Tonight’s Outlander is perhaps one of the most thrilling,
gripping, and fast-paced episodes in the show. After Claire and Geillis were
arrested in the previous episode, and with both Dougal and Jamie gone, it is
exciting to know what awaits the two who were branded as witches. Fortunately,
Outlander did not disappointed us with so many heart-breaking revelations in “The
Devil’s Mark.” Here are the events of the eleventh episode of Outlander:
Thieves’ hole. Claire
and Geillis are immediately brought to the thieves’ hole after their arrest. It
is more like a pit where they sleep on rocks with the rats. In their first
night together, both have a rough time arguing who is to blame and who shall
come to rescue. Inevitably, Geilllis confesses to Claire that she has been poisoning
her husband with arsenic months before his death. Claire is horrified but has
no other choice but to work with her.
False witnesses. The
following day, the trial begins and the firewood is prepared for burning the
witches. Much to Claire’s delight, Ned Gowan comes to court and becomes their
lawyer, without Colum MacKenzie’s knowledge. Three witnesses are initially
brought in. First is Jeanie Hume, Geillis’ housekeeper, who exaggerates Geillis’
activities, making them truly appear as witchcraft. However, Ned rebukes him
and convinces the crowd she is only a discontent maidservant. Next is Robena
Donaldson, the mother of the child which Claire found dead in the forest in the
last episode. She accuses Claire with interfering with the fairies, but Ned
argues that the switch between the child and the changeling was completed
before Claire came. The third one is Alistair Duffie who preposterously tells
the crowd about Geillis summoning a thunder during a battle and flying on air.
Bitter witnesses.
The first witnesses are ridiculous and Ned seems to win the case…. Until the
next day when Laoghaire MacKenzie and Father Bain take the witness stand. Laoghaire
sheds crocodile tears while she narrates how Claire took Jamie from her with a
love potion. Meanwhile, Father Bain performs an act that convinces the crowd
that Claire cast a spell on him. In the end, the people want blood and the
two are decided guilty of witchcraft.
Truth about Geillis Duncan.
After heeding Ned’s plan, the process to death penalty begins and Claire is
stripped off and whipped. Before much damage is inflicted, Jamie suddenly comes
to the rescue and fights the people hurting Claire. Geillis empathizes with
Claire and declares she is indeed a witch who bears the child of Satan and who
bewitched Claire into doing things for her. She shows her vaccination mark on
her arm which she says to the crowd as the Devil’s mark. Enraged, the crowd
takes her out of the court to be burned (though it was not shown that she has
been burned).
Claire's confessions. When she
sees her vaccination mark, Claire realizes that Geillis is also like her – a time
traveller. After Jamie rescues
her, they ride to the forest and hide. Jamie demands the truth from her and
Claire, for a long time seeking someone to tell her secrets, confesses
everything – about her life in the future, about what she deduced about
Geilllis, and about the history of Scotland that she knows. Surprisingly, Jamie
believes everything she divulged.
Return home. More
surprisingly, Jamie takes Claire to Horrock where the standing stones are
located. They say painful goodbyes and Jamie leaves Claire so that she can go
home. But that night, while Jamie stands guard from a distance, Claire comes to
him and declares that she wants to go home with him to Lallybroch, Jamie’s
home.
FINAL THOUGHTS. Two
major events happened tonight – Geillis’ death and Claire’s confessions to
Jamie. Now, it is clear why Geillis does the ritual dance by the stones. It is
just very unfortunate that the two women discovered each other’s secret at the
last moment. They could have worked together to return to their own time. But
if we think of it, going back to their own time may not be their choice at all
as shown by Claire. She has indeed fallen in love with Jamie that she opted to
stay. Not much cliff-hanger in there, but still a good reason to await for the
next episode and the two’s life together in Lallybroch.
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