outlander s1e13: the watch

jamie from outlander the watch

Jamie, Claire, and their in-laws face one near miss after another in this episode, spinning their wheels and ending up almost exactly where they started–plus or minus one baby.

Jamie is introduced to the Watch–a Scottish highlands version of the mob–in the most Jamie way possible: being held at gunpoint. He escapes death after some quick thinking from Jenny, when she lies and says he is her cousin who dropped in for an unannounced visit.

When Jamie’s not facing the barrel of a gun in this episode, he and his family are narrowly escaping death, imprisonment, and blowing Jamie’s cover. (Which should be a lot more exciting than it was.)

Jenny and Jamie almost get away with their lie, but the leader of the Watch Taran MacQuarrie knows their story doesn’t add up, and his suspicions are confirmed when Horrocks arrives and recognizes Jamie.

Horrocks demands a bribe to keep Jamie’s identity a secret and not turn him over to the Redcoats, and he alllllmost gets his money, until Ian stabs his sword straight through him.

Ian and Jamie almost get away with killing Horrocks, until the Watch notices he’s missing, but his horse isn’t. As Ian is just about to confess, Jamie jumps in to take the blame himself, gambling by telling the almost truth to Taran, who ends up impressed with his killer instinct.

While the men are figuring out who killed who and how to go on a raid, Jenny and Claire are also dealing with life-and-death matters as Jenny goes into labor.

Claire tells Jenny the baby is breech, and they almost get help–until they find out the midwife has been called away to tend to a sick family member.

Jenny is in labor for hours and is worried she will die in childbirth. Claire almost tells Jamie and Ian that Jenny is in trouble against Jenny’s wishes, but she doesn’t. She does, however, tell Jamie that she thinks she is infertile and may not be able to give him the son or daughter he is planning on.

Jamie reacts shockingly well to this news, assuring her that maybe it’s for the best and he couldn’t bear to see her during the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. (But the emotional pain of not being able to have kids if you want them is ok or something? On that note, does Claire even want kids? About two episodes ago she was ready to go back to the 1940s.)

Jamie and Ian are invited (well, forced mostly) to go on a raid with the Watch while Jenny is still in labor. Ian almost stays with Jenny–but then he doesn’t. And because men have nothing to do whatsoever with getting pregnant or giving birth or raising kids, Jenny tells the men to leave them alone to deal with this nasty business of bringing new life into the world, but to come back safe.

Which they almost do. Jamie realizes the raid is a trap a little too late, and only Ian makes it home to the women. In some of the only action that sticks this week, Jamie has been captured by the British, yet again.

I’m pumped for next week, when it looks like Claire and Jenny turn into a crime fighting outlaw duo. Hopefully that will have more action and more fun.