Outlander - The Devil's Mark - Review: "No One is Coming Geillis"

Outlander - The Devil's Mark - Review

Last Week on Outlander, Arthur was poisoned at the feast, Jamie met the Duke of Sandringham, and Claire and Geillis got arrested and accused of witchcraft.

“No one is coming Geillis” Claire

The trial of Claire and Geillis arrived this episode, with both of them accused of witchcraft. The trial certainly delivered some memorable moments, and it brought out the best of Caitriona Balfe and Lotte Verbeek, but in matter of fact it was surprisingly Bill Paterson as Ned Gowan who stood out the most to me. Ned isn't really a major character so Bill doesn't get too many moments to shine, but the trial was his moment and he was magnificent. The way in which Ned was cutting down each witness’s testimony was excellent and represented his intelligence and vast knowledge of the common law. He is a man of great power, not because he's rich or can fight, but because of his ability to know what's right and what's wrong. I hoping he made it out the trial alive, as it would be a shame for him to die after such a wonderful moment representing Claire.

The trial had many witnesses, most of whom despised Claire or Geillis so their testimonies were biased and the information they were supplying the court was over-exaggerated. One of them was Jeanie who claimed that Geillis was conjuring potion's and sneaking off to the gardens, whilst there was some truth in her statement for the most part it was a lie, especially when she involved Claire in her argument against Geillis. She was just a mad maid who wanted more than she was getting from Arthur.

Another witness, which was perhaps the most bizarre, was Father Bain. He appeared to be helping Claire by saying that she helped Mrs Fitz's nephew, but once he grinned after giving a powerful speech about how he failed god I knew he wasn't helping her. He knew saying all these nice things about Claire would only further incriminate her, as people are more likely to side with a man of faith than a healer. He put on a wonderful performance I'll give him that much, but to hold such a grudge is unbelievable, especially when Claire saved a life of a boy whom he could not.

The most controversial witness was the jealous Laoghaire, who has had it out for Claire ever since she arrived, because she won Jamie's heart. What she was telling the court wasn't a lie, most of it was, in fact, the truth, but she twisted parts such as the love potion to make it appear that Claire was a witch. I couldn't believe she'd dare even accuse Claire when she infact can be classed as a witch herself. I was never a huge fan of her, and now after this episode I dislike her immensely.

The trial eventually takes a turn for the worse and the only solution is for Claire to say that Geillis bewitched her. Ned says that they both can't be saved, which is not what either of them wanted to hear. Geillis agrees to take the fall, but Claire being the admirable woman she is, when asked, refuses to accuse Geillis of witchcraft. I admire Claire valuing friendship and her loyalty to Geillis over her own life, not many people would do that which is why Claire is such a likable character, and possibly the best character ever to grace our screens. Claire, after not giving up Geillis, receives a horrible beating. I was feeling quite uncomfortable seeing it as it reminded me of when Black Jack took the whip to Jamie, although nowhere near as bad. I don't like seeing Claire or Jamie being struck or beaten by anyone so it wasn't a particular highlight, but it did represent part of the punishment for being named a witch which was good to see as it made us more aware of how witches were handled back then.

Whilst Claire was being struck, and just before Jamie arrived, Geillis decided that she couldn't bare to see Claire harmed anymore, so confessed. Her confession was enough to fool the crowd, who were livid, that she was a witch and that Claire was innocent of any wrong doing. It was a noble sacrifice that Geillis was making, and it managed to make me love her even more. She showed great courage, especially after knowing once she confessed it would be all over for her. It was powerful scene watching Geillis being dragged away by the crowd whilst manipulating them into hearing what they wanted to believe, and Lotte Verbeek performed to the highest of standards and deserves some attention for it.

The big reveal though from Geillis was that she was from 1968 as well, only Claire knew, which is why she was so devastated that Geillis confessed to save her, not because she wasn't grateful, but because her confessing meant she was losing someone who was in the same situation as her. She was not only losing a friend, but someone who was from her time.

“Whatever you tell me I’ll believe you” Jamie

After saving Claire, which I knew he would, she finally decides to tell him the truth, the entire truth. It had been a long time coming and now that she's opened up to him they can become stronger as husband and wife, as they say, honesty is the best policy. Jamie has always wanted what's best for Claire, and whilst they didn't meet in the most traditional way they both love each other, Jamie though more than Claire. Claire loves Jamie, but she couldn't give her entire heart to him without letting Frank go, which is what she did this episode. Jamie took Claire to the stones and gave her what she always wanted, a way home.

Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in the scene, in particular, were phenomenal. The touching and emotional sacrifice Jamie was making by letting Claire go really got me, and also the devastating realization that when Jamie said "Goodbye Sassenach" it could well be the last we saw them together, obviously it wouldn't be, but it was still a sad moment. Both actors deserve the highest of praises, they really are two of the most talented around, and thoroughly deserve Emmy's. No episode has ever brought tears to my eyes, until now, so it really does say a lot about the cast of Outlander and how well they perform.

In the end Claire chose Jamie over Frank. She was always going to have to make a choice between them, and have to decide between wanting her new life with Jamie or her previous one with Frank. I was overjoyed that she finally committed herself to a future with Jamie after hesitating to let Jamie love her the way Frank did from the moment she met him. (Jamie) Now Claire's made her choice she and Jamie can move on from her wanting to go home, and can now have a relatively happy life together, I hope.

Summary
Outlander "The Devil's Mark" for me was the show's best episode to date, inching past the wedding episode. It was the show’s most emotional and heartfelt episode as well, with many scenes making me tear up. The show now can move away from the storyline of Claire wanting to go home, and focus on more promising things such as her and Jamie heading to Lallybroch. Overall, this episode was a turning point for Claire and the show, and I'm very much excited to see where the story will be heading next.

As always, thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments what you thought of "The Devil's Mark"

About the Author - Robert Fruin

Robert is a sixth form student from the United Kingdom, who is currently studying IT, Media and Business Studies. Robert is a huge fan of the ended ABC series LOST, he has seen it many times over and has even visited some of the filming locations for it. Robert mainly watches drama series such as Game Of Thrones and Person of Interest, but has a soft spot for the comedy The Middle. Some other shows he watches are Grey's Anatomy, The Walking Dead and The 100. Some other interests include Cycling, Kayaking and Photography.Robert is currently reviewing Black Sails, Helix, The Following and Z Nation. Feel free to connect with him on any of these social media sites.

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