Recap of Outlander
Season 2, Episode 1:
Through a Glass, Darkly
Claire finds herself returning to the 20th century and Frank, and must come to terms with the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden. Meanwhile, in the 18th century Claire and Jamie arrive in Paris where they plan to undermine the Jacobite Cause.
Tropes:
- Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: Frank is simply relieved to have Claire back and is willing to accept that after two years away, she married and fell in love with someone else. As Jamie is dead and cannot show up to interfere, he wants to resume their relationship.
- Break Her Heart to Save Her: Believing he is destined to die with his men on the field of Culloden, Jamie sends Claire back through the stones and makes her promise to let him go.
- Catching Up on History: Claire's first thoughts are to find out who won the battle of Culloden. Upon learning that the British prevailed, she then begins to desperately search for some indication of whether Jamie had survived the battle.
- The Confidant: Mrs Graham acts as this toward Claire, as she is the only one who believes Claire about the stones on Craigh na Dun.
- Contrived Coincidence: Jamie shows up in France needing shelter and connections just as his wealthy cousin needs to take a lengthy boat trip to the West Indies. Jamie wouldn't mind having full run of his house and business while Cousin Jared is away, would he?
- Destroy the Evidence: Frank burns the clothing Claire was wearing when she returned through the stones.
- Determined Doctor: Jamie and Claire came to France specifically to escape a powerful, high-ranked enemy with great reach. They very much need to stay off the radar. However, when Claire sees a man suffering from the very contagious smallpox, she is very insistent in getting a quarantine set up and protecting the village. Quarantine laws require burning everything the man came in contact with costing Cmte St Germain his ship and a great deal of money and earning Jamie and Claire a new, powerful, well-connected enemy.
- Doppelgänger Gets Same Sentiment: Mirroring the premiere of season one, Claire reacts in fear of Frank after having multiple violent run ins with his doppelganger ancestor, Jack Randall.
- Emergency Temporal Shift: Although the details are not yet revealed, Claire reveals that she came back through the stone because Jamie made her swear she would return to Frank in the 20th century if it became too dangerous to stay with him in the 18th century.
- Evolving Credits: The theme song has changed to have a chorus in French, reflecting Jamie and Claire's arrival in France. Additionally, the imagery has changed from heavily influenced by Highland culture to a more posh French style.
- Flashback: The second-half of the episode takes place as this, as Claire recalls her and Jamie's disembarking onto French soil as she takes her first step onto American soil with Frank.
- Flashback Echo: Claire taking Frank's hand as they depart their airplane in Boston slips into a memory of taking Jamie's hand as they disembarked from their ship in France.
- The Future Is Shocking: Although it is her original time period, after nearly three years in the 18th century, Claire experiences sensory overload from all the noises and sights of the 20th century
- Give the Baby a Father: Played with since Frank and Claire are already married. They simply agree they will never tell anyone that the child is not Frank's biological child. The 1940s may be more progressive than the 1740S, but not that progressive.
- Good Shepherd: Reverend Wakefield serves as this for Frank when he struggles with the idea of having to raise another man's child knowing he is incapable of siring his own.
- Green Around the Gills: Jamie does not do well on boats and is relieved to be back on solid ground.
- Heroic BSoD: When Frank approaches Claire in the hospital room, all Claire can do is stare out the window. After the simplicity of the 18th century, the noise and technology of he 20th century are overwhelming.
- Hollywood Healing: Averted. Jamie is still has major mental and physical injuries from his time in Wentworth.
- How We Got Here: The second-half of the episode, and the remainder of the season, recount the events that led to Claire waking up on Craigh na Dun separated from Jamie.
- Immoral Journalist: A photographer sneaks into Claire's hospital room to take a picture of her without permission for his tabloid's story
- Inspite Of A Nail: Claire is distraught to discover that all of their efforts seemed to have no effect on the fate of the Highlanders.
- The Lost Lenore: Claire has trouble accepting that she will never see Jamie again. Even if he somehow survived the Battle of Culloden, over 200 years have passed and he is long dead regardless of how he died.
- The Medic: Claire once again is shown plying her skills as a healer, diagnosing the pox in St. Germain's men.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Claire's diagnosis of pox on St. Germain's ship only makes an enemy of St. Germain as it results in his ship being burnt and the loss of his shipment.
- Not in Front of the Kid: Averted. Frank drops an F-bomb in front of Rogers, although unintentionally as he didn't realize the child had entered the room. He apologized to the Reverend afterwards.
- The Promise: Claire promised Jamie that she'd try and move on with Frank, for their baby's sake. This is the reason she agrees to Frank's conditions.
- Rage Breaking Point: Wanting nothing more than to reconcile with his wife, Frank attempts to be one hundred percent calm and accepting of Claire's dubious story of where she's been. But when he discovers that Claire is pregnant and realizes the child must be Jamie's, Frank flies into a rage, nearly punching Claire and then going into Reverend Wakefield's shed where he breaks everything in reach. His anger is centered on the fact that not only did Jamie marry his wife, but he impregnated her while Frank is sterile and will never be able to have children of his own with Claire.
- Reality Has No Subtitles: Averted. As Claire and Jamie both speak French, subtitles are provided to the audience when they speak it.
- Someone to Remember Him By: Claire reveals to Frank that she is pregnant with Jamie's child.
- Time Skip: This season begins on one, opening with Claire waking up on Craigh na Dun in the year 1948. The 18th century scenes take place as one long flashback.
- Wham Episode: Claire returns to her own time to learn that the outcome of the Battle of Culloden remains unchanged. And she's pregnant with Jamie's child.
- Wham Shot: Claire in her 18th century outfit walks from the stones onto a modern road where an automobile pulls up, revealing she's now back in the 20th century.
- What Year Is This?: Claire's first question when she wakes up from passing through the stones.
