by Diana Vaccarelli
The “Best Laid Schemes”episode of “Outlander” finds Jamie and Claire trying to stop Bonnie Prince Charlie from getting the funds necessary to start the Jacobite rebellion. If you haven’t viewed this episode yet be warned this review does contain some spoilers.
THE GOOD:
- The writing of this episode was the most dramatic and emotional to date. Matthew B. Roberts writes an episode that made me both laugh and cry. The drama was so powerful that I don’t think I could have made it through the show without the funny moments Roberts gave the character Murtagh.
- The hard-hitting dialogue gives the actors so much to play, and they went all the way with it. Caitriona Balfe’s Claire goes through a major betrayal in a performance that made me feel her pain as though it was my own. Sam Heughan’s Jamie is nothing short of fantastic. The scene where he makes Claire promise to go through the stones if anything happens to him would bring tears to, well, a stone.
- I’m so glad that Black Jack is back! I keep saying there is no one better to play this well written villain then Tobias Menzies, and he proved it again this time out. During the crucial duel scene between Jamie and Black Jack, Menzies taunts Jamie with words far stronger than their swords. To me, that scene was perfect.
THE BAD:
by Lesley Goldberg
by MIE PRESENCE