It’s time to look back at the worst episode of Outlander Season 3. Episode 7, titled Creme de Menthe, saw Claire attempt to save her attacker and Jamie struggles to connect with her again.
Outlander Season 3 had some major highs but also some strange and questionable lows. For many, “Creme de Menthe” is one of the latter. Outlander Season 3, Episode 7 had a lot of fans scratching their heads as Claire attempted to save her attacker. While I got her thought process in that (she was never going to get rid of her belief in her oath within a couple of days of being back in the 18th century!), the episode just wasn’t exciting enough to hold my attention.
It was one that I didn’t actually watch live and do a recap for over at Hidden Remote. However, I did answer some of the mindblowing questions and pull out the top moments from the episode, which served a little as recaps.
Now it’s time to look back over the episode. This recap covers everything that happened, with the views of someone who has now watched the full season and see the episode multiple times.
Claire fights back
More from Recaps
- Outlander Season 7, Episode 8 recap: Is Rachel in love with Young Ian?
- Outlander Season 7, Episode 7 recap: The First Battle of Saratoga
- Outlander Season 7, Episode 6 recap: Roger finds something to do
- Outlander Season 7, Episode 5 recap: Bree is trapped in a tunnel
- Outlander Season 7, Episode 4 recap: William and Young Ian meet (again)
The episode opens where the thrilling cliffhanger left us in Outlander Season 3, Episode 6. The exciseman attacks Claire, but she isn’t going down without a fight. She manages to fight him off and he loses his balance. When he falls, he knocks his head on the stone fireplace. That’s when Jamie and Mr. Willoughby walk in.
They initially start plotting how to get rid of the body, but Claire wants to save him. Sure, he attacked her, but she’s a doctor. Unfortunately, this isn’t the 20th century and brain surgery isn’t going to be easy. She doesn’t have the right tools or medicine, so she needs to gather as much as she can, quickly.
Meanwhile, Jamie instructs Young Ian and Fergus to get rid of the casks of alcohol from the brothel cellars. This exciseman was looking for information to get Jamie into legal bother over his smuggling, so he needs to get rid of everything, even if it means selling at a loss.
Claire meets the Campbells
While at the apothecary getting the items she needs, Claire runs into Mr. Campbell. He’s looking for anything that will help his sister. Claire agrees to visit him and his sister to see if she can treat him so she can push ahead of him in the line.
With the tools she needs, she and Mr. Willoughby perform the brain surgery needed to release the building up blood within the brain. It’s not enough and the man dies. In this moment, it’s clear that Claire is struggling to leave her 20th-century life behind. She was a gifted surgeon in her time and now she’s come to a time where she’s ill-equipped without a support team with the right knowledge. This man may have attacked her, but she took an oath and she wants to stand by that.
She’s also having second thoughts about coming through the stones again. Without her, Jamie wouldn’t be in as much bother as he is. Well, that’s actually debatable, as this exciseman would have been there regardless and would have likely found something on Jamie had Claire not been around. And Jamie would have been none-the-wiser, so when Sir Percival came looking for his evidence, the cellar wouldn’t have been empty!
Regardless, Claire is struggling to deal with everything, so she goes off to see the Campbells. Hopefully, there is something that she can do.
Claire learns about Abandawe
While meeting with the Campbells, Margaret has one of her visions. She grabs Claire’s arm and starts speaking nonsense about Abandawe. Outlander fans who had read the books knew what this meant, but for others it sounded like a lot of jibberish. Of course, Archibald Campbell wanted money to explain it all and Claire wasn’t about to give into him.
According to Archibald, Margaret is a seer and laudanum helps to keep her calm. Claire is sure that she’s suffering from a mental illness instead and offers tea remedies suitable for daily use.
When she gets back to the brothel, the exciseman’s body has been cleared out and hidden in a barrel of creme de menthe (this is important for a future episode). Claire wants to get away from the brothel. It was clear it wasn’t safe for her, as Jamie knew a dead man would mean Claire would naturally go to prison and be hanged as a murderer just because she didn’t have rights in a brothel.
Jamie ridiculously decides he wants to stay, saying all his money goes back to Lallybroch and the brothel is rent free. He hasn’t quite thought of the dangers for Claire.
She suggests that she uses part of the print shop to open her own healer business. Before they can even discuss it, there’s a knock at the door. Ian Murray is in town. Of course, Ian is shocked to see Claire, but in a happy way. However, he’s more worried about his son, Young Ian. It turns out the young lad hasn’t told his parents where he’s going and this isn’t the first time.
Claire isn’t happy that Jamie hasn’t told Ian the truth about Young Ian. It’s no fun as a parent not knowing where your children are.
Young Ian meets a girl
While this is happening, Fergus has taken Young Ian out for a drink. When Fergus realizes Young Ian has eyes for the barmaid, he gives Young Ian some pointers about how to get her into bed.
Young Ian decides it’s time to lose his virginity and takes the girl back to Jamie’s print shop, where he can use the bed. While they’re together, someone breaks into the print shop. Young Ian tells the girl to leave out the back and he takes on Percival’s henchmen. Unfortunately, in the fight, one of the henchmen uncovers the seditious papers Jamie has been printing and takes off with one. A fire starts during the fight and Young Ian is trapped in the burning print shop.
When Jamie and Claire see the burning print shop, Jamie rushes in to save his nephew. The only thing left now is to head back to Lallybroch, but that means coming face to face with Jamie’s second wife.
Next: Outlander Season 3, Episode 6 recap: The highly anticipated reunion
What did you think of Claire’s need to save the exciseman? How did you find this episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Follow Claire and Jamie on Twitter for more looks back at past Outlander episodes.