I’m BAAAACK!  With the blob blurbs I like to ummm…blurt.  Outlander made its way back to our TV screens on April 10th in care of Showcase only one day after airing in the US.

I wonder whoooo helped them with that decision?

We are super stoked to have had Showcase jump on the #OutlanderCAN hashtag we created when starting our LiveTweet events. Seriously, we make Sunday nights FUNDAY nights…If this doesn’t prove we are some curds of cheese short of a poutine…I don’t know what does.

Onto to *drumroll pls* Episdode 1 Season 2 AKA Episode 201 if your fancy!

“Previously, on Outlander” Really? Like most of us don’t have this burned into our minds eye.  That tends to happen when you re-watch something…repeatedly…

I very much enjoy the “warning” of language, nudity & sexual situations.  Warning or a list of bonuses?  Yes, I agree…the latter prevails!

If the title of the episode made ya go hmmmmm??? Here is what “Through the glass, darkly” means…To see “through a glass” — a mirror — “darkly” is to have an obscure or imperfect vision of reality. The expression comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul; he explains that we do not now see clearly, but at the end of time, we will do so.  Just knowing that makes some puzzle pieces slide into place. I think I am in love with that quote now…because it feeds into my everything for a reason theory of life and not really every finding out why…till the end of time for most of those reasons.

Cait was the glue that held this whole piece together in my green eyes. (They are green and that’s good because I am jealous of this woman…not the scratch her eyes out jealous but ERMERGED I wish I could be her jealous!)

We start…dramatically. “I wished I were dead.”  Claire is back at the stones…not confused and hyperventilating but broken. Completely and utterly B.R.O.K.E.N.  She has lost something…a ring…*there it is*…with no stone. This means A LOT but no one knows what.Save those who know it all .

It wasn’t a yellow brick road she was trudging her way down, but the same eerie road she left her car on 2 yrs prior.

I loved the look on her face when the car honked its honk… *BEEP BEEP*.

If there was a voice over, this is what it would have said, “If I turn around and see a car…that means I’m where I know I am and I don’t wanna be”

Just don’t turn around! I understand how this particular option wouldn’t have helped the situation.

Poor bugger who happened to be in that car nearly got his vest wrapped around his neck for stuttering & fumbling when Claire asked him a direct question. Culloden…who won?A  question with a heart breaking answer.  Somewhere she hoped all she had sacrificed would be worth leaving Jamie for…but….nope. Sorry. Totally not worth it…and now what?  AH yes, Claire does what any self respecting time traveller who left her heart 200 years in the past does. Cries like an Outlander fan during the last episode of the season. RIGHT!? Tragic.

It truly was painful to watch her- the emotional pain was a physical one.  I felt like I was kicked in the tender bits!

Caitriona thought it fair to suck us into that emotional crushing experience.

Well played Caitriona. Well played.

We would be doing a disservice not mentioning the new Title song…not new but reimagined. It was entertaining to be in a room of 13 women who knew the original for the series…get to the point where the french started…and it trailed off into “Wtf’s?” “Is that.. french?” “That’s cool!”…being Canadian, recognizing french but not really knowing it is one of those things…in Alberta anyway.  Bear McCreary was able to make what was old new…again.

We have wee Roger on the title page…and his knees…and his plane…this makes me a bit uncomfortable as I know how women have been lusting over big Roger (ok…Big Roger is worth a giggle) to be portrayed by Richard Rakin, a pretty comely laddie himself.  Breaking up the 2…who are “supposed” to be the same person might bring me some anxiety. Might.

 

I heard rumblings  sounding like “That little boy hasn’t aged since last season.”  Seriously the kid is in the show for less that 2 minutes both seasons and you wanted them to recast someone that could have been him 2 yrs later…Logic folks…it comes at a price.

Next up, Frank.

We have friends of Frank, we have Frank sux clubs…Frank…no matter what you think of the book Frank or the show Frank…you have to be open enough to admit Tobias Menzies absolutely slays in the dual role!

I have a theory that I stand behind pretty firmly when it comes to “show” Frank.  Ron D. Moore has a soft spot for Frank, he has empathy and compassion for Frank and wants others to understand that empathy & compassion. The only vehicle he has to make that a reality is….more Frank on TV.

Just so you know, the more people bitch & complain about it, the more he will be laughing  and doing it more.

Book Frank. In my humble opinion isn’t as fleshed out because Diana wanted people to draw from their experiences to develop a sense of him- I believe she wanted Frank to remain…a mystery in some respects.  Allow YOU to form conclusions with only part of the information so later on…she could knock you right in the kisser with some back story. If you haven’t noticed by now…Diana tends to be the smartest person involved in her stories.

TV Frank. In the TV show…we are getting the back story.  Largely from the man who empathizes with the character and doesn’t think he is a POS. Ron.  Why in the world would a man empathize with a man, who is deeply in love with his wife and loses her to another man? Hmmmm…I think you see what I am getting at here?  I am not saying he has experienced this situation himself…what I am saying is he knows how he would feel if he was in that situation.  So he brings that to our screens.  He absolutely did showing all the faces of Frank.  Tobias has range…he truly shines when he is digging deeper to the place of no return. That dark place. Ron understands using Tobias to bring the friends of Frank to the forefront is not a foolish idea. Ummmmm….F’s….so many F’s totally not being used like I generally do. Interesting.

There is paparazzi back in the 40’s…I bet they have been around since cameras became public domain. People have always trying profit off of others pain. This isn’t a new thing surely however…in 2016…much more intrusive than when they had to carry around 30 lb cameras.

As someone who has taken statement analysis through the years, Franks shaking his head saying “I could not be more grateful”…means he really could be.  That can be construed a few way to be duplicitous.  I am pretty sure it was just him acting though.

Claire was harsh with Frank…but you can’t really blame her. She just left the love of her life being faced with her first love…but will never love him like that or like Jamie again. Yeah…harsh is exactly what someone might expect.

Thankfully Frank has given Claire a safe haven.  The Reverend’s home. She really only cares that Mrs.Graham is there so she can talk to her. Mainly cuz Mrs. Graham is a believer in all things cray cray.  It’s better in pairs, believe me.

Random question…Do you think that this is what Frank thought when he was smelling her clothes? Maybe.

Claire changes rolls with Frank and is pouring over the books about the Jacobites and sharing Jamie with Mrs. Graham.  The grief on Claire’s face is almost something you can reach out and touch.  I love that Mrs. Graham allows her to have him but gently tugs her into the here and now.

So much sadness happening *sigh*

A week in Claire decides it’s time to tell him the whole sorted story.  You all know what it was…here is a fast forward to the stages Frank went through.

I don’t believe Frank buys it 100% but, he is has words to live up to. Then…BOMBSHELL.  She is preggers! The looks…incredible crazy emotion on his face!  Dun…dun…dun! Under the door squeaks some Black Jack …under the back door.  

There was Frank, with his fist clenched, spittle starting…and a tear. I am sure Claire is seeing BJ…and hoping beyond hope that he will just snap and she won’t have to deal with facing him…but nope…he staggers out like an angry drunk and beats the crap out of the Rev’s junk drawer. Which happens to be a shed of some sort. Probably the worst thing a guest can do.  Oh…no peeing in a closet. That’s worse.

The Rev is a pretty forgiving character…I suppose that is why he is a reverend eh?  He forgives Frank for taking out his shed…forgives Frank for dropping the F bomb in the presence of Wee Roger (though many of us know Roger’s life becomes one F bomb after the other..might as well start him early). Frank telling him to takes God’s plan…and…not.

Frank divulges to the Rev that his wee Franks will never produce baby sausages to show off to the world…so this plays with his head and heart.

Rev explains to him “Everything for a reason”  and lays it out pretty clean for him…can you commit to this woman and her unborn child?

After some thought Frank says SURE! BUT…there is always a but…Claire has to agree to his conditions.  Pretty much, shut all the love you have in your heart out and let me in.  Claire, I think was so desperate for some type of direction, she grabbed on.

Letting Jamie go…sorry Claire.  I just can’t do it, so I am more than willing to say…neither can you! No matter what Frank burns, that love goes nowhere but deeper.

2 things that made me go “Hmmmm”.  Frank burned her invaluable 18th century clothing.  I get it…it still baffled me!  Claire making the motion to remove her ring from the wedding to Jamie. Even if Frank didn’t stop her, I don’t think she would have taken it off…much like the missing stone ring. That’s not going anywhere either, it’s in her suitcase…she will be keeping it. Nothing happens on this show without good reason.  Like the blue coat re-emerging. How cool was that? I have a feeling this season will be full of visual goodies. (Besides Sam’s backside)

The transition. Can we squee about this transition. In unison.

My heart SOARED with joy when the transition took place.  Franks hand, to Jamies hand…the present into the past…or is it the past into the past-ier? More Hmmmmm thoughts.

It is so bittersweet isn’t it?  You are back with Jamie and Claire but you know…it’s all going to end with what we transitioned from.  It is a never ending cycle of tears!

They are in Paris…together…so sweet.  Then Murtagh gets a whiff of the place.  He isn’t what we would call-a fan.

 

Our story takes the spin back to what Claire & Jamie were talking about before they reached Paris.  Stopping the Jacobite rebellion, not winning it but stopping it. We are looking at danger, intrigue, treachery and violence. A little something for everyone!

Super convenient…enter Cuz’n Jared. Fancy scot living in France with his wine business.  Jamie and Claire convince Jared that Jamie wants to be a solid Jacobite *cough* liar* cough*. Naturally the PERFECT solution is right there. Jared wants Jamie to take over the wine business temporarily and get into society that way. He has been wanting to go to the Indes anyway…what great timing. At least one thing went in their favour!

I always thought that Murtagh in the books knew exactly what was going on.  I know he is loyal to a fault, however, the truth is…that;s a whole lotta faith to put into people if you have NO CLUE wtf is going on.  I always assumed it was a conversation that happened at the abby, when Jamie told him to bring her back to the Lallybroch (the Stones in the book).  Murtagh is just someone who doesn’t talk about stuff much so…it made sense in my brain. Then again…pop rocks makes sense in my brain too…so…take it how you will.

I want to steer WAY off track.  Duncan Lacroix has become my favourite supporting character in the show.  I loved him in the books as well.  I also loved another Character in the books. Duncan Innes. Now…call me crazy but I would love to see these two characters melt into one.  For those who haven’t read the books, I’m not going to ruin anything but for those who have…I think you know what I am talking about. There I said it.

Now, we can never have an episode of Outlander that Claire doesn’t do or say something to piss someone off.  She generally focuses this good work on people who end up wanting her to die.  She really ought to shake that profile…

She sees some sort of kerfuffle brewing and thinks “I MUST be in the middle of THAT! It looks exciting!” and she goes.

Every. Single. Time.

This time smallpox on the dox. Terrible wasteful disease that SHE can’t catch…cuz she…is a witch. Or so the story has been told. She shouts it out on high that smallpox came off the ship, we gotta do something. However, everyone seems like they just want her to shut her healer hole.

.

Especially the very handsome and mean Comte. St. Germain.  I mean really, men shouldn’t be allowed to look like that…and in a wig! Seriously…something things just aren’t fair to us mortals.

He warns Claire…and Jamie that he is NOT impressed.  She cost him the cargo on and the ship itself.  Claire…not to be stepped on pipes up with its better you lose that then the disease spread over the whole city.  I believe he really could give a nuns nipple about the people in the city.  He wants his monies!  Threats happen. He calls Claire some pretty nasty stuff but it’s in french so if you don’t read the subtitles you can lost in his death stare.

Yep…his ship burns.Jamie and Claire look out at the flames on the water, so romantic. As per usual,they start making out.  No time like the present…in front of the dude watching his ship burn to the…ummm…water.

STAY TUNED to Showcase for previews of the next episode!

I’m so ready for ALL the episodes…I want to devour them. Bring it on Showcase…Your Canadian fans are READY!

All of our #Outlander friends are welcome to join our Live Tweets along with the episode, Sunday nights. #OutlanderCAN is the hashtag. See you there!

 

SherryLynn

Founder of the ABOotlanders