With the fated Battle of Culloden just three days away, it’s clear that if Claire and Jamie have any hope of altering history, they’ve got to act fast. Time might not be on their side, but a last ditch effort finds the pair putting one final plan into motion during Outlander season 2, episode 12. Here’s our recap and review!
Where We Stand
War is taking its toll on the Highlanders and that’s never been more apparent to Claire than it is now as she, Jamie, and the rest of their group zero in on Inverness. April 16 is but three days away, and they’re still not any closer to changing he course of history.
“All that work, all that plotting, how the bloody hell did we end up here?” says Claire after Jamie sends Murtagh off to fetch Prince Charles.
“Don’t wave the white flag just yet,” says Jamie, trying to keep spirits high despite the fact that Claire seems convinced they won’t be able to stop history as planned.
Despite the fact that Claire seems to think they’ve exhausted all options, Jamie’s got a last ditch effort in mind: avoid the fight they’re destined to lose by making Prince Charles see reason.
While Jamie sets off to see to the men in camp, Claire decides to venture off to Inverness to replenish her medical supplies. Once in the apothecary, she runs into Mary who’s attempting to purchase a bottle of laudanum. It’s safe to say both women are surprised to see each other — especially since Claire made sure to send the young girl home after what happened with the Duke of Sandringham — but it’s clear that Mary’s disposition is frosty to say the least.
“Alex contacted me,” said Mary after Claire asked how she found herself in Inverness. “He got a position assisting the overseer of a large estate near Inverness and I decided to join him.”
After Mary reveals that she and Alex Randall plan to marry, she rips into Claire, telling her how she’s now aware that it was she who convinced Alex to leave her in Paris.
“I’m sorry for any pain that I’ve caused you or Alex — I shouldn’t have interfered,” says Claire just as Mary’s turning to leave. “The situation — it was complicated.”
Despite the fact that Alex is unwell, Mary insists she’s taking proper care of him along with the help of the landlady who lives on the estate Alex works at now. Before Mary sets off, Claire offers to come and take a look at Alex herself.
A Last Ditch Effort
Meanwhile, Jamie’s made it to Prince Charles’ place of residence just in time for the war council. He walks in just as Culloden Moor is being suggested as the perfect place to do battle with the British army.
“Culloden Moor is flat, plain ground,” says Jamie, hoping to make Charles see reason. “Our lines will be smashed to pieces before our troops can even engage the enemy.”
Jamie’s warning heeds heaps of pushback from the others, who are still convinced they can walk out victorious.
“With all do respect, why fight at all?” asks Jamie, finally, before going on to reason that they won’t get far with an army who’s exhausted from already having waged battle for so long.
It’s after this that Jamie presents Prince Charles with another plan: wait on the French gold to arrive and use that to restock on supplies, and purchase enough food to feed the army. Meanwhile, they can split the remaining troops into smaller groups, making it more difficult for the British to track down the entire army. By taking this route, Jamie is convinced they’ll have the upper hand because once well rested, they can choose the location that’ll give them the upper hand in battle.
It’s a smart plan but as soon as Charles begins to speak, it’s clear he’s not convinced. According to the prince, he’s not a coward and has no qualms of facing the redcoats head on.
“I am a man, and I am a soldier, and I shall comport myself as one,” says Prince Charles. “I’m weary of retreat. The men will rest, and then we shall march to Culloden.”
An Unexpected Run-In
Claire does right by her offer and gone to see Alex Randall. It’s clear by the time she gets there that despite Mary’s ministrations, he’s in poor shape. In the middle of preparing a poultice that she’s hoping will help, Claire gets the shock of a lifetime when none other than Black Jack Randall walks through the door.
Claire’s first instinct is to leave, but Mary stops her at the door, hoping Claire will stay to help. It’s here that she confesses that without Jack stepping up to help them financially after Alex fell ill, they never would have survived.
When Mary asks Claire when she thinks Alex will be well enough to get back to work, Claire confesses that she doesn’t think Alex will make it.
“He can’t be cured — I’m sorry,” says Claire.
“But he must be cured,” says Mary, before revealing that she’s expecting his baby.
After that, Claire takes her leave, but not before Jack has the opportunity to catch up with her. Thinking that Claire won’t help Alex because of him, he asks her not to take her hatred for him out on Mary and Alex. Claire, however, tells him the same thing she told Mary: Alex can’t be cured.
“But you can ease his pain,” says Jack, causing Claire to turn around. “I do not ask for myself — I ask for my brother, and Mary, and their unborn child.”
“If I am to attend your brother, then I want something in exchange — you will tell me where Cumberland’s army is.”
“My…you would barter over an innocent man’s life? Madam Fraser, you impress me,” replies Randall scathingly.
“I am not the woman I once was,” replies Claire.
An Unexpected Visitor
Back at camp, Claire tells Jamie about her run-in with Jack. He’s not pleased, but Claire reasons that perhaps, running into him this time around will actually do them some good— especially now that she’s revealed that Randall told her Cumberland’s army is encamped at Nairn.
The location of Cumberland’s army isn’t the only thing Randall has clued Claire in on: he’s also divulged that in two night’s time, there’s to be a celebration for Cumberland’s birthday there. Jamie’s not convinced that Randall is being truthful, but Claire seems to think he is. Additionally, Claire reveals that she’d like to go back and take care of Alex, something Jamie isn’t convinced is the best idea.
“And what if Alex dies in your care?” asks Jamie angrily. “What’s to stop that evil brother of his sending you off into the next world after him?”
In the end, Claire offers a compromise, hoping that Jamie will let her go if Murtagh goes with her.
Before Claire can take her leave, however, they receive an unexpected visitor in the form of Colum MacKenzie. Claire is quick to look him over once they lay him down to rest, but Colum tells her there’s no need.
“I’ve been dying for years — it’s a wearisome process,” he tells her. “I welcome its conclusion.”
Colum asks for Dougal and after Jamie informs him that he’s away scouting the whereabouts of the British army, he requests to speak with Claire alone. After Jamie steps out, Colum tells Claire that he was wrong to misjudge their marriage at first. After, gets to the crux of why he asked to speak to her: he’s hoping Claire will put him out of his misery and end his suffering.
“Isn’t suicide a sin?” asks Claire gently.
“What’s one more sin?” asks Colum. “Geillis Duncan gave her husband a quick death — I would welcome the same.”
Claire tries reasoning with Colum saying that death by cyanide isn’t necessarily painless. Colum, however, isn’t budging and tells her he’ll “leave the details” to her to figure out, saying he trusts her to give him a kinder death.
Realizing that there’s no use talking Colum out of dying, she procures a bottle of yellow jasmine and presses it into his hand.
“It’ll be like drifting off into a deep sleep,” promises Claire. “For when you’re ready.”
“For what it’s worth, you have my deepest gratitude,” says Colum through a peaceful smile.
A Dying Man’s Wish
With Colum attended to, Claire and Murtagh make their way back to Mary, Alex, and Jack. The tension between Claire and Randall is at an all time high, fueled by the knowledge that Alex isn’t getting better, but worse by the hour. Claire, however, reminds Randall that she was upfront with him about the fact that his brother couldn’t be cured.
Alex himself is well aware he won’t make it and so, in order to make sure Mary and his unborn child are in good hands, he asks Jack to send for the minister.
“You and Mary, dear brother — I need you to look after her, Johnny. I want our child to have the Randall name,” says Alex through ragged breaths. “As her husband, you can give Mary and our child some position in the world — so much more than I could.”
Despite the fact that it’s clear that Jack cares deeply for his brother, it seems as though he’s reached his limit of what he’s willing to do. With a quick apology, Jack flees the room and Claire, attempting to diffuse the situation, sends Murtagh after him, hoping he can bring Jack back.
For his part, Murtagh isn’t pleased about doing anything that could potentially benefit Randall, but Claire reminds him that if anything, they have a duty to help ensure that Mary and the baby will be well cared for. It’s here that Murtagh puts forth an unexpected solution and offers to marry Mary himself.
“Mary and the baby would be lucky to have you,” says Claire gently. “But we’re at war, you could end up dead tomorrow or the next day, and then where would they be?”
When Murtagh says the same could be said for Randall, Claire reasons that despite the fact that that’s true, if Randall were to die after he and Mary wed, she’d be left with a title and a decent station thanks to Jack’s pedigree.
With that, Murtagh begrudgingly shows Claire where Jack has run off to. Now, face to face with Randall once more, Claire tries to reason with him, but Randall won’t budge. Realizing that Claire isn’t going to let up so easily, Randall then reminds her of the torture he put Jamie through, asking her if she would really condemn Mary to a life with him — even after knowing the monstrosities he’s capable of.
“Persuade my brother to give this up,” hisses Randall.
“Alex will not listen to me, but you, are sending your brother to his grave with a broken heart,” says Claire, finally. “If you love Alex, then I trust that that love is enough to stay your impulses with Mary.”
It’s clear that Claire has gotten through to Jack with this one sentiment because later, she and Murtagh bear witness to Jack and Mary’s nuptials, as Alex watches from bed, gasping for breath.
A Worthy Successor
Back at the camp, Dougal has finally returned and reunited with Colum. Now that he, Jamie and Dougal are in the same room together, Colum explains that he didn’t come to help them lead the army. Instead he came to discuss matters that need to be resolved.
First, Colum expresses his wish that his son Hamish MacKenzie be his successor. Because his son isn’t of age yet, however, Colum also informs the men that he has chosen a guardian for him— one that he believes the people will respect and follow in his absence until Hamish comes of age. It is then, that he announces he’d like Jamie to be that person.
As you would expect, his announcement doesn’t go over well with Dougal, who can’t believe that his brother would choose a Fraser over a MacKenzie — or even his own brother — to lead the clan for the time being.
When Dougal asks why Colum doesn’t think the clan would follow him, Colum offers up the cold, hard truth.
“Brother, if you are half as popular as you believe yourself to be, then there would be more men here in this army of yours — has that thought ever crossed your mind?”
Desperate, Dougal tries another tactic, explaining that if anything, he should be appointed Hamish’s guardian because he’s fond of the boy (who fans know is actually his biological son, not just his nephew) and Hamish is fond of him. In contrast, he’s never spent much time with Jamie, so why should Jamie be in charge of him?
“I ken the real reason behind this loathsome decision of yours — it’s your last change to punish me for fathering the son that you never could,” says Dougal angrily.
Despite the fact that Dougal is convinced this is Colum trying to hold one last thing over him, Colum says his decision is based off of one thing and one thing only: doing what’s in the best interest of the clan. Dougal, on the other hand reminds Colum that regardless of whether or not he leaves Jamie in charge instead of him, the Clan MacKenzie will still be marching into battle, and there’s a great possibility that many won’t make it out alive.
Finally, Jamie, who has been quiet since Colum’s announcement speaks, telling his uncle that he’s honored to have been chosen as Hamish’s guardian. Jamie also tells him that Dougal is right: he will do everything in his power to stop the British army, including marching the men into battle and “raising the MacKenzie battle.”
“I do not doubt your fighting spirit,” says Colum, finally. “But I know that you will not sacrifice your men needlessly — if the cause is lost, then you will put the lives of your men above all else.”
“You tell me that you will do the same?” asks Colum, turning to Dougal.
When Dougal cannot, he exits the room, with nothing else to say on the matter.
Rest In Peace
After Dougal has had time to cool off, he returns to Colum’s bedside, where he nostalgically reminisces on growing up with him. Thinking that because he was his big brother, he was infallible, and explaining what it was like to slowly watch him deteriorate.
“I watched you shrink, and I hated you for it, and with that hate, I wept — I wept more than I ever have since,” confesses Dougal. “The world was never the same again. You destroyed it.”
When Colum doesn’t respond, Dougal realizes finally that it’s because he’s already passed on and his words have fallen on deaf ears. When he discovers the small bottle of poison still clutched in Colum’s hands, Dougal embraces him.
“Oh, brother. So you turn your back on me one more time,” says Dougal through tears. “And you leave me alone in the dark…and all I hoped to say to you, it remains trapped in here. Right here. Unsaid, forever.”
Colum’s death isn’t the only one. Back at Inverness, after wedding Jack, Mary looks on helplessly as Alex draws his final breaths. It’s clear that if anyone is taking the death of Alex Randall worse than Mary, it’s Black Jack himself.
A Failed Attempt
Back at camp, Jamie is appalled that Claire allowed Mary to marry Jack in the first place but Claire reminds him that Randall will meet his fate soon enough. With that settled, the pair share a tender moment together before Jamie rides off for Nairn in the hopes of taking the British army by surprise with his men.
In her absence, Jamie has met with Prince Charles where he laid out his plan to attack during the celebration. Charles and the generals agree to go along with Jamie’s plan, and it seems as though things are finally going to go their way for once.
The army sets off, and after a long 12-mile trek, Jamie and the general find themselves in the woods waiting for Charles and the army he was supposed to bring with him. It’s then that Murtagh arrives on horseback to inform them that the Prince and his men turned back because they lost their way in the night. Despite the fact that Jamie is hellbent on the sneak attack they’d planned on, the general isn’t sure it’s the best idea. Without the extra man power, he’s convinced they’re walking into a losing battle and so, he decides the army must turn back.
It seems as though history is hellbent on staying on course despite all that Jamie and Claire have done to try and alter it.
“Tomorrow, the Prince will have his battle,” says Murtagh darkly. “In Culloden Moor.”
Outlander airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.