After landing the new commission, Ian and Jamie are able to return to the other mercenaries in Virgins section 16. However, they end up witnessing something unsettling.
Outlander has been no stranger to showing the monstrous sides of men, and this is usually to offer a look at the virtuous side of others. However, Jamie is held back from being the virtuous man that he is, and it makes this section a little harder to read.
Breaking down Virgins section 16
The section starts with Jamie and Ian getting to a tavern, which happens to have a brothel upstairs. Of course, Jamie isn’t happy with this, and the women keep coming over to him and Ian for their business. They become disinterested when Ian shows them that they have no money to offer.
At this point, Jamie has the thoughts of Rebekah on his mind, and this also leads to him thinking about the herbs that the doctor gave him. He wonders how best to drink the herbs, and really, tea is the best. They don’t have access to hot water, though, so he’ll have to place it all in his ale.
Ian is just about to mention Scotland, as he worries about never seeing the country again. He wants to go back after this job, but Jamie gets uneasy and goes to the toilet. This gets Ian and Jamie in the alley, where Matthieu, one of the men, yells at one of the prostitutes. He takes her in front of everyone, and as much as Jamie wants to intervene, Ian holds him back. It’s not a good idea to intervene when everyone else is egging Matthieu on.
Is this just a show for everyone? While the woman seems to resist, she also takes the money after it and walks off. It’s almost as if this is what Matthieu wanted people to see.
Ian was certainly shocked at the way his body reacted during this. Fortunately, this doesn’t sway Ian into being such a man, but I do wish that he and Jamie had left after this. They, at least, decide to leave the tavern.
Could this section be used in a TV adaptation?
When a scene like this was used in Outlander season 7, it was to show us the type of man that William was. We got to see that he was honorable like both Jamie and Lord John Grey. We don’t need to see that in Virgins, as we already know the type of man Jamie is. If he could do something, he would, but he’s only 19 at this point in the story.
So, I’m not sure if would be used. There’s no need for it in the grand scheme of things, although it does highlight what the other mercenaries are like. The bit that would need to be kept in is Ian wanting to go back to Scotland, as we know Jamie doesn’t think he can, and Ian doesn’t get there for some time.
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