Outlander Preview: 5 Times Someone Has Tempted Fate Before “The Doldrums”
Nothing has come easy for Claire and Jamie this season. They survived their 20-year separation, but now that they’re back together it seems like everything is falling apart. Each time they get a little bit of happiness, fate steps in and deals them another blow. It may just be life in the late 1700s. Or it may be that Claire and Jamie have been tempting fate for too long. In preparation for episode 309, “The Doldrums,” let’s take a look at five times someone has tempted fate this season.
1) The first time was back in Episode 305, “A. Malcolm,” just hours after Claire and Jamie are finally reunited. Jamie still can’t quite believe that Claire has returned to him. He asks for assurances that she won’t just bed him and run. She makes a joke of it by saying, “you won’t lose me. Not unless you do something immoral.” She knows full well that just about everything they’ve ever done together has been at least a little immoral. It was funny then. It’s less funny now that she’s discovered his other wife.
2) Continuing in the immorality vein, Claire delivers a second taunt just hours later as she tried to guess Jamie’s new profession. She remarks that it, “can’t be piracy, not unless you’ve gotten over being seasick.” Jamie half-grunts a laugh, turning vaguely green at just the mention of a rolling ship. It was funny then. It’s a whole lot less funny now that he and Claire are hitting the high seas once more.
3) Next up to the prophecy plate is Ian Senior. He shows up to the brothel looking for Young Ian in Episode 306, “Crème de Menthe.” Jamie denies having seen the teenager. Ian then worries, “what if he’s been taken by a press gang?” In the late 1700s, being kidnapped and pressed into slavery in the West Indies or the American colonies was a very real concern. Jamie calms Ian with a joke, telling him that the slavers would undoubtedly throw the troublesome Young Ian overboard before even leaving port. It was funny then. It’s a horrifying thought now that Young Ian actually has been taken by a press gang.
4) Episode 306 was a rough one for Claire, but it didn’t stop her from starting to plan for the future. After her visit with Margaret Campbell, she casually says to Jamie, “well, I was thinking. Maybe I could make some money as a healer.” He doesn’t outright dismiss her idea, but the discussion comes to a grinding halt when the Print Shop burns. It didn’t come up again in last week’s episode, but the preview for this week indicates that Claire’s services as a surgeon may be called for upon the high seas. This job may turn out to be more than she’s bargained for, however.
5) The final tease of fate is one that we’re hoping doesn’t turn out to be true. In “First Wife,” Jamie tells Claire about the greylag- a bird that mates for life. When one is killed, a hunter must wait and kill its mate as well so that the bird doesn’t spend the rest of its life grieving and searching. He meant it as a metaphor for how he and Claire are mated for life and will always search for one another. Let’s hope that that’s as far as the metaphor goes.
Episode 309, “The Doldrums,” airs Sunday November 12th at 8 pm on Starz. Viewers can catch up on previous episodes anytime on Starz.com or the Starz mobile app. Check back here to FanFest.com for full episode recaps and future episode previews.
https://fanfest.com/2017/11/05/outlander-recap-first-wife/
https://fanfest.com/2017/11/03/outlander-preview-5-people-to-whom-claire-owes-an-explanation-in-first-wife/
https://fanfest.com/2017/10/30/outlander-recap-creme-de-menthe/
https://fanfest.com/2017/10/22/outlander-recap-a-malcolm-aka-the-print-shop/
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