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Five Thoughts on Outlander‘s “Je Suis Pret”

By | August 12th, 2022
Posted in Television | % Comments

Welcome back to Lallybroch, Sassenachs – – and you can hear the drums of war with each passing day throughout the Highlands.  Jamie and his men prepare for the fate they will face, and it’s not without trauma for Claire, as her 20th century life invades her 18th century one.  Will fortune favor the Scotsmen or are they doomed to failure as Claire knows?

Ask yourself if you are ready (“Je Suis Prest”) and let’s dive in, shall we?

It should also be noted that Outlander is very much an 18+ series, with graphic violence and sexuality throughout. As well, there may be spoilers within for both the tv show and the novel series.

1. The Fraser Family

Before we get into things with this episode, we do have to pause for a moment to digest the news that we will have our first Outlander spinoffBlood of My Blood will focus on Jamie Fraser’s parents and their own love story.  The prequel story is certainly the hot commodity in television right now. As of the date of this writing, we’re about ten days away from the premiere of the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.  More than once have I wanted to see more of certain characters on my screen, and this will certainly provide that opportunity.  Young Dougal MacKenzie anyone? Sign me up!

What this means for an eighth season of Outlander is yet to be seen. Starz has gone on the record stating that they remain committed to the original series, explaining that this franchise can have multiple lanes of storytelling, much like their series Power.

2. Rag-Tag Army

While Jamie received men from his grandfather, it isn’t exactly the cream of the crop. And several of them ended up initially deserting the group, but a promise of land brings them back, and eventually to Murtagh’s camp with the men from Lallybroch.  From the looks of things, they do appear to have their odds against them, but they will have the support of Stuart’s army eventually.

Buoying their spirits in the moment though are several happy reunions, including Angus and Dougal MacKenzie. And if there’s anyone I missed this season, it’s a man I could call the 21st century Sean Connery, Graham McTavish.  Natural leader and natural politician – – and natural flirt, as he greets Claire with quite the compliment.  Remember that Dougal did offer to marry Claire should Jamie not survive Wentworth Prison.  Although under the guise of ensuring Claire’s safety and security, he wasn’t shy about hiding his feelings for his nephew’s wife. (And in fact proposes marriage again, should Jamie not survive the war!)

There is a bit of power struggle between uncle and nephew, though, with Jamie reminding his uncle that these are his men and they will follow his orders. And Dougal continues to fight and push back against his nephew.  The one who sees this most clearly is Claire, who cuts him down to size in an amazing speech likening Dougal to the Greek myth of Narcissus. That gets through to Dougal, though whether that’s genuine understanding of his jerk behavior or a desire to stay in Claire’s good graces is yet to be seen.

3. What Does Eye of the Tiger Played on Bagpipes Sound Like? 

“Je Suis Prest” is nothing more than an extended training montage, as we spend time at camp watching Murtagh whipping his rag-tag army into shape, making sure they know which left is the left he wants, and to “get the shite out of your ears.”  With only four episodes left this season that have to get us to the Battle of Culloden and Claire back to the 20th century, this may seem like an unwise move.  But it is also in line with the season’s tone and theme of showing process over product, devoting time to the storytelling and the human side of war and politics.  War is people. Politics is people.  Ronald Moore does well for us to spend time with the people, for it builds our sympathy for the Scottish . . . making what will be the inevitable losses of war all the more heartbreaking.

4. War Is Hell

The Scottish war training proves a bit traumatic for Claire as well, as she has flashbacks (or are they flash-forwards?) to her time as an Allied army nurse in World War II.  The concept of wartime PTSD has certainly been explored in other series, but this may be the first time that we see the effect from a woman’s perspective. Claire was not holding a gun on the battlefield or dropping bombs from a plane, but she also saw what those bombs and guns do to a human being.  Again, exploration of war from that human perspective to make it all the more humanizing – – and all the more painful for Claire to be away from the battlefield, as she explains to Jamie when he wants to send her home.

Continued below

While sound is what triggers Claire’s memories, the cinematic work here also does a fine job of conveying her state of mind, cutting in between the 20th century battlefield and the 18th century one.  In particular, a moment when Claire leaves the medical tent in Scotland and steps outside for some air shows how overwhelming PTSD can be.  The camera does a 360 degree pan around Claire and the battlefield, with Scotland blurred and the sounds of World War II fresh in her ears.  The viewer is beautifully and effectively immersed in her trauma.

5. Intelligence Gathering

Jamie almost doesn’t find his end on a battlefield, but at the hand of a teenager: a British teenager.  Jamie’s ready to kill this young boy, but hesitates for a moment, using a threat to sexually assault Claire as a means of getting information about the nearest British encampments. Thankfully Claire realizes the game and plays along as well, or that would have been rather awkward.

By the way: the boy’s name is William Grey.  Remember that name.  It will not be the last you hear of it.

Trusting this boy’s information, Jamie and his men make a raid on that British camp, burning their wagon wheels to keep them put.  Jamie wisely gives his wife the credit: “our success is due to your selflessness.” He also wisely gives Dougal the honor of riding ahead and announcing the presence of their army to the Stuarts, perhaps realizing that his uncle needs to feel like a leader to keep his ego in check.

War grows closer and closer.  And when Jamie asks his wife the titular question, je suis prest (are you ready?) there’s only one answer.  No turning back now.

The Lost Papers of Black Jack Randall (Our Afterthoughts Section)

  • The title of this episode is the motto of the Frasers of Lovat, and still retains the ancient French spelling of ‘ready’ (‘prest’) versus the modern spelling (‘prêt(e)).  There are also elements from Chapter 36 present in the episode, particularly scenes with William Grey.
  • Indeed that is the flag of Scotland you see flying at the Lallybroch camp, with the Fraser family crest on it.
  • The game you see the men at camp playing that bore some resemblance to field hockey is a Highland game called shinty, and is still played today.
  • The two American soldiers Claire feeds have some of the worst American accents I have ever heard, though the one from Texarkana makes some attempt at a Southern accent.

We’ll see you next week for “Prestonpans” and let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments.

As of this writing, the first five seasons of Outlander is available for viewing on Netflix in the US and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.  All six seasons of the show are also available with a subscription to the Starz network in the United States. The seventh season of Outlander is currently in production.


//TAGS | 2022 Summer TV Binge | Outlander

Kate Kosturski

Kate Kosturski is your Multiversity social media manager, a librarian by day and a comics geek...well, by day too (and by night). Kate's writing has also been featured at PanelxPanel, Women Write About Comics, and Geeks OUT. She spends her free time spending too much money on Funko POP figures and LEGO, playing with yarn, and rooting for the hapless New York Mets. Follow her on Twitter at @librarian_kate.

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