TV Review: Outlander 1×07 – “The Wedding”

It’s here! It’s here! The day we’ve all be waiting for! Claire and Jamie’s wedding day!

Too bad that Claire isn’t a sliver as excited as we are for this wedding.

With so much anticipation brimming inside of fans, the opening scene is kind of a punch in the heart. Walking happily down the road, hand in hand, Frank and Claire are off to a dinner date with Frank’s parents. They pass by the City Hall, where Frank makes a romantic impromptu proposal of marriage. Claire is speechless, but she, gushing with love, agrees to marry Frank. They run into the building, sliding through the door to become man and wife.

Then, there’s a harsh cut to the end of Claire and Jamie’s nuptials as the strapping young Scot kisses his new bride. From this angle, it looks forced and awkward. Nothing nearly as light and romantic as the scene we just saw.  A bit of a downer, I’d say. We quickly move to the wedding night. Claire and Jamie are both in their room, nervous in different ways. Jamie is happy, and Claire looks a bit dreadful and guilty.

Clips released from this episode earlier this week are misleading. The scenes, one of which you can watch below, are from Jamie’s perspective. It seemed to be like a first for the series.

What I didn’t realize until I tuned in was that those scenes were used as flashbacks as Jamie told her what went on before the wedding. It’s a clever trick, framing the episode around the wedding night. Claire and Jamie talk and get to know each other, and through their conversations and stories, the wedding day and the events preceding it are revealed.

What I liked was that instead of sticking to linear way of telling the wedding day, it did it in a way that would bring Claire and Jamie closer.  The emotional intimacy brought on by Jamie’s stories gives them a smooth transition into a physical relationship. It’s appropriately awkward at first, but the passion is still there. As the night progresses (and the drinking continues), the newlyweds become much more comfortable with affection. It especially helps that Jamie is so openly honest with Claire. He tells her everything, including how Dougal told him not to appear too eager and rush back to his bride. It’s clear that Jamie completely trusts Claire, and in seeing that, she trusts him.

Speaking of Dougal, he’s being kind of a sour bastard about the whole affair. Sure, this is his idea, and we’ll eventually find out the real reason why he is so adamant about this marriage taking place.  However, the end of the episode reminds us that he has a thing for Claire. The tension between Jamie and uncle is bound to get worse.

Back to Jamie and Claire and the GOOD STUFF…  For a few hours that night, they’re lost in each other. Jamie learns a little more about sex, as Claire finds herself happy to be his teacher. Not only are the sex scenes hot, but they are tender and romantic, especially when Jamie gives Claire a strand of pearls that belonged to his mother.

“They are one of the few things I have left of her. Very precious to me. As are you, Claire.”

It’s as if this time period has officially sucked Claire in for good. However, the final moment of the episode brings Claire a reminder of her past. Her ring from her marriage with Frank, which she tucked away in her dress earlier, falls out. She picks it up and slips it onto the ring finger of her other hand. She stares at both hands and the two rings she now wears, looking completely torn and guilty.

Final thoughts on the episode:

• Opening with the Frank and Claire marriage proposal is brutal! I was all excited for some Claire and Jamie time, and that just reinforced how troubling the situation is to Claire. From a character and storytelling aspect, it’s brilliant. From an emotional fan perspective, just ugh.
• Glad they’re keeping true to Dougal’s assholism. Making a move toward Jamie’s wife is not cute. I mean, he doesn’t know it, but she’s already feeling guilty about cheating on one husband.
• This is finally the episode where we get to know Jamie, and not just in the biblical sense. Even though we glaze over his family history and past, what we do find out is interesting and the way he reacts to the whole wedding situation, Claire, and his fellow men say a whole lot. As I mentioned, he’s surprisingly very open with Claire about everything. He’s serious about this marriage, which forces Claire to push her guilty aside and regard it in a serious manner as well.
• Despite the intense moments, I liked the moments of comedy. Wedding plan be quite raucous.
• Claire’s wedding dress was more beautiful than I could ever imagine!
• The final scene says so much. It reminded me of when Claire had her palm read in the first episode. She’s finally seeing the off-putting prediction come true.

Each episode seems to change up the game, but this one is the biggest turning point so far. Now it’s not just a question about how to get back to the 20^th Century. It’s a question of IF she should go back? Which path is the right one?

Rating: 9/10

Check out all of our Outlander coverage here. 

Outlander is rated TV-MA. It airs Saturday nights at 9 ET on Starz.

Enjoy an extra clip from tonight’s episode below:

Advertisement