Outlander Recap S01E03 The Way Out

Frank wasn’t pleased about being separated from Claire before the war, but she was sure she would be fine. He walked her to her train car, and they said their goodbyes, as he asked her not to take any unnecessary risks. And with a promise to return, she was gone.

Now, in the past, Claire gets a bath. She insists that she can bath and dress herself, but Mrs. Fitz insists on helping. She’s never heard of a woman who was so independent, and thinks Claire’s next husband would be a lucky man. Claire confesses that her husband isn’t dead, that he’s just in another time. She tells her that she fell through time, that she is really from 1945, and asks her if she knows the stones that brought her here. Mrs. Fitz does know of them. Claire tells her that she isn’t an English spy, but from the future. Mrs. Fitz looks at her with concern, its crazy talk. Claire tells her that she has to get back to the stones, asks if MacKenzie would believe her if she told him, and he might, but she sees Claire as a devil. Luckily Claire’s confession was all in her head.

Claire decides her best course of action to gain everyone’s trust is through medicine but finds herself having difficulty adapting 20^th century medicine to 18^th century ingredients. She did find a number of herbs and extractions available that could be very helpful. Claire treats a bevy of patients, and her guards began to spend more time in the kitchen while she was seeing patients. Claire hoped that Dougal would soon begin to trust her as her guards seemed to. Claire notices one of the chambermaids having a rough time. Her boy was very ill, and Claire wonders why no one came to her. They believed him to be beyond even her skill, touched by evil and hoped for his quick passing. Worse of all Mrs. Fitz’s grandson has been plagued by the same evil.

Claire wished she had the ability to relieve Colum and alleviate his pain. That kind of treatment would gain her much. At the moment Colum is being fitted for a coat, and he isn’t pleased that the tailor took it upon himself to hide his legs. Colum is not ashamed of his legs, and although he scares the man, he gives him another day to deliver a proper coat. Alone, Colum prepares for a massage which helps to make movement easier. Claire agrees, but when she looks at his legs, Colum thinks that she’s offended by the sight of his legs. She thinks instead that a massage on his lower back would be more beneficial. He lifts his gown, and exposes his buttocks for the massage. Claire goes to work, and Colum invites her to the main hall as his guest.

Claire stands apart from the others, watching. Dougal notices that his brother looks better than normal, thanks to Claire’s touch. Claire uses the musician’s arrival as an excuse to get away from Dougal. Laoghaire takes a seat next to her, and they both seem a little taken by Jamie. He takes a seat in between the ladies as the music starts. Claire doesn’t understand a word, but it’s lovely. During the performance, Claire asks questions about the musician and though Jamie tells her about it, he takes the opportunity to tease her. Laoghaire rolls her eyes, and the two flirt, and he takes over Claire’s drink. Jamie finishes it, and leaves the glass with Laoghaire as Claire and Jamie leave. He walks her back, to make sure that she didn’t imbibe too much. Claire asks about Jamie’s bandages, though they’ve been bothering him, he’s been a good lad, and kept them on as she ordered. Jamie isn’t one to show his scars, but he’s comfortable enough with Claire, she makes him feel like she’s sorry for them, without pity. He goes to leave, but she stops him, wanting to check his wounds. She opens his shirt, and looks at them near his neck. They look good, and with that they say good night.

Claire takes a walk to the garden to gather more supplies. One of her guards, Rupert, complain of all the walking. Geillis arrives to accompany her. As she chats about the latest town gossip, Claire notices her use of the word exorcism. She asks for more about Thomas, the boy possessed. Claire doesn’t believe in demonic possession. Geillis believes that there is power beyond them, no matter what they’re called. She asks if Claire has ever found herself in a situation beyond any explanation. Though she most certainly is, Claire wonders if the boy is just ill, not possessed, but Geillis maintains that the people believe he is possessed, and their beliefs are strong. Claire leaves the garden, with Rupert giving chase. He doesn’t like the idea of her interfering with the spirits. She was once told that her medicinal skills were a gift from God from a priest, and she’s sticking with his thoughts. Rupert doesn’t try to stop her again. Claire rushes inside to find the boy strapped to the table, and Mrs. Fitz and family looking on. Claire looks over him. He has the same symptom as the boy who died. Claire rules out infection, and thinks him to have been poisoned. She wishes to cut the ropes, but the priest arrives and says no. Claire believes that she can ease the boys suffering if given the chance. The priest begins his exorcism, and Mrs. Fitz asks Claire to leave to let him do his work.

Claire returns to the castle in a sour mood. She hoped that Mrs. Fitz would allow her to help the boy after the incantation, but even if she could figure out what was wrong with him, she may not be able to save him with her limited resources. Claire spies Jamie kissing Laoghaire, before Rupert comes back to collect her.

During the meal Claire points out Jamie’s swollen lips, asking if he got thumped by a horse, to his surprise. Murtagh watches the exchange with interest. Jamie is shaken by the exchange, and knocks his tankard. Jamie makes excuses and leaves. Murtagh notes Claire’s teasing, and cautions her actions. Jamie could pay far more than he should for her jabs. She notes he could end up with a wife because of his games, and he could, but the stable master notes that he needs a woman not a lassie, and she knows the difference.

She felt ashamed of the way she felt Jamie, and she was jealous of the intimacy between Jamie and Laoghaire. She sits upon the wall with tears thinking of Frank when Dougal comes for her. He asks if she would like to visit Geillis to restock her shelves before the Galla, and she accepts. He’s going to the village in the morning and tells her that he will take her with him.

Claire and Dougal ride to the Duncan residence. Claire and Geillis chat, she heard that Claire went to visit Thomas, but Claire admits that she didn’t stay to see the results of the exorcism. Claire feels so strange in a strange land. Claire hears a mob gathering below, and they see a lad being taken by the priest. He was caught stealing, and will likely lose his hand. Geillis’ husband comes in asking for peppermint, and Claire asks if he has decided the fate of the boy. The boy confessed to stealing two loaves of bread, but still Claire doesn’t think the crime fits the punishment. Geillis coaxes her husband to reconsider, using her feminine wiles to change his mind. But since the boy has confessed he cannot let him go, but thinks of a lesser sentence for the boy. He delivers the sentence to the priest. Claire asks what it means to be wooded and nailed, and is shocked to hear the sentence. The boy is brought out, and his ear is nailed to the pillary. How horrific. Geillis and the rest of the town go back to their lives as if nothing happened, but Claire cannot. Geillis asks Claire about her life, why she’s so affected. Claire tells her simply that she had an unusual childhood. Jamie arrives. Dougal was called back to New York, and sent Jamie to collect her. Geillis tries to stall their leaving, interested in hearing Claire’s story, but Jamie insists that they leave now or they’ll get only scraps for dinner. Claire asks how long the boy has to stay nailed. His hour is done so he can leave when he wishes. Claire notes that Jamie’s fingers are strong. Jamie makes a show of talking with the boy, and Claire makes a bigger show of passing out. With everyone looking at Claire, Jamie yanks the nail from the boy’s ear, and sends the boy off. Claire is thankful for Jamie’s help, and asks if he would be willing to help her again.

Claire asks Jamie to take her to the place where both of the boys had been playing recently before they became ill. Jamie played in the ruins as a child as well, and his cousin became ill there too. Boys come there often to prove their manhood. Jamie mentions berries and wood garlic, and asks to see it. It’s not wood garlic, but Lily of the Valley. The monks that built the place, Claire asks if they’re from Germany, or rather Prussia. Claire knows what ails the boys.

Thomas has gotten even more ill, and the father is saying last rites over him. Claire tells the mother that she believes that the boy ate Lily of the Valley which is poisonous thinking that it was wood garlic. She can give him something to counteract the poison, but that they have to act quickly. The priest calls blasphemy, only he has authority to say what ails the boy apparently, and furthermore he won’t let a woman order him about. He won’t have the boy’s soul doomed to eternal damnation because of her. Mrs. Fitz puts her foot down, putting the priest in his place. He warns Claire, but Claire moves forward and gives the child an antidote of belladonna. Claire is worried over the correct dosage, and her diagnosis, but all they can do is wait. The antidote works, and the priest leaves in a huff, promising that God will have the last word.

Claire tells Jamie that she thinks that the priest would have rather have the boy die, than to be saved. Jamie points out that since he wasn’t the one doing the saving its likely. It’s the way of priests. Mrs. Fitz is calling her a miracle worker, and Colum was taking credit for bringing her on as a healer. She was never leaving.

Claire began spending more time in her room, unable to take people’s stares. She felt all too hopeless about her situation. She performed a miracle, and that only bound her tighter to that place. Claire feared that if she did get back to the stones she would only be flung further into the past. What finally brought her from her room was another musician. Jamie spots her, and he sits with her and translates the song to her. The song speaks to Claire, it seems to be a song about her coming through the stones, and the travels that followed. In the end the song tells that eventually she traveled back through the stones. Jamie tells her that they go back through the stones, they always do. It was a folktale, and it gave Claire hope that she too would return home. Her heart became light, she knew she could not wait, she had to leave and get to the stones or die trying.