Outlander knows how to pull at the heartstrings and this episode does that phenomenally well. It is a visually stunning hour of television that contains some very iconic scenes from the book. While some parts do deviate just a tiny bit the essence of the moments remain firmly intact. The acting, by all, is so raw and honest that a viewer can’t help but feel emotionally invested in the events unfolding before them. Even those who intimately know the books will be hard pressed to not be impacted by what they are watching.
Claire is forced to confront her past while trying to construct a future for herself and Brianna with Frank in Boston. As she tries to find her place in a time she struggles to belong in she makes a bold decision that stuns many. Meanwhile, Jamie’s story unfolds at Lallybroch with some huge iconic moments playing out. Some moments that are drawn out in the book have to be condensed, but that also allowed the writers to find some beautiful moments that were just glossed over in the books and elaborate on them. It also means that some moments from the book are lost, but the creative team was very careful in what they dropped and what they kept from this section of the story. They deliver a beautiful interpretation of this portion of the book and it respects the source material while the series writers deliver their own passionate twists.
Despite the visual beauty of the hour it is utterly heartbreaking and at times almost hard to watch due to the intensity of the performances playing out on the screen. No punches are pulled, and in fact, some familiar gut wrenching scenes are made even more tragic by the brilliance of the performers involved. Lives will be changed forever. Hearts will be shattered. Tragedy will strike. Keep a box of Kleenex close by and a glass of wine or some hard whiskey at hand, because that is what it is going to take to get through this intense heartbreaking hour. Even with that in mind, do not miss this episode, this is a critical hour in the individual journeys of Claire and Jamie.
Be sure to tune in to this episode when it airs this
Sunday, September 17th at 8/7c on Starz.
Hit the comments with your hopes for this episode. What do you think Claire and Jamie will do on their respective individual journeys? What moment from the books do you most hope to see from the early years of Jamie and Claire's separation?
