One of the main themes in Episode 206, “Best Laid Schemes,” is that plotting, regardless of the cause, leads to more plotting and loses. Jamie and Claire are achieving their goal of preventing the second Jacobite Rebellion from happening. They even put their lives and those of loved ones, such as Murtagh and Fergus, at risk. Of course, they attain their goals, but at a significant cost. The result is that everybody ends up losing. Jamie and Claire lose their unborn child permanently and the trust they have on each other temporarily. Furthermore, secondary characters, such as St. Germain and Prince Charles, also end up losing.
The Promise
Jamie and Claire have an intimate moment in which he massages her feet. He brings up the main reason for their most recent argument: Frank. Jamie emphasizes the fact that he does not owe her a life at all since he has saved her too, rendering Claire’s reasons for him not killing Black Jack invalid. He wants to ensure that Claire makes it back into her time if everything goes wrong. Because of the uncertainty of the future and Charles’s abilities to charm and convince, he wants Claire to be with somebody who loves her and who would care for her. He makes her promise that she would go back to the twentieth century if their efforts against the Stuart restoration go ill. There is a reference to this promise in Episode 201. In the opening scene, Claire is thinking about how she does not want to be back but because of a promise she made. This decision is probably Jamie’s more successful scheme in the episode. Of course, this plan has its downsides. Besides, the long separation that both of them will experience, Claire will not be happy with Frank, but at least he will care for her and her daughter. Furthermore, Jamie is fulfilling one of his duties as a husband: protecting his wife.
A Reference to the Seer’s Curse
The episode opens with Murtagh trying to rearrange another duel between Black Jack and Jamie. To his dismay, Jamie confesses he is withdrawing from dueling. Of course, Murtagh wants an explanation for this change of mind. In the scene in which the sabotage of Charles’s business enterprise is being planned, Murtagh expresses his dissatisfaction. He refers to all the plotting as masquerades and games. The solution to him lies on murdering the Prince (which makes us think whether this option is probably the best way to go based on our knowledge of what will subsequently happen). Jamie and Claire agree to tell him the truth. I like the scene in which Claire is watching both of them talk, and Murtagh’s austere face and expressive eyebrows (one of the actor’s best physical attributes). I like the placement of this revelation of Claire being from the future in this season as opposed to the first one. In the books, we learn from Jamie that he told Murtagh about Claire’s true identity after his experience at Wentworth (book 1 instead of book 2). Jamie’s state of mind was feeble at that time. As a result, it is possible to assume that Jamie had a hard time trying to explain Claire’s background to Murtagh, who might have considered his laird and relative out of his mind. Of interest is Murtagh’s comment: “If you believe your wife to be a witch, who am I to contradict you?” Jamie refers to Claire as a white lady, a term that has different meanings such as witch or healer. In France, he uses the witch concept to avoid prostitutes. In Voyager, he uses the meaning of her being a healer when talking to Lord John. In The Fiery Cross, Jamie calls Claire an “Old One,” creating more confusion of how Claire is perceived even by him. What is the meaning that Murtagh is trying to transmit in this line? Going back to the TV adaptation, I like how Murtagh punches Jamies for not trusting him this information about Claire from the beginning. Overall, I like the fact that we see this interaction between them on screen and not recounted by Jamie.
Of note is the interaction between Murtagh and Claire. He seems fascinated by the notion of her being from the future: he writes the years down. Claire tells him some basic information such as the date of her birth, the year she became a nurse and the timeframe associated with World War II. I think this scene requires more dialogue between them, such as the description of Claire’s experiences during the war and why women start pursuing careers and getting an education. The emphasis is placed on Claire’s limited knowledge of the events to come. She does not know particulars but only the main events and their dates. Murtagh’s line is a reference to the seer’s curse: “Even knowing what Jamie says you do, I would not like to bear that burden.” If you are interested in reading more about the seer’s gift as a curse, here is a post about it: Maisri.
The Sabotage
Fergus and Jamie work together in contaminating the ship carrying St. Germain’s wine merchandise. They are partially successfully since their nicely planned scheme eventually creates other complications that require more scheming. Once he is back from this sabotaging trip, Charles requests Jamie to transport the wine to Jared’s warehouse to avoid the harbormaster seizing it since some members of the crew are affected by some pox. Subsequently, they plan to have Murtagh steal the wine with some highwaymen on their way to the warehouse. I enjoyed watching the argument that arises between St. Germain and Murtagh, two men that do not give up easily (I was scared that any of them would end up hurt). The wine is stolen and eventually sold. St. Germain and Charles end ruined economically, convincing Jamie that the Stuarts will not be able to cause any uprising in Scotland due to their inability to pay their debts. I love watching St. Germain’s emotional responses to the losses. He is suspicious of Jamie, and he does not hesitate to express it. Book St. Germain is like that, an expressive type.
The Duel and the Stillbirth
The duel between Black Jack and Jamie is what makes Episode 206 the best this season. First, the fight choreography is outstanding. The two actors excel in making the fight look realistic. Second, the scene is a faithful representation from what is described in book 2 (at least 90% of it). The only difference is that the last sense to go when one is about to faint is the sight in the adaptation. It is the sense of hearing in the books. I will use as a reference one of my reread post: The Duel and the Subsequent Rift Between Jamie and Claire:
The description of how Jamie injures Black Jack Randall in the duel scene is confusing. Part of the confusion is related to the fact that both Jonathan Randall and Claire start bleeding at the same time from the same area of the body. In fact, the first time I read that scene, I could not tell who is the victorious one until Jamie starts calling Claire. At this stage, the reader does not know the level of seriousness and the particular location of Black Jack’s injury.
. . . But vengeance knows no mercy, and it was not the exposed throat that the descending blade sought.
Through a blackening mist, I saw Jamie’s sword come down, graceful and deadly, cold as death. The point touched the waist of the doeskin breeches, pierced and cut down in a twisting wrench that darkened the fawn with a sudden flood of black-red blood.
The blood was a hot rush down my thighs, and the chill of my skin moved inward, toward the bone. . . (ch. 24)
The reader is led to believe that Jamie does play a role in Claire miscarrying Faith. It looks like Jamie is severing Claire’s reproductive organs. The description indicates the fact they will remain separated for a while. He will be imprisoned, and his wife will not know anything about him. Claire will not try to look for him since she believes that Jamie has broken the trust between them.
The montage in this scene demonstrates the pain that Claire suffers because of Jamie breaking the trust between them. Furthermore, the fact that both Claire and Black Jack fall and lose consciousness at the same time is indicative of what Captain Randall is experiencing, which is not clear in the books. Of course, men can live without their reproductive organs and glands. However, shock can complicate matters, and one may even die because of it. Both Black Jack and Claire are experiencing shock, but it is she the one that is severely affected by it. At the same time, Jamie is going through the other type of shock. He is arrested, unable to provide comfort and support to his wife. Furthermore, he will blame himself for the stillbirth.
Other Highlights
I recently wrote another post about the scene involving Monsieur Forez and the manner of execution in France before the French Revolution Here is the link: The Execution of Heretics and Witches
There is the bittersweet scene of Jamie talking to the baby that he will never see/meet.
I cannot believe that I either missed or fail to remember that Jamie told Murtagh about Claire in the book. Please reference me to it so that I can reread it. Thanks
Thanks for reading my post. There is a reference to it in chapter 39, Outlander, “To Ransom a Man’s Soul.”
Thanks! I remember the passage. I guess that I didn’t catch exactly what was being said at the time.