Spies and Politics
After finding herself teleported into the past and into the arms of her husband's unsavory ancestor, only to be rescued by Scottish Rogues who do not trust her, Claire's world has definitely been completely turned upside down. Although she has proven herself to be an efficient healer by tending to the young and extremely handsome Jaime, the MacKenzie clan that has taken her in is still suspicious of her character. Who is this English woman wandering alone in Scotland while the English have soldiers occupied to enforce Britain's hold over the country? How is she so knowledgeable about healing? What the hell is a brassiere? All the answers to those questions are known to the audience. But for Claire, she cannot let anyone know who she is. Even if it means she'll be labeled a person of suspicion.
From that synopsis, it is obvious that Claire is going to have a hard time adjusting to her new setting. Given the politics that are going on in 1774 Scotland and their relationship with the English, it is no wonder that she would be a subject for extreme scrutiny. However Caitriona Balfe continues to display a strong sense of survival through her need to "acclimate" quickly. If one was not aware that this is what she's doing, then the voiceover would've. Yes, the voiceover narration is still there. However this time around I didn't mind them. Probably because it wasn't as numerous as the Pilot, though I wish it were gone all together. Balfe's acting as Claire and the visuals alone are enough to tell us what's going on. We don't need to know the internal struggles she's having about being a time traveler, because we can already see it in her face. That's how good of an actress Balfe is. Of course, the entire cast of this production needs praise. Mainly because in this episode do we finally get proper introduction of all the players that we know will be sticking around for a while.
First of all there is Mrs. Fitzgibbons played by Annette Badland. She is definitely a welcoming addition to the growing cast of characters. Sure she is the no nonsense den mother archetype we've all seen before, but there is just something lovable about her character. From the way she treats Claire with kindness, to her confusion as to what a bra is, everything about her just comes off as genuine. Badland really convinces you that she is definitely a woman of the time, and not an actress playing a woman of the time. Here's hoping that we'll see more of her in future episodes, as she was definitely one of the highlights.
Then of course there is the MacKenzie clan lead by the two brother Colum and Dougal. We are introduced to Dougal as the man who rescues Claire from being raped by Black Jack Randall and brings her in to the MacKenzie clan. His suspicions of her from the first episode have definitely not disappeared in this one as he continues to have his men monitor her whereabouts. On the flip side is his elder brother Colum, the leader of the MacKenzie clan and is much more welcoming of Claire into Castle Leoch. However this is all a ploy in hopes that acts of kindness will reveal her true nature, but Claire is definitely smarter than that. It also shows that Colum and Dougal don't like being outsmarted by a woman, as their suspicions of an English woman are very valid. However the truth may not dispel their suspicions of her as it would be impossible to believe someone has indeed time traveled.
We are also introduced to a rather peculiar woman. Her name is Geillis Duncan, and she is a self proclaimed witch due to her prowess of being a healer. She is fascinated by Claire as she's never seen someone so knowledgable or perhaps more knowledgable about herbal remedies than her. It is this trait that the two find common ground and become fast friends. However it is hard to tell if she is truly a genuine friend, or if this is another ploy by the MacKenzie leaders to get Claire to confess of her true nature. This episode has all been about mistrust from the clan, so it would be no surprise of later on it is revealed that Geillis is not really a friend to Claire.
Luckily for Claire, the closest thing to a friend she has in this time is Jaime. In this episode we learn more about Jaime's backstory as well as his position as an outcast in the MacKenzie Clan. The reasons for this, I will leave up to you as a viewer to discover, but it does help give Jaime a trait that only Claire can understand: the feeling of being an outsider. They are both accepted into the fold of the MacKenzie clan, yet at the same time they're outcasts from their society. It definitely helps their friendship grow, especially during a moment when Claire breaks down after explaining that her husband "is not alive." There is definitely a strong attraction that is edging towards sexual attraction between them, but at the moment they are both respecting each other's space. With Claire wondering about what her husband is doing in the future, the audience can only wonder when is it that she'll finally let Jaime have her. Though if it was soon, then this series wouldn't really be worth watching then. It is good that we know these two understand each other as it gives Claire someone to relate to and a chance for actor Sam Heughan to deliver a very likable potential love interest. This is definitely romance done right.
SCORE: 8.7/10 - A good follow up to The Pilot and offers more characters, development, as well as an idea of the world Claire is living in
STATUS: Continue to Watch
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