Every season has some episodes that just aren’t quite as exciting as others and Outlander season 2 was no exception.
Look at any TV series and you’ll find some episodes that aren’t as entertaining as others. Outlander season 2 is exactly the same. There are episodes that are full of action, excitement and questions. Then there are others that move the story forward but not in the most exciting of ways.
It’s time to look back at the second season episodes, ranking them in order from worst to best. Just which episodes come out on top?
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Episode 2: Not In Scotland Anymore
The first half of the second season had some heartbreaking moments and episodes. This wasn’t just a time for Jamie to overcome the trauma (both mental and physical) from his time in Wentworth Prison. It was a time for Claire and Jamie to find their ways back to each other. A pregnant Claire had to find her way in another new land, while Jamie attempted to stop the rebellion.
However, Outlander Season 2, Episode 2 wasn’t the most exciting of all episodes. While Sam Heughan brilliantly showed off his acting talents with the tortured soul Jamie had become and Caitriona Balfe portrayed the beautifully, there were moments that things just didn’t seem to click. The episode set up some of the big stories moving forward, so maybe that was the problem.
Episode 8: The Fox’s Lair
Back in Scotland, Claire and Jamie realize they can’t stop the rebellion. They need to make sure it happens in style, so need Jamie’s grandfather’s help to make that happen. With all the rumors about Claire, she decides to use them to her advantage. Of course it doesn’t work well enough and Lord Lovat decides to side with Colum MacKenzie to create some sort of peace agreement.
While the episode was funny in parts, it was mostly one to set up future excitement. The vision was questionable, although did show just how bad at acting Claire is; making Balfe an excellent one.
Episode 6: Best Laid Schemes…
Jamie made a promise. He wouldn’t hurt Black Jack Randall for a year, ensuring Frank’s birth. However, Claire learns that he goes back on his word. The ending was the most exciting moment of the whole episode. Leading up to that, it was quite bland and forgettable.
What the episode does show is how far Jamie can be pushed. He completely breaks, which is unlike him. His anger is so prominent that he ignores the promise he made to Claire. Despite his wife’s pleads, he partakes in a dual, which is completely forbidden in Paris. This alone should have stopped Jamie, especially considering the task he and Claire had, but he couldn’t see past the red.
Episode 3: Useful Occupations and Deceptions
When Claire finds herself as a bit of a spare part in Paris, she goes out looking for something to do. Of course, that leads to the hospital, where she’s able to put her medical skills to use again. Every single season, Claire has reminded us that she was a nurse and is now a doctor.
One of the best things about the episode is the way she proves her worth. She has no idea that Mother Hildegarde is watching, but she diagnoses diabetes in a patient and tries to make her life more comfortable. It starts a beautiful friendship and brings out such a sweet and soft side to the mother. The part that is off about this is Jamie’s reluctance to Claire working. What does he expect her to do the whole time in Paris?
Episode 11: Vengeance Is Mine
Outlander Season 2 started to close up its year with Episode 11, “Vengeance Is Mine.” It brought an end to one of the longer running storylines: the Duke of Sandringham. After months of questions about his loyalty, fans finally learned that he wasn’t as dumb as he made himself out to be. He was one of the smartest men and made sure he remained behind the curtain.
Unfortunately, it all fell. When Claire ends up in his care, she manages to remove the façade. On top of that, Murtagh is finally able to get vengeance for everything that happened to Claire and Mary that night they were all attacked.
Episode 5: Untimely Resurrection
After the trouble at the dinner party, Claire and Jamie need to find a way to put matters right. That includes helping Alex get out of the Bastille, after everyone incorrectly thought he was attempting to rape Mary. Luckily, Mary is more than willing to make sure the man she loves get out of prison unscathed.
It’s a sweet episode, with a little drama. This also brings Black Jack Randall back into the frame, giving fans a chance to laugh at how small he’s viewed compared to Claire and Jamie when it comes to the King of France.
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Episode 9: Je Suis Prest
I am ready. Jamie lived by those words throughout Outlander Season 2. He made sure the men he was given were ready for battle. Unfortunately, he didn’t get many fighting men. Those who joined him were farmers, blacksmiths and others with few fighting skills. While it was extremely realistic for the history, it was troublesome for the warrior.
Jamie spent the episode training them, encouraging them to stay in formation. Of course, it meant more Rupert and Angus, as they and Dougal showed them how they should really fight like Scotsman. The rivalry between Dougal and Jamie heated up throughout the episode, as each one attempted to be the one in control.
Episode 4: La Dame Blanche
Claire’s nickname in France is finally revealed. She becomes known as The White Lady, a white witch that continues to be used into Outlander Season 3. Unfortunately, the name comes out in the worst circumstances.
On the way home for a dinner party, Claire and Mary are attacked in the streets and poor young Mary is raped. It’s clear that it’s by someone who knows her, as they can see right away she’s a virgin, but fans don’t find out who ordered the hit until later. The rape starts Murtagh’s need to find the men responsible and get his vengeance, hating the fact that he couldn’t protect the two of them.
Episode 12: The Hail Mary
Outlander Season 2’s penultimate episode finally explains just who Frank’s ancestor really is. After years believing that Black Jack Randall was his (multiple) great-grandfather, Claire learns that it was Alex Randall after all. As Alex died of (likely) consumption, Mary learned she was pregnant. There was only one option: marry her to Black Jack.
The episode was uncomfortable at times, but important. Fans finally joined all the dots and saw a softer side to the sadistic man. They saw his anger and hatred after Alex’s death; losing the man that he knew was kinder and happier than him. It finally brought an end to the storyline, just in time for the end of the season.
Episode 1: Through the Glass, Darkly
Many fans get to Outlander Season 2 a little confused. They see Claire in the 1940s, dressed in her 18th century clothing, questioning about the Battle of Culloden. Considering the events of the Season 1 finale, it’s easy to see why some people believe they’ve missed an episode (or 15).
The good news is, there’s no missing episode. It’s just a major time jump, as the showrunners take a risk. They throw Claire into the future, taking us to the very end. We learn that Culloden’s events are never changed and Claire somehow ends up in the future at the stones. The big question is how does it all play out?
Episode 13: Dragonfly in Amber
Jumping from the premiere to the finale, “Dragonfly in Amber” has all the answers. Jamie makes the decision to send Claire to the future. He needs to keep his wife and unborn child safe, and this is the only option for him. After all, Claire has said multiple times that the Battle of Culloden will be the end of highland life. If she stays, she’d probably be killed or imprisoned for life.
It’s a beautiful episode, with plenty of drama and excitement. Fans watch as they put all their efforts into winning at Culloden. They see the devastation on Claire and Jamie’s faces as they separate. On top of that, they see the 1960s, as Brianna learns the truth about her mother’s time in the past, the standing stones and her real father.
Episode 10: Prestonpans
The Battle of Prestonpans is an iconic moment in Scottish history, especially in Jacobite history. It was a major victory and the show plays out just how it happened. While there are moments that were changed for creative purposes, the overall storyline was the same. The Jacobite forces were able to take the British forces by surprise and force them to retreat.
It wasn’t an episode without tears, though. There was a sense that someone was going to do; someone close to Claire and Jamie. Would it be Dougal? Maybe Rupert? It turned out to be poor wee Angus, the man that was never in the books but quickly stole hearts in the first episodes of the series. After making sure his best friend was saved, Angus succumbed to his (unknown) injuries and died a way nobody would want; scared, drowning on his own blood. It was heartbreaking to watch, especially as everyone around him wished they could do something to help.
Episode 7: Faith
The most heartbreaking episode of Outlander has to be “Faith.” The episode title comes from the name of the stillborn daughter, but it’s bigger than that. It’s about having faith after terrible things happen. Claire gives up hope after losing her daughter, believing her man didn’t love her enough to keep his promise and almost dying of childbed fever.
While she’s miraculously healed physically, nothing can take away the heartache and pain. Yet, she pushes the pain aside and takes steps to get Jamie released from the Bastille. It just means playing a part in the death of a man.
Yes, there were moments with Jamie, but this episode was Balfe’s ability to show just how much range she has as an actress. Claire’s pain shone through immensely, along with her sorrow as she learned the truth about what really happened that fateful day.
Next: Ranking the Outlander season 3 episodes
Do you agree with this list? Which was your favorite episode of Season 2? Share in the comments below.
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