#FlashbackFriday: 10 connections between Outlander’s The Wedding and A. Malcolm
8. The view of the scars
Both scenes involve Jamie taking his shirt off. Yes, we love it but there’s something more than just stripping down. There’s a vulnerability in this episode.
Nakedness itself brings a vulnerability, but the view we get of Jamie removing his shirt in both episodes is of the scars. We’re reminded of Black Jack Randall in this moment; of everything that Jamie has been through.
7. Claire’s vulnerability
Of course, with Jamie’s shirt removal comes Claire undressing. This brings another layer of vulnerability. Again, being naked brings a vulnerability of its own, but this episode isn’t just about that.
Claire is self-conscious of her body, which is entirely normal. She’s had a baby, she’s aged 20 years, and she’s traveled through time to be with Jamie. A lot has happened and Jamie even comments later that Claire has some extra meat on her bones.
In “The Wedding,” Claire is just vulnerable altogether. She feels like she’s cheated on Frank and that she’s given up on getting back in a way, while also feeling conscious of being naked in front of someone who is pretty much still a stranger. In “A. Malcolm,” there’s the self-consciousness of aging. She fears what Jamie will think, connecting back to her dying her hair and questioning Joe about her attractiveness.
6. A brown-haired lass
In both episodes of Outlander, Jamie says “a brown-haired lass.” It’s a comment of affection between them and in both episodes, Claire blushes. The reason she blushes in each is different.
“The Wedding” is more of a self-conscious blush. It’s a comment of affection that she’s not entirely used to. This is something she’ll hear a lot and it’s clear that she’s not sure if she’s ready for that.
“A. Malcolm” brings the self-consciousness of dying her hair. Claire reaches up to touch it, reminding herself that she doesn’t have flawless brown hair anymore. She even admits to Jamie that she’s dyed her hair. This comes up later on the ship, when the grey starts showing through.
5. Undressing Claire
Jamie helps Claire undress in both episodes. This is a moment of affection, love, and sexual tension between the two. And in both episodes, we get that focus on the corset.
The difference is the way the corset unfastens. Claire, ready for her trip the second time, decides to make corsets easier. Instead of all the strings, she opts for a zipper. Jamie doesn’t spend too long on it, but it does connect to the quip about corsets taking too long to unfasten from “The Wedding.”