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I really enjoyed watching “The Search.” This episode was full of superb acting, beautiful music and significant lines. Furthermore, I cannot wait to see the next episode, Wentworth Prison, which I read somewhere that it will be disturbing. It will be violent and degrading for Jamie mainly. I am hoping that my presence as a student at a forensic dissection many years ago would help me to cope with the episode. Here are the episode’s highlights.
The “Badass” Ladies
Jenny does everything to get her brother back. She accompanies Claire in order to track Jamie after recently giving birth regardless of the risk of acquiring mastitis, or even puerperal fever to a lesser extent.
The scene in which Jenny expresses milk was included, and it is probably few of those scenes on TV in which the female breast is not used in a sexual manner. It is disappointing to know that Showcase in Canada censored this scene.
Claire’s suggestion of looking for Black Jack’s superior, a person who liked her at the fort (“The Garrison Commander” episode) , and requesting Jamie’s release, is neglected by Jenny: “Sounds more like a prayer than a plan.” Claire does not realize, even after being tried as a witch, that the 18th century laws favour only a certain segment of the population.
The following comment about Jamie made by Jenny while spying on the redcoats is interesting: “True, but he’s not daft enough to pick a fight with ten armed soldiers.” Based on what was seen on the witch trial, numbers do not scare Jamie. Furthermore, he escaped the redcoats, something that is revealed in a subsequent scene in which a soldier carrying the mail is intercepted by both Jenny and Claire. He was carrying a letter specifying that Jamie escaped.
TV Jenny is ruthless towards the English redcoat. She tortures him something that Claire is not able to handle. When Jenny tries to kill him, Claire argues against it. Claire is basically acting with 20th century’s sensibilities and mindset, something that Jenny lacks due to her being reared in a less safer time. Of course, Murtagh makes it easier for both of them by killing him.
The relationship between Jenny and Claire has clearly evolved. Jenny is hostile to Claire in “Lallybroch.” In the following episode, “The Watch,” there is mutual respect between them, but Jenny still prefers to keep a certain distance from Claire by no showing too much affection. In “The Search,” Jenny is very affectionate towards Claire. She probably has come to the realization that Claire cares and loves her brother. The scene in which they separate and have to say goodbye to each other is intense; there is love between them. According to Jenny, Jamie has told her that Claire is gifted with the “sight.” This is foreshadowing of how Jamie describes his wife as a White Lady to Lord Lovat and also the French nobility later. Claire advises her to grow potatoes since the Scottish Highlands will be affected by war and famine. Jenny gives Claire a bag of rent money.
Of note is the comment that Jenny makes about the choices one makes because of love: “Love forces a person to choose. You do things you never imagined you could do before.” Book readers are aware that both Jamie and Claire make choices because of love. This is also foreshadowing to Claire killing people in the future to protect the ones she loves (Geillis and the redcoat who found her with Jamie after getting him out of Wentworth).
Murtagh and Claire
Murtagh shares with Claire his plan of attracting Jamie to them. They start travelling to different villages offering Claire’s services as a healer and palm reader. In this way, Claire inquires about Jamie whose physical description cannot be missed by anybody. Murtagh also dances to get Jamie’s attention. However, he is booed constantly. As a result, Claire suggests that he needs to jazz up his dancing while she sings the iconic World War II tune, “Boogie Woggie Bugle Boy,” which impresses Murtagh. This convinces Murtagh that Claire should be the one on stage singing. In their next stage presentation, Claire is dressed as a man and basically pushed to sing a bawdy tune. She gets more confident with every presentation and their success increases. However, a gypsy and his troupe steal their song and presentation. Claire tells the gypsy that she is singing the song in order to find her husband and tells him not to use it. She mentions to him that he will be able to use it again once her husband is found. She gives him the rent money so that he can keep his word.
Murtagh is not happy about Claire trusting the gypsy and giving the money away. This and their lack of success in finding Jamie lead to an argument between them, and Claire’s hurtful comment: “You’ve never lost someone that you loved.” This leads to Murtagh’s confession of the love he feels for Jamie and the love he felt for his mother, Ellen: “Ye think ye’re the only one who loves Jamie? He’s a son to me.” Murtagh killed a boar by only using a dagger at a MacKenzie gathering many years ago. The laird was impressed with his hunting skills that he gave Murtagh the tusks. He made a pair of bracelets out of them and gave them to Ellen as a wedding present. This emotionally intense scene is one of those in which Claire really does certain mistakes in terms of judging other people. At the same time, it brings to mind the scene at “The Wedding” in which Murtagh tells Jamie that Claire’s smile reminds him of Ellen’s, which means that he has a lot of affection for Claire too. In this argument, Murtagh is the one that needs the apology, and, of course, the rent money was not supposed to be given to the gypsy, who obviously did not keep his word. Murtagh and Claire go to him to complain, but he gives them the whereabouts of somebody looking for them. Claire and Murtagh suspect it is Jamie. However, it turns out to be Dougal to Claire’s dismay.
The Meeting between Claire and Dougal
- He tells Claire to forget about Jamie since he is condemned to be hanged in two days, and that he can offer her protection from Black Jack by being her husband. Of course, Claire realizes that Dougal wants to control the Fraser lands. They work a deal in which Dougal provides the men to rescue Jamie. If Jamie is found dead, then Claire will marry Dougal. Of course, Dougal does not make any effort in motivating his men to aid Claire. She has to convince the men herself, and she can only use the ones that volunteer to help her. Willie, Angus and Rupert decide to join Claire and Murtagh in rescuing Jamie. In regards to the marriage to Dougal, Claire is simply using him since she is not fond of unfaithful husbands.
- The place of their meeting is a series of underground tunnels that Dougal uses to hide Jacobite supplies. I was in awe watching at everything that so far has been collected for the Jacobite cause.
Details about images:
The featured image is from Outlander-Online.com, and it is reminiscent of Claire being at Craigh Na Dun before going through the stones. The gifset of Jenny and Claire is from http://lochiels.tumblr.com/post/118646165523/1-13-1-14-parallels. The gifset includes images from “The Watch” and from “The Search,” and it details the evolving affection between Claire and Jenny. The image of Murtagh from “The Wedding” is a screen shot obtained via Pinterest.