Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Rip Off: Outlander Season 2 Episode 4 “La Dame Blance”


The truth has to come out eventually. Claire decided that she had to tell her husband Jamie about Black Jack’s survival in Outlander Season 2 episode 4 of the Starz series. She kept the secret from her husband because she and Murtagh were sure that Jamie was going to lose his mind when he heard the news. However, when Claire revealed his existence, her husband didn’t exactly go into a rage.

The episode kicks off with Claire watching Jamie and Duvernay play chess. Le Comte St. Germain interrupts to tell Jamie that Duvernay is going to win. Claire wanders off to stop distracting Jamie from the game and sips a glass of wine that is brought to her. Suddenly, she feels ill. She is being poisoned! Jamie quickly carries her home.

Claire realizes that it wasn’t exactly poison. It was just cascara, something that makes people sick. Tea can fix it, and the baby won’t be harmed. It gives Claire a good scare, though. She believes St. Germain is to blame, but they have no proof.

After learning his wife is fine, Jamie decides he wants to throw a dinner party for the Duke of Sandringham. He wants to give Prince Charles a chance to make a mistake in front of the Duke and lose his funding. It’s a decent plan, and Claire realizes that she has to tell Jamie the truth.

She reveals that Black Jack is alive, and Jamie doesn’t go off the rails. In fact, he is thrilled. “This is wonderful news,” he says. Jamie can’t wait to kill Black Jack. He knows that he can’t return to Scotland or go after the captain right now. But he says it is “something to look forward to.”

The next day, Claire goes to Master Raymond to confront him. He promises he didn’t knowingly give the Cascara to St. Germain, but the nobleman may have sent a servant.

Master Raymond tells Claire her future by having her throw sheep bones onto a table. He says that she’ll see the man she is worried about again. Is he talking about Frank or Black Jack? Claire is shocked either way. He ignores Claire’s surprise and gives her a necklace that detects poison, just in case someone attacks again.

Then, Claire heads to Louise’s house for an “emergency.” Louise is pregnant with her lover’s child. She hasn’t slept with her husband in months. She needs Claire’s help for an abortion, but Claire can tell Louise wants to keep the child. Yet Louise can’t risk being arrested for adultery or being banished to a convent.

Claire advises her to convince her husband that it is his child. “You mean sleep with my husband?” Louise asks as if it’s scandalous. “But my lover would be furious!” Claire tells her that as long as the child is raised in a loving household, it doesn’t matter which man believes he is the father.

When Claire returns to her own husband, Jamie is still in a great mood. He even tries to initiate sex, but Claire freaks out when she sees bite marks on his thighs. She knew he was going to a brothel for meetings, but she didn’t give him permission to participate. He says that a prostitute was very interested in the 69 position but he fought her off. He admits that he was tempted, which doesn’t sit well with his wife. They haven’t been intimate in months because of Jamie’s PTSD.

Jamie says that the lust wasn’t about the hooker. It was about knowing Black Jack is alive. He doesn’t have to see his rapist’s face every time he closes his eyes. Claire says it’s been difficult for her too. She has basically been going through her pregnancy on her own. She asks Jamie to explain what he thinks she can’t understand.

He gives a big speech and explains that he has felt vulnerable and alone ever since he left Wentworth Prison. He says he’ll sleep somewhere else for the night, but Claire goes to find him later. “Come find me, Jamie. Find us,” Claire says as she climbs into bed with him. The two finally end their dry spell.

Of course, they don’t get to enjoy their post-coital bliss for long. Someone breaks into their house. Luckily, it’s just Prince Charles. The man trying to reclaim the British throne had to sneak out of his lover’s house. It seems her husband arrived home early.

Claire tends to a wound on his hand, a monkey bite that he says is from his mistress’ pet. She realizes that Charles is Louise’s lover. Jamie and Claire can use Louise’s pregnancy to their advantage at the dinner party.

Right before the dinner, Claire heads to the charity hospital to help out with the influx of victims from an explosion. She promises to be home before sunset and takes Fergus , Mary and Murtagh with her. Claire runs a little later than she intended, but then the carriage’s wheel breaks when she wants to return. Fergus is sent ahead to tell Jamie about her lateness.

However, Claire doesn’t intend to wait for a repairman. She insists on walking home with Murtagh and Mary. On the way, Mary says she has started corresponding with Alex Randall, and she is head over heels for him. Unfortunately, her happiness quickly comes to an end. A group of masked men attack Claire and her friends. Murtagh is knocked out, and Mary is raped.

The men holding back Claire are shocked when they pull back her hood and realize she is “La Dame Blanche.” They let go of her and run, and Claire is able to pull Mary’s rapist off of the teenager.

Claire brings Mary back to her house, and Jamie wants to go after the men. The dinner is too important, though. She has Jamie sneak Mary inside. No one, not even the police, can know that she was raped. It could damage her reputation for the rest of her life. Claire only lets Alex sit with her while they go to dinner.

On the way to the dining room, Louise tells Claire she convinced her husband that he got drunk, and they slept together recently. He doesn’t suspect that she is lying.

At dinner, Claire sits next to Comte de St. Germain. Charles tries to talk politics at the table, but Louise quickly changes the subject to happier things. Jamie decides to congratulate Louise on her pregnancy. Charles is shocked, and there is obviously tension between them.

On the other side of the table, the Comte de St. Germain says that he knows Claire’s necklace is used to detect poison. He says if she is so worried about food from her own kitchen, maybe everyone should have a stone. “Perhaps you should,” Claire says. It sounds a lot like a threat.

While Mary is in bed, Alex says that he loves her. He promises to take care of her. When she wakes up, she pushes Alex away and runs downstairs. Alex chases her and tries to make her stop struggling. It looks compromising and attracts the attention of the whole dinner party, including Mary’s uncle. The men start brawling. Charles decides to leave and St. Germain summons the gens d’arms before leaving. Claire is left holding Mary while she watches the men fight. Outlander Season 2 airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. EDT on Starz.

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