‘Outlander’ Season 6 Episode 3 Recap: “Temperance”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Outlander Season 6 Episode 3 Recap
Richard Rankin in ‘Outlander’ season 6 episode 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Starz’s Outlander season six episode three opens with young boys sending Henri-Christian down the river in a basket. Fortunately, Roger (Richard Rankin) hears the baby’s cries and the boys yelling from the riverbank as the basket floats down the river through the rapids and toward a waterfall.

Roger’s able to snatch Henri-Christian from danger at the last minute and returns to the riverbank clutching Marsali and Fergus’ newborn. The boys claim they were testing to see if Henri-Christian’s the devil’s seed. He floated which, apparently, means he is. Roger controls his temper long enough to explain Henri-Christian only floated because he was in a basket. (Thank god they didn’t put the baby in the river without one!)

Roger performs an impromptu baptism in front of the boys, declaring Henri-Christian belongs to the Lord. He warns the boys they’ll be sent straight to hell if they ever bother Henri-Christian again.

Roger lets the boys go except for Henri-Christian’s brother, Germain.

Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan), and Roger gather at Marsali and Fergus’ home, and Claire declares Henri-Christian’s doing fine. Marsali (Lauren Lyle) wants to drown the boys and places the blame squarely on Germain’s little shoulders. Roger explains it was a test to see if Henri-Christian was demon-born, adding that they didn’t touch him because they believed the baby would burn them.

Fergus (César Domboy) can’t believe Germain would be involved in this. He leaves the cabin as Roger volunteers to speak with the boys. However, Jamie steps up and orders Germain to bring his “associates” by the house this afternoon for punishment.

Outlander Season 6 Episode 3 Recap
Caitriona Balfe and Cesar Domboy in ‘Outlander’ season 6 episode 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Claire joins Fergus outside and he opens his heart, revealing he’s had experience with dwarfs before. He’s worried Henri-Christian won’t have a happy life and will never be able to provide for a family. Claire insists he can be educated and learn a trade, but Fergus recalls how a dwarf named Luc was brought in to satisfy customers with peculiar interests at the brothel in Paris.

Fergus was friends with Luc and heartbroken when he found him dead, throat cut in an alley. The madame sold his parts for divination. Claire and Jamie allowed Fergus to escape that life and now he’s devastated to think his son might wind up in such a place.

Fergus blames himself for Henri’s condition. He believes the beating Marsali suffered caused Henri to be born a dwarf. Claire attempts to assure him it wasn’t his fault, but Fergus is inconsolable. (Cesar Dombey delivers an absolutely heartbreaking performance in this scene!)

Claire returns home to find Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) on her porch. She explains what happened to Henri and Tom insists he had nothing to do with the boys’ actions.

Tom’s ready for Claire to operate on his hand but refuses the use of ether. Jamie joins them and describes in graphic detail what Claire’s about to do. He warns Tom it’ll hurt like hell, but Tom won’t change his mind. He’ll do it without ether.

Meanwhile, Marsali’s ecstatic Brianna’s built her a spinning wheel so she can work much quicker. Roger’s out helping Germain round up the boys and Marsali wonders what Fergus is up to. She and Fergus are supposed to show up with Henri-Christian while Jamie’s delivering the boys’ punishment. Marsali says Fergus promised he’d stop drinking but she doesn’t seem convinced he’ll follow through.

Claire heats her instruments while Tom takes a sip of whiskey. Jamie reads from the Bible as Tom screams in pain and appears ready to faint and/or vomit. Claire works quickly as Tom writhes in pain. She warns him to stop moving so she can finish.

As Claire stitches up his hand, Tom’s able to join Jamie in reciting a prayer. Claire suggests he spend the night in the surgery so she can keep an eye on him. Surprisingly, Tom agrees.

Ian (John Bell) catches Malva (Jessica Reynolds) peeking in through a window and she’s pleased to learn Claire’s been calling her an apprentice. Ian suggests she help Claire now but Malva doesn’t want to. Instead, she agrees to allow Ian to walk her home.

They chat (and flirt!) while walking, getting to know each other better. They talk about religion and sin, and Malva reveals her mother was hanged as a witch.

Outlander Season 6 Episode 3 Recap
Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe in ‘Outlander’ season 6 episode 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)

And now the time has come for Jamie to administer the punishment. He heats up an iron poker and offers the boys a choice: touch the bairn or touch the poker. One by one they step up and touch Henri-Christian. They agree Henri’s a sweet lad, and Jamie points out one of the boys even made him laugh. Germain says, “See, I told you he wasn’t a demon!”

The boys ask if Roger’s right and that Henri belongs to the Lord. Jamie agrees but adds that Henri-Christian also belongs to him, and they all best remember that. The boys are treated to bread and honey before being sent off.

Jamie reminds Germain that Henri is his wee brother and needs his protection.

Later that evening, Fergus is home “watching” the children when Marsali arrives with Henri-Christian. He’s actually ignoring the bairns while he drinks. Marsali reminds him he promised to stop and that he’s better than this. Her father drank and she’s not about to put up with it again.

Marsali begs Fergus to tell him how she can help him. Fergus claims she can’t; he’s the one who’s supposed to help her and the children. Marsali’s done with Fergus’ attitude and fights back. She claims she’s glad Henri-Christian was with her rather than home with his father, and Fergus becomes upset. He can’t believe she thinks he’d let any harm come to their baby.

“You can’t protect anyone when you’re drunk!” yells Marsali.

Fergus admits she’s right and Marsali explains she can protect their family, too. She confesses she killed Lionel Brown and Fergus is shocked. Marsali explains Lionel threatened her family so she filled a syringe with water hemlock and stabbed him in the neck. She feels no remorse; he was an evil man.

“I don’t need a woman to protect me! But I do need a drink,” yells Fergus.

Marsali pours water over his head and orders him to leave, telling him to come back when he wants to act like a man. “I will have a whole man or none at all,” says Marsali. She breaks down in tears as Fergus slams the door.

Claire and Jamie talk about the boys and Claire imagines she hears Lionel telling her she’s of the devil. She’s spooked but plays it off when Jamie asks what’s wrong.

Claire heads downstairs to check on Tom, and he wakes from a restless sleep to admit he’s in a little pain. He’s slightly feverish and Claire gives him water to sip before checking on his hand. Tom wonders why Claire doesn’t wear a cap and points out she has a great deal of hair. Claire suggests he move his fingers to keep the muscles from contracting. She demonstrates what he needs to do and how it should feel, and Tom does as she suggests.

Claire offers to fetch him food while he does his hand exercises.

It’s obvious Claire would like to slip away using ether, but instead she speaks to Aldo as she retrieves food for Tom.

Tom asks who she was speaking to, and she laughs and says it’s the cat. “And, no, he’s not my familiar. It’s just a cat. It’s only slightly less ridiculous talking to him than talking to myself, is all,” explains Claire.

Tom assures her he doesn’t think she’s a witch. He believes in witches, but Claire isn’t one. He apologizes for his behavior earlier and not being able to sit still. She explains she’s worked on nearly all the Highlanders and they were terribly brave. However, each man reacts differently.

They discuss Jamie’s scars on his back and Tom explains why Jamie was beat at Ardsmuir. He doesn’t understand why Jamie would take a beating for another man, and Claire says he’d do anything to protect one of his men.

Claire returns to bed and tells Jamie that Tom’s doing well. She wonders if Tom’s afraid of women or sinning, describing Tom as being uncomfortable with her touch. Jamie reveals he was like that after Ardsmuir too. They were all worn out and starved, but occasionally the fog of exhaustion would lift. You’d wake in the night and smell a woman lying next to you, says Jamie, “Memory…longing…need.”

Some men would have sex, but Tom never did. Instead, he turned inward.

Claire tries to figure out the timeline, noting Tom was in Ardsmuir before Jamie but left at the same time when the prison closed. Malva’s 18-ish which means she would have been conceived when he was in prison. Jamie thinks maybe Tom met and married Malva’s mother when he was sent to the colonies.

Claire asks if any of the men touched him in prison and Jamie says none of his men would ever think of touching their chief.

Outlander Season 6 Episode 3 Recap
John Bell and Jessica Reynolds in ‘Outlander’ season 6 episode 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)

The following day Malva and Ian reunite in the fields. They share a few laughs and Ian thinks it must be difficult for her to live up to her father’s high expectations. Malva wonders whether he’s a Christian and Ian confesses he’s not sure what he is or what he believes. She’s impressed Jamie doesn’t care, and Ian proudly declares he’ll always have a home with his Uncle Jamie.

Jamie gave him land to farm but he hasn’t done so yet, and Ian confesses he’s not sure he’s going to stay on Fraser’s Ridge.

Malva asks if the markings on his face mean something. “That I’ve done much that I’m proud of and much that I regret,” replies Ian. So, basically, he’s lived, Malva points out.

Malva moves closer and it appears they may kiss. The scene cuts away before anything happens.

A week’s passed and Claire likes the way Tom’s hand’s healed. They discuss a stack of nearby books and Claire explains she’s been having trouble sleeping. She asks if he’s read Tom Jones and he hasn’t, although his wife was quite the reader. He didn’t approve of her reading and threw them all away.

Tom reveals he changed his mind about reading because of Ardsmuir. They didn’t have books but Jamie loved to recall stories from books to keep the prisoners entertained. Tom decided fiction wasn’t a bad thing after all; it was just a distraction they needed. Plus, the stories drew the men together.

Claire insists he borrow Tom Jones. It’ll be a good distraction while his hand continues to heal. She’ll retrieve it in a few days when she checks on him.

Before Tom leaves, he drops a bombshell. Richard Brown paid them a visit and offered the protection of his committee. Claire hopes Tom refused him and warns that Richard isn’t to be trusted.

Jamie’s out hunting when he comes upon Malva. She’s searching for mushrooms for her father, and Jamie wonders what her father will do when she’s wed. He knows the lads have been pursuing her, and she makes Jamie promise he won’t mention that to her dad.

Jamie and Malva head off to a better spot to collect mushrooms, and he peppers her with questions. We learn Malva and Allan have the same mother, and that Allan isn’t much of a farmer. She and Allan were born in Scotland, and Allan was raised in Edinburgh. She was too young when she left to remember much about her home country.

Jamie says much of America is like Scotland, although America doesn’t have peat or heather.

Tom reads Tom Jones and isn’t impressed.

Josiah and Keziah Beardsley (Paul Gorman) help out Lizzie (Caitlin O’Ryan) and it’s obvious both are smitten. The townsfolk have gathered at the big house to pay their taxes and it appears everyone’s had a good year. Marsali makes small talk with the farmers, and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) whispers to Roger that they should set Evan up with Lizzie. Apparently, Brianna’s the only one who hasn’t noticed Josiah and Keziah’s interest in the pretty young girl.

The McGregors leave the house and stare unkindly at Fergus. He calls them out and gets them to admit it’s the fact he’s a drunk that draws their ire. Mrs. McGregor calls Henri-Christian “grotesque” and she can’t believe Fergus can bear to look at him. Fergus tosses his drink in her face and then hits her husband. Allan and others pull Fergus off, and Lizzie blames Mrs. McGregor for instigating the tussle by insulting Henri. Mrs. McGregor doesn’t back down and says Henri’s condition is a curse from God.

Tom Christie steps up and demands the McGregors (who were part of his group) respect the Frasers. They should be treated with kindness.

Marsali arrives after the fuss and Claire pulls her in for a hug.

Roger delivers a sermon about a helpless child who was floated down a river in a basket. That child’s name was Moses.

Claire discovers Tom Christie has returned Tom Jones along with a note that reads: “This is filth. I thought better of you.”

Tom’s hand has healed well enough that he can beat Malva with a belt. (The ability to hit his daughter drove his decision to allow Claire to operate on his hand. Absolutely disgusting man!)

Jamie spots Fergus in the woods and falls in behind him to see what he’s doing. Fergus takes out his knife and slices his arm above his missing hand. Jamie tries to stop him but Fergus insists he needs to die. He’s killing himself so Marsali can marry a man who can provide for her and the children. Jamie quickly wraps Fergus’ gushing wound as Fergus admits he doesn’t think he can protect Henri-Christian.

Fergus points out Roger saved the baby and Jamie’s the one who protected him by punishing the boys. “I’m nothing. I’m useless,” says Fergus. Jamie reminds Fergus he kept the family together while he was at Ardsmuir and helped run his print shop when he was grieving Claire. He’s also made some of the finest whiskey around – and will do so again.

“You’re the only one who can show your son what a ‘useless’ man like you can achieve, and how proud he can make his father,” says Jamie. Jamie assures Fergus it’s him – not what he can do or provide – that they need.

Fergus confesses he can’t be the man he once was, but Jamie’s certain he can and will.

Jamie and Claire accompany Fergus to his doorstep and Marsali welcomes him home. Fergus apologizes for everything and they hold Henri-Christian tight between them. (This is absolutely Cesar Domboy’s best performance to date.)

Episode three ends with Major MacDonald (Robin Laing) delivering guns to be given to the Cherokee. He has news of the Boston Tea Party and notes the King will view it as an act of aggression.

And so, the war has begun…




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