Crime and Childbirth on OUTLANDER
Episode 113 “The Watch”
[Photos: Sony Pictures Television]
After last week’s cliffhanger, things turn out to not be as dire as we feared. The Watch arrives to Lollybroch and Jenny goes into labor. Jamie still needs lessons in anger management, but we don’t mind. He still is the Scot of out hearts. Here’s what happened:
The Frasers had to deal with the Watch, Jamie had to face the Redcoat deserter who knew Jamie’s identity and the fact that there was a price on his head; Claire had to help Jenny deliver the baby (and deal with the complications), and finally Jamie and Ian were forced to join the Watch on their raid.
Here’s there’s thing, though: while a lot had happened in the episode, it didn’t feel like it at all. The episode was rather quiet (with the exception of Jamie fighting because he can’t keep a lid on his temper) and subdued. It consisted primarily of quiet conversations (even if some of them were filled with tension) and wide shots. Sure, there was action (the show, after all, is produced by STARZ), but those sequences, after they completed, were rather forgettable.
Quiet life in Lollybroch might be good for Claire and Jamie, but it doesn’t do Outlander any favors.
Thankfully, since poor Jamie was captured by Redcoats, things will get very interesting, very soon, as Claire will no doubt try to make good on her promise to find Jamie, and drag him back to Lollybroch by his red curls.
In other news, I was thrilled to see Douglas Henshall as Taran MacQuarrie, the leader of the Watch. Though I had a hard time taking him seriously at the very beginning, his stint as Nick Cutter in Primeval still fresh in my mind (even though the show ended good four years ago. Shut up, I still rewatch it on a regular basis). After I got over my fangirl giggles, I was able to appreciate the friendly threats and casual menace the actor projected. Taran MacQuarrie turned out to be a much more subtle villain (who, no doubt, did not consider himself the bad guy), especially in comparison to the depravity and cruelty of Black Jack.
But even with my love for the characters and Henshall’s superb acting, this episode still felt a little like a filler. A way to get Jamie and Claire to confront the Redcoats (and most likely Black Jack) and get back to the action part of Outlander; all without bending the characters too much or arranging for improbable chance encounters. Every show has an episode or two like this, so I know I shouldn’t be disappointed with such a lackluster showing. Still…
It’s a good thing I have next week’s episode to look forward to.
What about you? Did you enjoy the episode? What were your favorite parts? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter! See you next week!
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