With a renewed sense of hope, Claire puts her plan together to escape Castle Leoch in Outlander Season 1, Episode 4. Here are my top five thoughts while watching.
Outlander Season 1, Episode 4 sees Claire’s plan to get away from Castle Leoch. With a renewed sense of hope to get back home, we instantly see Claire plotting her escape in “The Gathering.”
The first time watching the episode, I watched purely for the story. With each rewatch, I notice something different or see a slightly different meaning to words and looks. That’s what this post is all about; my top five thoughts while rewatching after what seems like the millionth time.
I’ll share good and bad thoughts, with a touch on elements that I’ve enjoyed more with subsequent viewings. This is the episode that features Diana Gabaldon in a Stan Lee/Stephen King-like cameo, although none of my thoughts revolve around that moment.
5. This episode really shows Claire’s forward planning
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In past episodes, Claire has come across a little dumb at times. For the most part, she’s a smart woman. You can see the cogs turning a lot, especially as she’s trying to make up a story, figure out where she is, and learn the full story of the time period. However, there are times that she makes ridiculous decisions.
Now, I will say that her attempt to escape Castle Leoch was a ridiculous decision. As Jamie points out, she hadn’t thought about the extra guards and the excellent trackers. Her anger towards him at that point was clearly a defense as she realized her plan was always doomed to fail.
However, the steps she took to plan were excellent. They showed off how smart she could be. After all, she found a game with the children so that she could mark her exits. She was storing food and had a reason for that, making sure she had provisions along the way.