Outlander: Rent

(Spoilers for s01e05)

From last weeks Outlander we knew Claire was going on the road with the others to assist them if needed when they collected rent. Their relationship which she and we as the viewer had hoped had crossed several bridges, hit a certain relapse, as she views their doings with a critical eye. She however gains a friend in their attorney played by Bill Paterson who is less rough in his manners, unlike the others who exclude her by talking Gaelic.

It's rather good how they use the language barrier  to make the audience keenly aware of how much of an outsider she feels in their company. There are many scenes in this episode that pulls forward how excluded she is - from serious discussions to more rough talk during meals. Yet it becomes clear throughout the episode how much respect they feel for her, despite their lack of manners, and how she grudgingly keeps reminding herself of her having to leave.

It's clear that Claire is struggling with foreknowledge, and spends the latter part of the episode torn with telling them or not, though her warnings prove to anger them more than settle their minds about which side she is on. Of course we also have the slowly building relationship between her and Jamie who takes it upon himself to be her protector and councilor upon things she doesn't understand.

This episode is perhaps not as suspenseful as the previous one, instead wheedling slowly through to impart a piece of the history, before dropping of course an excruciating blow at the end of the episode. The cliffhanger makes up for the slowness, for one can only suspect that next weeks episode will be fairly high-octave. Having read the books I see why some are struggling with the much slower build, but for my part I find it good. It's better to make the motives and understandings between the characters more clear, and frankly it feels more realistic.

I did however giggle at Jamie residing outside Claire's door - a very amusing moment, especially the very regency shot of their hands briefly touching. I could practically hear the groans of many viewers in my head, hadn't it been for the fact that a part of me is going 'you're married', and then being torn with the fact 'he's not born yet, so technically you're not'.

The lads fighting for her honor was quite sweet, and comic, especially since they'd been rather hard on her before that. "You’re a guest of the MacKenzie. We can insult you, but God help any other man that does."

8/10