Outlander airs its penultimate episode tonight, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Book fans of Outlander realize what is coming, and tonight’s episode doesn’t disappoint. Beyond that, saying too much really spoils what is arguably the finest hour of television, thus far, this season. Outlander is setting the benchmark for what un-gratuitous violence is. It’s truthful storytelling at its finest, and in a brutal world where the law is frequently absent and unjust, and violence is one of the many byproducts.

For those who are not avid readers of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels, last week’s ending made it pretty clear how high the stakes are on tonight’s episode. Jamie Fraser was captured by the British and taken to Wentworth Prison.

Wentworth is all but an impenetrable fortress. It is not an understatement to say almost no one who entered it came out alive. Claire, Rupert, Willie, Murtagh, and Angus are embarking on what is unquestionably a suicide mission. If they can’t rescue Jamie Fraser, they are going to die in the attempt. There is no getting out of this one.

The other issue at hand is that since Jamie is in the hands of the British, it’s only a matter of time before Black Jack Randall learns of his capture. We all saw what transpired the last time Jamie was in Black Jack’s clutches. Jamie was brutally whipped for a crime he didn’t commit at Randall’s hand. It’s also been made clear that beyond run-of-the-mill violence, Randall’s tastes run to brutal sexual assault. He’s not picky about what sex suffers his sadistic attacks. He derives pleasure from others pain, degradation, and humiliation.

Tonight’s episode will not be easy, but at the same time, the strong women who watch this series don’t need coddling. They can use their own judgement and take watching what lies ahead.

Outlander’s penultimate episode for season 1 airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Starz.

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