Outlander S01E09 Recap: The Reckoning

Outlander has been on break for several long months, and now its finally back for the second half of season 1! Last time we saw Claire she was in peril at the hands of Black Jack Randall, the spitting image of her current day husband, she'd married the handsome Jamie Fraser to save herself and him, and although she was falling for her husband when given the chance to make a run back to her time she took it, which lead to her capture. And it looks like we're changing narrators with Jamie taking over!

Jamie had lived a life that he was not expecting. He was living a life of choices, like everyone else. Some of the choices he took he realized became his life. The day he realized that was the day he became a man. Jamie isn't sure that he trusts what a traveller tells him. He claims that he's put himself in danger to warn him, and that Captain Jack Randall is the one who shot his own man. Jamie isn't happy with the news, but Dougal lets him go. Claire's guard comes back without her, and with dire news that she was taken by the red coats.

The intro music is just as lovely as ever. I didn't realize how much I missed it until now.

Darkness falls and the Scots creep in, taking out the guards at Randall's keep. They ask about Claire, but he claims not to know. With a little pressing, he gives up her location. Jamie gives the signal, as he heads up. He takes out one guard on top of the wall, and with the cover of darkness, moves to save his wife. He uses a rope to climb down the wall, when he hears Claire's scream for help. With pistol in hand, he barges in through the window. Randall has Claire bent over a table, and he looks at Jamie with glee, asking how his handiwork looks. Claire tells Jamie to just shoot Randall, but he pulls her up by her hair, holding her as a shield. He can't shoot Randall without harming Claire, and Randall knows Jamie doesn't want an audience. Randall suggests that he put the pistol down, slide it to him, and enjoy the evening events. Claire tells Jamie to just leave, to not give into Randall, but Jamie doesn't he does as Randall asks. Randall taunts Claire and Jamie both. Telling her to beg to have them both, or thinking maybe Jamie would rather just watch them. He flings Claire aside to take a shot at Jamie with his own pistol, but the weapon doesn't fire. Jamie punches him and knocks him out. He doesn't kill him though, Jamie has more honor than to kill an unarmed, helpless man. He and Claire get out of there in a hurry, but they're stopped on the steps by some red coats. They head back up, and even with an explosive cover, there's no place to go. The pair leap into the water bellow.

Claire rides with Jamie on his horse. They stop to water the horses. Jamie takes Claire aside, and he's upset that she doesn't even try to apologize. He ordered her to stay put, and she didn't. Claire doesn't think that she has any reason to apologize. She didn't mean to get kidnapped, if he had listened to her and let her go with him it wouldn't have happened. He thinks that she was trying to punish him because of what happened in The Glade. Both of their tempers hit the boiling points. Claire isn't happy that she had to married to Jamie, that she is powerless in this society. Jamie isn't happy that his wife is so willful and stubborn. The argument gets out of hand and Jamie says things that he doesn't mean. He walks away from her, sitting down on nearby rocks. The whole ordeal scared him. He went in with an unloaded weapon cause Dougal had ordered no bloodshed, and he heard her screaming and feared he wouldn't be able to protect her. Claire softens, realizing just how scared Jamie was. She falls to her knees asking him to forgive her, and he does the same. They forgive each other. Claire asked forgivness and he gave it. He forgave her for everything she had done, that she would do because he was falling in love.

The men return to Dougal and the others. He sets a few more placings, and they get to their nightly tales around the fire. Claire tries to speak up, but they all but ignore her. Angus gets a little testy, but Dougal shuts it down. Claire tries to thank them for what they did, but not one of them acknowledge her. She leaves. Murtagh asks Jamie if she understands what she nearly costs them, but she doesn't. He's going to let her know though. He watches her go to their bed, and he follows her up. The men barely speak to her again, which he acknowledges, but they will. Claire asks him to come to bed, but he tells her that they still have a score to settle. If she were a man who had put them in danger as she did, she would be flogged or killed. Claire tells him that she didn't know. That excuse wears thin, and he did tell her to stay hidden. She knows that Randall will be looking for him, now that he knows he's here. It's personal. There's nothing that they can do about it now. Jamie plans to punish her, he removes his belt, and tells her to get into position, but she doesn't go for that. She will listen, and follow his orders, but she will not take the punishment. He chases her around the bed. If it were just him that were in danger, then that would be different. Claire throws the contents of their room at Jamie, but he still manages to catch her. She screams and scratches, and even lands a few blows before he manages to give her the spanking she deserves. The men below hear much of the exchange, and most seems forgiven. In the morning Dougal asks how she's faring after her punishment, noting that Jamie has more than a few marks of her own. Claire doesn't take the men's ribbing well, and chooses to take her breakfast away from them all.

Jamie had little experience as a husband, and returning to Castle Leoch would cause more strain to their marriage, that would affect them for years to come. The entire group gets a pretty warm welcome to the castle. Colum even gives his blessings, but it sounds far more dire than it should be.

Laoghaire is besides herself when she confronts Jamie about his marriage. She waited for him, and he came back with a wife. He tells her that he wasn't expecting to do so, that it was an arrangement that he had no choice in, and that he would speak to her about it later, but Colum was waiting. Laoghaire looks entirely too hopeful.

Jamie makes his meeting with Colum, who's been expecting him. He calls Dougal, Ned and Jamie all weasels for their plotting, and asks for an explanation. Ned begins, and Colum asks about the money that they collected on the side. It silences them all, and he lifts one of the bags of money asking if it was for the Jacobites. He asks about their loyalty, and notes that Jamie looks guilty. Jamie tells him that he has no guilt. Dougal admits that they did use the welts on Jamie's back for their cause, that they have never hidden the fact that they wish to restore the rightful king to his throne, which is a cause more important than any clan or man. Colum tells him that their clan remains under his power, and he gets to choose which causes they support. Dougal reminds him that he's shown his loyalties, conducted his raids, protected his persons, even assured his bloodline. Ooh, Dougal, that was too far in front of others. Colum tells him to get out of his sight. Ned looks for an out as well, and Jamie too, but Jamie he asks to stay. He opened his home to Jamie, gave his shelter and protection, even after he didn't pledge his fealty to him, and this is the way that he repaid him. Jamie meant no such betrayal. Colum tells him to get out too.

Claire knew it the first time she saw Dougal and Haymitch playing she tells him as she readies for bed. Jamie admits that they had suspected it too, but it was the first time that he had proclaimed it out loud. Claire thinks that it will all blow over in the morning, and Jamie hopes that is the case. Jamie starts to undress to get ready for bed, but Claire tells him that it is so not happening.

Rufus and Angus have the man that they think has been in Colum's ear, poisoning him to them. He claims that he was told what to do. Jamie is sure that if any of them had been asked they would have done the same thing. Rufus thinks that he should have come to them for council. He tells Jamie to stay out of MacKenzie business. Dougal rides up, and breaks up the little scuffle before it begins, by reminding them that they're suppose to be hunting stags.

Murtagh thinks that its getting too uncomfortable, that it isn't their fight. He thinks that Jamie should grab Claire and make a run for it, to live off the land. Jamie doesn't want that for Claire. There is a war coming Murtagh reminds him.

Colum is upset about Jamie's talk of peace. He doesn't think that there can be peace with his brother defying him so openly. Jamie tells him that this rift between them will tear apart the clan, that he should allow Dougal to openly support the Jacobites. Colum furiously points out the treason in that action. It's all a facade. Jamie tells him to remove the conflict, and it will appease everyone. Say that Dougal does it in open, while Colum sits quietly in wait to see how things will turn. Dougal may be the war chief, but only Colum can signal the war. Colum sees the logic in his thinking. Dougal and Ned are called before Colum, and Dougal is as testy as ever as he waits. Colum warns that one day he will talk his head off his shoulders. Only a month ago he swore fealty. He asks what a man's oath is worth. Dougal has not broken his oath, and he will not. Colum gives Dougal the bag of coins that he collected, telling to go on and be the rebel. Dougal thanks his brother. Colum tells Ned to invite the Duke. Ned scolds Dougal to keep quiet, but Colum isn't ready to completely forgive them yet, and tells them all to get out of their sights.

Jamie should be happy that the MacKenzie clan was no longer going to rip itself apart, but his rift with Claire was still weighing on his soul. He knew he had to do something to repair it. As he tossed stones into the nearby river, and tried to do some thinking Laoghaire finds him. She tells him that she knew he would be in his secret spot. It's not a secret though. She came to find him because he said that they could speak. She admits that she remembers the first time that she saw him when she was seven, and her heart leaped at that moment. She was over the moon for him even then, when he didn't notice her and she was no more than a child. Jamie reminds her that he's married now, arranged or not. She doesn't think that he looks happy. He tries to stop Laoghaire, but she goes on. He took a beating for her, and she was sure he felt the same, and then that day in the alcove when he kissed her. Claire was married before, but Laoghaire has been with no one, and she wants Jamie. She removes her cloak, exposing her corset. She places his hand on her breast. She wants him to be her one and only. She moves to kiss him, but he doesn't allow her to. He made a vow, and he will not break it. He tells her he's sorry, and she takes her things and runs away.

That night he heads to see his wife. For the first time since he was a lad he feels uncertain, all he knows is that he has to move forward. He tells Claire that he's come to mend fences. He lives in a world where custom reigns. Today he saw peace put ahead of custom. They live in a world where husbands punish wives, but thinks that maybe they have to be different. Jamie drops to his knees and with his dagger he pledges Claire his fealty, promising to never raise a hand to her again. Claire says nothing just looking at him for a moment. She accepts him. And Jamie's eyes fall to her ring. He tells her how it was fashioned from a key. It means a lot to both of them, and Jamie was happy to give it to her, because she is his home. He kisses her, and Claire returns it. He asks her if she will have him, and she will. They desperately undress as they move to take pleasure in each other. Claire rides Jamie hard, pulling his blade on him in warning, if he ever raises his hand to her again she will cut his heart out. He acknowledges her threat, promising to never do it. He flips her over, and means to brand her soul. He adores his wife, and claims her. They orgasm together. He is her master, and she his. She has claimed his soul. Jamie and Claire lay on the floor in an after glow. He asks her what fucking means. She laughs and explains. He asks what a sadist is, and is almost flattered with her colorful descriptions. Jamie is sore from Claire's attention, but it doesn't make him any less ravenous for her. Jamie heads to the kitchen to get some food before continuing. As he dresses Claire notices a bundle under their bed. She grabs it, and Jamie recognizes what it is. Its used to bring pain, harm or death. Jamie tosses it aside with a scowl.