Outlander Cast: First Wife – Episode 101

Posted by Blake Larsen

Outlander Podcast Hosts Mary & Blake discuss Outlander Season 3 episode 8: First Wife.

In this episode, we chat: why we were surprised at how much we liked it, the story constantly forgiving Jamie’s actions, Claire FINALLY having consequences to her choices, Christopher Nolan, building on story that has already been told, the difference between narration and voiceover, how Leghair is reduced to a plot device, why Laura Donnelly is the all-star of this episode, if we would have told Jenny about the future, and much more!

Episode 101 is brought to you by BarkBox

For a FREE EXTRA MONTH of BarkBox, visit barkbox.com/outlandercast when you subscribe to a 6 or 12 month plan!

A huge thank you to all of our patrons for helping to make this podcast possible.

But we’d especially like to thank:

Anne Gavin, Peg Cumbie, Bobbi Franchella

Lisa Margulies, Meredith Bustillo, Amy Bryant, Christina Kotsis, Sue Bellows, Keelin Dawe, Meredith Greenberg, Liz Turner, Dana Mott-Bronson, Nikki Gastineau

Michelle Osteria, Tara Benton, Jennifer Wilson-Veil, Lauren Hutton, Heather Mohr, Marilyn Neenan.

Outlander Cast Patreon - Become a Patron to Support Outlander Cast

Want to help us create more podcasts and keep it free for you to listen? Click here to contribute at our Patreon page!

Tell your friends about us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

Let your friends know about us on Twitter: www.twitter.com

Facebook

Twitter

18 Comments

Leave your reply.

Rosemary Knight
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 10:01 AM

I’ve already left an initial kilt rating of 5 kilts on the Facebook page, but after watching the episode a couple more times and listening to you guys, I am going to have to downgrade to 4.9 kilts. This was still one of my favorite episodes of all times — it hit home on so many levels. It had so many wonderful relationship dynamics. I was thrilled to see the Jaime and Claire that we have grown to love back — the humor, the passion and the raw emotions. And, the acting was superb from everyone in the episode.

But, the fundamental problems with the episode were just too big to ignore. The first issue was the “will she or won’t she leave” cliffhanger. One minute Claire’s telling Jenny that she wants a second chance and loves Jaime more than anything, and the next minute she tells Jaime that she thinks that they don’t belong together anymore. The problem is that there wasn’t a major catalyst pushing that change of heart. Jaime’s unwillingness to punish Leoghaire just shouldn’t be that catalyst. Claire isn’t so heartless that she would want those girls to be orphaned. Besides, Ian’s kidnapping was enough of a cliffhanger. We didn’t need two.

And Blake, I agree with you that Jaime was given too many passes. And, that’s where the book got it right and the episode got it wrong. In the book, Jaime does thrash Wee Ian, but then has Wee Ian thrash him for his role. And, Claire DOES leave Jaime. Leoghaire shoots Jaime while Claire is gone, and Jaime is near death. Wee Ian tracks Claire down before she reaches Inverness and convinces her to come back and save Jaime. Jaime is out for days. When he comes to, they have their big heart-to-heart and Claire decides to stay. For the sake of time, the episode seriously abridged these events. But in doing so, it didn’t allow for Jaime to face consequences for his actions. And, it didn’t provide a resolution to the relationship. If they had moved the flashback to Silkie Island to episode 3 where it honestly belonged, perhaps there would have been more time for some of this to occur.

I also believe that the showrunners are trying to cram too much story into the back half of the season. They put so much emphasis on the time that Jaime and Claire spent apart that they may be shortchanging the time they are together. Less than 1/3 of the book was focused on this “apart time,” but the show dedicated 40% of the episodes to it. The “apart time” was allowed to breath and develop, but the relationship itself seems rushed and less developed.

Having said that, I am still hopeful for the future.
Mc
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 10:26 AM

I guess I’m the only comment?? Love your show. As a book reader it’s interesting to hear Blake’s POV and to see if he’s correct. A few thoughts. Do you think their foretelling Claire and Jamie actually telling Janet the truth about Claire. They came back to it often enough in the ep. also, did anyone else find it off that Claire was walking around in her shift. Wasn’t that considered scandalous at the time? It looked like she was Downstairs talking with Jenny in it as well. I don’t remember her trying to cover herself. Just seemed off. Interesting concept that Fergus will die. Sure will change future events. Yes, the OMG moments at each ending to string us along make me feel like I’m watching a soap opera. Looking forward to Sat at 12. That’s when I watch if I can stay up.
Alison
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 11:11 AM

On the subject of why Jenny sent for Laoghaire – I think Jenny is testing Claire. She has seen what loosing Claire did to Jamie and the fact that it took so long for him to cobble together any kind of life for himself. Given the explanation she got of how/why Claire left the first time, I think she’s throwing everything she can at her to see if she’ll leave again. If so, better now than when Jamie won’t be able to recover from it. She is hurt as well, but I think she’s mainly trying to protect her brother.
Mary Beth Sheetz
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 12:32 PM

As a book reader I do enjoy the Outlandish crystal ball predictions..as a caution however, read the script STARZ posts on the app, then you know what scenes were cut!! We missed Fergus updating Jaime on the one eyed guy, we miss Fergus and Masali making goo goo eyes at each other, we miss Claire bonding with wee Joanie with the red hair. The writers are dropping gems and clues all over the script, alas the editors are using one of Claire’s scalpels to cut important dialogue 🙁
Dee
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 1:34 PM

5 kilts!!!!!
Susan Fishbein
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 2:46 PM

It looks like some of these lads may have red hair — or at least red-ish.

http://www.outlandertvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Episode-105-3.jpg
broodizt
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 4:54 PM

Points I found interesting:
From the beginning: Jamie tells Claire he is not the same man she knew from the past. Life has hardened Jamie over the past 20 years and he knows it. He asks her does she want HIM, as he is now? (I do have to say, how the heck is SHE supposed to know, as you pointed out Jaimie, she knows you less now then when you were first wed, she’s probably only been back about 12 hours, how the heck is she supposed to know WHO the heck you are now, other than that you are still HOT HOT HOT. And at that moment, seems, to be enough for Claire as she says “whoever you are James Frazer, I do want you.” Uh, not so fast. It seems she didn’t really take him very seriously until she sees how he has changed and then starts to question whether or not she actually does want him, even though she loves him. For one thing, as pointed out by Mary, he’s become a REAl liar. However, in fact he did not lie to Claire about Leghair. He did keep a secret and was clearly waiting for the best time to tell her, because even HE knew he couln’t get away without telling her at all for very long. Someone was bound to find out, so I do not think he lied about that to Claire. But as the second season first episode unfolds, Jamie IS questioning what will happen to their souls if they go about lying their way through France in the name of changing the future. Claire says it’s for a good cause. I’m not saying that younger Jamie didn’t lie at that time, but it was usually in the service of staying alive, so mostly he had no choice. He had a conscience. This present day Jamie thinks nothing of lying to his family about wee Ian and practically torturing them to death with worry as to whether he is alive, or has been captured or kidnapped and would never be seen again, which strangely enough, does end up happening in this episode-at least the captured part. It’s clear he’s changed massivly in this regard.

Also, I think they should tell Jenny the truth about the stones. First of all, in one of the first season’s episodes, it is pointed out that there are myths about the stones and going to another time. People had heard of it because the “talent” one night was singing a beautiful song at Castle Leoch about a Lass that went through the stones, as Jamie interprets it for Claire, who recognizes that she experienced the first part of the song herself, she just (at that point in time) never went back like in the song. So people had heard of it in that time, except it wasn’t a myth, it was true. And also they did believe in fairys and witches, etc, per wee Ian, and also when she happens upon the poor child left to die in the woods in the first season. These people are very supersticious and I do think that Jenny could handle it and should know-because she was so hurt by Claires just taking off and never contacting them in 20 years

Also I find it amusing that Claire and Jaime could quote each other verbatim over the span of 20 years past without missing a beat. As if they memorized every single word the other said and never forgot that over 20 years past.

What’s with yelling at Ian from the shore, as if he could actually hear them from that distance? Where did the boat come from out of nowhere? (Black Sails?)

When Jamie and Claire were fighting, whats with Jamie when Claire makes the statement ” but you blame me for coming back? and he first says no, then a hesitant yes, and then no again. I get it that you are shocked to see her, but still, this is the woman you’ve been grieving over for 20 years. What’s with the yes, what’s that supposed to mean? Would he rather she hadn’t come back? And I’m with you Blake, not only did it seem like assault, but I was getting very uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure whether or not he was actually going to rape her. It was hard to make out what was happening, and then I did eventually see that she was into it too, but it was at first difficult to figure out what was being depicted and whether he was forcing himself on her sexually until I rewatched it several times.

Mary, I totally agree with you, Jaimie is a very bad baby sitter.

But loved wee Ian’s Uncle worship. He is so adorable I want to hug him to death.

Also, for a man that has had nails driven through his hand and had it hammered and was raped and nearly tortured to death, his reaction to the penicillin shot, which babies get, was funny.

Also, from the Print shop episode (I know I am a little late with this comment) when Jamie in the Brothel asks Claire, why have you come back for the umteenth time, wouldn’t Claire have been justified in saying to Jaimie, “why do you think I’ve come back you big Lug, did you really think I came back through the stones like I was hopping a bus or a plane, given the journey could actually kill you, or you could go to a different time, is terrifying and painful, and in the 18th century still very dangerous, and also there are no maps or buttons to push to guide you, you could go further back or forward in time, there are no guarantees you will live through the experience-nobody knows how or why it works, so why do you think I’ve come back? Just popped in for a cup of tea, and to share some pics of long lost daughter Brianna whom by the way, has been relegated to second best and whom you seem very luke warm about anyway, you know, the one who’s life you tried to save 20 years ago? the one who you gave up the love of your life for? and then ta ta, I’ll now be popping back through the stones again to go back to my 20th century life, but it was verra fine to see you Jaimie- toodles? Can I use an umbrella like Mary Poppins for travel? Um Claire, how about saying I’m here because you are the love of my life and every second away was a moment of torture- and when I found out you were still alive, I came back to be with you? How bout that Claire? Wouldn’t that have been the thing to say to his ridiculous questions? (LOL) Also, I have even became a doctor to avoid being with Frank or thinking about you, and also because I love blood and cutting people open? LOL
Sorry for the rant LOL, but I had a lot of fun 🙂
- broodizt
  · Reply
  
  November 7, 2017 at 5:26 PM
  
  Hi again, it’s me. Just to clarify a few things. I know Claire does eventually say some of those things to Jaimie, but not at that time, not all at the same time, (or even in the same episode) when he keeps asking the same question about why she came back. OK, she does say at that time “I do want you, whoever your are”. This is true, but there was so much more she could have said. When Jaimie asked if she was happy with Frank (at some point) and she says she was happy raising Brianna with Frank. Um, no she wasn’t. She loved Brianna, but she wasn’t happy at all, she was living a half life. He haunted her life day and night for 20 years, why couldn’t she say THAT when he asked her if she was happy. It doesn’t mean she didn’t love Brianna. But she and Frank were never the same once she came back through the stones, why couldn’t she tell Jaimie that? She keeps pointing out what a good father Frank was to Brianna. Even though I’m sure Jaimie is happy about that, it still seems to me to be pouring salt on the wound. And when she says to Jaimie’s question, which was legitimate, did she fall in love with Frank, at first she says a quiet “no”, and then goes on to say she cared for Frank very much and did love him, but that “was before you”. My question is, was that really necessary to say? I mean talk about pouring salt on the wound, geeze.
  Just sayin 🙂
broodizt
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 7:23 PM

Oh, I was so excited about this episode and your blog forgot to introduce myself. Hi, I’m new to repying but have been listenting to you guys for awhile. Love you guys so much, so smart. I am outlander obsessed as if you couldn’t tell. Cannot talk to family or friends, they think I am nuts. Read the books but totally love the show. I can usually see why they changed things and a lot of times actually think the show improves upon the book. Acting is unbelievable as is production quality, writing, directing, etc. Oh did i say, LOVE LOVE LOVE this site 🙂
Jane
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 8:33 PM

I enjoyed the episode and agree with just about everything you said. Very insightful, especially about all the plot manipulations at the end. (How DID they miss seeing that ship by the way???) However, you missed an important point about Leghair (thank you for that nickname because I had to find a comment with her real name and copy/paste to spell Laoghaire).
Jamie says that the marriage didn’t work because she’d been abused in some way by a previous husband and didn’t want to be touched–which he probably feels sympathetic about considering his own reactions to Claire’s touch after he’d been tortured and raped. However, it made it sound like he left Laoghaire because the physical part of their marriage wasn’t working. Surely there had to be more emotional/compatability reasons that he left her and not just the sex…just as Claire’s relationship with Frank also had a similar dynamic. Anyway, a lot there that was just brushed over and I hope it will come up again.
Deborah Cason
· Reply

November 7, 2017 at 10:14 PM

To me the fight was perfect. Ever since Claire came back Jamie is terrified of losing her again. He will not survive a second time. He is trying to figure out a way to tell her. When she finds out before he can tell her, she turns on him. This was his greatest fear. He has been with her for 3 days max? Biggest shock of his life. Never thought this would happen. Now everything he was afraid of is happening. He is an 18th century man, she is 20th century woman. Talk about how men and woman related back then. Jamie only knew how it was then. Saw his parents interaction, and Mary, as book reader remember a certain interaction between Ian and Jenny that Jamie overheard. Does Jamie take out his frustration on Claire? No, on a table and wash basin. Has he grown because of Claire? Yes. But he is so terrified of losing her he will do everything in his power to keep her, and the 18th century man slips back in.
- broodizt
  · Reply
  
  November 8, 2017 at 3:06 AM
  
  I totally agree with you Deborah. He WAS terrified of losing her, and kept putting off telling her because of this. I agree, I don’t think he could or would survive this a second time. Upon watching the episode once again, I am touched though, by Claires compassion. After she sews Jaimie up downstairs and he starts to tell her of his lonliness, his being lost, and how he came to marry Leghair, you can see her expression soften with love and understanding. She is hurt and angry, yet still, she gently, softly takes his hand in hers, and then becomes aware that he has a raging fever and proceeds to Dr. Claire status with the penicillin shot. But after rewatching the episode, I think my favorite part of the entire episode is when Jaimie is asking her does she know what it’s like to live 20 years without a heart, to get used to living a half life, in the spaces in between or something similar. And Claire’s response – Oh my God!!! Her voice trembles with emotion, she answers Do I know? Do I know? Yes you bastard I know, (I think that’s close to what was said). Don’t get me wrong, Laura Donnelly was amazing all episode. She nailed it. But Claire’s response in that scene was so powerful, I felt like I was a puddle of goo on the floor. It left me absolutely breathless!
- Mary Beth Sheetz
  · Reply
  
  November 8, 2017 at 10:33 AM
  
  Agree on the fight scene totally, given the emotional stakes of the moment they are in – there should be sparks aplenty – this is how these two shizzle as a means of coping. Reminds me of their time in Paris when Jaime is sleeping alone in his bachelor pad and Claire, heavily pregnant with Faith, sidles up to him and says ‘come find me Jaime’. This 18th century man is operating on pure, compelling instinct- why he is saying I love you, while physically dominating her – he cannot bear to be parted from her period. IMO Claire is waffling because a) she is over whelmed by all of Jaime’s revelations and b) she has to give up the 20th century rationalizing and admit to herself she cannot live without her soulmate either.
Dawn
· Reply

November 8, 2017 at 5:10 PM

Hi Mary and Blake:
Amen, amen. I so agree with both of you on this amazing episode.
Wow, this was an amazing episode with such great character moments. After last week’s not so great episode, I really enjoyed this one.
I think a great deal of it was seeing Jenny and Ian and their 100 kids (ha ha), seriously, it was like seeing dear old friends.
Laura Donnelly was amazing as Jenny the whole episode. I loved the way she smothered her hurt and betrayal at Claire leaving her too with utter anger. I’d hate to cross her.
I agree with Mary: Jenny’s a character who does not trust easily, she’s a woman who had to take care of so much responsibility early in life when Jamie was taken by BJR to prison in S1.
So she most likely had to close up her trusting instincts and her heart. She let Claire in, but most likely felt so betrayed by her when she saw her again.
Jenny is not “only Jamie’s sister” as he seems to treat her.
And the dynamic of the Ian, Jenny Wee Ian, Jamie situation made me laugh so hard.
Wee Ian just prattled on not even noticing how Jenny and Ian wanted to kill him. “Jamie took good care of me, I worked, made a wage, I was good at it. Fergus said so…”
Shut up, kid. Just shut up.
Jamie’s punishment making him handle the shit was hilarious and much better than a beating, I think.
And all those kids–well TV hadn’t been invented yet.
Loved seeing Claire with Ned, and oh, the Christmas flashback of Jamie dancing Leghair’s daughters? So sweet! That little red haired girl melted my heart.
It was love at first sight for Jamie and the girls. He so ached for children of his own.
Wow, what a knock down drag out Claire and Jamie had. It was right out of the Reckoning.
I did feel pretty uncomfortable with the intensity of it. Jamie did deserved to be slapped, and I imagine that Cat was quite bruised when he grabbed her.
It isn’t often that Jamie lets his temper go–but the dam just broke in this scene. He was definitely boiling when he is usually so calm.
But they were almost ready for hot sex.
Jenny throwing the bucket of water over the both of them was priceless–You could tell it was so cathartic for her.
I HATED seeing Leghair again. What a horrible soap-opera plot convenience. Why oh why? We all know the tired old plotline of “The love of his life is gone, he marries the bitch.”
If Jamie had to marry somebody else why couldn’t it have been Mary McNabb or someone who at least was not as one-dimensional in characterization?
It seems pretty contrived and lazy for it to have been Leghair.
This is the same character who not only facilitated having Claire tried for witchcraft, and wanted her killed. She did it to Gellis (Gillian )also.
Gellis did NOTHING to Leghair, apart from selling her the ill wish. So Gellis’s pain is because of Leghair.
I know they said that she had been abused, but Leghiar had been dangerous and obsessed way before then.
What a mouth on Leghaire too! (and did I mention I have colorful language?) What kind of woman speaks that way in front of her daughters? Come on.
I feel pretty sorry for Nell Hudson who has to play her.
But I love, love love, the girls who play the daughters. So cute! That redheaded girl looks more Frazier than Willie.
Okay, the alimony plot and getting the treasure seems pretty contrived, but I just loved young Ian. “I can swim that.”
God kid, Jenny’s going to kill you all over again!
Now it looks like pirates are on the horizon. Sounds interesting!
I know I am forgetting so much.
Thanks for listening and reading.
Allyburu
· Reply

November 9, 2017 at 12:26 PM

Let me start with saying Jenny is Savage in this episode, and Claire never has to worry about sunblock again, since Jenny is casting so much shade…hats off to Laura Donnelly, for the vipers in her eyes, and Caitriona as well, for the best “I can’t believe you freaking BLAME ME for leaving” eyes…ladies, you were epic this episode…Brava. Now on to Mr. Sam, who has the most amazing pupil dilation in a scene this side of season 2…you get Sam lit from the side, pissed off, and watch those blue beauties work…stunning…
I give this episode an overall 4.7 kilts, I thoroughly enjoyed it, though much was crunched for time. I understand they have to streamline the plot to get through soooo muuuuucchh booooook…
I think my Good has to be the emotional hurricane that blows through, mainly fueled by Jenny going all Sherlock on Claire’s story, cuz yeah, you could have written letters, Claire…and honestly, I found myself wishing they had told her the truth. I think it would have been an interesting avenue to go down, for various spoilery reasons…
My bad is Leghoireoyeeuieeee…not the acting, not the fact that she is super Put The Bunny In The Pot buck nutty, its that she is here at all. I’m sure many agree, she is but a plot point for Drama. As Diana said, you have to make your characters suffer to make your story interesting and gripping…boy, does she ever do that. I did appreciate Nell having a fantastic potty mouth, that made me laugh, like yep, you cuss out that dang Sassenach for moving in on your man…again…poor Leggy is the hero of her own story, but she can’t hang on to that man, no matter what…sorry dear.
My great, is NED GOWAN? I started to tear up when I saw those high heeled shoes in shadow coming to meet Claire in the hallway…oh Ned…you get all the love…and I love Love LOVE how Claire says he hasn’t changed at all, what’s his secret?…oh, that’s a Wink Wink Nudge Nudge in our direction, about the whole cast…yep, the magic of television, nobody changes much even after 20 years…*amazing*
Oh, and Wee Ian is a doll…and Wee Janet…and Wicked Old Ian is still a sweetheart?
Last12C
· Reply

November 9, 2017 at 7:18 PM

I liked how Jamie and Claire shared a look when Ian Sr handed Jamie the belt to thrash Wee Ian. It was an acknowledgement of what Jamie learned in The Reckoning about corporal punishment and his recollection about when he had outgrown that at a similar age.

Jenny had a lot of reasons for being angry about Claire’s return. Her own personal sense of being betrayed. Having had to see how devastated Jamie had been when he lost Claire, having had to try to put him back together, and being concerned about what would happen to him if she left him again. Maybe a bit of guilt about being the one who pressured Jamie to marry Laoghaire in the first place. PLUS, she knew if Jamie stayed with Laoghaire that would tie him to Lallybroch. If he went back to Claire she knew that they would most likely leave and she didn’t want that (she admits that later).

I thought that flashback to Selky Island was perfectly placed for the purpose of Jamie telling Claire about how he got his hopes up once before and was devastated when those hopes were dashed when he found that Claire had not returned. That was why he had procrastinated in telling Claire about his marriage to Laoghaire. He was terrified of losing her again. Episode 3 also foreshadowed the appearance of the pirate ship, when John Grey mentioned to the men searching for Jamie that the island was large enough to conceal a ship.
Allyburu
· Reply

November 10, 2017 at 12:46 PM

Let me start with saying Jenny is Savage in this episode, and Claire never has to worry about sunblock again, since Jenny is casting so much shade…hats off to Laura Donnelly, for the vipers in her eyes, and Caitriona as well, for the best “I can’t believe you freaking BLAME ME for leaving” eyes…ladies, you were epic this episode…Brava. Now on to Mr. Sam, who has the most amazing pupil dilation in a scene this side of season 2…you get Sam lit from the side, pissed off, and watch those blue beauties work…stunning…
I give this episode an overall 4.7 kilts, I thoroughly enjoyed it, though much was crunched for time. I understand they have to streamline the plot to get through soooo muuuuucchh booooook…
I think my Good has to be the emotional hurricane that blows through, mainly fueled by Jenny going all Sherlock on Claire’s story, cuz yeah, you could have written letters, Claire, had you been in that time, and not the 20th century…and honestly, I found myself wishing they had told her the truth. I think it would have been an interesting avenue to go down, for various spoilery reasons…
My bad is Leghoireoyeeuieeee…not the acting, not the fact that she is super Put The Bunny In The Pot buck nutty, its that she is here at all. I’m sure many agree, she is but a plot point for Drama. As Diana said, you have to make your characters suffer to make your story interesting and gripping…boy, does she ever do that. I did appreciate Nell having a fantastic potty mouth, that made me laugh, like yep, you cuss out that dang Sassenach for moving in on your man…again…poor Leggy is the hero of her own story, but she can’t hang on to that man, no matter what…sorry dear.
My great, is NED GOWAN!! I started to tear up when I saw those high heeled shoes in shadow coming to meet Claire in the hallway…oh Ned…you get all the love…and I love Love LOVE how Claire says he hasn’t changed at all, what’s his secret?…oh, that’s a big Wink Wink Nudge Nudge in our direction, about the whole cast…yep, the magic of television, nobody changes much even after 20 years…*amazing*
Oh, and Wee Ian is a doll…and Wee Janet…and Wicked Old Ian is still a sweetheart 🙂