The more you watch something, the more little moments stand out. That’s certainly been the case with Outlander Season 3, Episode 11, which is something to look back on in this reassessment of the episode.
“Uncharted” is one of those episodes not many people loved at first. Considering the show has limited time to tell one of Diana Gabaldon’s novels, a lot of time was spent on something that was a little mundane and “boring” for some. At first, I certainly felt that way with Outlander Season 3, Episode 11. We got a lot of time of Claire wandering through the jungle.
However, the more you watch the episode, the more you see little moments stand out. In my reassessment of the episode, the trail through the jungle told a lot about who Claire is as a person and what she’s willing to do to get back to Jamie. Here’s a look at my thoughts revisiting the episode.
Claire’s strength of character revealed
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You don’t know what you’re capable of until you’re put into a life or death situation. Some people would have given up treking through the jungle. They may have considered going around instead of through. However, Claire was able to think clearly after washing ashore. She remained calm and collected, focusing on survival. This isn’t a surprising side to her character considering she was an excellent surgeon and a World War II nurse.
What we also get to see is her love for Jamie. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to get back to him. That leap of faith at the end of “Heaven and Earth” and then this trek into unknown territory proved to us that she was focused on getting back to her husband. She’d accepted Jamie’s life before, fallen more deeply in love with him than ever before, and wanted to be there with him until she grew old.
And it wasn’t just the trek through the jungle. The time with the priest proved the same thing. She pretended the coconut was real to manage to get back to the water and make her way to Jamaica.
When fates align
There was the circumstantial moment of Jamie’s boat running ashore on the same island Claire had found herself on, but that’s part of Diana Gabaldon’s novels. There are lots of circumstantial moments (such as the pirates turning up at Silkies’ Island when Young Ian was there) and even Jamie and co. being near Craig na Dun the day Claire fell through the stones. This moment is something I can forgive. Outlander isn’t the first series to include convenient plotlines and moments.
Really, it could be looked as fates aligning. It was God’s will or something similar that pulled Jamie to that island when Claire needed him. Their lives were intertwined to make sure she managed to get back to Jamie to warn him about Jamaica and the authorities waiting for him. They really are meant to be together.
What’s more important is that the two thought before reacting. Claire had no idea that she’d need the mirror but stole it anyway. It came in use when needing to signal to Jamie. Rather than just ignore the light as the sun catching something on the beach, Jamie decided to check. Many others would have decided best to just leave it and get back on their voyage, but not Jamie. They were meant to find each other again.
The best part of Outlander Season 3 for Fergus
“Uncharted” has a special place in my heart because of the wedding. Fergus never once assumed that he was part of the Fraser family. While he would do anything for Jamie and Claire, he never assumed that he had their name; that they thought the same as him when it came to love and devotion.
This tells us a lot about Fergus’ self-worth. He doesn’t feel like he should belong, in a way. Despite the conversation when Fergus first lost his hand, he continued to view himself as an outsider when it came to the Frasers. There’s a sad element to this, as we see how little he thinks of himself; how much he still wishes for a family.
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Then there’s the look from Marsali. Of course, she’s thrilled that Jamie made it clear that Fergus was part of the family, but there’s also that love in her eyes. She didn’t care if he was officially a Fraser or not and was willing to marry him anyway. All she cared about was Fergus’ happiness and she was grateful that he found that through Jamie officially making him a Fraser.
We also got more from Marsali, a chance for her and Claire to bond. As much as Marsali loves Fergus, she wants it to be just the two of them right now. Despite everything between Laoghaire and Claire, Marsali knows she can only turn to Claire for advice. There’s hope for these two yet!
Next: Ranking the Outlander Season 3 episodes
Have you watched “Uncharted” again? What do you think of Outlander Season 3, Episode 11 the more you watch? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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