Outlander Returns to Form (and Lallybroch) in the Emotional “First Wife”

Outlander definitely found its center again this week, and maybe it’s because everyone is finally home in Lallybroch.

Claire is a big part of the drama, but the episode fills in more of Jamie’s back story—which makes sense, since this is his home.

Jenny is glad everyone is healthy and well, but she is not happy to see them. She hasn’t seen or heard from Claire in 20 years, and now she is back with Jamie and her wayward son, Ian. No wonder she’s annoyed with him. He left the house and then Jamie lied about where Young Ian was to his dad and best friend.

Lying is never good, but as Claire is about to find out, Jamie has learned a thing or two about lying while she was 200 years away with Frank.

They are in their bedroom talking about Ian and being home with an annoyed Jenny. Claire can’t figure out why Jenny doesn’t like her anymore, when they were once so close.

Jenny explained it to Jamie. She doesn’t understand how Claire could stay away so long. She went with her to get Jamie out of a prison cell. They were the best of friends. And she doesn’t believe Claire’s story about going to the colonies and never checking back on Jamie. She thinks it’s only partially true.

And she’s right, of course, but Jamie and Claire can’t tell her the truth.

And the lie harms the relationship.

Back in the bedroom, he tells her about how he knew she was still around because he was told about the white woman when he escaped from prison, so he swam out to Silkie Island in the freezing cold…

I would have volunteered to warm him.

He then tells her about the treasure he finds and the sapphire he takes back to Lord John Grey. Of course, Claire doesn’t fully understand the nature of his relationship with Grey, but she accepts that Jamie knew what he was doing.

Just as he is getting ready to drop the bomb about his other wife, in walk two little girls, who ask Daddy what is going on.

Claire flips out, and nobody blames her.

Not only is he already married and didn’t tell her, but he is married to Laoghire. The girl who tried to kill her. The girl who always wanted Jamie. And he lied to her.

She starts to pack up her things and he comes back to catch her and they get into it. Part violent fight, part brutal sex, the two break things and go nuts with their rage and chemistry, until Jenny comes in and pours water on them.

Kind of awkward to have your sister walk in on that.

Claire is shaken and upset with Jamie, and her niece Maggie admits that Jenny had her go get Laoghire.

And then as Claire and Jenny speak she says, “ When a horse breaks its leg, you put it down, because it will never heal right—and neither will we.”

Ian is the voice of reason and tells Jenny to calm down.

The next morning, Claire gets up to walk away, but as she is walking through the gate, in walks Laoghire brandishing a gun and she ends up pulling the trigger and hitting Jamie.

Good thing Claire didn’t leave, because she gets to work fixing his arm with the help of Young Ian.

As Jamie is sitting in a chair convalescing, he starts talking and explains to Claire about how he had laughed for the first time at Hogmanay, it had been years since he had been back home, and the girls were so sweet and Laoghire needed a husband and he was lonely so he married her.

He explains that he loved the girls but not really Laoghire and that their marriage had been a bad one, causing them to separate. It being 200 years ago, though, they never actually divorced.

The he has a fever and luckily Claire has that penicillin and gives him his first shot.

Enter Ned Gowan, who is very old, but not too old to work out a divorce and a demand for alimony for Laoghire—which, of course, they don’t have.

It all circles back to the treasure. Jamie tells them about the Mackenzie coins on Silkie Island, but because of his injury, he can’t swim out to get it. Young Ian of course volunteers and as Claire and Jamie watch him swim out to the island they talk about their life, when all of a sudden a pirate ship comes and takes him away.

Leaving us once again in a panic over what has happened to Ian and Jenny’s problem child.

Keri is a professional chatterbox who loves watching TV & movies, reading about pop culture, and gawking at any craziness on the internet. You can follow Keri on Twitter.