nara

I believe he was the photographer of the porn pics

I like this episode, including the slower pace. One issue I had with season 1 part 2 (and most book adaptations) is that they go quickly from major event to major event without lulls in between. In the case of Outlander, that's part of the reason it seems so rapey and why some people struggled to see why Claire would pick Jamie. We never really saw them enjoy a normal day. I'm assuming there will be a rapprochement between Claire and Jamie before she's sent back to the future, but I want it to happen soon. What they are going through is realistic, given Jamie's trauma and his schedule, but I don't watch this show for realism-- dammit! A few things: Shouldn't Jamie change his smelly shirt and brush his teeth before going to see the king in Versailles? I mean, a little respect, please! Claire tasting the urine--ew! I guess we've met our next rape victim, poor little Mary Hawkins. What are the chances that Blackjack will impregnate her gently? She was sent to France to marry an aristocrat--why didn't her mother or governess educate her on the facts of life before sending her? I really hope Claire teaches her some stuff and helps her understand how she can be better prepared for sex. Oh well, at least BJR is not old and covered with warts... I am not a doctor, but didn't cutting open that pus filled wound expose Claire and the child to infection? I hope she doesn't get sick and lose this baby. That would definitely put a barrier between Claire and Jamie. That being said, I like that Claire has a strong need to help people. Deep down, Jamie likes that about her too. How I would hate to be the actor with Buton smelling my face and crotch. I'm surprised that it took them so long to land on Sandringham as a player supporting Prince Charles. Claire has known since the beginning that he was suspected of it. I assume St. Germain will be thebig bad of the season, but I want to see where he fits in soon.

Well, he did have sex with a mannequin... ;)

I wonder if we will see a outtake reel with Sam Heughan doing dozens of takes of the honeypot forest lines and not being able to stop laughing.

I think that Adam was deliberately poisoned for that very reason. Not sure if the plan was to kill both, and Ben didn't eat the poisoned food, or if the plan was to keep him, since he was more docile. Yes, during the episode when Pock and Jane took a road trip and were detained by the police, we saw the sketch

The rules of evidence have apparently changed a lot over time. I felt like Geordie and Sidney were both allowed to say things that were not facts with which they could be acquainted/relevant to the issue.

Forgot to mention that I loved the return of Jenny! She's smart and kind and fun. Glad to she she's now got a job she loves. It appears that she has moved up from the typing pool to reading/editing. Not sure if Jonny was missing from the party to keep costs down or if he's out of the picture. I feel a little annoyed that there wasn't a real exorcism. I was looking forward to seeing someone acting possessed. For those who hate Sidney/Amanda, take comfort in the fact that now that they are being a little more honest and open, maybe they will get all that hopeless longing out of their systems. Given what Geordie said to Margaret about being one of us, is it possible that she will try to become a police officer? It just occurred to me that she's the one that came up with the idea that Mrs. Lawson was murdered, so she might have a good brain for this mystery thing. Plus, she is definitely bold, so pushing boundaries might be perfect for her.

I had the same feeling! I like Margaret as a person, but she is so unsuitable for Sidney. She's deliberately provocative with Mrs. Maguire and she doesn't seem to understand that Sidney really wants to be a good role model as a vicar. I also think she was hitting on Geordie, but I thought his expression was somewhat shocked and horrified, implying that he did not give in. However, in the sentencing scene afterwards, he was looking down guiltily, which made me concerned that he did cheat on his wife. I hope that issue get resolved in the next episode. I don't think so. When he finally suggested that they "run away together" she was already engaged. You could argue that she could have said something to Sidney before accepting Guy's proposal, but she definitely did not turn him down because he never said anything to her.

In response to the bolded sections: 1. It's possible that they arrested Hank so quickly and he confessed that any initial doubts Jane had about Doug/Pockmark's involvement were quickly forgotten due to the arrest. She did seem genuinely shocked by what Nina told her happened at the mall. 2. It's interesting that Jane and Doug/Pockmark never got married. Perhaps she's just so desperate to have children that their relationship is one of convenience. 3. Good call on the foster home-- I was wondering why there was such an unusual, multicultural assortment of children. 4. I think that Bridey wants a threesome with both siblings. In the very first episode, while she is kissing Danny, she makes a grab for Willa that looked sexual in nature. Maybe she was teasing her, maybe not. A thought just popped into my head. I wonder if Bridey will be murdered in the last episode as set up for the next season? With both siblings having sex with her and her knowledge about the paternity test, there would be plenty of suspicion to support 10 episodes of season 2. 5. Wasn't Ben's right hand bandaged for a while? People might assume he's shaky with it because it was injured. 6. Not sure I blame Willa for throwing her father under the bus. He was having multiple affairs, starting during a time her family was in shambles and mourning the kidnapping/murder of her brother. She lost respect for him a while back. ********** I really loved this episode. I like that Hank did the right thing by telling Claire about Adam's nightly travels. He was right to call her out on not paying attention to Adam. "friendly neighborhood pedophile" was a very apt description. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up dying while saving Ben or killing Doug. I really liked that Claire acknowledged Hank's deed by thanking him. Real estate agent --Yet another person who doesn't know that Hank is a pedophile. Did his mother use a different last name than him? I really like the discussion between Claire and Ben. I could see her thawing towards him during the convo. Very well handled, I thought. I did not expect Jane to kill the FBI agent. I thought she was going to warn Doug, so that took me by surprise. Though he should have been suspicious that she was sterilizing bottles for an unborn child--I think. I assume that they would have to be sterilized right before use, not months ahead of time... I was furious with Claire for criticizing Willa. She asked her daughter to cover up her drunken escapade, just like she has probably asked her to do a ton of iffy things over the years. Where does she get off being shocked that Willa actually takes care of things? She wants the benefits of shadiness while still pretending to be pristine herself. She used her young teenage daughter as a crutch and is now surprised that she is cynical? In the meantime, Claire puts a camera in Ben's room. Once again, I love Danny and Willa together. Glad they are finally becoming friends, but so sad that they are so awkward with each other.

My understanding is that he claims some kinship with the Scots due to the Stuart dynasty having been kings of Scotland for centuries. The rest is "the enemy of my enemy" at play, plus probably promising the Scots some improved status in Britain and some more autonomy for the clans.

Can you please share more details about the 1940's nod? I didn't notice, so I am curious about what you saw.

First of all, OMG Blackjack is alive and there's another Randall! Why couldn't they have made sure he was dead when they rescued Jamie? That's going to come back and bite them big time. Alex Randall seems nice enough, but who knows? Is it just me or does the actor resemble Tobias a little? I'm surprised that they missed the opportunity to give Tobias a triple role, but that might be hard if both brothers have to be in the same scene eventually. This episode provided some much needed levity to the show. 1) it was a minor line, but the idea of RENTING dildos made we gag! TBH, I didn't know they had them back then. 2) How much do I love Louise de Rohan? I thought the waxing scene was hilarious, especially her lack of modesty and the way she kept hitting that man. But why would a man be waxing her? 3) "Your honeypot is bare" made me laugh out loud. I may have to start using that term on the rare occasion when I refer to my lady parts. 4) Jamie and Murtagh's reaction to Claire's dress was adorable. I like the dress when she was walking down the stairs, but the front part needed to be stiffer, IMO. It seemed to be gaping open too much--or maybe that was the point? Or maybe it would have looked different on a curvier woman than Caitriona, who's very slender. Either way, let the clothes porn begin! 5) I liked the appearance of Anneliese, Jamie's old girlfriend, but I hope they are not trying to set up a new triangle now that Frank and Loaghaire are out of the picture. She certainly still seems interested in him. 6) Was watching the king go to the bathroom really a thing for courtiers? Yuck! I assume that parritch will cure the king's constipation and Jamie will be his new favorite. They'd better tell Murtagh soon about why he's suffering in the French court. 7) The French minister with a shoe fetish! 8) what was up with the lady with her nipples hanging out? Was that really the style? it looked painful. They have definitely set up Paris as the home of debauchery! I thought Mary Hawkins looked a little like Fairuza Balk as Cecile in Valmont. Similar situation too with being forced to marry a wealthy, older man. I'm glad that they made Murtagh more talkative this season. "Lard bucket and Egg Head!" (I guess last season they had to spread lines among Murtagh, Rupert, Angus, and Willie) I hadn't thought of simply killing Charles Stuart. But if Jamie didn't kill Blackjack when he rescued Claire, I cannot see him killing a man who's done him no wrong. I liked that Jamie and Claire have not been able to have sex. That is very realistic given the trauma he's faced and I'm glad they didn't gloss over it. BTW, why didn't she give him the medicine she picked up from Maitre Raymond to help him sleep (after the honeypot discussion)? I'm surprised that Compte ST. Germain was not at Versailles. I expected him to end up being the king's or the minister's close confidant -- just to make it that much harder for Jamie and Claire. BTW, how glad am I that Claire is able to make friends in addition to enemies? Louise and Raymond seem like good friends to have. On a side note, I had assumed that Charles Stuart would be younger, but perhaps I am mistaken. Off to wikipedia!

Is it possible that part of the reason Claire doesn't know a lot of details about the battle is that her memory of her former life is starting to fade? She said something about that in the wedding episode and she's been through a lot more since then. I'm not sure I mind that much that she is fuzzy on Culloden details, but she really seemed more knowledgeable when she first came back in time...

A Here's how I understood it. The boys were only shackled when Pockmark was in the dungeon. He would not descend/get close until the boys wore their bracelets and threw their keys beyond their reach. When he was ready to leave, he would take the keys, ascend the ladder, and throw them down to the boys so they could unlock themselves. I suspect this approach started when the boys were big enough to attack him. They probably could have done the fake-out earlier, attacked him and escaped, but they were conditioned to accept their circumstances. It wasn't until Pockmark promised Ben a new friend that Ben had the incentive to starve himself so he could slip through the bracelet and leave.

He doesn't deserve to die, but nicer characters have been sacrificed on the altar of true love. I'm talking to you, Downton Abbey.

I believe she plucked hair from Ben, and then took it to sneak into the police evidence as Adam's hair that was collected when he went missing for future use.

You're right! Thanks.

Her callous treatment of Ben made me angrier than did her idiotic plot. She could at least have helped him find family or get set up in school or a job. Is it possible that Ben made contact with Danny and the money is for him? Maybe payment in exchange for what he knows about Adam? BTW can we PLEASE have more Danny in this show. It's so odd that he is such a minor character. It appears that Ben was walking and happened upon Red Pines, not that he was specifically looking for it. I'm afraid the DNA testing may end up as a plot hole... Wouldn't both boys soon be too old to be of interest to Pockmark? He would likely have killed them soon anyway.Btw, is this the first time a TV protagonist politician has been a Republican? All the ones I can think of were Democrats.

I did feel sad for Amanda at the end, but I also think she needs to move on from Sidney and let him move on. I do think there was some element of wanting to be rescued that led her to steal in Cambridge, not London. She's being manipulative, and that I don't like. Her positive reaction to Georgie and his wife did seem genuine though. I like the bonding between Geordie and Amanda. He's only ever seen her as the woman Sidney is stuck on for some reason, and now I think he has a better understanding of her inability to stay away. I still hope that Amanda and Sidney are the eventual endgame, after some serious growing up on both parts, and addition romances on his side, but I recognize that I am in a small minority there! Did anyone think the victim looked like an older, less handsome Sidney. I thought something would happen related to their similar build and coloring, but that went nowhere... I liked that the widow was a Femme Fatale under the guise of a meek wife. I was actually a little afraid that Sidney would succumb. He is a bit of the sly dog that Georgie calls him--he seems to fall for women quite easily, but in a shallow way. I rolled my eyes when she asked him to take off his shirt, but I liked that he modestly took it off partially only. Interesting that Sidney found the mother more appealing than the "poor little me" daughter that might have been more attractive to other men. I as glad to see that he was manipulating her and not genuinely succumbing. However, she did get to him when she forced him to admit his feelings for Amanda. It appears that finally sharing his feelings for Amanda out loud is what enabled Sidney to move on... I like Margaret, but I think she's even less suited than Amanda to be a vicar's wife in a small town. I understand wanting to mouth off to Mrs. Maguire, but she needs to filter her thoughts. I am really afraid that Sidney is using her. It's after the sexy convo with the widow that he shares a passionate kiss with Margaret and that felt less about any interest in her and more about his needs. However, it does seem that they will continue dating for a white, which would be good for him. She's fun and direct and goes after what she wants. He could learn something from her. I'm really worried for Leonard, but I look forward to more storyline for him.

I meant that I wish Frank had mentioned that incident to Claire as part of his sincerity in believing her. I'm probably thinking of another poster. I was referring to the episode when Jamie leaves Claire at Craigh Na Dun after the trial and tells her to go home to the future. Next thing we know, she comes back to Jamie, having chosen him over Frank. Someone commented that maybe she tried to go through the stones and they didn't work, as opposed to actively deciding to stay with Jamie. I'm glad that theory was wrong, because clearly the stones do work. I do tend to agree with you about not seeing the end first. I hope that it doesn't make the story less interesting to me. Intriguing idea about Claire leaving the baby with Frank. I'm not sure I could continue to like Claire if she does that.

I'm declaring this episode the shortest hour on television! Given where last season left off, I was surprised to see this episode begin with Claire back in the future. First thing I thought of was the poster in this forum (Ganesh, I think) who didn't believe that Claire chose Jamie, but rather that the stones at Craigh Na Dun didn't work, so she was forced to stay in the past. Glad to see him proved wrong. MVP for this episode--Frank/Tobias Menzies. He was brilliant IMO -- joy, frustration, anger--all well portrayed. My sympathies were entirely with Frank during this episode. His reaction (at every new revelation) was entirely natural. My heart broke for him when I saw Claire's coldness to him. It's understandable, given what we know about her love for Jamie, but still... Damn you, Outlander, for making me cry in the very first episode! Especially when he thought for a second that Claire was pregnant with his child. (By the way, why was Claire drinking alcohol when she was pregnant? Or did they not know better in the 1940's?) I think Frank's demands are reasonable. If he's going to raise Claire's child as his own, he would want the child and everyone else to think of him as its father. Also, it would be agonizing to be married to someone who is living in the past. It's one thing if there's a chance that Jamie is alive, but it's been 200 years... Claire needs to be present for her child's sake and for Frank's too. I really would have loved to see Frank's reaction to Claire's story--especially if she gave him some details on his precious ancestor, Blackjack. Also would have loved a mention of the fact that the vicar's housekeeper told him about the power of Craigh na Dun and he believed it enough to go there. I enjoyed seeing adorable Roger Wakefield, but shouldn't he have aged more since we last saw him? I liked that he played a role in Frank deciding to father Claire's child. Reverend Wakefield's comparison to Joseph and his mention of God's eternal plan were also very apt, IMO; as well as Frank's reaction. Was I the only one who cringed when Frank burned Claire's clothes? I get the symbolism, but I hated seeing the clothes we were told were very valuable be destroyed instead of being sent to a museum. I liked that Claire finally smiled at Frank when she arrived in NYC. New country, new start. (Is it bad that I laughed that she had no carry-on luggage on her trans-Atlantic flight and just a clutch purse?) The transition to the past worked well too, but shouldn't the past have been 1744, not 1745, given when they left Scotland for France? I think that Claire was in France for less than a day before she made an enemy! That is so her! BTW, I was annoyed that she went to a smallpox-ridden place when she's pregnant! I know she's been vaccinated, but she should be more careful with her unborn child. And when is she going to learn to trust Jamie's judgement? First when she gets captured by the English, then when he told her to stay away from Gellis, and now he tells her to trust him that they need to leave, but she still won't shut her mouth and leave! Glad to see Murtagh back--will really miss the others! But he's going to feel like the 3rd wheel unless they give him a love interest. I should have known they'd find a reason to get Jamie's shirt off. That made me LOL. Is it just me or does it look like he has fewer scars this year? I hope they won't be speaking so much French throughout the season., I understand it, but it's a little distracting. And did Sam Heughan pronounce "Dame" like the English word and not the French one, or was that my imagination? I get that he may not be a French speaker and has just learned the lines, but his pronunciation could get old quickly. I wonder if the back and forth in time will be consistent in this season or if they will stick with the past now. I really like Tobias--he's the best actor of the lot, which makes sense because he has more experience than Caitriona or Sam.

I get the impression that Amanda and Sidney put each other on a pedestal--which is at least partially why neither one has taken action. She has had a crush on him for years and doesn't think of herself as very attractive (her Roman nose and all). She knows he loves her, but the fact that he has never said anything plays on her insecurities. By the time he says anything non-platonic, she's already engaged. On the other hand, once they meet again after several years, he's aware of her sophistication and social class and doesn't think he's good enough for her. I don't think they've done anything remotely close to "smoking cigarettes". I don't believe we've seen them do anything other than kiss on the cheek (at least as of the latest episode I've seen) and even that was with her archly giving him permission to do so.

LOL--I was also thinking of Jackie Bouvier when I saw that actress, but I actually like her. I know I'm in a VERY small minority here, but I really like Amanda and Sidney. I think the actors have a lot of chemistry together, and although I think they're idiots for not defying convention to be together, I empathize with her sense of duty and his unwillingness to tempt her away from her duty/wealth. It's obvious that she regrets her decision, but even breaking an engagement would have been an issue for someone of her social standing--let alone a divorce. I disagree with the people who say she's stringing Sidney along. I think it's more a matter of her being unable to resist meeting him. That being said, they really need to shut it down and not be so obviously mooning over each other. If that means they have to avoid each other for a while, they should do so. Guy is a jerk, but I cannot blame him for being angry at their behavior. As for whether Amanda would make a good vicar's wife, I don't think we've seen anything about her other than as "Sidney's love interest" to know for sure. She does seem equally comfortable among the country folk and the glamorous set. She also seems to be willing to do her duty (as evidenced by her marriage), but not willing to do it wholeheartedly (as seen by her continued mooning over Sidney)-- so my best guess is fairly neutral on her duty as a vicar's wife. However, I think she'd be happier as a vicar's wife (if her husband were Sidney) than she can ever be as a society bride.

I have to give Willa credit for her quick-thinking lie to Bridey about Adam's paternity. She may not have known that Adam was not Adam (she may have just ensured he was accepted as Adam,regardless of whether or not he was) but she handled that situation beautifully, manipulating the manipulator. And then her descent into a breakdown was well acted by Alison Pill, IMO. Is Hank going the way of the pock marked guy, i.e, getting a beard to cover up his true predilections? Did pock mark go to the candidate forum specifically to abduct Adam or would any boy have done? Why is there no special security on Adam's hospital room? They know his kidnapper is likely to come after him...Those flowers should have been intercepted.

My interpretation of her comment: Claire knows Adam is not Adam. Therefore, someone must have faked the original DNA test. Danny has be suspicious all along, so it's not him. Nina had no incentive because Adam being found made her look like a fool. John is not action-oriented, so she cannot imagine him doing anything that risky, plus there is no reason for him to do so. That leaves Willa, who cares desperately about the election and has been trying to take care of her family for the past 10 years. Who else would try to make the most of boy claiming to be Adam?