The long Droughtlander ended with a powerful beginning to the new season. Episode 301 did not disappoint.
Not a Docu-Drama
While most fans raved about the season premiere episode, some expressed mild dissatisfaction that more focus wasn’t given to the Battle of Culloden. While the point here is to address favorite scenes, the negative reaction was so surprising (to me, anyway) that it deserved a minor mention. Outlander is a sci-fi, fantasy, historical, or period romance, take your pic, but it is NOT a docu-drama on the Jacobite Rebellion and the Battle of Culloden.
Naturally, one of the favorite scenes was Jamie finally taking his revenge on Black Jack Randall. It was a long time coming, and being able to exact his revenge was probably the only thing Jamie lived for at this point, having just lost the love of his life and his unborn child. The final confrontation was given a surreal feeling with special coloring, which added to the dramatic effects. BJR finally succumbs to his wounds and the two embrace each other is what has been called (by Tobias Menzies) a “death dance.” Oddly, BJR ensures Jamie’s survival on the field my collapsing on top of him, allowing the weight of his body to apply sufficient pressure to the wound he inflicted on Jamie to actually save his life. Bye bye, Black Jack.
Though heartbreaking, other favorites scene occurred on the battlefield. When Jamie appeared near death and saw Claire walking towards him was a tearjerker. When she touches his face and asks me if he is alive, we see that it is Rupert. This was immediately preceded by the odd and untimely appearance of a hare on the field very near Jamie. Ron D. Moore claims the hare was added as a contrast to life in the middle of a scene of death. Some of us prefer to apply a more metaphysical meaning.
Gotham-Ruaidh offers an excellent explanation for the symbolism of the hare. “Lying on Culloden Moor, yearning to become one of the dead, Jamie sees a hare. ‘The Celts believed that the goddess Eostre’s favorite animal and attendant spirit was the hare. It represented love, fertility and growth, and was associated with the Moon, dawn and Easter, death, redemption and resurrection.” (Thanks to IrishAbroad.com.)’
“Easter Sunday was April 10, 1746, six days before Culloden. The hare is a symbol of the risen Christ and Jamie’s own impending resurrection from near-death. The hare is a symbol of the risen Christ – and Jamie’s own resurrection from near-death. It is only after seeing the hare – and then seeing Claire – that he returns to the land of the living. For Claire is his salvation from sin and death. She brings him back to life, even when he wishes to die, raises up his soul, and then his body. Resurrects him. Redeems him.”
Immediately after seeing the hare and vision of Claire, Rupert appears to rescue him from death on the muddy battlefield. See why Gotham’s explanation is more intriguing?
In Episode 216 we saw Jamie returning Claire to the stones. Using flashbacks to that time after she literally disappeared in his arms was a nice touch. I always wondered how he reacted when she vanished into thin air.
Who can’t admire a defiant Claire? Claire is out of her element and seemed much more comfortable with her life back in the eighteenth century with Jamie, even without the modern conveniences the twentieth century offers. When she has trouble lighting the gas stove, we can almost see her think to herself, Fuck the 20th century! She solves her dilemma by making dinner in the fireplace. Of course, she’s probably recalling all the times she cooked outdoors with Jamie, and at the end of the scene she closes her eyes and thinks of Jamie. It was heartbreaking enough, but then it fades into Jamie awaiting execution after the Battle of Culloden.
There were so many sad moments in this episode, not the least of which was Rupert’s goodbye to Jamie. It was good to see Rupert come to terms with Dougal’s murder at the hands of Jamie, even if he didn’t exactly forgive him. Regardless, Rupert did save Jamie’s life.
At the end of the episode, we see the nurse asking Claire and Frank where Brianna got her red hair. This simple question interrupted their moment of new parent bliss and brought them back to reality. That’s right, Frank. Jamie will always be with Claire, and she will see him every time she looks at Bree. She may not speak his name, but he is always on her mind and in her heart. The blood vow with Jamie will last an eternity… for both of them.
“Ye are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give you my body. that we tow might be one. I give you my spirit, ‘til our life shall be done. Ye are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone.”
