Welcome back to Lallybroch, Sassenachs, where you can hear the drums of war with each passing day throughout the Highlands.
It’s a critical battle in the Jacobite war, and Jamie has a lot of trust in Claire, not only to care for his men, but to ensure they can change history. Let’s set up camp in “Prestonpans” and see what we can do to give the edge of the battlefield to the Jacobites.
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. A History Lesson
Strap in y’all, we’re going to have a bit of a history lesson first before we actually talk about the episode, because this is where art and life collide.
“Prestonpans” refers to the Battle of Prestonpans, aka the Battle of Gladsmuir, fought on 21 September 1745. (So happy almost 277th anniversary!) This was the first significant battle of the 1745 Jacobite war, which saw the defeat of the English in the amount of time it takes to watch a sitcom (less than 30 minutes). The quick defeat of the English was a huge boost to morale for the Jacobites, and sent a signal to the English to take their cause seriously.
The Wikipedia page linked in the previous paragraph gives great deal on the background and aftermath of the battle, as well as the battle itself. There is a memorial to the battle on the site erected in 1953, and a visitors center has been in development since 2019. The land today does have some housing as well as a former power station. There’s also a connection between Prestonpans and the Normandy invasion (D-Day) – – a famous if inaccurate song that retells the battle (“Hey Johnny Cope, Are Ye Waking Yet?”) was played as the 51st Highland Division of the British Army stormed the beach on 6 July 1944.
And now you are sufficiently educated and have some knowledge that could win you big on Jeopardy.
2. “How Many Men Had I Seen Killed In War?”
Claire’s second encounter with the realities of war is certainly traumatic, and this even more so because she knows the outcome of this war. More than that outcome, she also has the sinking fear that she cannot change it. And that is even more traumatic than her time on the WWII battlefield, where the outcome was less than certain. Will all that she and Jamie had done – – in France and in Scotland – – end up just being for naught? Will Culloden take place as history dictates it should, ending the Jacobite rising and leaving the blood many Scots, including people she loves, on Scottish soil?
However this ends, she is going to carry the scars of Prestonpans for the rest of her days.
Claire’s not the only one contemplating the costs of fighting for your land. At camp, the men strategize and make pacts to take care of each other’s families and land, should they not return from war. The flirtatious Angus requests a kiss from Claire to carry him and his spirits into battle. (And he’s so darn adorable about it, Claire would be a fool to turn him down!) Murtagh even has his moment of existential crisis, wondering what legacy he will leave should he die. It’s out of character for the man who hides his emotions in his kilt, but that’s what war does to you.
3. Mark Me!
Mark me, guess who’s back? The Bonny Prince Charlie of course! Which means the Outlander season 2 drinking game of taking a shot every time Charles Stuart says “Mark me” is also back!
In spite of having the funds and the people to see his quest through, he still proves . . . less than inspiring. Mark me, he still insists his cause will succeed because God declares it so. Mark me, he’s still ridiculously out of touch with the troops on the ground, bickering with Jamie and his generals about the best course of action. Mark me, he also asks, nay, demands Claire act as battleground nurse to treat the wounded – – even for the British troops, who should be treated first because they still have loyalty to his father. Mark me, he’s certainly fanboying over Dougal, who oozes masculine virility on horseback, though the two come to blows later when Dougal wants the British soldiers removed the field hospital. (Thank goodness Jamie saves the day with some smooth negotiating!)
Continued belowOf note to me is Stuart’s insistence regarding the British troops. It’s a savvy political move to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but could it also be Stuart playing both sides to save himself should things not go his way? Often in this season I wonder if Stuart is smarter than the script gives him credit. But history also tells us that Charles only returned to London in secret after the end of the Jacobite uprising. So this strategy of playing nice with the British – – whatever his ends were with it – – ends up fruitless.
4. Get A Woman to Do a Man’s Job
Claire’s left in charge of setting up the field hospital near Prestonpans, after the previous (male) doctor left it. (“These instruments will prove useful, perhaps more useful than the doctor may have.” MIC. DROP.) She makes quick work of things, assigning tasks and justifying her decisions when questioned. But of note is that she eschews titles. She ranks higher in standing than most if not all of the women there, and after one of the women enlisted as nurse calls her Lady Broch Turach, she insists on being addressed less formally. War is the great equalizer of all, even young men who have to do the women’s work. (Yes, Fergus, I heard what you said, even if Claire didn’t.)
More than dressing wounds and keeping fires warm, Claire also provides emotional support for the women under her stead, convincing them that the men will all return from battle. She may know in her heart this not to be true, but she needs her staff at their full potential to save as many lives as possible when combat ends. There will come time to mourn the dead, and it is not pre-emptive mourning.
5. Fortune Favors The Brave . . . And The Informed
More so than weapons, information is the more dangerous tool of war, and it comes in the form of one Richard Anderson. Mr. Anderson was raised on this land, and he knows its secrets and tricks – – those that can be used to the Scots’s advantage.
And so, in the fog of dawn, young Anderson leads the Stuart army to the edge of camp (including Fergus, which is going to go over like a lead balloon when Claire and Jamie find out). With Jamie and Dougal front and center, that war that has been hinted, discussed, analyzed, and dissected all season comes to life. The scene switches back and forth from the hand-to-hand combat to Claire’s hospital as the women tend to the wounded and prepare those that do not survive – – that exploration of the very human side of these historical events that we have seen all season.
For the day, the Scots are victorious and the British are in defeat. But victory does not mean mental and physical casualties don’t exist for the Jacobites. Fergus returns safe, but distraught over what he saw and did (which included killing a British soldier). Rupert’s taken a sword to the gut. And then there’s Angus. Poor concussed Angus, who looks like he’s just going to make it as long as he stays awake. But the cannon blast that gave him the concussion also caused some undetected internal bleeding, and he dies in Claire’s arms, no doubt grateful for her kiss.
As Jamie says, “war is bitter, no matter the outcome.” And for Claire, the fact that Prestonpans went as predicted brings her cold comfort. For while the men drink, sing, and celebrate victory in the moment, it’s only one battle in a long war she knows they will not win.
The Lost Papers of Black Jack Randall (Our Afterthoughts Section)
- If the coat Jamie has on looks familiar, it’s because it was owned by his father, and we saw Brian Fraser wear it in “Lallybroch” last season.
- All those weapons you see are historically accurate and manufactured with authentic materials.
- There’s a bit of an anachronism in this episode when one of the officers says the Scots are not afraid of “shot nor shell” – – the British artillery shell didn’t come into use until 1787 courtesy of one Henry Shrapnel. (And yes, that’s where the term “shrapnel” came from.) However, mortar-shells would have been in use at the time of Prestonpans. Continued below
- Doesn’t it look like Claire is pregnant in these episodes? This could be her postpartum body from her miscarriage in France, or the Highland style of dress and where it draws the eye. But it could also be something else. (Naturally, I am keeping my mouth shut further on the matter.)
We’ll see you next week for “Vengeance is Mine” and let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments.
As of this writing, the first five seasons of Outlander are 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.
