SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Uncharted,” the 11th episode of the third season of “Outlander.”
Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) at sea, floating on the barrels that are tied together, bobbing like a cork in the water under the blazing sun. She washes up on shore, exhausted, bedraggled. She spreads her clothes out to dry. She’s not sure where she is but she knows it’s not Grand Turk. She has no idea how she’ll find Jamie. She immediately starts searching for water. The heat starts to get to her, and she uses some of her clothing to shade herself, walking inland to find a road and some sign of civilization. She gathers twigs and sticks and tries to build a fire — finally succeeds using material from her bustle as kindling.
The next day, Claire awakens to find ants crawling all over her legs! She tears strips of material and wraps her bitten-up legs. She’s dehydrated and still trying to find water. She comes upon a tree with coconuts but they’re too high up for her to reach. At night, an exhausted Claire sits down by a tree, only to awaken the next morning with an even bigger problem: a giant snake is curled across her. Petrified, she waits until the snake makes its way completely across her, and then she starts walking again. Her legs are horribly bitten and inflamed. She’s stumbling from thirst and hunger. She hears a man’s voice and faints. When she wakes, she’s in a bed and her hands are tied down. A woman tells her it’s for her own good and pours some water down Claire’s throat. Claire asks to be untied and the woman tells her it was the only way to keep Claire from scratching her legs. Claire goes back to sleep. The woman notices the zipper on Claire’s corset.
Claire wakes later to find a man and his dog Ludo. She asks where she is and the man says he’s Father Fogden. He’s pleased to discover she’s British. She asks him to untie her and he does so. He gives her more water to drink. She tells him she’s a doctor. He asks how she came to be here, the island of Saint Domingue. Claire says she needs to find her husband and Fogden tells her she can go to Saint Louis de Nord where there are fishing boats that can carry her to other ships that can get her to Jamaica. Claire says she wants to leave tomorrow but Fogden warns her of escaped slaves and pirates that make Claire’s journey dangerous. He asks Mamacita, the woman who has been tending to Claire, if she has something else Claire can wear, as her homemade suit is in need of repairs. Mamacita tells Claire she stinks and it’s time for her to wash. Claire takes her first bath in days.
Mamacita prepares dinner and the three eat together. Fogden tells Claire he traveled to Cuba to work with lost souls. He met a woman named Hilda and even though he was a priest and she was married, they had an affair and ran away together. The English invaded Cuba the day they fled together. They took a boat to Saint Domingue. Hilda became ill and died there. Fogden offers Claire a pipe to smoke that he says will make her euphoric. She declines. She asks about the village he mentioned earlier and says she wants to leave tomorrow. Fogden says he’ll accompany her the following week. Claire says she can’t wait that long, as she has to reach Jamaica. He tells her she has to rest and then she’ll be ready to travel. She says she’s a doctor and damn well knows when she’s ready to travel. Mamacita says, “We did our Catholic duty. That whore has to go. She could never replace my baby.” Mamacita is Hilda’s mother! Claire is determined to get to Saint Louis de Nord. Fogden apologizes for Mamacita’s harsh words and says the agony of losing a child still haunts Mamacita. Claire says she understands. Fogden says he could never forget Hilda, that the love he had for her will never leave him. Claire says if she doesn’t make it to Jamaica, she could lose her husband forever. Fogden takes her hands and says he’ll consult with Coco (his coconut if tomorrow is right to leave for Saint Louis de Nord.
Claire wakes the next morning and sees her suit has been washed and mended. Claire knows Mamacita wants her to go and talks to Coco in order to convince Fogden that today is a good day to go to the village. Mamacita runs in and shows Fogden that one of their goats has been slaughtered by a pirate. Fogden pours a bunch of black bugs on the goat head. He says the bugs are from Abandowe — a place of great power. Claire recognizes the name of the place that she was once warned about — it’s an ancient cave. Fodgen says a Chinaman killed Arabella. Mamacita says she saw many sailors and broken sails on the shore. Claire realizes the Chinaman is Willoughby and asks how to get to the ship. Mamacita tells her to run to the right. Claire takes off running!
Meanwhile, Jamie (Sam Heughan) is on a beach with Fergus (Cesar Domboy). The foremast of the ship fell but the hull is intact. Some of the men were lost at sea, including Captain Raines. The surviving men are working to repair the ship. They’re baking in the sun as they work, dreaming of the rum that awaits them in Jamaica. Jamie says he wants to get to Kingston to reunite with his wife. Marsali (Lauren Lyle) is there helping too, as is Willoughby (Gary Young). The men are back on the ship putting up the repaired mast as Claire gets to the shore and screams his name. She holds up a small mirror and reflects the sun toward Jamie. He notices the glare and asks for a spyglass and sees Claire on the shore! He yells her name and gets in a rowboat to go to her. They kiss as they reunite on the shore. He sees she’s scratched her arm. Willoughby stitches up her wound. Claire tells Jamie that Captain Leonard is ambitious and he won’t stop looking for Jamie to arrest him. Jamie says he won’t stop looking for Young Ian, Leonard can’t arrest a man he can’t find. Jamie says, “We’d best get to Jamaica before Leonard does.” Jamie tells Claire he gave Fergus and Marsali his blessing to marry and says they love each other as he loves Claire. Jamie wants to have the wedding on the island. Claire says she knows someone who can perform the ceremony.
Claire, Jamie and Willoughby go to Father Fogden, and Willoughby apologizes for killing his goat. He brings Fogden a chicken and asks Fogden to forgive his ignorance. Fogden says he understands what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land and offers Willoughby his pipe, which Willoughby smokes. Claire helps Marsali get ready for the wedding ceremony and asks if Marsali is nervous. Marsali asks she would be nervous and then asks Claire how she can lie with Fergus but not have a baby. She says she wants a baby someday but for now, she just wants to enjoy being with Fergus. Marsali says she wants to be happy with Fergus the way Claire is with Jamie, but without a baby. Claire says she’ll explain to Marsali how it’s done when they’re back on the ship. Father Fogden begins the ceremony and mistakes another man for the groom. Marsali speeds him along, telling Fergus, “You know I’ve been waiting to bed you.” Fogden asks for Fergus’s surname Fergus draws a blank. Jamie pipes up and says “His name is Fergus Claudell Fraser.” The marriage is completed as the newly married couple kisses. Fogden walks over to Jamie and Claire and blesses their union as well.
Back on board the ship, Claire is having some soup and Jamie notices she’s burning with fever. She takes a syringe from her medical kit and Jamie helps her fill a dose of penicillin. He says, “You want me to stab you in the ass with this?” She says, “This is your chance for revenge. I’ve done it to you before.” Jamie hesitates. She swabs her thigh, injects the syringe and makes Jamie push the plunger down. They start to make out. He tells her to keep her strength up. She tells him to bolt the door. Jamie tells her the turtle soup she ate had a bottle of sherry in it and he doesn’t usually take advantage of drunk women. Claire keeps kissing him. She bolts the door, they undress and start to have sex but then Willoughby knocks on the door and asks if she liked the soup. Jamie says she liked it and keeps grinding on Claire while he yells out “Goodnight Willoughby!” Willoughby smiles and walks away from the door.
“Outlander” airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. on Starz.
