Outlander Season 3, Episode 9 recap: The Frasers set sail to Jamaica

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
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Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room

After learning that Young Ian had been taken by a ship setting off to Jamaica, the Frasers gather together to save one of their own in Outlander Season 3, Episode 9.

Outlander Season 3, Episode 9 saw the Frasers set sail to Jamaica. They’d learned that Young Ian had been taken by pirates setting off to the West Indies and they weren’t going to leave anything to chance. With voyage booked, Claire and Jamie set sail with a few of Jamie’s friends from his prison days (don’t get me started on continuity problems set in “All Debts Paid”) and Fergus.

Oh, and for drama sake, Fergus isn’t alone. He’s brought his handfasted wife along; Marsali. Yes, Laoghaire’s daughter and she certainly doesn’t like Claire!

As usual, if you want to read the straight-after-watching recap, you can do at Hidden Remote. This recap takes in the ideas and thoughts developed after watching a few times.

Marsali won’t leave!

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As soon as Jamie and Claire get on the ship, we learn that Jamie has sent a letter to Jenny to explain everything that’s happened. He doesn’t want to deal with that drama–more importantly, it saves time in the episode to focus on the actual voyage. The big issue at the start is the touching of the horseshoe for luck–which Claire does to respect the superstitions (if only she could respect them later!) and we know it’s going to come up later.

Before that can happen, Claire and Jamie realize that Marsali is onboard. She and Fergus were handfasted before leaving and Marsali has written her mother a letter. Marsali isn’t going to leave, making it clear that she’ll tell everyone that she and Fergus have consummated their handfasted marriage (even though they haven’t).

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room

Claire and Marsali aren’t happy when Jamie decides that the two will bunk together to keep Marsali and Fergus apart. This is also convenient when Jamie starts suffering from seasickness and Mr. Willoughby (who is also along for the journey) uses acupuncture to help. Jamie didn’t want to tell Claire because he might look silly but also because he wanted her to feel useful.

Needless to say, tensions are still high between Claire and Jamie. For those who have no sympathy for Claire, I’d like to know how you’d feel after 20 years of being apart. Sure, you wouldn’t expect everything to be the same, but Claire learned Jamie had married her archnemesis. She was hurt and struggling to deal with trust. It’s not surprising that she felt like she couldn’t remain in the 18th century.

They two do eventually manage to reconcile their differences. Claire realizes everything that she’s loved about Jamie again–seeing that that part of him is still in there somewhere. It’s just in time for the cliffhanger of the episode.