![]() That's the only way we can stay together.' Jamie's learned something from Claire. She ended up telling him, 'Don't lay a hand on me again. "And when Jamie tried that on Claire, it didn't work. "It was really to reflect Claire's influence on Jamie because yes, kids were beaten back then, but so were wives," executive producer Toni Graphia tells Mashable. This isn't the first time the show has gone out of its way to emphasize Claire's influence on Jamie in Episode 8, when Jamie and Claire returned Young Ian to Lallybroch, Gabaldon's book saw Jamie flogging Young Ian as punishment (for both nephew and uncle - since Jamie then asked Young Ian to flog him in return), but the show took a different tack, with Jamie suggesting that Ian do a menial chore instead. Why 'Outlander's' Lord John Grey is the hero TV needs Given that the whole season has been full of men trying to undermine Claire's knowledge, this moment is a refreshing sign of how far Jamie's come since Season 1, when he gave his new wife a spanking rather than treating her as an equal – now he's perfectly secure in himself and his relationship, happy to acknowledge that there are plenty of things Claire knows more about than he does. Thankfully, fate and shallow shoals bring Claire and Jamie back together soon after, and, taking a page from Diana Gabaldon's book, their reunion presents another welcome opportunity to explore respect and consent.įirst, Jamie balks at the prospect of administering a dose of penicillin to Claire when she's feverish – hesitant to do anything that would hurt her, and displaying clear deference to her superior skills as a doctor. Whether it's because she fears her daughter being replaced or, by womanly intuition, simply knows that no good can come of Father Fodgen fixating on Claire, she makes herself into an ally even when disguising herself as an enemy, utilizing the power she knows she has over the grieving priest to create the only escape route available to Claire in that moment. ![]() It's telling that the other woman in Father Fogden's life, Mamacita, immediately senses the danger when he becomes too proprietary and, in her own subtle way, offers Claire an assist by demanding that she leave. At first he seems sympathetic (if eccentric) because he's clearly never gotten over the death of his wife, but he soon starts projecting those protective and possessive urges onto Claire, dismissing her knowledge as a doctor (and her simple desire to leave) and prioritizing his own feelings – a classic sign of emotional abuse. It spends a lot of narrative real estate exploring the difficulties that women have always faced because they're treated as objects instead of equals, and the anxiety that some men feel (regardless of the time period), when women express opinions that conflict with their own, whether that's the Porpoise's crewmen side-eying Claire over her superior medical knowledge or Frank's colleagues scoffing at her political views.Įpisode 11 explores that tension in fascinating ways the (coco)nutty Father Fogden objectifies Claire in a manner that's not overtly threatening, but carries a subtle undercurrent of menace that any woman can immediately recognize. Outlander isn't immune to this - Claire Fraser can barely enter a building without some leering fiend trying to assault her – but in addition to being refreshingly sex-positive, the show has always tried to show the physical and emotional cost of sexual violence while also emphasizing the systemic inequality that created rape culture in the first place. Period dramas often have an uncomfortable relationship with consent whether the setting is fantasy or historical, creators have always used the subjugation of women as a way to emphasize the danger of the time or the irredeemable villainy of an antagonist (exhibit A: Game of Thrones).īut, as Variety's Mo Ryan points out in this searing essay on how TV treats rape, it has also become a narrative shortcut to provide drama and character development across genres, regardless of the setting. Life This story contains spoilers for Outlander Season 3, episode 11, titled "Uncharted." To refresh your memory of where we left off, check out our episode 10 recap.
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