The Outlander 31 Day Challenge:
Shoutout to @gotham-ruaidh
Day 1: Favorite Season 1-3 Episode:
For me it would have to be episode 12, “Lallybroch”
Season 1 in so many ways is my comfort season, but this episode in particular provided so much. These two had been working towards this moment, and finding this place and time of peace since we first met them in episode one. To finally reach this one goal of theirs together was a monumental moment in their relationship.
And even though it is short lived, this glimpse into what their life here is like and could be is such a much needed pause in the larger story of their lives. Jamie and Claire love each other deeply at this point, but do not verbalize it until this episode. They have shown their love with their actions and commitment, but to hear the words spoken between them was so beautiful to watch.
For Jamie, this episode is paramount. This place shaped who he is entirely. He was raised here yes, but he carry’s the weight of his home and the people who inhabit it with him daily. The loss of his father was profoundly significant to everyone at Lallybroch and in his family. Jamie feels guilty for his fathers death, remorse that he was unable to see him buried or mourn him properly. Ashamed that he has been unable to return home and live there as the proud son and laird he was destined to become. To bring Claire home to Lallybroch was his singular goal since he met her. To give her a simple life that he longed for, in the place he longs for. He made her ring from his key because it is the only thing he can offer her. Lallybroch will always be home for him, but sharing it with Claire? That would make him whole. But as we see in this episode, it is because Jamie is unable to stay and become Laird, that the weight of the household falls on Ian and Jenny.
Jenny Fraser might be one of my favorite characters in the series, and this episode she truly shines. She proves her mettle in more ways than one, and exposes Jamie’s weak points in subtle but effective ways. She has held their home and family together without him, created a family of her own, and has loved and supported Jamie from afar in her own way. The two siblings deeply love one another, and their stubborn natures are what make their dynamics so fiery and intense at times. But at the end of the day, you can see parts of each other reflected in both of them. Jamie was so young when his mother passed, when Jenny was attacked, when his father died. They both had to grow up earlier than what was fair. Because of that, they have taken different approaches to their healing. Jenny has taken on responsibilities Jamie is both unaware of and disinterested in. He believes that he is able to step into the role of Laird with ease, and Jenny makes sure to point out that being a Laird is more than a title. She teaches Jamie so much in this one episode, and makes an immeasurable impact on Claire.
Claire says it herself in this episode, that being at Lallybroch makes her feel like she actually might belong there. “There” can mean many things; there, in that house with Jamie, Jenny and Ian. Or there, in that time period, back 200 years in the past…with Jamie. She is happy and contented and in love. It’s the first episode that we as viewers see and know without a doubt that her love for Jamie is real and worth it to her. And it’s also when we see her allow other people close to her and Jamie to imprint on her, particularly Jenny. She never had a sister, she never had a family beyond her uncle. These people are wary at first, but you can see in this episode that they are willing to accept her and will love her, and she loves them. Claire’s first true introduction of her new, accepted life in the past takes place in this episode. She looks around and knows she will be happy to stay here, with Jamie and his family. By the end of the episode we know that they are once again thrust into danger, but for now it’s a much needed moment of reprieve.
Ian Murray is hugely important in this episode, and makes a palpable impact on the viewer and Claire. He’s the first person who can give Claire and the viewer insight into Jamie’s life before we first see him in the opening episode. He was with him in France, he was Jamie’s closest childhood friend, and he represents the life Jamie would be living had he not become an outlaw. I think we see that in some ways Jamie looks at Ian and pity’s the simple life he leads (while recognizing a lot of that has to do with his leg). Jamie craves a life of adventure and enjoys the mischief and excitement of being an outlaw. But Ian shows Jamie what a contented life with the woman you love looks like. With kids, with a home and community around you. Now that Jamie has Claire, his whole world has changed. He can envision a life with kids, and we see how heartbroken he is when Claire reveals she cannot provide them with that life he’s spent the episode envisioning. Ian also is the window into Jenny for the viewers and for Claire. He softens Jenny’s personality and interprets her actions for her so that the viewers (and Claire) understand that despite her stubborn exterior, she has a heart of gold just like her brother. She’s a fighter, and she is fierce. Ian is the anchor for both of the Frasers, it seems. His impact was huge in this one episode. It also serves a duel purpose, because when we eventually meet young Ian, we can understand his character due in large part to understanding who his father is.
This little home is the cornerstone of this show in many ways, and this episode always makes me smile when I watch it. It might not be the most action packed, or have the most important moments in regards to moving the plot along, but in many ways it is the real turning point of the story. A break amongst the cruel realities that plague this couple, and a window into the souls of some of our favorite characters, especially Jamie.
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