Episode 111, The Devil’s Mark: Highlights, Deleted Scenes, and BTS

This week’s episode on Starz was The Devil’s Mark, episode 111. Season 1 was so great, wasn’t it?

Highlights: I have to say, I worried about Dougal’s unborn child when Geillis hit that thieves’ hole ground so hard in the opening scene, eeesh. I think Lotte Verbeek really shines in this episode as Geillis, as does wonderful Bill Paterson as Ned Gowan. How do you spell flibbertigibbet anyway?

Miss Laoghaire… tsk tsk tsk. And could Father Bain get any creepier? ? The tense scene in the back room which ends in “Looks like I’m going to a fucking barbecue” – great line… I believe that’s attributable to Matt Roberts. Claire’s skelping (ouch), and of course, Jamie’s awesome rescue ?. Geillis’s Satan’s baby scene, and then…

There is the sequence in the glade, when Claire finally tells Jamie everything. I want to slow down and spend some time here. In this part, we get to see Claire’s vulnerability, and we get to see how Jamie meets her, in spite of the mind blowing nature of what she’s sharing with him. In the book, we believe Jamie shows up for Claire because Diana wrote it that way. The show is great. But for me, sometimes Jamie and Claire don’t feel quite like the characters I know. This is due (possibly) to time constraints, or just a slightly different writing style, and also the tendency to overweight Claire’s character in the strong woman/I don’t need anyone else department.

I loved the way they did this in a glade, number one, so you already feel the spaciousness that the scene needs (nice job Gary Steele!). And then, Claire is absolutely not being the tough guy here, she is broken down now, and has no more pretense to offer. So she just offers her unbelievable truth. And this man, who knows how to read her heart, who only sees her heart, through everything, believes her. Cait does a fabulous job, in my opinion, of playing this scene, which in lesser hands could’ve come off as ridiculous. And Sam too. These are the scenes that make shippers ship, I think. Because you really believe that this man loves this woman, and deeply. Sam brings it all to the scene- we watch Jamie suspend his intellect and believe his gut, and we believe it. Everything is “right” here, in my opinion. The writing, the acting, the costumes, the location, the cinematography, the directing, the lighting, everything.  This was such a beautiful moment for the characters, the actors, and for the production, in my opinion. 

One more thought… I think the production has shied away from the Jamie saving Claire material because it’s not PC to make a woman appear helpless today, and God forbid a man should come to her rescue. I think we’ve seen both ends of the continuum of this dilemma: from the Disney princess stories, to the modern stuff with the cold hard bitches and the stupid, weak males. I think we are ripe, certainly in the US, for some exploration of the middle ground, and these characters, these actors, this production can do that. That is what excites me about them, about this project, and about these scenes.

Men and women are different; we have different biological drives and wiring. But, both genders are capable of tenderness, of being the one who needs tenderness, and the one who can give it. And, we all need love. We just do.

That’s what this production can do that many many others can’t, and in my opinion it comes down to the people involved. Most of them (cast and crew) who I’ve met have this range themselves. It’s exciting. And it’s where the frustrations about Season 2 really stemmed from in my opinion. I am really hoping they “go there” again in Season 3 and bring this full range of being into both characters.

Moving on…there’a the Jamie smiling as Claire is reaching her my peak challenge ?, and the touching scene at the stones, another beautiful moment between them, where we see each of their struggles (that clip is below)…

 

And the final scene, with Jamie’s tear streaked face…

Another great episode.

 

There are a couple of deleted scenes from this episode, between Ned Gowan and Colum. In the first, Colum forbids Ned to interfere with the trial and divulges his own involvement.

In the second, Ned returns after the trial. I am wondering about the fact that he was able to just take off after brandishing a weapon in an ad hoc courtroom. But, then again, it was the 18th century, and it is TV after all, so…

Lastly, here is the behind the scenes look at the making of Episode 111, in case you’ve never seen it (and even if you have.) These are always interesting, I think.

Thanks to Sony, Starz, Italian Outlander, Outlander Italy and Brown Haired Lass for videos.

 

23 comments on “Episode 111, The Devil’s Mark: Highlights, Deleted Scenes, and BTS

  1. Wonderful analysis as always, of one of my favorite episodes! Thanks again! Looking forward to next weeks ?

  2. I still cannot believe that Sam did not get an Emmy and Golden Globe especially for this episode. I have never seen an actor who can express so many emotions. He is a remarkable actor. I love to look at his face when she told him where she comes from but also when he leaves her at the stone. You can really feel the emotion Jamie feels.

  3. It helps this scene be believable because the Scots were big believers in fairies and omens, and they even had a song about a woman that came to their time and returned to hers. If the man had been a Brit, I don’t think he would have believed her…after all, I don’t think Frank really believed her story.

    • That’s a really great point, Ann. The mystical is very real to Jamie, which opens up a world of possibilities. Yes, Frank stays with her out of love and duty “in spite of” the fact that she may be deluded or lying in his mind. Very different. Thanks for your comment.

  4. I completely agree with your statement “the tendency to overweight Claire’s character in the strong woman/I don’t need anyone else department.” ranks right up there with the tedious “mark me” comments. To me, the Jamie character is in the driver’s seat of this story starting in Season 1–Episode 1. Even though he has less screen time than Claire. Take him out of the picture and I’m out of here. No Jamie—no story.

  5. What? No comment on the love making by the fire the night before he returns her to the stones? My favorite scene of all and so very different from the book. Enjoyed your analysis.

    • “Moving on…there’s the Jamie smiling as Claire is reaching her my peak challenge ?…” I need to rewatch this scene I think. I didn’t connect with it for some reason. Thanks for the nudge!

  6. As usual, your insightful analysis made me think and laugh (Claire reaching her my peak challenge?). I agree with everything you said, including the hope that season 3 will give us the Jamie we love and admire.

  7. Claire’s confession of who she is has always been a favourite scene for me. Without this, Claire can never really be honest with Jamie and it creates such a strong bond between them, since it has to remain a secret for the most part.

  8. Excellent analysis! So many scenes drew me in here. Of course, the trial was so well done, and Lotte? What can I say. But every scene with Cait and Sam blew me away! Emmy Award winning performances by Sam. What a disappointment that he has not received proper recognition of his performances. One of my favorite episodes, among the many.

  9. Excellent analysis! So many scenes drew me in here. Of course, the trial was so well done, and Lotte? What can I say. But every scene with Cait and Sam blew me away! Emmy Award winning performances by Sam. What a disappointment that he has not received proper recognition of his performances. One of my favorite episodes, among the many.

  10. One of my top 2 episodes, the other being, of course, the wedding. Rewatching the last episode of season 2, when Claire, Bree and Roger find Geillis at the stones, they smell smoke and Roger repeats the “f….ing barbecue” line. I love these easter eggs!

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