Outlander –“Castle Leoch” Review. Does Anyone Here Speak Gaelic?

Season 1, Episode 2

Air Date: Saturday, August 16, 2014 at 9PM ET/PT only on Starz

Rating: ★★★★★

“If I was going to survive, I needed to acclimatize myself as quickly as possible.” – Claire Randall

Colum isn’t as bad as he seems; Dougal isna to be trusted.

Outlander surprises me yet again. “Castle Leoch,” which should be heavily laden with drama, has numerous funny moments. The opening itself leaves you wondering why we haven’t seen more of this jovial behavior from the gruff men in kilts. Of course, the introduction of the series has to be a little more serious if we’re to consider it as such. The camaraderie among the members of the MacKenzie Clan brings about a lot of levity, considering the circumstances. We meet Himself, Colum MacKenzie (Gary Lewis), the sly Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek), and one lovely, scary housekeeper, Mrs. Fitzgibbons (Annette Badland).

Welcome to The Hotel California

While the castle may seem like a place of respite for Claire (Caitriona Balfe), it is anything but. She has to watch what she says before stepping out of place and falling into even more trouble. Being an outsider doesn’t warm her to anyone in the castle. She’s followed (all too obviously), considered a “spy” (because duh, she’s English), and a lazy woman (who sleeps until midday in the 18^th century, anyway?). Yeah, she fits right in. Her flashbacks to more familiar times leave an overshadowing sense of foreboding. She remembers rooms but can’t reveal why; the table her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies) pleasured her on is a painful reminder of what she’s missing; and she’s been locked in the basement given a job as the castle’s new healer. So why is it Jamie (Sam Heughan) trusts her? It takes him a while to get there but he puts his life in her hands. I don’t think the answer is simple. He doesn’t know her well enough to know what kind of person she is, but her kindness is probably a good thing. She seems genuine in her approach with him, caring about his well being without looking for something in return. That has to be worth something to any person in that time.

Random Tidbits

Well, well…what do we have here? Chemistry? Trust? A budding romance?

The tender moments between Claire and Jamie showcase how great the chemistry is between Balfe and Heughan. I’m sure the latter’s being shirtless and in close proximity has nothing to do with that either.

The look on Mrs. Fitz’s face when she sees Claire’s “brassiere” about kills me. “What kind of corset is that?” she asks. The kind that doesn’t hug your ribs so tightly you can’t breathe or wait to get the damn thing off. No, wait … that would be a bra. As an aside, did you find it interesting to see what goes on under a woman’s dress? Once Claire finishes dressing, she’s no longer the waifish woman we’ve been introduced to.

Menzies undergoes quite the transformation when he slips into the role of Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall. He screws his face up in a scowl at times to make sure you know he’s evil. That ‘sucking on a lemon’ face does a great job of convincing me Jack is a baddie. His dastardly deeds, grievous behavior, and overall shirking of authority does little to prove he isn’t a good man.

Claire sure can throw back the liquor, can’t she? I was waiting to hear Lil’ John in the background yelling, “Shots, shots, shots, shots!” Ah, well.

I find it funny when Claire mentions people who haven’t been born yet and tells us so in the same sentence. It might help if I knew who she was talking about in the first place.

The fingerless gloves the ladies wear have me dying of envy. I want them. Now. I’m a sucker for the fashion item, and am digging how the costume department makes the accessories blend in with 18^th century apparel.

Memorable Lines

We haven’t forgotten about Frank yet, have we?

Mrs. Fitz to Claire: “Come wit me. We’ll find ye something to eat, something to wear that’s a bit more … well, a bit more.”

Claire to Colum after he ponders why a gentleman would want to rape a woman of her stature for no good reason: “Is there ever a good reason for rape, Master MacKenzie?”

Where’s your reply to that, huh? You tell him, Claire!

Claire: “This is barbarous.”

No, that would be Jamie’s hair without a drop of product in it. Hair and makeup should be consistent even in 1743.

Overall

“Castle Leoch” brings on the laughs. I appreciate the respite from the drama surrounding Claire’s trip through time. She’s adjusting to life in the olden days, if her knowledge of the current king, clothing, and idioms of the time are anything to go by. I, on the other hand, would be looking for hand sanitizer. Just thinking about the germs floating around on all those unwashed hands gives me the willies. Yech! If you enjoyed the second episode of Outlander anywhere near as much as I have, drop me a line in the comments section or tweet me @ellemoe to discuss. And those of you who have read the Outlander novels, feel free to chime in with your take on how the show is bringing the written word to the small screen.

Tune in to Outlander, Saturdays at 9PM ET/PT, only on Starz. For more on the show, visit the official site.

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Elle

Writer, mother, realist, cloud lover, daydreamer, dessert enthusiast, sweet tea addict, perfectionist, and lover of life and Christ, but not in that order. http://www.fanfiction.net/~vikingloverelle