her again. The two have passionate sex, and whilst in the throes, Claire takes the dagger that Jamie made his vow on, and holds it to his neck. She makes a vow of her own, swearing that if he ever raise a finger against her again, she'll cut his heart out. After sex, Claire notices a talisman under the bed. Jamie tells Claire that it's meant to wish bad luck, or even death. They both wonder who could have put such a thing under Claire's bed.

So. What do I think? First, I think my only complaint is about Laoghaire. In the books, she came across as a really sweet naive girl and then suddenly switched to being pretty darn evil. It always bothered me, and unfortunately I don't think they're making a change for the show. The actress playing her is great. She's doing everything she can for the character. It's just... I'm not a fan of Laoghaire as a character.

Other than that, this episode had a lot of fantastic stuff going on. I'm so happy this show is back!

First of all, it was a great decision to give Jamie the narration. Now, we're seeing this world of the Scottish Highlands through the lens of someone who feels at home in that environment. We're also seeing Claire from an outsider's perspective. It's a good way to get another look at her character, as well as Jamie's.

Then we've got the conflict between Dougal and Colum. It's very important for the evolution of the story and the characters that Jamie was the one to step in and try to create peace between them. We're already starting to see a lot of fracturing between these different characters, and as someone who has read the books, I'm excited to see how they handle it moving forward!

I must again praise Tobias Menzies for his performance as Black Jack Randall. I don't know that I've ever been more viscerally disgusted by a villain. Ever. He's just so good at being so, so bad, and yet somehow still believably human. Ugh. Just watching him makes me want to go take a shower to wash all the creepy off of me.

The chemistry between Jamie and Claire is undeniable. Personally, I think they handled the whole spanking thing about as well as they possibly could. It's a tough sell - you have to convince the audience, 100%, that Jamie's actions were that of a man set in his ways. He didn't do it because he hates Claire or because he's an inherently abusive person. The books go into this more, but for Jamie, getting belted was a regular part of his childhood. His father used to do it to him all the time. None of this makes it okay for him to hold Claire down and enact physical violence against her. But even while it's not okay, the way this show is written and acted convinces you that it's understandable.

Claire is more than capable of taking care of herself, and I think that's what sells it. When she pulls the knife on Jamie while they're in the throes of a seriously hot sex scene, I was practically applauding her. Jamie swears never to harm her again, and that's all well and good - but he needs to understand that Claire will not stand for it if he ever breaks his vow. I was so proud of her, and proud of this show in general, for the way it portrayed this entire messy situation.

I guess that's all I've got to say. I'm nervous, for understandable reasons, about certain upcoming developments, but I'm also extremely excited. This show has earned my trust and my respect.

8/10