Jamie saved Claire from Black Jack Randall in Outlander Season 1, Episode 9. Meanwhile, we got a story from Jamie’s point of view. Here are the five best moments from The Reckoning.
During Outlander Season 1, Episode 9, we got a story from Jamie’s point of view. It was about him and his feelings for Claire, adding more depth to the already detailed story. It’s time to delve into this episode, pulling up the top five moments throughout.
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I’ve always disliked the use of the voiceover. I’m one of those people who prefer to be shown instead of told. In the first episode, I could understand the need for the introduction purposes but after that, I needed to be shown more instead of told everything that Claire was feeling.
When Jamie’s voiceover came in, it was different. However, it was only used for an episode and I still felt pulled out of the story when he was telling us his thoughts and feelings.
But this isn’t about the worst moments. It’s all about what I loved, and here are my five favorite moments from “The Reckoning.”
5. Seeing Jamie as a man of his time
Throughout Outlander, there’s been this view of Jamie being a man ahead of his time. That’s certainly true for the most part, but there are times that he is a normal 18th-century Highlander. This episode reminded us of that.
He’s inexperienced. The only form of discipline he knows is the way of the Highlanders, and that means beatings. Women and children are fair game in this world, with the view that it’s the only way they’ll learn. Hey, trying to knock the idea that beatings are the right form of punishment now is proving impossible for some.
While I didn’t condone the beating, it was realistic for the time period. I liked getting this human side of Jamie, showing us that he wasn’t perfect and he was a man of the 18th century. However, he also admitted that he knew Claire was from a different time.
I am glad Claire gave him as good as she got!
4. Jamie offering himself to Claire
Despite everything, by the end, we got to see Jamie in a more positive light. He realized that what he had done was wrong and it could lead to a permanent separation between him and Claire.
Outlander Season 1, Episode 9 adapted this part of the storyline for the two. They’d made up on the road back to Castle Leoch, but this episode kept it all contained in their room. And I like that the episode did this. We got to see more privacy between them and a better chance for them to make up.
Jamie had the chance to give his body and soul to Claire. He pledged everything in the way clansmen would pledge to their laird. This was an important ceremonial element in the 18th-century, continuing to show that Jamie is a man of his time but also that repairing the relationship with Claire meant the world to him.
3. Colum proving his smarts
Colum MacKenzie is not a stupid man. He may be disabled but that doesn’t stop him from using his brain. It’s no surprise when you watch him take command that he was accepted as Laird of Clan MacKenzie.
He knew that his brother would likely be up to something. Because of this, he’d sent a spy into the camp, someone he knew would be loyal to him and not to Dougal and the others — someone purely loyal to Clan MacKenzie.
We got to see just how much forward planning Colum would do. We’d already seen his abilities up to this point, and this kept that continuity.
2. Claire realizing the danger she put the men in
After saving Claire, the two and the other men headed out on the road back to Leoch. They stopped so that Jamie and Claire could discuss everything that happened — well, more like argue. Of course, Claire couldn’t possibly see that she put everyone at risk or take any blame for being caught (she was the one that walked off in the first place!).
During the argument, she realized just how much danger everyone had been in. Jamie had gone in with an unloaded pistol, knowing that they couldn’t kill anyone on the way in or out. She finally saw the fear in Jamie’s eyes, as his adrenaline finally ran out.
This was an important moment for Claire. She was piecing everything together about the dangers of bein gin the 18th century. I do think she should have thought about this more before running off to the stones to go to Frank, but at least she started realizing the risk the men took to get her back.
1. Seeing Jamie’s actions to save Claire
Outlander Season 1, Episode 8 ended with a cliffhanger. We saw Jamie in the window of Black Jack Randall’s office, just as Randall was about to rape Claire.
Rather than just pick up with the six-month-long cliffhanger, we jumped back a little. This was a chance to see Jamie’s actions to save his wife. We saw him lead the men and had a chance to watch him in action.
Sure, up to this point, we’d seen him fight when necessary. We’d watched all the men take care of the Grahams who came to steal from them and him take down one of the deserters who had tried to rape Claire. However, we hadn’t seen him lead a raid like this.
This was an important moment of development for Jamie. It would show him as a leader of men, important for Outlander Season 2 onward.
What were your favorite moments in Outlander Season 1, Episode 9? What did you think while watching the first time? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Outlander Season 1 throwbacks continue weekly on Claire and Jamie.