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Outlander - Wentworth Prison - Review: "Shall We Begin?"

17 May 2015

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Outlander - Wentworth Prison - Review

Last week on Outlander, Jenny and Claire began the search for Jamie and ended up torturing a courier for information. Claire and Murtagh sang and danced for all to see, they both later ran into some trouble with gypsies. Also, Dougal returned and offered his hand in marriage to Claire, in which Claire accepted, but only if Jamie turned out to be dead. Claire also asked Dougals men to accompany her to Wentworth, three joined her and Murtagh and they headed for Wentworth Prison.

"Truth be told, I'm not looking forward to it much myself" Taran

Jamie, this episode, is at Wentworth Prison, about to be hung for his crimes. Taran, who also faced execution, was with Jamie. Both men, whilst honorable and fearless, were scared of something, dying like cowards, not men. Taran faced the ugliest of executions, instead of a quick neck snap like the previous criminals, he felt it, Jamie felt it, I felt it. It wasn't justice, it was cruelty. No matter what the crime no one deserves to have a painful and agonizing death, Taran especially didn't deserve it. He was loyal, respectable, and honorable and deserved to go out fighting. Jamie narrowly avoided death himself and was saved by Black Jack, which later, he would soon regret being thankful for.
Claire, after spending the entirety of last episode searching for Jamie, knows where he is, except the task that lay ahead, she knew and we, wasn't going to be easy. Wentworth is a fortress and to escape it, yet alone enter it, you'll need to be intellectually brilliant, luckily for Claire, she is. Claire is persuasive and can be manipulative when she needs to be, and she showed that when talking to Sir Fletcher. Claire uses a different type of persuasion, which is what makes her unique. She connects with Sir Fletcher on a personal level because she notices things, such as the Christian book on the table. She uses her surroundings to her advantage which when persuading people, such as Sir Fletcher, appears all the more believable.

Even though Claire made a persuasive argument, and a believable story up in order to see Jamie, Sir Fletcher wasn't able to help her. This not only crushed Claire, but whatever hope she had was gone. She wasn't devastated, she was mortified, knowing her husband may well die because she failed to save him. Watching Murtagh carry her away from the prison was powerful and showed his affection for her, they may not be close, but they're getting there. He's the closest she has to a friend, and boy did she need one for the things to come.

When all hope was lost for Claire, a solution came in the most unlikeliest of places. Both Angus and Rupert were never too fond of Jamie, so just going with Claire was a surprise to her, and even to me. This episode they did show some affection for him and proved that they weren't just two drunks. They found vital information out about the warden which provided a way into Wentworth Prison. We haven't really got to know either one of them, but like Murtagh they keep their feelings hidden, and although they may not present any affection or emotion for anyone, do care. They want to help Jamie as much as Claire does, and they proved that.

"I should have slit your throat when you were unconscious at Fort William" Claire

Claire's desire to get her husband back had never been stronger, than this episode. She loves Jamie and was willing to risk her life getting him back. Claire only had one thought in mind, rescue Jamie or die trying. Her entering the prison alone, once again, proved how powerful their bond is. They have only been together for such a small amount of time, but their connection is intimate and powerful. The story of Claire and Jamie, will not only go down as one of the greatest ever told, it will go down in the history of television. I have seen a lot of shows where a husband and wife take center stage, but nothing quite on the scale Outlander is with Jamie and Claire, it's magnificent.

It was the scenes that followed Claire entering the prison that caught my attention, not because they were heartfelt or beautiful scenes, but because they were horrifyingly brilliant. Black Jack is a tormentor, he enjoys, no, he takes pleasure, from making people uncomfortable and miserable. He's a sadist. He does what he wants for his own satisfaction, nothing else. We saw back in "Lallybroch" the work Black Jack had started, and also in the "The Garrison Commander" on Jamie. He wasn't trying to seduce him, he was trying to break him.

In a failed attempt at a rescue, both Jamie and Claire had to endure violations from Black Jack and his man. Claire may not have received half of what Jamie did, but watching Randall's man feel her up, was uncomfortable and disturbing to watch. It's never easy to watch something like that, but it did represent how filthy and dishonorable men were back then, not all men were good, and that man showed that. Thankfully, Jamie killed that man, during another failed attempt by Claire, this time, to kill Randall.

Claire may have been there to rescue Jamie, but it was Jamie who rescued Claire. Jamie, in what was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have seen, told Randall he can have him if he let Claire go. Jamie feared Randall, but he feared for Claire's safety more. He's a protector, Claire's protector. Jamie was treated to only a small portion of what Randall was about to do to him, he kissed him, forcefully, and also nailed his hand. It was brutal, but it was Claire's harrowing screams of disgust and devastation that made the scene horrifying, unpleasant and unbearable to watch. This wasn't torture, this was a sadist who procures sexual pleasure from hurting people, something I fear Claire and Jamie will never fully recover from.

We may not have seen what Randall did, that will be left for the finale, but our imaginations are much worse than seeing it. Hearing Black Jack say "Shall we begin" was chilling as it was cold. You didn't have to see what he meant because you knew, my imagination didn't do me any favors. Also, Tobias and Sam deserve to be commended for their fine display of professionalism and fine acting, it was nothing short of outstanding within that scene, in particular.

Elsewhere, much earlier in the episode Randall was made vulnerable by Jamie's letter to the Duke. Randall isn't entirely fearless, he fears people finding out about him, he's scared of dying, even if he won't admit it. Seeing the letter gave him all the more reason to torment and torture Jamie. He's see's Jamie as a trophy, someone who he's tormented for years, someone who he's trying to break. This episode it worked. He was slowly breaking Jamie piece by piece.

Jamie doesn't give up, but once Randall crushed his hand, he was partially done. Watching the hand crush was painful and excruciating, but showed how Jamie is a warrior, someone who, despite being at his lowest point, will always get back up. Through the years, even after Randall's continued attempts at breaking him, has continued. He's brave, which is what makes him such a great character. He's strong and courageous, and may be one of the greatest characters ever to be created.

Summary
This was a horrifyingly brilliant episode. It was dark, twisted and in some cases unpleasant to watch, but that's a part of the story, not everything that will happen will be pleasant. This showed, in a sense, the true darkness that surrounded Black Jack. He's a monster and enjoys the satisfaction he gets from knowing he's breaking someone. This episode also represented the glorious acting from Tobias and Sam who were both outstanding throughout, if awards were given out solely on one episode, Sam and Tobias would be winning by a clear mile. Overall, it was a solid episode that left chills going down my spine, and presented a nicely drawn cliffhanger that makes the anticipation for the finale even harder to take. Sadly, there's no new Outlander next week, but it's back on the 30th.

As always, thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments what you thought of "Wentworth Prison"
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, Game of Silence, Limitless, Outlander, The Bastard Executioner and Z Nation. Feel free to connect with him on any of these social media sites.
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41 comments:

  1. What did you think of the episode?

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  2. Annette Jones Sailors17 May 2015 at 03:36

    Absolutely brilliant! Acting, directing, acting, the music: all led to an intense, amazing, depraved, dark, brilliant episode.

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  3. Couldn't agree anymore. I had initial fears this would be a really dark episode, but going by the promo it appears next week will be the nail biting episode.


    The production team/writers/actors were all outstanding, and deserve to each be commended for their fine work.

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  4. Thank you Robert, beautifully written, I don't need to see it and am glad I decided not to put myself through this torture. I've read all I need to know about this ep. Hope Sam and Caitronia are honest when they said the finale was satisfying. All the awards to Sam, it's no wonder he had a mini meltdown at the end of the season.

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  5. Thank you for your kind words!


    I did expect a lot more horrifying and unpleasant moments if I'm honest, but going by the promo for the finale, the worse is still to come. The episode as a whole was brilliant, it wasn't pleasant, but the acting was so good I didn't care about the torture scenes as much as they were hard to watch.


    I'm hoping for a satisfying ending as well, and I kind of wish the finale was 2hrs. There's a bit yet to cover from the end of the book and I'm worried that it won't all fit into a single episode, but I have faith in the writers regardless to give us a good ending for the finale. The one thing I don't want is a cliffhanger.


    Sam, Tobias and Caitrona seriously deserve Emmy nominations, they have been incredible all season long.

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  6. TammyTamaidh Bursoni17 May 2015 at 04:26

    It truly was as you best put it. " This was a horrifyingly brilliant episode. It was dark, twisted and in some cases unpleasant to watch" Not to mention cried. Best Outlander reviewer out there.

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  7. Thank you Tammy, that's really kind of you to say!


    I meant every word, it wasn't pleasant, it was horrifying, but it was brilliant at the same time.


    The actors especially helped make the episode great with their fine acting, Sam and Tobias delivered their best performances to date. Just incredible.

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  8. TammyTamaidh Bursoni17 May 2015 at 04:56

    You are most Welcome! I can always feel when you write, doesn't feel robotic like other's. Helps to be a fan, and reading those books. #EmmysforOutlander Ensemble Emmy would be nice. Can't wait for the ratings. 2 weeks til the finale. Boo.

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  9. Aww dark, I feel sick

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  10. I thought Rupert and Angus liked Jamie? That's been my impression throughout the series.


    The scenes between Jack and Jamie were difficult but, for me, not nearly as difficult as that hanging sequence. Black Jack Randall cares about what's between himself and Jamie. It all means something. It's evil and cruel but it MEANS something to him.


    But those soldiers were killing man after man and it wasn't important. They didn't care. Human beings were being killed and not one of those soldiers thought anymore of it than someone doing the barracks laundry or peeling potatoes.


    I literally yelled at the television for the fact that they stopped the episode without rescuing Jamie.


    Thanks for your review. The ep was dark and emotionally harrowing because of the quality of the writing and the performances.

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  11. Alexandra Finet17 May 2015 at 08:46

    very very hard too see

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  12. You know I got the complete opposite impression from them throughout the series, if you look back to when they were at "Castle Leoch" they seem aggravated by Jamie's presence. Time and time again I got the feeling that they didn't like him for whatever reason.


    The hanging scene was very difficult to watch, especially watching Taran's slow and agonizing death, very unpleasant. Some of the Black Jack/Jamie scenes were difficult for me, most notably their last scene together where he says "Shall we begin" with Jamie their crying, it was heartbreaking.


    I think Black Jack just wants to break him to be honest. He does see a connection between himself and Jamie, because they've been in these situations before, Jamie prisoner, and Black Jack in control (floggings). They have a long history, which is why, in a sense, I felt he wanted to give Jamie a proper death. He may not care for Jamie, but everything that's happened between them is his history with Jamie, that means something to Randall, so yes I agree. Although, he's still just a sadist.


    The writing/directing/production team/actors, everyone did a fantastic job on it. It just shows us that even when producing a rather dark and twisted episode the quality is still there, and in my opinion, especially the acting, better.

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  13. I can't either. Although after seeing the promo, I'm dreading it, but anticipating it at the same time. At least you have two weeks to recover before the next episode!

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  14. It was very hard to watch. The hardest scene to watch, personally, was when Black Jack was hurting Jamie in front of Claire, her screaming didn't help, it made the scene even more unbearable.


    The finale is meant to be even worse, in terms of dark and horrifying scenes, so you'll need to prepare yourself.

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  15. It takes me while to write this review, because I like to get it just right. I think Outlander deserves a passionate and well thought out review, and that's what I like/try to give it.


    I'm hoping the ratings are up from last week considering how big the episode was, and also because it was talked about a lot on social media, and in various articles as well. The wait for the finale is a pain, but it gives me a reason to re-watch a few episodes.

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  16. Alexandra Finet17 May 2015 at 12:55

    I agree, this scene was terrible. it's the first time it's so difficult to see a scene even if I have read the books. The next episode will be awful to see... I don't konw if I can watch all the scenes...

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  17. Oh Robert, you got all my thoughts down in one tightly-written and amazing review. Just finished watching it before and I felt like I'd been punched in the face. Kind of in a good way though. The writing is so well-done that the show doesn't gratitiously show violence for the sake of it, but it has a purpose and we see how the characters deal with it and how much they suffer and it's heartbreaking and damn I feel like crying a little. But yeah, the writing, acting, all of it was so beautiful. Beautifully brutal.

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  18. Rupert and Angus: This is why I love discussing shows, movies and books. Because we look at the same scenes and can see something slightly different. I saw those scenes when they were aggravated by Jamie's presence...as a sibling thing. Like Jamie's always been the younger brother they constantly tease (especially when they're drunk which is a lot of the time) but no one else is allowed to pick on him.


    I think that for Black Jack it was simply the control and power...until Jamie denied him and didn't break. I don't think Black Jack cares one wick about how Jamie dies. I think he cannot stand the fact that Jamie is (likely the first) man that he couldn't break and he could not let Jamie die without breaking him...and if he's due to die then there's no reason for Black Jack to pull any punches.


    What I was trying to say was that the hanging scene was so difficult for me because of the lack of emotion. There wasn't hate, or contempt, or bitterness or ANYTHING from those soldiers except boredom and tedium. At least with Black Jack there was emotion. The scenes between Jack and Jamie were hard to watch because I don't want Jamie hurt but the hanging sequence was more difficult because they hit me at a moral level....especially because I accept the historical reality of it and that just upsets me more.


    complete agreement on the quality of the ep. I hope I didn't just repeat myself a lot. Great review. thanks

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  19. Excellent review. There's nothing more for me to add except: Ditto! All three, Cait, Sam and Tobias deserve and Emmy for their performance. They were outstanding. What's killing me is the two weeks wait for the finale.

    I would also like to thank Bear McCreary for his beautiful music. I noticed new pieces in last week's episode already, and now in this one as well.

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  20. All three actors are always outstanding in every episode, but this episode they were even greater, which is hard to believe, seeing as each of them are already some of the finest actors/actresses ever to grace our screens.


    The two week wait won't be pretty, but at least it will give us a chance to recover and prepare for next week, as going by the promo it will be much darker, and horrifying than 1.15.

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  21. The finale looks brutal, much darker than this episode. Some scenes will be very hard to watch, but apparently there's some really good scenes, that are heartfelt and beautiful, so the entire finale won't just be one horrific episode.

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  22. I love discussing shows/movies as well, everyone seems to interpret things different, but to be honest, in regard to Rupert and Angus, unless something is confirmed either could be right.


    I see where your coming from about the hanging, the soldiers were emotionless, they didn't care that they were killing man after man after man. To them, killing them men was just a job, something I'm sure they've got use to doing over the years so I can see why they were so emotionless, but it did feel wrong. They should have cared, every life matters even one of a criminal.

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  23. Jody Proctor Smith18 May 2015 at 03:40

    Thank you for this great review! The episode was one of the best so far. Sam, Cait, and Tobias were all excellent. Sam didn't have to say a word; his face said it all! It was dark, but so well done. Kudos to the actors and crew. We have two weeks to divest this one and wait for another outstanding episode, I'm sure.

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  24. Thank you for reading it!


    It was a brilliant episode, despite me being horrified by a few parts, it was one of the best from the entire series, so far. The acting was glorious, some of the best acting I have seen from all three of them, and now I feel is the time to repeat that these three, Sam, Cait and Tobias deserve Emmy nominations.


    Sam was the highlight this episode, he was incredible in every scene. That scene where BJR said "Shall we begin" was horrifying, but watching Jamie show different signs of emotions, struggling, was hard to watch, but Sam did Jamie justice by portraying Jamie's fear excellently.

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  25. Thank you Gavin!


    It was an unpleasant episode, a horrifying one, but it was brilliant at the same time. The acting was so powerful that it made all the dark, and twisted scenes easier to watch. Jamie and Claire's story isn't going to always be one pleasant journey, and this episode proved that.


    If I'm honest I shed a few tears during the episode myself, especially the scene where Claire is screaming and Jamie is being tortured by BJR.

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  26. The "kiss" was so humiliating, and it was just the beginning I can't imagine what came next.

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  27. We will see what happened next to Jamie in the finale, so prepare yourself, because it won't be pretty.

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  28. Excellent review! I've read the books but I still wasn't prepared for the horror of this episode. I actually had to pause at one point, draw a deep breath, and then continue. The acting was wonderful and they all three deserve Emmys. Sam managed to convey so many emotions within such a short amount of time. The part where Claire is torn from Jamie was brutal to watch and Jamie's single tear at the end crushed me. It will take me all of the two weeks to come to get over this episode and I hope that there are some beautiful scenes to end this season.

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  29. Alexandra Finet18 May 2015 at 20:37

    Yes, the end of the episode (I have read the book) will help me to watch the scenes between Jamie and Black Jack. 2 weeks is too long to wait

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  30. It is. I'm not from America so have no idea, but is there a big event or celebration day coming up next Saturday? I can't understand whey they're not airing it next week.

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  31. Thanks!


    I have read some of the books, just started number 5, but I too wasn't fully prepared. I mean its one thing reading about these horrific events, but actually seeing it...


    I have said since the beginning of the season that Cait, Sam and Tobias deserve Emmys, and I still stick by that, it would be an injustice if they aren't nominated. They're three of the most talented actors around and deserve some recognition. They each always deliver a power, but emotional and moving performance each episode, this episode especially.

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  32. It's Memorial Day weekend (Memorial Day being observed on Monday), it's the unofficial start of "summer" but it is a very somber holiday. It is to honor all the men and women who served and died fighting in the US military, originating after the Civil War but includes all wars since. Most Americans are very busy this weekend with parades and gatherings and placing flags on veterans graves, and it is a long weekend since Monday is a Federal Holiday and no school and most businesses closed.

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  33. Alexandra Finet19 May 2015 at 08:07

    I'm from France so I don't understand too ...

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  34. Its Memorial Weekend, see comment below.

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  35. Oh, thanks for letting me know. I wasn't aware.


    That's understandable, its a very important day honoring the woman and men who died fighting.

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  36. What a great review & much appreciated the respectful treatment, given the sensitive nature of this episodes content. I can't say that for some of the reviews, I've read.

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  37. Carol Jo Lonis Neagle21 May 2015 at 22:33

    It was heartbreaking and wonderful... If that sounds strange, it's because by saying it was wonderful I mean that it was some of the most powerful, excruciating, and exceptional acting by a cast, that I've ever experienced on TV... Sam Hueghan put it all out there and excelled, as did Caitronia Balfe, and Tobias Mendes (sorry If I mis-spelled a few names).

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  38. Thank you!


    The episode was a sensitive matter, something like that is never easy and needs to be handled/talked about with care. The episode itself though, despite being horrifying, was indeed brilliant. The acting was very good, which surprisingly made it among the strongest from the series given the content.

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  39. It was wonderful, the performances were excellent, some of the best I have ever seen. The episode was a sensitive subject, but was handled well, and brought out the best of the three main actors. It's was one of the best episodes from the series so far, I thought, because of such fine acting. A remarkable episode.


    Sam Heughan doesn't have to say anything and yet his facial expressions, emotions, says it all. A powerful and moving performance by him, he needs an Emmy.

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  40. Rachelle Yasumura28 May 2015 at 00:43

    Great review! You said it perfectly in one comment below.. It's one thing to read it, but the visual hits me square in the chest. My favorite snap was Claire finding Jaime lying on the floor. She gently raises his head then goes into nurse-mode, only to hear BJR comment in her craziness to free him.

    Good writing & acting breeds love or hate for a character. I disliked BJR from the books. Cheers to Tobias Menzies for bringing this horrific character to life; one we love to hate.

    This epi finally showed true love between Jaime & Claire. Sacrifice with the knowledge the end is death.

    The epi was masterfully translated on screen by all who touched it. The finale will most certainly warrant a drink or two with the knowledge we know where it's ending (or heading towards Book 2).

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  41. Thanks.


    It is, the books are fantastic, but when your reading you can only imagine what's happening, but seeing it is a whole different story.


    I love to hate BJR, Tobias does a magnificent job portraying him. I couldn't imagine anyone else taking on the role. BJR is a sadist, but the way it comes across is just horrifying. Tobias for this episode alone, yet alone the others, deserves an Emmy nod.

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