Outlander -- The Way Out

Claire makes another mistake, maybe mistake #3 or #4. She incurs the wrath of the local holy man. So far, they go as follows:

1. Don't drink too much.

2. Don't say too much.

3. Don't keep getting in your captors faces.

4. Don't hang out with someone suspected of being a witch, when you're under suspicion yourself.

Okay, it's mistake #5 apparently and it's don't incur the wrath of a dark ages holy man who thinks all women are the daughters of Satan put on the Earth to lead men into sin.

The episode opens with a Frank and Claire flashback where Claire is going off to the war and refusing to let Frank use his connections so she won't have to go to the front. For a couple about to be separated that was a pretty passionless kiss. Just saying...

Back in Claire's current present Mrs. Fitz is helping her get ready for the day when Claire decides to tells Mrs. Fitz the truth about herself. Unfortunately, Mrs. Fitz doesn't take it how she hoped she would. In fact, Mrs. Fitz thinks she's a witch. Lucky for Claire this is just in her imagination. I just wonder why Mrs. Fitz is the only one she contemplates telling the truth to. Why did she never contemplate telling Jamie the truth since she seemed to be closer to him.

Claire decides to use her position as healer to get in Colum and Dougal's good graces. Which is one of the few smart things Claire has decided to do. It's actually the smartest thing she decided to do, since she's well aware no one trusts her. Unfortunately, it's being the castle healer that will lead her to come against the castle priest, Father Bain.

There seems to be a strange illness affecting the young children of the castle. The castle folk think it's the work of evil spirits because the latest victim, a boy, had visited a place called the Black Kirk. And Thomas Baxter, Mrs. Fitz's nephew, is the latest victim.

Colum decides to take advantage of Claire's healing abilities by having her give him a massage. While there, Colum gets mad when a tailor fitting him out for The Gathering, wanted to design a coat for him that would conceal his malformed legs. He gets so mad he pulls a knife on the tailor and tells him to make him a standard coat, instead. Colum also invites Claire to the evening's entertainment as his guest.

At the entertainment, when Dougal sidles up to her, Claire makes an excuse to get away from him. She ends up sitting with Laoghaire. Claire encourages Laoghaire's feeling for Jamie. Bad mistake. Jamie comes and sits down between the two of them as the bard begins to sing. Jamie pretty much ignores Laoghaire and says he doesn't remember her from the last time he was there.

Jamie takes Claire's third drink of Colum's whiskey from her and then asks Claire to change his dressing. He gives Laoghaire the glass to take back to the kitchen. Once they're at the surgery he said he just used that as an excuse to get her away from the entertainment before she made a fool of herself. He also reveals he doesn't want others to see his scars since they might treat him differently. He says he doesn't mind her seeing his scars because she doesn't make him feel pitiful about them. She undos his shirt to look at his wound and says it's doing fine.

The next day she runs into Geillis who tells Claire Young Thomas Baxter is going to be exorcised because he's ill. Geillis thinks like everyone else the boy is possessed. Claire suggests they go and try and help, but Geillis won't go near him since everyone thinks the child is possessed. However, Claire decides to go by to see if she can help. Unfortunately, Mrs. Fitz and her sister tell Claire to let Father Bain tend to the boy and won't let Claire treat him.

On Claire's return to the castle she sees Laoghaire dragging Jamie into a corner and kissing him and Jamie watches Claire as he continues to kiss Laoghaire. At dinner, Claire teases Jamie about having swollen lips and he puts his foot on Claire's foot to silence her, but she kicks his leg, causing him to spill his water on Murtagh and he makes an excuse and leaves. Murtagh takes Claire to task for teating Jamie about Laoghaire cause if anyone finds out Jamie could be forced to marry her and she's not the wife Jamie needs. He needs a woman and Laoghaire will be a lass when she's fifty and well Claire knows it.

Dougal offers to take Claire to visit Geillis in the morning. Geillis warns Claire to stay away from the priest as he thinks all woman are evil. While there she learns a child is going to have his hand cut off for stealing at Father Bain's request and get Geillis to intervene. But his lesser punishment isn't any better. Having his ear nailed to the pillory until he pulls himself free.

Claire meets Geillis' gross husband, Arthur, who seems have indigestion problems. After Arthur departs, Geillis seems about to ply Claire with liquor to loosen up her lips, something Claire doesn't seem to realize. Thankfully, Jamie arrives in time to stop Claire from imbibing too much and saying too much [so that makes twice that Jamie saved Claire from her love of alcohol this episode.]

Dougal sent Jamie to fetch Claire. As they're leaving, Claire enlists Jamie's help in freeing the lad from the pillory so he'll have his ear intact. Claire fakes a faint to distract everyone while Jamie yanks the nail out and the boy runs off. All while Geillis watches them with interest.

Then she asks Jamie to take her to the Black Kirk to look around for what young Thomas might have ingested, as she suspects he's been poisoned not possessed by evil spirits. While there he says he'd eat wood garlic as a lad when he came there to test his mettle. When he shows her it, she says it's Lily of the Valley and not wood garlic and this is what made the child sick.

Claire goes back to try and help Thomas and she and the priest get into it. He says he won't be ordered about by a woman when Mrs. Fitz orders him to let Claire treat the boy. Bain says he smells the vapors of hell on Claire. Luckily for Claire her treatment of Young Thomas works and his life is saved, while making an enemy of the good padre, who storms out, saying Satan likes to make a fool of God but God will have the the last word and he'll see to that.

Claire returns to visit Jamie at the stable. Jamie tells Claire by saving the boy, Colum will never let her go now. Jamie hears her say she'll never get out of there. Later at the evening's entertainment, Jamie translates one of the bards songs that gives Claire new hope of getting back to her own time. It's the story of the stones and how a woman traveled through them to another time and then returns to her own time. It makes Claire vow to escape the castle and get back to the stones.

This is one of those episodes you need to rewatch after watching the whole season. It makes you wonder if Dougal set his mistress, Geillis, up to trying to get info out of Claire. And she most likely told Dougal that Jamie helped Claire rescue the boy from the pillory.

Claire had good intentions when she found a way to save Thomas, but it also made her a dangerous enemy in the form of Father Bain who holds a position of power. Geillis wouldn't even try to help the boy because she wisely knew to stay as far away from Bain as she could and even warned Claire to do the same. But, per usual, Claire ignored the warning.