Claire and Jamie's Ghosts Return on 'Outlander'
This season of Outlander has been an uneven one. The show is at its best when it navigates the 18th century through Claire's eyes and explores her relationships with Jamie and the people around her; its worst when it it sends the Frasers on a wild goose chase to solve some larger problem. Just like its critically panned Season 2, Outlander Season 3 has struggled to incorporate requisite plot details from its source material while making time for the things its excels at: character development and the intricacies of human relationships. Tonight's episode, "The Bakra," is the weakest of the season, eschewing the show's strengths for a sloppy, implausible plot featuring witchcraft and a woefully misguided slavery storyline.
Outlander struggled with its depiction of race this season. It tried to depict Yi Tien Cho/Mr. Willoughby with sensitivity, though that fell flat in last week's episode. In "The Bakra," Claire is so overcome by the horrors of the slave market in Kingston, she attacks one of the auctioneers - and inadvertently becomes the owner of an enslaved person named Temeraire. The show clearly intends to illuminate the compassion of Jamie and Claire through this narrative, but it falls right into the white savior trope as Jamie essentially makes a bargain with the enslaved man to do his bidding (help find Young Ian) before setting him free. Temeraire is depicted as incredulous of Jamie and Claire's benevolence, a stereotypical, one-note characterization that renders the storyline tone deaf .
Below, 13 things we learned in Outlander Season 3 Episode 12, "The Bakra." Plus, everything we know about Season 4.
1) The episode's cold open shows what happened to Young Ian right after he was kidnapped.
As Jamie and Claire's screams echo off the Scottish cliffs, a group of pirates drag Young Ian onto their ship, the Bruja. They reveal they're more interested in his treasure than Ian himself; it's meant for someone called "the Bakra," who apparently "likes young boys." (According to dictionary.com, "bakra" is a word of African origin which means "a White person, esp one from Britain," though the show never explains this.) When the ship reaches land, Ian is thrown into a cell with two other young men, one of which explains they're in Jamaica. There were other boys, but they were taken to the Bakra and never came back, the boy tells Ian.
2) The Bakra is Geillis Duncan.
An enslaved man leads Young Ian to a bedroom, where a woman is bathing in blood. She identifies herself as the Bakra, and when she turns to face Young Ian, the audience recognizes her as Geillis Duncan. Last time we saw her in the 18th century, she was sentenced to death for witchcraft in Cranesmuir. Young Ian doesn't recognize her, of course, and he's simply terrified. She explains she bathes in goat's blood to "keep [her] skin young," though that doesn't really explain why she looks exactly the same as she did more than 20 years ago.
The enslaved man returns with a tray of food, and Geillis encourages Young Ian to eat and drink. He gives into his hunger, and as Geillis prods him with questions, he realizes he can't help but answer them truthfully. Geillis explains she uses a magical brew from a witch doctor to force him to tell the truth. So far, Outlander has steered away from focusing too much on the supernatural phenomena at its origin (the standing stones), something I think has contributed to the show's success. The choice to suddenly incorporate it into the show's storyline is cheap and feels unbelievable.
Anyway, Geillis compels Young Ian to explain why one of her sapphires is missing from the treasure box from Silkie Island. Ian admits his uncle, James Fraser of Broch Tuarach, probably has it - and is likely on his way to find Ian. This information pleases Geillis and she begins to seduce Ian as the show's opening credits begin.
3) Claire and Jamie arrive in Jamaica. Claire becomes the owner of an enslaved man after Claire starts a fight at a slave auction.
At the port in Kingston, one of Jared's employees greets Claire and Jamie. He invites them to a ball to be held that evening (convenient!) in honor of the new governor. They explain what happened to Young Ian as they walk through town, and the employee takes them to the slave market in the hopes that they'll find Ian there. At the market, Jamie learns all the enslaved people from the Bruja were sold to the new governor.
Claire walks through, disgusted; she rushes away as an enslaved woman is branded and happens upon an auction. There, a man is placed on the block for sale, and when the auctioneer attempts to provide proof that the enslaved man is sexually proficient, Claire flies into a rage and attacks the auctioneer with her umbrella, causing a fight to break out. Jamie pulls her away and Claire begs him to help the enslaved man. Jamie buys the man, named Temeraire, in Claire's name. Later, in their room, Claire is not pleased with this turn of events and begs Jamie to set the man free. Jamie doesn't want to release him in Kingston, where he could be captured again. Jamie and Claire tell Temeraire they'll free him when it's safe. But first, they ask the man to help them find information about Young Ian's whereabouts on the island.
4) Margaret and Archibald Campbell are working for Geillis Duncan.
Geillis hired Margaret for her fortune-telling skills, as she's still intent on seeing a Scottish king on the throne, and some sort of mysterious prophecy states that if someone like Margaret holds all three sapphires from the Silkie Island treasure at once, it will reveal when a new Scottish king will rise. Margaret tells her brother she's afraid of treasure, calling it "born of blood and death," but he tells her to be quiet. Geillis reveals the treasure was passed down through the generations until it reached Dougal, who hid it on Silkie Island for safekeeping.
5) Lord John Grey is the new governor of Jamaica.
Claire and Jamie, Marsali and Fergus, Yi Tien Cho, and Temeraire arrive at the ball. Jamie orders Temeraire to go off in search of information, then lines up with Claire to meet the new governor. Jamie soon realizes the man is Lord John Grey. The two are thrilled to se each other, and Grey leads him to his office to talk privately. Jamie inquires after Willie, and Grey explains that he'll arrive with Isobel at a later date. Grey offers his assistance in finding Young Ian, and Jamie asks him to introduce all the island landowners. Jamie also notices Grey wears the sapphire from the Silkie Island treasure as a clip on his vest. “I wear it to... remember our friendship," Grey tells him.
6) Cho shows an interest in Margaret Campbell.
Cho watches as Archibald tells off Margaret for telling free fortunes. Cho follows her outside and tells her that she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. Margaret tells Cho he's a "rare soul" and he calls her “flower from heaven.”
7) Claire and Lord John Grey engage in a strained conversation.
Back inside, Grey approaches Claire, and they develop an awkward rivalry. Grey seems surprised that Claire knows all about Willie and Geneva, and seems anxious that she knows he's gay. She asks to know more about Grey's sapphire, and he tells her how Jamie escaped Arsmuir looking for her. "It certainly is a pleasure to finally meet the love that was his every heartbeat," Grey tells Claire.
8) Claire discovers Geillis.
Not much can shock Claire Fraser these days, but the appearance of a woman she thought long dead nearly stops her in her tracks. She follows Geillis outside, and the two have an awkward reunion. Geillis explains how she survived hanging (it was delayed until she gave birth, then Dougal bribed someone to swap in a corpse, covered by a hood, in Geillis's place) and how she came to Jamaica as an Englishman's wife before he died. Her new name is Mistress Abernathy, of Rose Hall. Claire tells Geillis her nephew has been kidnapped, and the woman feigns shock and promises to help Claire find him
9) Geillis realizes Lord John Grey owns the missing sapphire and order Margaret to start telling fortunes at the ball.
Back inside, Claire introduces Geillis to Grey, and she immediately recognizes his sapphire. She darts away and demands Margaret start telling fortunes, then drags a protesting Grey over to have his read. With all three sapphires in her hand, Margaret makes this eerie statement: "When twice 1,200 moons have coursed between man’s attack and woman’s curse, and when the issue is cut down, then will a Scotsman wear a crown.” Grey looks horrified but tries to play off the awkward moment, calling it "a peculiar pastime." This scene feels utterly ridiculous and out of place on this show, adding to the disappointment of the episode.
10) Geillis and Archibald attempt to decipher the prophecy.
Geillis drags Archibald out of the room and the two discuss Margaret's words. She knows 1,200 moons equals two hundred years, and he realizes "man's attack" means "planting one's seed" and "women's curse" means childbirth, while "issue" means "progeny." “A new king will rise in Scotland upon the death of a child that’s 200 years old upon the day of its birth," Archibald says. Geillis has no idea what that means, but we do - it's Claire and Jamie's daughter, Brianna.
11) Claire and Jamie leave the ball to avoid Captain Leonard. Temeraire tells them Young Ian was taken to Geillis's estate.
Captain Leonard arrives at the ball and Claire and Jamie rush out. They find Temeraire, who says Young Ian was taken to Mrs. Abernathy at Rose Hall. Claire seems shocked (again) that Geillis would lie, but Jamie tells her, “I told you she had a wicked soul.”
12) Claire and Jamie free Temeraire, but Jamie is quickly captured by Young Ian.
Temeraire asks to be freed in the hills near Rose Hall, and Claire and Jamie oblige, taking him to a remote path in the woods. Just as Temeraire runs off, Captain Leonard and his offices arrive and arrest Jamie for murder and sedition. Jamie hands Claire the pictures of Brianna and the portrait of Willie, then tells her to find Young Ian as he's dragged away.
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