Outlander REVIEW: Episode 2×01 “Through a Glass, Darkly”

Adventures with Our Fave Time-Traveling Polygamist Return And It’s an Emotional Reunion!

Time-travel, drama, romance, a new land; Outlander is back for season two with its winning formula of mixed genres, and we couldn’t be happier. The first season left us with Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), abused and broken, running away with his wife, Claire, to France in search of some peace from the price on his head in their home of Scotland. Claire is newly pregnant and devising a plan to change the past with her knowledge of the future, so, naturally the second season begins in the 20th century right where we- wait, what? That’s right, the episode started with Claire traveling back to her native time, the 1940s, pregnant and upset, unsure as to what is going on or if her plan to change the turnout of the Jacobite Rebellion succeeded or failed. Well, we find out pretty quickly she failed, but now we are going to find out the details over the course of the next 13 episodes. This should be interesting, right?

Post-Time-Travel Stress Disorder

While the first episode of the second season is primarily exposition, it was certainly much-needed and very well done. Most fans groan at the idea of 37 minutes of Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) plot, but this storytelling approach really allowed for both Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire Randall Fraser, and Menzies to shine. Balfe’s acting from the beginning is raw and powerful, bringing the audience with her on her journey so we can really feel the defeat she felt in the moments we are watching her sink to the ground in anguish over a war that occurred 200 years ago. It’s incredible.

“The world I’d left only moments ago was now dust.” ~ Claire

The first half of this episode really reminded the audience of Claire and Frank’s dynamic as well as who their individual characters are. Seeing Claire after coming back from the 18th century, we get a good look at the effect her marriage to Jamie Fraser had on her, even though it was for such a short time because we really see just how much she loves (loved?) him. Experiencing Claire seeing Frank as a flashback of Black Jack Randall helps the audience understand what Claire is experiencing by seeing her husband now and being back in the 40s. Her complaint of the amount of sound compared to the quiet life of living in the Highlands in the 18th century is another good note to point out to us as we’re watching that this isn’t the world she feels she belongs in anymore. Each detail of this episode was so well thought out, that it’s clear the production is taking care of this very special story they get to tell and perhaps reassuring book fans in the process.

History Repeats Itself

So much of this episode mirrors elements of the pilot, but none is more powerful than the scene where Claire tells Frank everything. It was clear Claire was trying to tell Frank that he is not the love of her life, but rather Jamie is, and things will never be the same, and it’s plain as day on Claire’s face that this is what she’s trying to get through to him. It’s not until Claire reveals her pregnancy with Jamie’s child that Frank understands the true gravity of the situation they are in, and the way his face breaks into utter horror is brilliant on the part of Menzies. The added swelling of music getting higher and higher strung adds to the stress and delicacy of the situation, really impacting the emotion of the scene, even though it’s explaining things the audience is already aware of.

Claire: I married another man
Frank: And yet you are still wearing our wedding ring

It’s quite brilliant to watch the story unfold so quickly for Frank that he bursts out in anger with his fist towards Claire while a single tear continues to fall down his face, and it’s very powerful to see those emotions play so quickly across Menzies’ face through each revelation. Likewise, the horror on Claire’s face after his outburst really makes us feel for her character and for the predicament she’s rather trapped in at this moment by coming back through the stones, and her realization that she is going to have to live through this for the sake of her child’s safety. Frank forcing Claire to let Jamie go, to no longer do research or look into the past to see his fate after Culloden, as a condition of him raising their child is such a great addition, because they’re starting to show this other side of Frank we haven’t really seen before, where he is controlling and demanding, wanting things his way. Forbidding Claire to think of Jamie anymore or live in the past because he doesn’t want to share Claire with another man is very telling of the kind of person he really is. Though it was sweet that when it came time to take off her wedding ring from Jamie, he said “when you’re ready,” because she couldn’t manage to get it off her finger (hmmm almost like it’s a sign that she should never take it off…). It was rather extreme that, immediately following this scene, Frank burns Claire’s clothes from the 18th century because it was one thing about her past life he could destroy.

Quoi?

Following the ever so clever imagery of Frank reaching out for Claire’s hand in the 40s, only for the scene to transition into Claire taking Jamie’s hand in France in the 18th century, the rest of the episode is mostly set up for the Paris portion of this season. While seeing Jamie and Claire happy and healthy (for the most part) felt like coming home, this section of the episode was a little rushed. These scenes felt a little disconnected and didn’t flow as well, with the dialogue feeling choppy and forced as if the writers were given a certain number of plot points they had to include so they just shoved them all in the script without the same flourish and finesse the first half of the episode had.

Claire: We have to trust in this
Jamie: In this I do, and in this I will

The transitions from English to French and back were seamless and the accents, for the most part, believable. The villain is introduced into this season as quickly as last season’s introduction of Black Jack Randall. Claire very unassumingly goes for a walk, obviously sees someone with a deadly disease and, being Claire, diagnoses it and tries to help everyone, thus, naturally creating an enemy of one of the most powerful people in the Paris, Le Comte St. Germain (Stanley Weber). It’s a great illustration of, not only Claire’s character and Claire upholding her ideals, but it’s also a similar situation to season one’s pilot where she met Jamie by fixing his arm. Claire always seems to feel at home where she can feel useful and thus France is now their new home, despite the trouble she caused.

FINAL VERDICT: A Good Welcome-Back Episode to the Fandom. The Premiere Reminds You Why You’re Still Utterly Invested In The Characters And How Powerful Story-Telling Will Keep Viewers Returning Back Enthusiastically.

After the number of missteps the series made in the second half of last season, I’m pleasantly surprised by this winning season opener. This episode ticked all the boxes for me and for what audiences are expecting of it: time travel, incredible acting, emotional and heart-wrenching scenes, Jamie and Claire, and a little bit of danger. It brought us right back to remember why we get so excited about the show when it’s on air and makes it worth the very long Droughtlander. The acting is phenomenal from both Tobias Menzies as Frank and Caitriona Balfe as Claire. They really carry the episode through their portrayals of their characters and really bring the audience into the emotional of every scene. Metin Huseyin‘s directing of the actors through the 1940s portion of the episode was on point with just every detail thought through and it was clear he made sure every bit of this episode was perfect. It’s wonderful that they brought Mrs. Graham (Tracey Wilkinson) back to be the resident voodoo lady who believes in everything Claire is telling her. It’s very easy to relate to Frank in have trouble grasping Claire’s story, given the circumstances, so it’s nice they showed both sides of the camp in terms of believers of the supernatural. Having someone understand Claire when she’s talking about Jamie gave the audience someone to relate with and the structure of the episode was well-done via the executive producer himself, Ronald D. Moore, who wrote this premiere script of the season. While the showrunner is usually balked at for adding an unnecessary amount of Frank Randall to the television series, this detour from the book’s confusing opening chapters was actually a welcome change in helping us readjust to Outlander’s story and remember what it’s all about. Not only did it explain what happens to Claire in the future, but the writing makes it clear to us (and Frank) that Claire really feels most at home in the 18th century, despite not having been born in that era. It also reiterates the importance of Jamie and Claire’s relationship, since the strength of their bond is what this entire series is based around. This opening episode reminds us of the core values in Outlander, and even though we start in Paris instead of Scotland, this episode was a way of reminding us that the production knows what they’re doing and we should trust them. The SFX crew were successful in bringing Le Havre, the 18th-century French port, alive with the use of green screen along the walls of a port city in Scotland, and we are quickly reminded of the magic ability the production designer, Jon Gary Steele, has in completely transporting us to a new land. Though 18th century France got off to a bit of a rocky start, the episode promises nothing but adventure and entertainment to come, and even though we already know how the whole thing ends, it doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to find out how it all happened. We can’t wait to see what these two get up to once we really delve into 18th-century Parisian life next week!

QUESTION COMMENTS AND CONCERNS

• WEE ROGER THO <3 can’t wait to see that cutie all grown up (spoilers)
• Rev. Wakefield even trying to suggest immaculate conception I can’t eve
• How did Tobias Menzies and Caitriona Balfe not win Golden Globes??? Hopefully, Emmys ‘16 steps it up this year
• Was Le Comte this hot in the book? I don’t remember him being so hot
• Jamie and Claire are alive and well, Black Jack Randall is dead, all is right in the world
• OUTLANDER IS BACK EEEEE