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Directed by: Brian Kelly Written by: Toni Graphia First aired on September 6, 2014 Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is sitting on the shore of a lake, gazing over the beautiful expanse of water and mountains. Absently, she recites, outloud, a poem by John Donne (1572-1631): "Absence, hear thou my protestation Against thy strength, distance and length. Do what thou canst for alteration . . ." She is surprised when Ned Gowan (Bill Paterson), Dougal's lawyer, quietly joins her and finishes the verse with her, "For hearts of truest mettle, Absence doth still, and Time doth settle." Ned confesses that John Dunne is one of his favorites. As the rest of the group is racously roughhousing and shouting merrily in Gaelic, Claire and Ned chat, and Claire asks Ned what they are talking about. Somewhat embarrased, Ned tells her that Willie (Finn Den Hertog) is being teased because it is his first time on the road with them, and he is being encouraged to "have Biblical relations . . . ah, with his sister." Claire, used to the rough language of Army personnel, isn't shocked, and she and Ned stroll along the shore of lake. Ned tells her that he's along to take care of records and receipts. As he tucks something in to his horse's pack, Claire admires his portable desk. He describes how the rents are collected -- as grain, fowl, even goats, but admits that he has drawn the line this year -- no pigs. His persistent coughing draws Claire's attention, and diagnosing a case of asthma, she gives him some thornapple to smoke in his pipe and calm the coughing. As he begins to inhale, Claire thinks to herself that the thornapple — also known as Jimson weed — relieves the asthma symptoms. The treatment works quickly, and Dougal (Graham McTavish) calls for the group to continue on down the road. As they travel down the road, Ned and Claire continue to get to know each other. He tells her that he studied law in Edinburgh and had a nice office "with lace curtains in the window and a shiny brass plaque with his name engraved on it," but wanted more adventure in his life, so he moved to the Highlands. Claire observes, to his amusement, that he may be a man of the law, but he has the soul of a romantic. Claire enjoys getting to know Ned, but is still single-minded in her determination to return to the standing stones at Craig na Dun and the 20th century. When they stop to camp for the evening, she is an outsider as the rest of the party speaks only Gaelic -- she knows they are talking about her, and is annoyed that they are using the Gaelic to deliberately exclude her. Disconsolately, she reminds herself not to let it bother her, since she won't be there very long, but she still feels alone. Jamie (Sam Heughan) joins her, and tells her not to let them bother her. "They hate me," she mutters. Jamie acknowledges that they don't trust her. "Well," he says with a wink, "maybe Angus (Stephen Walters) hates you -- but he hates everyone!" Claire smiles at his attempt to cheer her. She asks him if he thinks she is a British spy, and he tells her no, but that he thinks that there are things that she isn't telling them, and that she had tried to run away during the Gathering -- and is still thinking about it, "plain and clear." Chagrined, Claire cuts the conversation short. "It's been a long day," she says shortly, walking away from him. Jamie reminds her, "You did ask," but she ignores him and goes to her tent. The next day, at a village, Claire is bored, and watches Ned collect the rents. She notices that some money goes into a different pouch. Dougal is genial with the villagers, knowing most of them and their families by name. As one family brings a live pig for rent payment, Ned is unenthusiastic, and when Claire asks him about his vow of no pigs, he just shakes his head in resignation. With nothing to do, Claire begins to wander around the village, and tries to follow the source of some singing that she hears. She encounters one of the women, Donalda Gilcrist (Valerie Edmond) who asks if she needs help. Claire admits that the song is new to her, and the woman tells her that it's a working song, as they are working wool. Claire admits that she's not accustomed to being idle, and the woman notes that she has strong hands. "Idle? We'll see about that . . ." and invites Claire to follow her. They join a group of women merrily singing at a large worktable, and beating a length of wool. When the woman introduces Claire, the singing stops abruptly and scowls replace their earlier merriment. Uncomfortable, Claire takes a tentative seat, and joins in. As one of the women splash the wool with a liquid, Claire's nose wrinkles: "That's pungent . . is that . . ?" "Aye, it's hot piss -- it sets the dye," confirms the woman matter-of-factly. They start another work song in Gaelic, and make room for Claire to sit with them -- Claire tentatively picks up the refrain and joins in with the working of the wool and the song. After a long spell of working the wool, the women take a break, drinking a strong brew. A baby wakes up, crying, and Claire's new friend explains that the baby is hungry because it is teething, but they had to give the goat to the laird. Claire is disturbed. "That doesn't seem fair," she mutters. Later, she asks if Craig na Dun is nearby, and discovers that it is three days away. One of the women tells a story about a man who swore he saw fairies there, but it turned out to be a sheep, instead. Everyone laughs, and then prepares to go back to work. But more hot piss is needed, and Claire is invited to "contribute" to the pot. A bit embarrassed, but willing, she lifts her skirts and squats over the pot -- just as an agitated Angus (Stephen Walters) bursts in. He's been "looking to hell and back for ye!" and tells her that they are ready to go. When she protests that they aren't finished, he grabs her roughly and shoves her out the door. When she continues to protest, Angus observes that she's been drinking and smells like piss. "Well, THAT'S the pot calling the kettle black!" she retorts, snatching her arm away from him. They are both angry, and Angus threatens to tie her to the wagon. As they walk to the assembled wagons, she spots the goat. She snatches it and begins to lead it back to the women, to the protests of one of the party. They argue, and Angus observes that she's drunk. "I am no such thing!" she declares, fighting over the goat. Douglal appears, and asks Angus where he found her, and why is it so hard to keep track of one Sassenach. "Slippery as an eel, that one!" Angus protests, as Claire continues her tug-of-war over the goat. She confronts Dougal, asking if the goat is more important than letting the children go hungry, but Dougal is adamant -- the goat is payment, faire and square, and goes with them. Suddenly, a cultured British voice rings out: "Madam, is everything all right? May I be of service?" To her surprise, a young man, wearing a work apron, has appeared. Neatly groomed, he does not resemble the other wild-looking Highlanders, and his language is that of a gentleman. Angrily, Angus and Dougal tells him to mind his own business, but he persists, telling them that he is talking to the lady. "The 'lady' is a guest of Clan MacKenzie," declares Dougal pointedly. "Do you treat all your guests this way?" the young man inquires. Angus tells him to "bugger off", and, after a few more insults and sizing up the unfriendly MacKenzie group, the young man decides the odds are against him and withdraws. Dougal orders her to mount up and get ready to leave -- no one notices that that young man ducks back into his hut and quickly dons a British officer's redcoat and tricorn hat. That evening, Dougal is talking expansively to the villagers in the local tavern, as everyone laughs and relaxes. As one party leaves, the doors are locked, and the atmosphere changes noticeably. Dougal begins an earnest speech in Gaelic, which rises to a crescendo as he grasps Jamie's shirt and tears it from his back, exposing his scars from his lashing. The crowd gasps in horror, and after a few more words, the crowd starts contributing a few coins, which Ned carefully places in a pouch as Jamie sits in stoic fury. After the crowd leaves, Dougal reviews the take, and pronouces it a good sum for the size of the village. He pats Jamie on the back and chortles that "with Jamie's back, it's as good as money in the bank!" as Jamie winces. Gathering up the torn shirt, he tosses it at Claire, demanding that she mend it. Outraged at his actions, she throws the shirt back at him, telling him to mend it himself. Dougal, taking a long drink, sniffs and informs her that he won't be mending it, and Claire relents, stooping to gather the shirt from the floor. Tightly, Jamie declares that he will be mending his own shirt, and grabbing the torn shirt, angrily stomps out. The next day, Claire sits apart from the group by a stream, and Ned brings her some black pudding, "an acquired taste," and joins her. She accepts the sausage, and then takes him to task, asking him if he thinks that Colum would approve of him helping Dougal steal money from his tenants, and using his nephew Jamie to do it. Ned's face is impassive, but he acknowledges that she is a "canny lassie." Smugly, she goes on to say that she just wants to know how the system works. "Two bags of money, obviously -- are there two sets of books as well? One for each brother?" Ned acknowledges that she seems to have it all sorted out. Claire remarks that she didn't know that they taught common thievery at the University of Edinburgh. Ned tells her that she's got a good head on her shoulders and a tongue for argument. "You'd make a fine advocate yourself -- it's a pity they don't allow women to practice law!" "Not yet," Claire says darkly. Ned rises to leave, lightly telling her that "we have a few centuries before that happens!" "Only two," Claire says to herself, gazing into the stream. Turning, she sees Dougal gazing at her, unsmiling, and realizes that she has lost whatever small measure of trust that she had managed to acquire from her efforts at healing. After weeks on the road, watching the same money-gathering routine, Claire's feeling of helplessness grew, knowing she was no closer to Craig na Dun, and may have to reconcile herself to living the rest of her life among strangers. One day, they come upon a family struggling against a band of men as their house is burning, who Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) explains is the Watch, a group that extracts fees to protect cattle -- "or else, they will steal them themselves!" Claire is disgusted at the extortionist practices, but is surprised when one of their party rides up to the group, talks to them and comes back with a bag of fowl. Claire wonders why they are burning the house, and Murtagh explains that the family is suspected of being British sympathizers. Claire is outraged, and Ned explains that even though the Watch may be criminals, it's considered worse to have British sympathies. As the bag is shown to Dougal, Claire caustically observes that Dougal got his cut, and Ned demures, "Ah, no, that's just business." Claire realizes that Jamie is nowhere to be found, and Ned explains that if the Watch caught him, they would turn him in for the price on his head. "Their loyalty lies where the money lies," observes Murtagh matter-of-factly, and their party continues their trip. At a stop for a meal, the fowl are cooked over a fire, and Claire is offered a portion. She refuses the bird, declaring piously that she has no appetite for stolen food. Angus takes offense, and jumps up to confront her. Heated words are exhanged, and Angus threatens her with his dirk. Jamie tries to deflect the anger, as he cheerfully reminds Angus that it doesn't matter if she doesn't eat, it just leaves more for the rest of them. Angus relents, spitting the ground at Claire's feet contemptuously, and Claire stomps away from the group to settle on a fallen tree. Jamie approaches her, asking what got into her to talk to Angus that way. Angrily, Claire tells him that "Angus can kiss my British ass!" Jamie shakes his head a bit at the language, and tries to make her see that her words were "fighting words". Claire angrily tells him that "where she comes from . . ." but is interrupted by Jamie reminding her that it doesn't matter where she comes from -- she's here. She asks him defiantly if she's just supposed to stand by and watch, but Jamie cautions her that she should not judge things that she doesn't understand, and urges her to stay out of it. At another village, Dougal is reviewing the subdued villagers' rent payments, and notices that one man, with his hat anxiously crumpled in his hand, isn't paying. The man explains, hesitantly, that the Redcoats had been through two days ago and taken everything. He reminds Dougal that he has always been prompt with his rent, but "this evening, I can't feed my family." He gazes anxiously at Dougal, and everyone waits to see what Dougal's decision will be. He thinks for a moment, pats the man on the shoulder reassuringly, and then strides to the wagons, pulling down a bag of food, and hands it to the man, telling him that his family will eat tonight, and later he will join them for a drink. He turns to the villgers and announces that tonight, everyone will eat, and later "join us for a dram." As everyone relaxes and begins to gather food, Claire tells Dougal that she knows his motives -- the more he feeds them today, the more money he will collect for himself that evening. Angrily, Dougal advances on her, but Ned jumps up and inserts himself in the argument, warningly telling Dougal that "the lass can see right through us -- the Scots are not as canny as the British, it's a good thing we aren't doing this in Oxfordshire." There's an odd note in the warning that Claire is confused by, and though Dougal is obviously irritated by her words, he asks her what she is accusing him of. "A penny for the laird, a pound for your own pocket," she sneers, "or whatever you want to call it. Dougal takes a deep breath, looks away, and then looks back at her, calmly. "I call it clan business, and none of yours," he tells her, and leaves her standing with Ned, who looks at her with a combination of reproachfulness and "I told you so." In the tavern that even, Claire wearily listened to the same Gaelic speech she had heard dozens of times, and saw the same performance of Jamie's shirt being removed to show his scars. Suddenly, though, she catches a familiar phrase: "Love live the Stuart!" In a flashback, she remembers Frank (Tobias Menzies) and the Reverend Wakefield (James Fleet) in the Reverend's study explaining the Jacobite rebellions of the early 1700s -- the uprising of 1715, and the most famous one in 1745, with Bonne Prince Charles, a pretender to the British throne who was gathering Scottish sympathizers called Jacobites. Frank is surprised by her questions, and asks what it was she was doing in the desert. Smiling, Claire recites that Jacobite comes from the Latin 'Jacobus', which was the Latin for 'James', since they were followers of King James II, the Catholic king who was overthrown by the Protestants. Frank, proud of her command of the history, teasingly calls her a show-off, and as she gazes at an antique early Scottish flag over the fireplace -- blue, with a white cross -- the Reverand goes on to remind her that the Jacobites had devoted themselves to restoring a Catholic king, and that Charles Stuart had used the Highlands to raise money for a Jacobite army . . . "a lost cause, as it turned out . . ." Claire, sitting by the fire, suddenly puts all the pieces of Dougal's puzzling behavior together -- it wasn't criminal, it was political. The MacKenzies were raising money for the Stuart uprising. Later that evening, as Claire sits thoughtfully by the campfire, she hears Dougal and Jamie arguing. Silently, she moves to within earshot, and hears Dougal defending the collection of money to Jamie, noting that they are all MacKenzies and are given freely. Jamie, however, is tired of being used as an example, and Dougal challenges him as to his loyalties, since it would seem that Jamie's neck would be safer with a Stuart king. "My neck is my own concern, and so is my back!" exclaims Jamie angrily. "Not while you travel with me, sweet lad," Dougal reminds him, leaving him fuming and punching a tree in frustration. Claire carefully asks him if he will continue to allow Dougal to use him, and Jamie admits that he will, saying simply "he's my uncle," and observing that a man has to choose what is worth fighting for. The next morning, as they are packing up the camp, Claire realizes that she sees them differently -- not as criminals, but as rebels, and wishes that she could tell these proud and passionate men that they are on the losing side of history. As the party travels, they come upon two bodies strung up on crude crosses -- crucified, with a "T" for traitor carved on their bodies -- as a warning from the Redcoats. Dougal orders that the bodies be cut down and given a proper Christian burial. Later that evening, Dougal is passionately decrying the British among the Scots. The crowd is subdued by the executions, but is generous with their donations. Later that night, while in bed, Claire hears a noise outside her door. Curious, she goes to the door and peers out carefuly, and then suddenly trips over a huddle pile by her door -- Jamie, curled up asleep at her door. He tells her that the tavern is full of angry Scots and he wanted to make sure they didn't bother her. She thanks him, and invites him to sleep in her room, where it's warmer. He is scandalized, and tells her that it would ruin her reputation. She laughs and reminds him that she sleeps with him and ten other men every night under the stars, but he insists that it's not the same thing at all. She offers him a blanket, at least, to keep warm, and he accepts, assuring her that he will "be right here," outside her door. She goes back to bed, smiling. The next morning, as she comes down to breakfast, a table of townsmen are glaring at her, and muttering under their breath. She joins her group, and greets Jamie, who quickly greets her and leaves to tend to the horses. As she eats breakfast, the townsmen start chortling and laughing. She sits by Ned and quietly asks him why he let her think they were thieves. "What makes you think otherwise?" he asks her, smiling, and she tells him that Dougal's speech convinced her. When Ned is surprised because he didn't think she knew Gaelic, she rolls her eyes and tells him that she has picked up enough to recognize "Love Live The Stuarts", at least. Ned warns her that she may know more than she should. She goes on to tell him that the Stuart cause is a futile one, that they can't win against the British army, the best army in the world. "You talk about it as if the future is already decided," he observes, smiling, allowing as he would put the Scots "fighting hearts" against the British any day. But Claire is pragmatic, reminding him that fighting hearts stand no chance against a cannon. "You're going to lose," she says, emphatically. "That's your opinion," Ned says mildly. She tries to convince him, but he is undeterred. "History -- be damned," he says confidently. They become aware that the Gaelic conversation of the townsmen have attracted the attention of the MacKenzies. Suddenly, the MacKenzies stand up, and a brawl ensues. Later, Claire is tending their injuries, fussing over their fighting. "Any excuse for a fight!" she fumes, but is taken aback when Murtagh tells her, "You were the excuse!" He goes on to tell her that it was her honor they were defending, and that one of the townsmen had called her a whore. Shocked, she looks around at her defenders, who all look down or away, embarrassed. Murtagh explains that she is a guest of The MacKenzie. "We can insult you -- but God help any other man that does!" he finishes, simply. She stands, abashed. As they get ready to mount their horses for the morning's ride, Rupert (Grant O'Rourke) is telling a story about having two girls in bed with him, jealously fighting over which one he will "swive" first. The men are listening avidly, with guffaws. "Can you believe it?!" he exclams. "I believe your left hand was jealous of your right -- that's all I believe!" Claire interjects dryly. After a moment of shocked silence, Rupert breaks out into gales of laughter, and the atmosphere of the party lightens considerably. Jamie, helping Claire with her bridle, says under his breath, with a smile, "You're the witty one!" Rupert exclaims that he has never heard the woman make a joke, and Claire tells him that there's a first time for everything, and the rest of the party laugh and relax. Jamie mentions that is going to be a long ride -- three days before they cross Culloden Moor. Claire, startled, remembers her and Frank's visit to Culloden . . . An engraved stone marks the site of the battle: "The Battle of Culloden was fought on this moor, 16th April 1746." Frank and Claire walk the windswept moor, as Frank describes the total devestation of the Jacobite army, all within the space of an hour. He then goes on to describe that Culloden was only the beginning of the British devestation of Scotland, and how their rules on no gatherings, no tartans, and the slow dismantling of the clans meant that Culloden was also the beginning of the end for the Highland way of life in Scotland. They stroll by stone markers that commemorate the clans that took part in the uprising -- one of them etched with a simple "Clan MacKenzie." She wonders how many of these men will be alive after Culloden. At a rest stop, Angus unbends enough to carry her packs to the fire, with a friendly smile. She announces that she is going to the river to wash, but no one seems concerned. As she washes, Dougal confronts her, telling her that, for an "English lady of Oxfordshire", she seems to have strong political opinions. He observes that she sees things, and if she tells the Redcoats, they'll be hung from crosses just like the men they cut down. She protests that she is not a spy, but he accuses of her sowing the seeds of doubt in their midst,"working behind the cover of her women's skirts to undermine the Cause." She tries to tell him that she is just trying to warn him. "Warn me about what?" he demands. She thinks, wondering what she can say that will not get her in further trouble, and settles on "I'm trying to save your life," but they are interrupted by the approach of a patrol of Redcoats. One of them greets her: "It's a pleasure to see you again . . and once more, I'll ask you -- is everything all right?" Claire, surprised, recognizes the officer as the young British man from the earlier village, and tentatively greets him. He cooly introduces himself as "Lieutenant Jeremy Foster (Tom Brittney), of His Majesty's army," and the MacKenzies realize that their camp is surrounded by Redcoats. "And this time, I do mean to ascertain the lady's wellbeing." Dougal rises and confront Lt. Foster, telling him that the lady is none of his concern. Uncowed, the Lieutenant asks Dougal who he is, and Dougal proudly tells him "Dougal MacKenzie, Warchief and brother to Colum, Laird of the MacKenzie clan, and the lands upon which you stand." Undeterred, Lt. Foster tells him, "MacKenzie or not, if you are holding this English lady against her will, you will be dealt with." He addresses Claire, and asks her, "Tell me, madam, are you here by your own choice?" Dougal turns to stare at her. The lieutenant waits for her to respond. Claire looks back and forth between them, weighing the possible answers . . . Adapted from IMDb