‘Outlander’ season 1, episode 15 review: Black Jack Randall sets out to ruin Jamie and Claire
The penultimate episode of “Outlander” season 1 aired on Saturday, and if there is a specific word that can be used to describe it, is is “brutal.” This is one of the hardest episodes of the entire series to watch. It is violet, shocking, and takes no prisoners virtually from start to finish. If you manage to sit through this without feeling incredibly uncomfortable at some point, then you are stronger than most.
So what sort of emotional and physical torture did Black Jack Randall put Jamie through inside of Wentworth Prison? He had a role in having his hand smashed, he used it almost as a post for nail, and sexually assaulted him in a variety of different ways. He had him begging for death and surrender, and completely spoiled any sort of reunion between himself and Claire, who has been desperate to see him. There were times in here that Jamie probably wished for a hanging.
This is a particularly difficult episode to review, mostly because so much of it is more about brutality than almost anything else. Jack was out to break Jamie, and almost prove that he can make almost any love feel insignificant. Maybe he did find some temporary success in that, but both the end of the episode and the tease for the finale give us hope that Claire may still be able to save him … or at least whatever is left of him.
Still, we do have to wonder just how traumatic this may have been for some viewers to witness. To the credit of Tobias Menzies, this is one of the most terrifying performances that we’ve seen from an actor this year; he was so calculated as a villain, knowing precisely what to do and how to best destroy Jamie completely. Tonight’s episode can be best described in two words: Nightmare fuel. Hopefully everyone watching “SNL” or something else to have a laugh after all of this. Grade: B (for execution, and possibly also a B for Brutality). This may have been even too much for us, and watching a variety of TV is our job.
Rolleston
May 25, 2015 @ 6:02 pm
Episode 16 is all about the nature of love between husband and wife. What lengths each will go to to protect and rescue their partner. Simple- and so profoundly illustrated by episode 16 of this stunning serialisation of Ms Galbandon’s breathtaking story
Amiboo
May 24, 2015 @ 6:08 pm
What? Did you actually watch the episode?
“He had a role in having his hand smashed,…” Had a role? Ummm, yeah he took the mallet and smashed the hell of of Jamie’s hand. That’s a little more than just having a role in it.
“…and sexually assaulted him in a variety of different ways…” No, no he didn’t. In this episode he did not sexually assault him at all. That came after the episode was over. It appears that we’ll see part of it in the next episode but you shouldn’t be reviewing that yet.
“… and completely spoiled any sort of reunion between himself and Claire,…” IMO, this wasn’t about a happy reunion. DGabaldon has said that if Jamie had been saved at the last minute it would have diminished the threat of Black Jack. They had been having encounters with BJ all thru the book with him physically assaulting one of them at every turn. C & J get married to protect her from BJ.
Claire was rescued each time BJ attempted to assault her, if Jamie had been rescued last minute it would have been really anti-climatic. Also, the rape of Jamie isn’t the focus. It’s really about Jamie’s sacrifice to save Claire and what they both go thru afterward to recover. This is an event that ripples thruout the entire rest of the series.
delia
May 25, 2015 @ 3:32 am
Kissing someone against their will or making them touch your genitals (even fi it’s over clothing) against their will is sexual assault, and coercion =/= consent, so yes, Randall sexually assault Jamie repeatedly. Also, while Claire has been saved before Randall rapes her, he has sexually assaulted her repeatedly. Sexual assault does not require penetration.
Drew Chatterton
May 24, 2015 @ 3:18 pm
thank you for this honest review- the violence seemed excessive and totally amped up from the book- as you said – too traumatic for many viewers including me. Many will just walk away from the series now without saying a word -not wanting to be attacked by the groupie -bots who regard any dissent as some kind of high treason. Starz is trying to keep up in the ratings with Game of Thrones and other shows that pump out adrenaline rush violence that so many have become inured and addicted to- but its a mugs game -the deeper viewers will be turned off and someone can always beat you in the creepy violence game
Amiboo
May 24, 2015 @ 5:32 pm
I’m confused about what happened that you felt was “amped up from the book”? Everything was virtually identical to what happened in the book. The only scene I can think you mean is the hangings at the start of the episode which I didn’t feel was especially graphic or traumatic. I thought it was a view into how Randall ended up at Wentworth. After all, he’s posted to Fort William and shouldn’t have been at Wentworth Prison at all.
Drew Chatterton
June 16, 2015 @ 5:31 pm
i just re read Outlander- and every thing is certainly not ” virtually identical ” There is brief reference by Jamie to Claire as to what happened before , and descriptions of Jamie ‘s state of mind and suffering after the assault- but no lengthy descriptions of torture and rape as it happened, no nail in hand – that is what i mean by amped up – and more than that – total fabrication.
dee
June 22, 2015 @ 9:24 am
That is because the scenes are in the second book Dragonfly in Amber. It is NOT ramped up.
lahela
May 18, 2015 @ 7:47 am
Methinks you do not know how to grade or review. The Ep was an “A+” and if you read the books, it would be clear that this adaptation is true to the books 100%. It is not up to the actors or the producers to change the books to accommodate the sensitivities of its audience. One would have to be living under a rock (with 25 million plus readers of Ms Galbadon’s books) to be so ignorant of what was coming up in this Ep. Further, this Ep was not about sadism, it was about LOVE. The love between a husband and a wife, a love so strong that either one of them is willing to sacrifice their life for the other. Did you miss that??? The sadism was really the means to show that end. If this is the quality of the review your site renders, I shall not be reading your tripe nor would I be interested in signing up to receive a newsletter. The talent on display in this Ep is Epic. It is too bad you missed it and got distracted by your so called “nightmare”