Outlander - Rent - Review

Claire sets out on the road with the MacKenzies to collect rent. During their journey she comes to see the men in a different light. She also realizes that an event in Scottish history is fast approaching that will forever change the Highlander way of life.

While on the journey to collect rent with the MacKenzie men, Claire encounters Ned Gowan, a gentlemanly lawyer who worked for Colum’s father before him. He has come along to help Dougal with the records and the receipts. He provides a friendly face and contrast to the rest of the men who have ostracized Claire by only speaking in Gaelic which includes lewd jokes and stories.

In one of the villages, Claire makes the acquaintance of one of the women and helps her and the others work the wool. She doesn’t object to helping when she learns that the women use hot urine to set the dye faster. She learns that one woman’s husband had to give up their only goat which provided milk for their baby for rent. She is even game when the women share a drink and need to fill the next pot. That is how Angus finds her and is angry that he has had to look for her. Angus manhandles Claire through the village which only infuriates her. She causes a scene when she attempts to release the goat that belonged to the family. A man with an English accent steps forward to come to her aid, but the MacKenzies warn him to stay out of their business.

Later that night, Claire is horrified when she sees Dougal rip off Jamie’s shirt in the tavern in front of everyone revealing his scars. He continues to speak in Gaelic, and after his speech the men line up to give money to Dougal and Ned. Claire is sure that Dougal is using Jamie as a way of collecting money on the side to line his own pockets. Ned doesn’t dismiss her accusations when she questions him.

Day after day, the events are repeated. During the day the rents are collected from the villagers, and at night Dougal reveals Jamie’s scars to collect more money. Claire’s disgust is only further entrenched after an encounter with the watchmen burning the home of one who is accused of sympathizing with the British. After seeing Dougal take a fowl from the watchmen, Claire refuses to eat with the men that night and calls them thieves. Tension is only eased when Jamie steps in. Jamie reminds Claire that it doesn’t matter where she comes from because she is there. He tells her she isn’t to judge things she can’t understand and to stay out of it.

In one village, Dougal shows mercy to a family who can’t pay rent after the British came through and stole everything. Claire confronts Dougal and accuses him of only being merciful so he can collect more money for himself later that night. Dougal informs her it is clan business and none of hers. That night during Dougal’s speech, Claire recognizes the name “Stuart” and realizes that Dougal wasn’t stealing money. He was using Jamie’s scars to stir outrage against the British so he could raise money for the Jacobite cause to restore the Stuarts to the throne.

Claire overhears Dougal and Jamie arguing. After Dougal leaves, Claire goes to Jamie and asks why he lets Dougal use him. Jamie replies that Dougal is his uncle and a man has to choose what is worth fighting for.

On the road, Claire and the men come across two men who have been strung up on crosses by the British and marked as traitors.

That night after Dougal’s speech, Claire awakens to hear a noise outside of her room. She opens her door to find Jamie sleeping outside of her door to prevent any of the drunk men from forcing themselves on her. Jamie is horrified when she suggests that he sleep inside with her and reminds her that her reputation would be ruined. He settles for accepting her blanket instead.

The next morning a fight breaks out among the MacKenzies and the other men in the taproom. While chastising the men for fighting, Claire is shocked to learn that they were only defending her honor after one man called her a whore. As a guest of The MacKenzie, the men won’t allow another to insult her even if they feel free to do so themselves. Oddly this seems to have improved the relationship between Claire and the men, and she feels comfortable enough to joke with them later on.

Claire sees the men differently after learning the real reason for their actions. She sees them as rebels instead of thieves. Yet she also knows that they are fighting a losing battle which she can’t share with them. She tries in vain to reason with Ned that they are facing a much stronger army that they can’t beat. After Jamie mentions Culloden Moor, she recalls a conversation with Frank about the Battle of Culloden which makes her wonder about the fate of the MacKenzie men only three years away.

Dougal confronts Claire while she is washing by a stream. He asks who she is because there seems to be more that she isn’t telling them. He knows that she has seen things on the road with them that if she told the British would result in the same fate as the men they found on the crosses. Even if she isn’t a spy, Dougal informs her that she is still sowing seeds of doubt among the men. Claire tries to tell him that she is only trying to save his life when they are interrupted by the man who had stepped forward to come to Claire’s aid in one of the villages. He is a lieutenant in the British army. Dougal informs him that he is on MacKenzie land and that Claire isn’t any of his business. The lieutenant turns to Claire and asks if she is there by her own choice leaving the audience to wait until the next episode to learn her response.

As Claire travels with the men from village to village, she is experiencing the Highlander. While she feels ostracized by the men at times, she is also coming to know them personally. And while they don’t quite know how to take her, they will also step up to protect her. It makes it all the more striking that she knows what the future has in store for them as long as they continue on the same path. And these aren’t just nameless and faceless men to her. She knows them now which makes the potential loss all that more personal. And yet she can’t reveal the knowledge she has. And even so, it is doubtful that they’d believe her or even listen to her. While she has felt helpless about returning to the stones, this situation has to make her feel even more helpless.

I also enjoyed the irony of Ned pointing out that the time of Colum’s father was less civilized as he was talking to Claire who is from a much more civilized 20th century. I got a chuckle when he said women wouldn’t be able to be lawyers for many centuries yet, and Claire responded with “just two” after he walked away. There seemed to be a theme of feminism in this episode. Claire noted that she wasn’t too squeamish, dainty, or offended by the men’s lewd jokes which is typical of most 20th century, or even 21st century, women. She didn’t turn her nose up when she learned that the women used urine to work the wool, and wholeheartedly joined in with them. And yet Claire can’t help thinking like a 20th century woman and acting as one. The men don’t seem to know how to take her. She doesn’t know the place of an 18th century woman. She’s outspoken and openly disagreeable at times. I think Jamie best knows how to deal with her. He is cautious and patient. I also think Claire both confounds and intrigues Dougal. She is different from most women, and yet he also doesn’t like to be crossed.

What are your thoughts on this episode? Would you be able to handle life in the 18th century? If you haven’t read the books, what do you think Claire’s answer will be to the officer?

About the Author - Tracie

Tracie is a wife and stay-at-home mom of 2 residing in NJ. She likes to unwind with a good book or in front of the TV. She is an avid reader of romance books. She likes to cook and bake. She loves to exercise and is trying to live a healthier life style. She watches a wide variety of TV shows ranging from reality TV to scripted dramas. Some of her past and current favorite TV shows are Sex and the City, Charmed, The Good Wife, and Hart of Dixie.