One thing the Outlander TV series has done is highlight mental health and struggles. Outlander Season 2, Episode 2 did that with Jamie.
A lot of fiction can choose to overlook the aftereffects of trauma. This is often the case with sexual violence. The characters are forced to just get on with things, with nothing revisited and, seemingly, the mental health of these characters absolutely perfect afterward.
It is a flaw with fiction. It’s also a flaw I felt was in the second Outlander book. That was mostly because the story was told through Claire’s eyes, though. We didn’t get Jamie’s thoughts, and that’s something I feel would have been beneficial for the mental struggles that would come after the events at Wentworth Prison.
The TV show managed to change that with Outlander Season 2, Episode 2. The initial recovery happened slightly different in the show compared to the book, but I don’t feel that it changed too much. The show simply had a chance to offer more of Jamie’s story.
Outlander Season 2, Episode 2 sees Jamie struggle with his trauma
Jamie wanted to be close to Claire. He wanted to feel that connection with her, but there was always something (more like someone) who would get in his way.
He couldn’t stop seeing Black Jack Randall. Wentworth Prison wasn’t just about Randall raping Jamie. It was about Randall forcing that emotional connection, making Jamie think of Claire while they were together.
His past and his present started merging, something that happens to a lot of people with PTSD. He couldn’t separate the two.
I’ll admit that I didn’t really like the way the show handled his breakthrough. However, I did like the initial focus on Jamie’s struggle with being intimate with Claire. It was all too deeply connected.
Showing PTSD and how it can affect people is important on the screen. It’s time for fiction writers not to miss it out just for the sake of the plot.
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