Outlander 3.6: A. Malcolm (AKA: Printshop!!)

Spoiler alert: we’re talking about Outlander episode 3.6, and the book “Voyager” in this article.

Okay, my friends, we finally got ourselves some printshop action in this sucker, so let’s start there. What do we think? Happy? Satisfied? I gotta say, with this much build-up, the writers had a lot of hype to live up to.

Personally, I think Matt Roberts, the simply lovely writer who gave us this gem, did a fantastic job. And I’m saying that not just because of the 20-minute (count ‘em, folks) sex-o-palooza sequence that pretty much devours the rest of the episode, but also for all the brilliant little details.

I should probably out myself as an enormous geek at this point and say that my favorite part may have been seeing how the printing press worked. Seriously, anyone else? I mean, I know, I know. Sex, sex, sex. Jamie naked. Claire naked. I get it. Who cares about a 200-year old printing press? But it was neat, right?

And I loved how Matt Roberts revealed that they made Sam go to “printing school” to learn how to work it. When I went to the OUTLANDER SCREENING at the Grove, they actually divulged some interesting trivia about this set, including that it was modeled after the Thomas Jefferson printing press.

Okay, let’s talk about sex again.

Specifically, let’s talk about how there was so much sex in this episode, they kind of forgot to get to the plot. (I know, I know, I’m such a buzzkill with this “plot” crap I keep harping on. “Shut up, Rebecca, Sam has his clothes off!”)

No, we’re good. Thanks, Sam.

Guys, I get it. The sex is great, and watching them reconnect is what we’ve all been waiting for. Now, that said, this episode (six out of thirteen) was basically my MOCK EPISODE TWO, the one in which Claire returns to Jamie and learns about his new life. Except in my mock two, I basically spent the first half on their reconnecting, and the second half establishing some pretty important plot points.

Specifically—spoiler alert for non-book-readers—I ended mock two with the printing press being on fire. By my MOCK EPISODE SIX, Jamie and Claire (and a whole mess of other people) are getting on the boat for the East Indies. So, yeah, we’re not even close to that yet this season. We just met Ian Jr. five seconds ago.

However, we did cover some ground this episode, and it’s all going to be quite important later. We met adult Fergus…

…who is, not surprising, still pretty damn cute.

We met the drunken, and yet charming, Mr. Willoughby:

I know some people aren’t a fan of this character from the book, but I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for him (as my long-time readers know from the fact that I gave him a lot more to do in my mock episodes than in the book), so I’m very excited to see his character evolve over the season.

Claire learned that Jamie has a son, and in this version of events, he already has this little picture to show her:

And of course, after much “let’s talk about our pasts while we take each other’s clothes off,” we finally got Jamie to admit that he supplements his printing-press income with booze smuggling.

Since it’s important to the plot, let’s see a picture of that, shall we?

We had the (rather amusing) scene in which Claire breakfasts with the hookers, taken pretty much straight from the book. I love that they kept this, but did anyone else notice that when Madame Jeanne threatens to have the maid flogged for not bringing breakfast, Claire basically just laughs it off? Seriously, Claire? Maybe speak up about the fact that she brought breakfast and you were too busy boning to eat it? Whatever.

And the episode ends, of course, with a cliffhanger about Claire’s virtue being taken by one of Jamie’s many enemies in the smuggling world. (I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that the next episode begins with Jamie showing up to save the day in the nick of time.)

But, of course, we won’t know that for a fact until next week. So let’s meet back here then to see if our lovebirds can’t move this plot a little bit closer to that Jamaica-bound ship, shall we?

Until then, enjoy rewatching the—ahem—important plot points from this episode a few more times.

 

To keep up with season three of “Outlander” on STARZ, follow Rebecca Phelps on Twitter @DownWorldNovel, “like” us on Facebook at Novel2Screen, or just follow this blog.

To read my Voyager series in its entirety, click here. Also, be sure to check out my writing on TV Topik.

And if you’re looking for Outlander-themed jewelry, here’s the link:  Sassenach Jewelry