Outlander 1×08 “Both Sides Now” Review

Outlander blows minds and expectations in mid-season finale

Outlander’s mid-season finale was chock full of adventure as Jamie Fraser and Claire Fraser enter their honeymoon period and we see what’s going on with Frank back in 1945. The newlyweds have adjusted to each other quite rapidly, seen holding hands and leaning close to each other in every shot as it is made clear that their connection is truly special. Frank is struggling with the disappointing investigation on Claire’s disappearance, not accepting anyone’s explanation that she has run off with another man, namely that Highlander he saw looking up at her window in the first episode. Mrs. Graham suggests that Claire may have traveled in time, allowing for a chance encounter between Claire and Frank at the stones, 202 years apart from each other and nearly reunited before the Redcoats capture Claire. Black Jack Randall interrogates Claire using any means necessary, until Jamie comes to the rescue. Tensions were high throughout this episode for both the characters and the audience so let’s get started on this crazy mid-season finale adventure!

Transition Trolling

There are such brilliant transitions between Claire and Jamie scenes with Frank scenes in this episode that really set up alternating between 1743 and 1945 throughout this episode.  When Claire is hugging Jamie with the shot of her two wedding rings in view is cut to Frank’s wedding ring, it creates an incredible juxtaposition between the two worlds and point of views we’re shown in the episode. Later there is a shot of Frank looking at a photo of him and Claire on their wedding day cut to Jamie and Claire having sex in the meadow. It’s almost as if the editor is trolling Frank a little bit. There is a constant reminder of the juxtaposition the director is trying to demonstrate and the worlds most beautifully blended in the scenes at the stones where both Claire and Frank go at the same time.

“No, this isn’t usual. It’s different.” ~ Claire

This was Jamie and Claire’s honeymoon period, so of course we got a bit of the newlyweds nuzzling and hand holding, but there wasn’t nearly enough of their relationship development. It has been two days since they were married, and it was nice to see the couple so comfortable with each other, always touching and so trusting of each other already, and getting to see the fiery chemistry between Sam Heughan (Jamie) and Caitriona Balfe (Claire). But, the only real character development we got to see between Claire and Jamie on their honeymoon was while they were in the meadow having some alone time. Even then their time alone is rudely interrupted by Redcoat deserters, a scene which is handled incredibly well. No one wants to see the grim details of a rape and murder, and seeing as this is told from Claire’s point of view, the blurring of the scene as if we are actually experiencing it through her eyes. It was overwhelmingly powerful to see both Claire going into shock, shaking with blood on her hands, and Jamie (Sam Heughan) shaking with anger that he couldn’t be the one to protect her. Major kudos to Heughan for playing the fiercely protective Jamie to a tee in the aftermath of the meadow murders.

Stone-crossed lovers

Claire running to the stones and making her choice to go to Frank so suddenly and without thought was really out of character. For someone who’s planned out her escape for days from Castle Leoch to then be married to Jamie and suddenly come across the stones without realizing it is rather unbelievable. If she was so distracted by falling in love with Jamie, would she really just run to the stones and be inches from going back without a thought? Let’s skip over the improbability of Frank and Claire being at the stones at the same time on the same day, because we do need to suspend some of our disbelief, especially when it comes to a time travel show, but for Frank and Claire to hear each other through the stones is absurd. If Frank touched the stones and nothing happened to him, he wasn’t transported to another time, he couldn’t possibly be able to speak through the stones or hear Claire through them. That’s just not how the stones work and the addition of this feature was just cheesy.

“Let her go, just as she has let you go.” ~ Rev. Wakefield

Cheesy aside, the sequence and timing of it is very impactful emotionally and almost made long-time fans think she was going to go back to Frank. What’s important to remember, though, is that Frank went to the stones to mourn and say goodbye, and even when he heard her voice, he walked away and didn’t believe in the power of the stones or the possibility that his wife could be in another time. Let’s hope this is the end of the Frank flash-forwards for season one and that the writer, Ron Moore, has let go of Frank just as Frank has let go of Claire.

The Randalls go head to head

As if the stones scene wasn’t rife with tension between Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies’ characters and their almost reunion, the final scene that takes place between Black Jack Randall and Claire Fraser takes the cake. Having spent the whole episode watching some darker elements come out in Frank’s character, it’s even more impactful to see Black Jack himself appear to give us good reminding of just how bad he is (in case anyone forgot episode six). Claire proves to be a true match of wits for Randall once again, stringing him along with a brave story of her relation to the Duke of Sandringham. Caitriona Balfe played this scene so brilliantly with such grace and subtlety in how proud she was for outsmarting Black Jack. Her performance got all of us cheering for her for succeeding in this battle of wits and thus causing Black Jack to choke on his wine. Both Balfe and Menzies’ performances were calculated during this scene, allowing the tension and revelation of Claire’s plan slowly unfold before us.

“What kind of gentleman keeps a rope in his desk?” ~ Claire

The performances by Balfe and Menzies only get better as the scene turns and Randall tricks Claire into saying the wrong thing, calling her bluff. When Claire is in a complete panic and screaming while Randall is so calmly preparing a knife from his drawer, the tensions are at a height between the two of them and so is the audience. The score by Bear McCreary only adds to the horror we are feeling for Claire with high-strung violins in the background, making every muscle in our bodies tighten in suspense. Anna Foerster’s direction to Menzies to slice open Claire’s laces one by one as he prepared to interrogate her was amazing and really added to the performance and the character, playing up his love of torture. The culmination of the first eight episodes have come to this, the final confrontation between Claire and Black Jack Randall, with the audience on the edge of their seats hoping it doesn’t end with Claire in Randall’s clutches. We couldn’t help but scream with excitement and surprise when Jamie busted through the window at the most opportune of times to save Claire, pistol in hand. The build up to this scene and the ending were really a perfect way to go into the hiatus, leaving fans knowing Claire and Jamie are together once again.

FINAL VERDICT

There were some things I really loved about this episode and much of it was done incredibly well, however there were also large chunks of the episode that felt like a waste of screen time. Namely, there were a number of Frank scenes that we didn’t need to see. Both scenes with ‘Sally’ were entirely unnecessary as was showing the audience hints of Black Jack Randall in Frank’s character. That’s not the point of Frank’s character and he is his own person, adding Black Jack to him just confused me further in distinguishing the two apart. The majority of the Jamie and Claire scenes involve an attack of some kind, leaving the honeymoon period with much to be desired in terms of development between the new couple. This was their time to really get to know each other better and a lot of that was replaced with Frank flash-forwards. The final scene between Claire and Black Jack really made up for the missteps throughout the hour and redeemed the show with the cliffhanger of Jamie busting through the window. The performances and effect of the scene really hyped up the audience to get excited for what’s to come in part two of season one and definitely prompt a lot of fans to start reading the books to see what happens next!

Questions, Comments, Concerns…

• Wee Roger finally made an appearance and arguably the best part about the 1945 scenes
• Need more Jamie + Claire honeymoon scenes
• Really though, who keeps rope in their desk drawer?! Only BJR
• CLAIRE NEARLY WENT BACK TO THE 20TH CENTURY HOLY WHAT
• Jamie busting through that window was the most perfect ending to these first 8 episodes!!
• Now we all know how to stab people properly, thanks, Angus
• So much adorable hand-holding with Jamie and Claire give us more please!