Outlander - Untimely Resurrection - Review
"He said he owed me a debt" Jamie
Black Jack is back.
Jack's return wasn't surprising at all, but the real catch was the build-up to his return this episode and how his interaction would go down especially after the last time they saw Jack he was left for dead under a door. The episode as a whole was a solid outing in the season, but this episode was all about Jack. The little things he did such as smirk every time he spoke to Claire or touching Jamie's chest just reminded us of all the sinister things he's done to the couple, them things were why his return was so well-executed and what made this episode the seasons best.
Tobias Menzies again shines this episode as Jack, bringing the creepiness and smug look back as his other half as opposed to Frank. Whether he's playing Frank or Black Jack, there is no denying that when Menzies is in a scene with whomever or whenever he manages to strengthen it. That's how powerful an actor he is. This episode he was simply faultless.
The happiness didn't last long though after Claire made Jamie agree to spare the man who tortured, abused and raped him after agreeing to a duel with Jack. That's something that's going to cause a huge rift between them. How can Jamie fight a man who did all that and let him live? Will Jamie be able to give Claire her year knowing Black Jack is still out there and could be causing harm to other people? That's going to put a strain on him and particularly his relationship with Claire.
Throughout the season, the main tagline has been to change the past, something Claire is desperately trying to achieve in Paris. But that has made her a tougher character and forcing her to make hard decisions in order to achieve what she wants to. Her choice of choosing Frank over Jamie just highlights her affection for him that will never go away. Despite his flaws, Claire loved Frank and doesn't want to change something that would see him not exist. She can't do that. She's not strong enough and not that kind of person. But in order to save a good man she must let a bad one live, it will be interesting to see how affects her emotional state.
"You of all people can step outside the passions of the moment and appreciate the sublime preposterousness that would guide us to a meeting at the French Court."
One thing I didn't like this episode was how she handled things with Alex. Manipulating him like that wasn't right, and how she can condemn an innocent man to a life without his true love is in just. It was cruel to say his illness would be a hindrance. Claire choosing to let Frank live impacts more than Black Jack. It affects Mary and Alex too and I don't know why she did that. And has she even thought that what she is doing could actually have the opposite effect? Maybe Alex and Mary remained together only for her to marry Black Jack later on at her own pace. Maybe the best cause of action would have been to let things play out. Maybe that's how their story goes. Maybe she changed something by interfering or am I getting ahead of myself?
One good thing about their time in Paris is that their alliance is strengthening with Louis and Stewart, though his alliance with Comte St Germain can only bring some more unneeded trouble to the pair. Stewart trusts Jamie and being close to the Comte know can mean Jamie can keep an eye on him more closely. It will be interesting though to see what happens when we reach the end of the France scenes and return to Scotland. We already know the Scots still lost, but I desperately want to know how and why nothing was changed. Perhaps Stewart did lead them after all and led them to disaster.
The French setting though has been a welcomed changed and the characters introduced have been very interesting and played by such a stellar cast. It will be sad to see us depart from France in a few episodes, but returning back to visit some of our beloved Scots is something I'm eager to see and see how this chapter ends.
Summary
The fifth episode of Outlander marked the return of Black Jack Randall, and what a powerful return it was. Menzies manages to strengthen just about every scene he is in, but that shouldn't discard the fantastic work the rest of the ensemble is doing. This season is a triumph in acting and television. Claire's continuous decision to protect and save Frank is ruining more than one life, and her reasoning is hard to get behind. Frank is innocent but so is Alex, Mary, and Jamie who just wants his nightmare to be over. Overall, this was another solid outing and Black Jack's return made it this season's best.
As always, thank you for reading. Don't forget to let me know what you thought of Untimely Resurrection!
