Claire is digging a very large hole to fall into, and he needs to right that ship fast.
Outlander Season 6 Episode 2 was chock full of doomsday predictions for our heroine, as she just can’t get the hang of living in the past sometimes.
Thankfully, elsewhere, there were some happier times to celebrate.
Brianna is following in her mother’s footsteps. The two of them are eagerly bringing the 20th Century to the 18th Century, and it’s hard not to worry about the impact.
Brianna has decided to be an inventor. First up? Matches. Which, of course, she didn’t invent, but she found a way to make them everyday-useful in the 1700s, so that’s something.
Hilariously, they live in a time when a woman getting pregnant is far more exciting than fire at a flick of the fingers.
But dang, what does it say about us as a species that when a woman says “good news,” everyone’s first instinct is that they’re pregnant? Bree’s invention might not seem like a lot to those who can start a fire in their sleep, but how it was received showed that women have little value outside of the home.
That’s why people are accusing Claire of being a witch. First of all, she’s doing things their best doctors cannot. That’s a red flag. They’re not even a hundred years beyond the Salem Witch Trials yet, and witchcraft is still a go-to to trample on women’s rights.
Slowly introducing Malva to her practice seems logical and worthwhile to Claire, but Malva suffers at home with Tom’s abuse.
The more time she spends with Claire, the more likely Tom will want to punish Malva and the more ammunition he’ll get to paint Claire as a witch.
Really, how much more does he need? Things just happen around Claire that make her suspicious. Who could have guessed a simple funeral would seem like the second coming of Christ?
Without knowledge of things like pulse rates and breathing, it would be easy to bury someone alive. The good news is that Mrs. Wilson would have died shortly after waking in her coffin. The bad news is that waking up before she was in the ground just made people point more fingers at Claire.
Roger was brilliant when speaking to suddenly risen and soon-to-be gone Mrs. Wilson.
Roger: Mrs. Wilson, do you not know that you stand before God?
Mrs. Wilson: As do you.
Roger: Aye, but I’m afraid you’re closer. Your condition is temporary. You’re still bound for eternity. It’s best you compose your soul.
It was just so shocking to be praying over a dead woman who suddenly came to life again that he couldn’t even temper his reaction to her insolence.
Mrs. Wilson was headstrong and accusatory, but who hasn’t wondered who would be at their funeral? Her “this is it?” comment was too funny. At least she can rest easy knowing that they had just left most of the people they knew behind in Scotland.
But when you are looking for reasons to blame someone for something odd and propagate an already flourishing rumor, look no further than Mrs. Wilson’s Final Engagement for provocation.
Claire laughed it off at family dinner while everyone else wondered if she was not taking it seriously enough. I would have thought it was bravado if not for how gamely she allowed Malva into her life’s work.
Even after everything she has been through and all that she knows about the times in relation to her future, she still pushes buttons and does what she pleases.
It would be tough to turn off your modern behavior, but after the years of torture and abuse, you’d think that when a flag was thrown, she might find a better way to dodge it.
She can say and do whatever she wants, but she doesn’t have to provoke Tom. Jamie has suffered at his hand, and if he knew how Claire was going toe-to-toe with the stern and not delightful man, surely, he’d suggest she pull back a little.
Dressing down Tom about God when he seemed to put his goat’s health higher on God’s list than his own was totally sensical. It also aggravated him. He’s in a new land, hoping to place his stamp on it.
Even if it were Jamie who inadvertently invited him to Fraser’s Ridge, he wouldn’t hesitate to make sure he put his stamp on the Frasers again.
Then, when he couldn’t beat Malva so wanted his hand fixed, Claire turned him away, chiding him like an errant schoolboy for not heeding her words on allowing the other hand to heal first.
Nothing about Tom’s arrival feels right, and the look on Malva’s face when she stood up to her father was seriously worrisome.
Teenage girls do stupid things when they feel cornered and knowledgeable. Will working with Claire be good for her or bad for her relationship with Tom? And if it’s the latter (which is likely), will she do something that will give Tom more ammunition to think poorly of Claire?
All of this, when Claire is making herself vulnerable in her home.
Her use of ether is concerning on many levels, from the addictive nature of escaping that way, to her failure to discuss her pain because of the ease of escaping, and that when she does put herself under, someone could enter the house, and she’d be none the wiser.
Something has to happen to snap some sense into Mrs. Fraser, and fast!
They’re quickly moving along to the revolution, and Jamie is already feeling the pain of knowing about it with his new role as Indian Agent.
Jamie’s deduction makes a modicum of sense. If the crown didn’t give the Cherokee weapons, then the Cherokee would be more likely to fight against the crown and with the rebels.
Except, Jamie is the crown’s representation. The Chief likes and trusts Bearkiller, so Jamie’s actions in denying them weapons would have put him on their naughty list.
Jamie was already on Ian’s naughty list because Ian is using his knowledge of what’s to come for his adopted people to see how wrong it is to deny them weapons when, ultimately, they’ll be fighting everyone from the crown to rebels for their survival.
Even with weapons, it’s not a pretty picture, but it’s nice to think that if they received them, they’d be a little less prone to the attacks that will rain down upon them.
Look at us today. The only way anyone feels safe is when there is mutually assured destruction. If the indigenous people had a well-fortified arsenal the country over, they would have been less likely to be railroaded into giving over their land.
Jamie is lucky he has Ian to help him see a different side to his first move as the agent.
All of this was playing out as Marsali was getting closer to giving birth. Things with Fergus have been wrought with strife of late, but it was surprising when she finally shared what had been going on with Claire.
Claire: Marsali, I have to ask for the sake of the baby. Where did those bruises come from? Did Fergus hurt you? It’s no secret he’s been drinking more than usual lately.
Marsali: It wasn’t his fault. He did grab my arm only because I went after him with a ?? I am cursed with my mother’s temper, and it got the better of me.
Claire: So he was defending himself?
Marsali: I was so tired of him, being gone, being drunk.
Claire: If only we could get to the bottom of what’s been troubling him.
Marsali: I ken what’s troubling him. He’s ashamed, the fool. He’s taken a notion that he should have been there to defend us from what happened with that bastard, Lionel.
They had an epic make-up session when he finally arrived at her side while she was in labor. It curled the toes of everyone in the vicinity.
Unfortunately, that was short-lived because the baby was a dwarf. And, oh my goodness, was that the cutest baby? Yes, there will be challenges raising the little one, but with all of the love and support they have, they can get through it.
Fergus was wasted, so when his hangover diminishes (assuming he gives himself a break from the booze), hopefully, he’ll have a better outlook and see the blessing they’ve been given.
Are you seeing doom on the horizon? Are you concerned about Claire’s behavior?
Please share your thoughts down below, and remember, you can watch Outlander online any time via TV Fanatic!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.
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