Outlander season 1, episode 10 just aired, and Claire and Jamie faced adversary from a variety of camps.
Duke of Sandringham vs Claire
After Murtagh interrupts Jamie and Claire (side note: we think Murtagh was totally blushing, but you can’t tell under all that hair), it’s decided that despite the risk, Jamie and Murtagh will approach the Duke of Sandringham to ask him to intercede for a pardon on Jamie’s behalf. Claire, not wanting to leave anything to chance, uses her 20th century knowledge of the Duke of Sandringham’s Jacobite sympathies coupled with what she’s learned about him in the 18th to blackmail him into helping Jamie.
Duke of Sandringham and Jamie
Well, it could have gone a whole lot worse. At the end of the day, Jamie needed to do the duke a favor in order to receive one. He ends up second in a duel, only he ends up stabbed after an altercation with the MacDonald Clan, the other party in the duel. At present, Colum is none too pleased that there may now be bad blood between the McKenzies and the MacDonalds despite Jamie’s assurances that he and Clan Fraser will take all blame. Will this bad blood with the MacDonalds play in later? Who knows. At present, Jamie seems to be getting his pardon.
Laoghaire: hell hath no fury
Claire goes to confront Laoghaire about the ill wish. Things rapidly get out of control with Laoghaire screaming that she’ll never give up Jamie, and that Jamie doesn’t love Claire. Meanwhile, Claire slaps Laoghaire, and in no uncertain terms tells her to stay away from her and Jamie. By the end of the episode, Laoghaire exacts her revenge. She arranges for Claire to be taken captive with Geillis via a note that she ghost wrote.
Laoghaire has certainly come a long way from the innocent lass of the first half of the season, but is she truly evil? Join the debate here, and hear Nell Husdon, who plays Laoghaire, explain her take on her character in our exclusive interview.
Geillis, local witch and murderess
Claire comes to find out that Geillis is a woman of many secrets, and is a lot more devious than she ever expected. Not only did Geillis sell Laoghaire the ill wish, but she’s also been having an affair with Dougal that has left her carrying his child. She’s danced a ritual in the woods aimed at getting rid of Dougal’s wife, who shortly thereafter dies. The icing on the cake, however, is the fact that Geillis poisons her own husband to be with Dougal.
Colum lays down the law
Between the unauthorized Jacobite gold collection, brawling with the MacDonalds, Dougal tearing up the great hall, and now the Geillis pregnancy, Colum has officially had enough. He banishes Dougal and his closest allies from the castle until things calm down. He demands that Dougal return to his own castle and put his affairs in order now that his wife has died.
It’s plain to see that tensions are still rising between the brothers. Each is letting their own worst character flaws get the better of them. Both Graham McTavish (Dougal) and Gary Lewis (Colum) talked to us about this situation earlier this week.
Captive
By the end of the episode, Claire has been swept up with Geillis on charges of witchcraft. On Geillis’ part there’s some merit. On Claire’s part, could someone have learned of her encounter with the changeling child? No doubt Colum and Laoghaire had a hand in the women’s arrest. It remains to be seen how much each is culpable and if a rescue can come in time now that Jamie and Dougal have been sent away.