Outlander –“The Garrison Commander” Review. You Can Hear a Pin Drop.

Season 1, Episode 6

Air Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 9PM ET/PT on Starz

Rating: ★★★★★

“You cannot undo the things you’ve done, but it is not too late to win back your humanity. You can choose to be the man you wish to be.” – Claire Beauchamp

Randall definitely holds up to his reputation. And not in a good way.

I am, once again, swept away by the beauty of Scotland. In one small scene during “The Garrison Commander,” my nerves are soothed as the deep green of the land emerges from gray sky and brown road. The sinuous movement of water, as it flows over rock and dirt, is like a choreographed dance. I’m removed from the previous scene of abuse and strife with a simple shot of nature. How does the director do it? You’d be wise to note “The Garrison Commander” is not an easy episode to watch. It probably features less bloodshed than previous hours of Outlander but the amount of blood lost is as equally harsh. I fight with the idea of watching “The Garrison Commander” more than once just for the simple fact of seeing a man brought to his worst while people stand around watching.

The Man, The Myth, The Muthaf***** Monster

Well. I’m left almost speechless after watching “The Garrison Commander.” I remember how horrible ‘Black Jack’ Randall (Tobias Menzies) comes across in the novels, but to see him brought to life on screen, I am terrified. Not for myself, mind you, but for those who encounter the man. I have to apologize to Menzies for ‘boo hooing’ when it was announced he would be portraying Captain Jonathan Randall. Menzies blows me away during “The Garrison Commander.” Amazing is the only word I can think of to describe his ability to highlight how endearing and gentle Frank Randall (Menzies) is as a husband, compared to the hardened and sadistic Captain Randall. He’s captivating, alluring, and scary as hell. His eyes hold something that give way to the darkness of Jonathan Randall. See, I can’t even call the character by his first name alone because he’s not simply Jonathan. He holds an air of superiority because of his station. He’s a captain of the king’s army, a “redcoat” who doesn’t shy away from duty.

I am entranced by the captain as he explains the high regard he has for his duty as an agent of the British army to Claire (Caitriona Balfe). When he looks at her, there is an emptiness to his gaze. It is possible he looks through Claire and sees his hideous past. His eyes hold the cold darkness any man subjected to committing heinous acts can possess. The tone of his voice as he tells his tale is close to hypnotic. I don’t want to feel anything but rage toward Jonathan Randall because of his actions, yet I’m tempted to give him my sympathy because he sounds almost remorseful. Almost. While he doesn’t realize Claire knows of his past with Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), we viewers are more than aware, and therein lies the problem.

Random Tidbits

Dougal is confusing. One minute he’s bad Santa, the next he’s coming to the rescue.

Dougal (Graham McTavish) once again surprises me. He comes to Claire’s aid, magically as it seems, yet still he doesn’t trust her. We also learn something about him that doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t know if Dougal has Jamie’s best interests at heart or not. I’m sure I’ll remain on the fence about it for quite some time because I can’t tell which Dougal is the real Dougal.

The cat-o’-nine tails (a gruesome instrument for punishment), a saw (what better way to amputate a limb), and a foot (some boots aren’t made for walking it seems) all make me turn away from my TV screen. I’m beside myself with Claire’s “mistreatment” during “The Garrison Commander.” I can’t even talk about how much I wanted to hop through my screen and beat the crap out of ‘Black Jack’ Randall, because he takes over as Jonathan steps aside. If Claire didn’t realize women were at the bottom of the totem pole before, she knows it now. It has to smart, her being an independent woman used to nothing but respect from her male counterparts. Knowing her sex doesn’t offer leeway of any kind puts her in warrior mode. She uses her brain to evade what she suspects is coming and doesn’t wait on a man to rescue her. I applaud Claire for showing no fear, but also really wish she would have turned around and walked out the door once she saw who was waiting for her.

Talk about keeping it real. Outlander doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff—Jaime’s return, a man losing his arm, and Claire’s interrogation. It makes me wonder just how severe future episodes will be with what I know is coming.

Memorable Lines

Claire to Dougal: “I’m fine.”

Isn’t there some saying about this never being the case? Well, Claire may think she’s OK but what a punch to the gut that turns out to be.

Captain Randall to Claire: “You don’t have the look of a woman who would rouge her nipples.”

Gentleman he is not.

Claire: “I understand flogging is something of a sport to you.”

Captain Randall: “Oh, on the contrary, I take it very seriously.”

Yikes.

Captain Randall to Claire: “The truth carries the weight that no lie can counterfeit. I promised you that I would reveal myself to you. I have.”

Overall

And it begins…

Probably one of the more disturbing episodes but “The Garrison Commander” pushes Outlander into another league. This is television worth watching. Well, when you aren’t eating a burger, that is. Wedding bells are in the future, folks. Those of us who’ve read the novels know what that means. I’m more than looking forward to the next two episodes. I can’t be the only one to feel this way, so drop me a line in the comments section or tweet me @ellemoe to discuss. 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