OUTLANDER Goes Home to Lallybroch

Episode 112 “Lallybroch”

[Photos: Sony Pictures Television]

After an intense case of the day jobs, I’m happy to be back recapping Outlander in the most PG-13 way possible. Big thanks to Leslie for stepping in and providing everybody with two amazing posts. Are you ready for another dose of time-traveling nurse and her hot husband? Here we go!

Last week, Claire made a major decision to stay with her Scottish husband in the past, and the two of them travelled to Jamie’s childhood home. At Lallybroch, we meet Jamie’s sister, her husband and a lot of other minor characters, as Jamie and Claire take over as the Head Couple in Charge (or HCIC, as I like to call them).

Things didn’t go as smoothly as Jamie would’ve wanted, all thanks to past trauma and lack of communication between our favorite Scot and his sister. One of my favorite scenes in this episode included Claire and Ian Murray bonding over being married to a Fraser. It was as if each of them finally found someone else who understood that particular pain. It was also one of the very few lighthearted scenes in this episode, since Outlander writers decided we’ve had enough fluff.

To explain why being in Lallybroch and going to see his father’s grave was so hard on him, Jamie shares the details of his dark past with Claire, while we are treated to flashbacks. Because taking out the steamy love scenes and putting a gruesome flogging and emotional abuse instead is a fair exchange. Spoiler warning: it isn’t. Hopefully the show will make it up to me us soon.

 

We also learn that Jamie was given a chance to escape the flogging if he gave Black Jack something else. Himself. Following the trend that everybody wants Jamie (which almost became the title of this post), we are treated to somewhat hilarious admission on Jamie’s part that he would be okay with the gay, but giving Black Jack the satisfaction of breaking him would be too much. It’s been a while since I was treated to such an obvious attempt at being politically correct in a show set in a less tolerant time period… I’ll leave deciding if the revelations of this episode were beneficial or harmful for LGBT visibility to others.

I’m not going to lie, all the flashbacks left me feeling uncomfortable; and if it weren’t for the fact that I’m recapping this show, I would fast forward through all those bleak and terrible scenes. As it is now, I’m happily living in denial, and if you ask me about the details of the Frasers’ back story, I would not be able to give them to you. I prefer my entertainment light and without too much grit…

What about you? What did you think of the flashbacks? Did you enjoy watching Jamie attempt to be The Boss? What do you think of the cliffhanger at the very end? Let me know in the comments or on social media of your choice!

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