Welcome back to Lallybroch, Sassenachs! It’s time for another Scottish summer with a look at Outlander‘s second season. But this year, we won’t be in the Highlands: we’re crossing the Channel to the Continent, where Claire and Jamie will find a new temporary home in the City of Light.
The aftermath of the Fraser’s first Parisian dinner party are felt all throughout their lives, but that’s nothing compared to a familiar face who’s come to France.
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. “You did well, guarding your mistress.”
We open on the aftermath of the dinner party that disintegrated into chaos right after the entree, with everyone arrested in the melee. Most everyone has made it back home with their freedom, except for Alex Randall, who’s falsely charged with rape and released from the Duke’s service. To add insult to injury, Prince Charles Stuart left the party with sworn enemy of the Randalls, the Comte St. Germain. While Claire and Jamie waste no time in getting to the bottom of the mystery, including why the assailants called Claire “La Dame Blanche” (loose lips sink ships, or at least get your wife pissed off at you, Jamie), that’s not the moment that sticks out to me most.
It’s when Jamie returns home after a long night to find both Claire and Fergus waiting for him, Fergus sound asleep. Jamie picks him up tenderly, congratulating him on keeping Claire and their unborn child safe. The fatherly tenderness in his voice and eyes shines through so gently and simply, and you can even see it in Claire’s eyes in the background. You can see Jamie is not only ready for fatherhood, but embracing it, even as Claire professes her own insecurities on her motherhood skills to her husband later.
However, advance knowledge of this series adds a tinge of sadness for me to this moment, as I know Jamie won’t get that chance to father the child Claire’s carrying. Foresight is a painful sword to bear.
2. Checking Up on Mary
Sweet Mary seems to be doing okay when Claire calls on her for an examination after her assault. She’s frightened and rightfully concerned that she’s pregnant as a result of the encounter, but otherwise in good physical health. (Thank you Claire for taking care of her this way!) And her love for Alex has certainly not dimmed, but rather, brightened. Although the attack wasn’t her fault, it does take her virginity, which means the Viscount will not marry her. (Ah, 18th century socio-politics and the rights and status of women!) Now she is free to pursue Alex, brightly declaring to Claire that they will wed.
Oh, Claire’s in a tough spot. Condemn Alex Randall to prison to ensure Frank’s existence, but break her friend’s heart? Or steer the ship of young love on its course, even at the risk of losing her 20th century husband?
For a moment, you wonder if Claire, standing by the fire with Mary’s letter to Alex in her hand, will let the physical embers burn out the embers in Mary’s heart. Those politics of morality rearing their ugly head once more. Will Claire do the bad thing, but for a very good reason, as she and Jamie plotted to do last week at their dinner party with the Prince and Louise?
Fortunately, morality and love for her friend wins out, and Alex is free from the Bastille with Claire’s help. But that cough doesn’t sound well, and Claire uses that to her advantage to gently convince Alex to give his love the future she deserves – – without him.
“This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” – – William Clay.
3. Politics and Strange Bedfellows
One has to wonder about the Bonnie Prince Charlie. On the surface, he seems like an idiot – – mark me. (And trust me, you can make a drinking game out of every time he says “Mark me.”) A man with little interest in politics and plenty of interest in the whoring and the drinking. But he’s also a shrewd relationship maker, buddying up to the Comte and selling him some of the Fraser madeira wine. It’s business for Jamie, and the start of that war chest that the Stuarts need to retake the throne.
Continued belowThe look on Jamie’s face gives it away that he’s uneasy about getting in financial bed with this worst enemy, but the Prince does his reassurances that he knows what he’s doing. Jamie’s still not 100 percent convinced, but the devotion to the cause sends him to close the deal. Neither one of these men wants to work with the other, but they know that for this moment they are on the same side of the table.
4. An Afternoon at Versailles
One of the best things about this season is the lush, decadent, and colorful settings of France. Scotland has its rugged beauty, but the refined grace of France is a feast for the eyes. The amazing shots of the gardens of Versailles show its scope and decadence (though as you will read in our Afterthoughts section . . . isn’t actually in France) and the wardrobe department spared no expense in clothes, embracing color and delicate, feminine design in both men and women. Claire’s brown and yellow floral Versailles dress (and hat) is another of my favorite outfits from this season. If a modern interpretation of that pattern showed up in my monthly Stitch Fix, I certainly would not say no to it.
It’s so far a peaceful afternoon in the gardens, as Jamie and the Duke evaluate horses and Claire and Annalise take in the gardens and some shared memories of Jamie. But it’s not peaceful for long.
5. Guess Who’s Back? Back Again?
Black Jack Randall’s back, tell a friend.
A bit injured (and we all know how that happened) but otherwise in good health. He certainly perks up at Annalise’s inadvertent reveal that Jamie is here, but also knows Jamie won’t try anything stupid. Drawing a sword in the presence of the King is a crime, and one punishable by death. An appearance by the King pushes everyone’s manners to the forefront, even when it’s the reunion everyone’s feared: Jamie Fraser and Black Jack Randall, breathing the same air. You can cut the tension between everyone with a very dull knife, but the King’s presence shows everyone he’s the boss and puts Randall in his place – – from his critiques of Randall’s French to some well placed comments on the barbarity of the English to watching Randall beg for his nephew’s job with the Duke.
And when at long last Jamie and Randall are alone, Jamie offers the challenge of a duel.
Remember when we learned in our look at “Not in Scotland Anymore” that dueling was prohibited in France?
Yeah, that’s going to be a problem.
And Claire knows that, getting Randall locked up on a (false) charge of assault against Mary Randall, long enough for Claire to tell her husband that (a) this is bad, and (b) just why it is bad.
But Jamie is not moved. And Claire has a choice: her present with Jamie, or her future with Frank. Claire claims her debt of saving Jamie’s life twice to save the life of Frank with a promise: delay the duel one year, long enough for the marriage and conception of Frank’s ancestor. Being a man of honor, Jamie accepts. But what price their marriage will pay from this remains yet to be seen.
The Lost Papers of Black Jack Randall (Our Afterthoughts Section)
- The title of this episode comes from Chapter 21 of the Dragonfly in Amber novel.
- Those exteriors of the Palace of Versailles that we see? They’re not French. Those shots were filmed in Scotland at Drummond Castle (the gardens) and Gosford House (the stables)
- One thing that is very much French is King Louis XV’s costume. It is a reproduction of an actual outfit given to the King by the King of Sweden, though not at this particular time in his reign.
- You can learn more about the Apostle spoons, the gift Jamie gives Claire, and their significance as a christening gift, here.
We’ll see you next week for “Best Laid Schemes” 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.
