I very much like episodes that gives us insight into the lives and challenges of our favorite characters (Claire and Jamie). This episode capitalized on that, it was fast paced and poignant.
The opening scene blew me away. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe sure know how to act explicitly sensuous sex scenes. But it's not just sex for the sake of sex, it's sex that lets the viewers into the growing love relationship of Claire and Jamie and I like that. From virgin to expert lover in 3 episodes, Jamie's surely is a quick learner. Claire seems to be enjoying her new husband's talents. The show doesn't over do the sex, it's just the right amount, then on with the story of the lives of the character. The sex fits into the story line and thus has more meaning to this viewer.
Claire is coping with living in a world she doesn't really understand. This episode is very much about that realization. She has one female friend (Geillis played by Lotte Verbeek) and that friend is challenging to say the least. When Claire discovers Geillis sold an evil charm to Laoghaire (played by Nell Hudson), she goes to confront Geillis and finds her dancing naked in the woods, realizes she's pregnant and learns of her lover. (Nice scene by the way and Lotte plays Geillis to perfection.) Geillis and Claire's relationship is a mystery of sorts. Claire is good vs Geillis the wicked yet they get along because they are both outsiders to the world they find themselves in. Later in the episode, Geillis murders her old rich husband and Claire knows it yet she still wants to protect her because she is her only friend.
Geillis, on the other hand, is all about herself; she thinks she's moving up in the power structure of the clan by having an affair with Dougal (war chief of the Clan, brother to the Laird). After Colum learns of the affair and he suspect's Geillis has other motives, he forbids his brother from marrying her and banishes him from the castle (not in the book). She thinks he will protect her for the sake of his child. She will do anything to gain more power (marrying an old obnoxious man for his money, murdering him, having an affair with a married man, using witchcraft and spells). I like the role of Geillis she's an interesting character and I think Lotte is superb in the role.
As for Jamie, we see him trying to get back his estates and his life as Laird in his own right. Now a wanted murder because of BJR he is stuck hiding in the lands of his uncle. But longs to return to his own home. In order to do this he bargains with the Duke of Sandringham to be his second in a duel with the McDonald clan. Well, the after duel deteriorates into a fight where Jamie fends off 3 of the McDonalds and in the process gets himself wounded again. Not a scene in the book but it worked OK. It adds a bit of male sword play for the men in the audience, not to mention, Sam finally gets to display his sword skills which I'm sure made him happy.
We also have Claire going behind Jamie's back to bribe the Duke into helping Jamie with her knowledge of his relationship to the Jacobites (again not in the book and this was a bit unrealistic). A powerful man of those times would have just had her killed without a second thought for threatening him. So I'm not sure why they put that in. In the books, the Duke alliance to the Jacobites wasn't explicitly defined until the second book. I think it would have been better to keep this a mystery and build up more character suspense using his duel loyalties like Diana did.
The one scene I did not like was Dougal out of control after his wife's death threatening all his own men in a drunken rage. I don't see this as Dougal's character at all. Also Colum banishing Jamie for his fight with the McDonalds (none of this was in the book and it doesn't make sense with what is to come). Dougal and Colum should be deviously collaborating on the clan's future not fighting with each other.
What I liked about the series is that it does try, for the most part, to go to the depth of the characters thoughts and feelings much like the book did. I think there is a wide discrepancy in the scriptwriting (some good like this episode, some not as good like the last one). I think the production team should be working on improving that. Better internal reviews, perhaps sharing dailies with more people who know the books well before the episode is finalized to check for inconsistencies in the story lines and quality of production (especially where the scriptwriting/editing is concerned).
The acting is always good, I love the facial expressions by Caitriona and Sam. Nell and Lotte do a great job as well. I do not like some of the scenes with Colum, too stiffly acted by Gary Lewis. I've seen him in other productions and I think he can do better. In contrast, I do like Graham's acting manner. I think he carries Dougal's power, and deviousness well.
This episode was pretty good for the most part. The series still has my interest.
The opening scene blew me away. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe sure know how to act explicitly sensuous sex scenes. But it's not just sex for the sake of sex, it's sex that lets the viewers into the growing love relationship of Claire and Jamie and I like that. From virgin to expert lover in 3 episodes, Jamie's surely is a quick learner. Claire seems to be enjoying her new husband's talents. The show doesn't over do the sex, it's just the right amount, then on with the story of the lives of the character. The sex fits into the story line and thus has more meaning to this viewer.
Claire is coping with living in a world she doesn't really understand. This episode is very much about that realization. She has one female friend (Geillis played by Lotte Verbeek) and that friend is challenging to say the least. When Claire discovers Geillis sold an evil charm to Laoghaire (played by Nell Hudson), she goes to confront Geillis and finds her dancing naked in the woods, realizes she's pregnant and learns of her lover. (Nice scene by the way and Lotte plays Geillis to perfection.) Geillis and Claire's relationship is a mystery of sorts. Claire is good vs Geillis the wicked yet they get along because they are both outsiders to the world they find themselves in. Later in the episode, Geillis murders her old rich husband and Claire knows it yet she still wants to protect her because she is her only friend.
Geillis, on the other hand, is all about herself; she thinks she's moving up in the power structure of the clan by having an affair with Dougal (war chief of the Clan, brother to the Laird). After Colum learns of the affair and he suspect's Geillis has other motives, he forbids his brother from marrying her and banishes him from the castle (not in the book). She thinks he will protect her for the sake of his child. She will do anything to gain more power (marrying an old obnoxious man for his money, murdering him, having an affair with a married man, using witchcraft and spells). I like the role of Geillis she's an interesting character and I think Lotte is superb in the role.
As for Jamie, we see him trying to get back his estates and his life as Laird in his own right. Now a wanted murder because of BJR he is stuck hiding in the lands of his uncle. But longs to return to his own home. In order to do this he bargains with the Duke of Sandringham to be his second in a duel with the McDonald clan. Well, the after duel deteriorates into a fight where Jamie fends off 3 of the McDonalds and in the process gets himself wounded again. Not a scene in the book but it worked OK. It adds a bit of male sword play for the men in the audience, not to mention, Sam finally gets to display his sword skills which I'm sure made him happy.
We also have Claire going behind Jamie's back to bribe the Duke into helping Jamie with her knowledge of his relationship to the Jacobites (again not in the book and this was a bit unrealistic). A powerful man of those times would have just had her killed without a second thought for threatening him. So I'm not sure why they put that in. In the books, the Duke alliance to the Jacobites wasn't explicitly defined until the second book. I think it would have been better to keep this a mystery and build up more character suspense using his duel loyalties like Diana did.
The one scene I did not like was Dougal out of control after his wife's death threatening all his own men in a drunken rage. I don't see this as Dougal's character at all. Also Colum banishing Jamie for his fight with the McDonalds (none of this was in the book and it doesn't make sense with what is to come). Dougal and Colum should be deviously collaborating on the clan's future not fighting with each other.
What I liked about the series is that it does try, for the most part, to go to the depth of the characters thoughts and feelings much like the book did. I think there is a wide discrepancy in the scriptwriting (some good like this episode, some not as good like the last one). I think the production team should be working on improving that. Better internal reviews, perhaps sharing dailies with more people who know the books well before the episode is finalized to check for inconsistencies in the story lines and quality of production (especially where the scriptwriting/editing is concerned).
The acting is always good, I love the facial expressions by Caitriona and Sam. Nell and Lotte do a great job as well. I do not like some of the scenes with Colum, too stiffly acted by Gary Lewis. I've seen him in other productions and I think he can do better. In contrast, I do like Graham's acting manner. I think he carries Dougal's power, and deviousness well.
This episode was pretty good for the most part. The series still has my interest.
