The scene unfolds as another woman, a stranger to our narrative, delicately ties Jamie's tie as he prepares to depart for his daily grind. I hadn't harbored illusions of him being #foreveralone, but surely, twenty long years isn't an eternity to hold out for? This appears to be the fateful day Claire is poised to storm in and take him by surprise, a spectacle I eagerly anticipate, desiring to witness it from every conceivable perspective. Instead, to my astonishment, it's his whiskey-smuggling cronies who stumble in, their accents so thick they barely make sense. Jamie has crafted treasonous pamphlets for them to disseminate. Why must he incessantly seek out trouble?
Jordie, Jamie's more presentable employee, exits the scene, finally bringing us to the precise, anticipated moment I've been eagerly awaiting. (My fascination with 18th-century printing presses is next to nil, making each passing minute an excruciating ordeal.)
Sure enough, the doorbell chimes, alerting Jamie to Claire's presence. He beholds her, and in an instant, he collapses. We are now poised to dive headfirst into this episode!
When Jamie regains consciousness, Claire stands above him, and they exchange the inevitable "You're real! You're here! I feared you were lost to me forever!" exchange. Ink has marred his private parts, leaving him hesitant to disrobe in her presence. Their awkwardness and nervousness are palpable!
"I yearn to kiss you... may I?"
This kiss, without a doubt, stands as the epitome of kisses, a moment of unparalleled perfection that will leave no one unfulfilled. Tears stream down his face, hers too, creating a scene of pure, breathtaking wonder.
Jordie bursts back onto the scene, leveling accusations of immoral conduct against Jamie (astonishingly, before the clock had even struck noon!) for indulging in a passionate liaison with a woman who isn't... his wife, mind you. Jamie, still sans trousers, invites her to accompany him to the rear of the shop, presumably to retrieve said attire. However, he's abruptly reminded of Brianna, just as Claire produces photographs, causing him to think, as always, that she must be practicing witchcraft. Embarrassed by his need for spectacles to decipher the images, despite his youthful appearance enhanced by artificial gray streaks, Claire confesses to her own silvery strands. "Time holds no sway over beauty in your eyes, Sassenach," he assures her, his admiration undiminished.
Jamie peppers Claire with inquiries about Brianna, a scene imbued with heartwarming sweetness. Leafing through the photos is a delightful experience, akin to perusing a loved one's vacation snapshots when you've been eagerly anticipating them. A bikini-clad Brianna at the beach momentarily stuns him, but Claire swiftly clarifies that such attire is the norm in 1968.
Jamie's mood shift stems not from the bikini but from an urgent desire to confide in Claire about Willie. He reveals a tiny engraving of the latter, seeking her reassurance. Claire, understanding, tells him she anticipated he would lead a full life in her absence. Jamie inquiries about Frank, whether she disclosed the truth to him, and so forth, before realizing they must rush off to an engagement, with Claire in tow.
To their astonishment, they find a fully-grown Fergus, as charming as ever, beaming with joy at seeing Claire. She notices his missing hand, a fleeting moment of sadness, but quickly sets it aside. Claire mentions her time in the Colonies, a statement technically accurate if somewhat vague. Fergus has pressing matters to discuss with Jamie in private, yet he finds it hard to tear himself away from Claire's presence.
We begin to catch fleeting glimpses into the authentic nature of Jamie's endeavors, where his delightful Chinese associate, Mr. Willoughby, figures prominently, alongside a bribe exchanged, and the typical clandestine undertakings that whisper through the telegraph wires of their less-than-honorable dealings. Claire, unsurprisingly, is less than thrilled to discover that Jamie resides within the very walls of a brothel, yet she adapts to this unforeseen circumstance remarkably well, given the circumstances. They partake of a meal within the confines of their room, catching up on lost time, conversing about Roger, and more. Claire reassures Jamie of her unwavering commitment, vowing not to abandon him, while Jamie, in turn, assures Claire that his affection for her remains as fierce and unchanging as ever. The sexual tension that crackles between them is nothing short of exhilarating, lingering far longer than one might think conceivable, especially considering their surroundings—a brothel where the sounds of patrons' intimate encounters echo unmistakably from the adjacent chamber. Eventually, Jamie tenderly inquires if she would join him in their bed.
I shall delicately shroud the events of Claire and Jamie's reunion on their first night beneath a veil of discretion. It suffices to mention that Starz has generously bestowed upon us precisely what our hearts craved: an extended, tender sequence of mutual undressing, culminating in a lavish and passionate encounter between two souls who cherish each other deeply and had despaired of ever being united in such intimacy again. The wait was more than worthwhile. This spellbinding scene unfolds as if time stood still for what feels like an eternal forty minutes, yet I found myself utterly captivated without reservation.
The subsequent morning dawns with Claire partaking in breakfast amidst the brothel's female workforce. Assuming her to be a new recruit, they warmly impart DIY abortion wisdom and counseling on soaking one's privates to recuperate from what they presumed to be her arduous initiation into their line of work. Imagine their astonishment when they realize she is not, in fact, one of their own. Nevertheless, their candidness does not seem to elicit undue offense.
The distressing cliffhanger we encounter this week is, regrettably, all too emblematic of the darker threads woven into the fabric of Outlander: a brothel patron forcibly intrudes upon Claire's chamber, stubbornly refusing to accept her unavailability. Our screen fades to black as Claire stands on the precipice of rape, a harrowing predicament all too familiar to her viewers. I have little doubt that this harrowing scenario will recur before the series concludes its journey. Will Jamie burst in to rescue her? The likelihood is high, yet we must endure the suspense until the revelation unfolds.
