‘Outlander’ Season 7 Episode 12 Recap: “Carnal Knowledge”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Outlander Season 7 episode 12 Recap
David Berry and Sam Heughan in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 12 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Jamie (Sam Heughan) pulls Lord John (David Berry) through the streets, trying to escape the soldiers as Starz’s Outlander season seven episode 12 opens. It seems Jamie has something on him that he didn’t want the soldiers finding during their search as he entered the city.

Lord John wonders why Jamie took the chance to come to his house, and obviously, Jamie did it to see Claire. He knew she’d be worried after news arrived that his ship sank. Now, Jamie needs to get out of the city. Lord John should claim he was forced to go with Jamie if anyone discovers them.

They ride out of the city and Jamie finally has the chance to thank John for taking care of Claire. He promises to clear up all the lies they’ve told William the next time they see him. Lord John’s been quiet and detached up until this point, but now he blurts out, “I have had carnal knowledge of your wife.”

Jamie takes it surprisingly well and asks John to explain why. John says it happened after they thought he was dead. John believes Jamie has no idea what that did to Claire. Jamie makes light of the situation, wondering if Claire was so deranged she bedded him by force. It turns out Jamie’s taking this so well because he doesn’t believe desire sparked the sexual encounter, given John’s proclivities.

Lord John says they were both grieving and drunk. He calls Jamie an a**hole (which he’s being right now) and says, “Damn you, neither one of us was making love to the other. We were both f**king you!”

Jamie reacts by punching Lord John in the face. He demands to know what happened, but Lord John refuses to give him details. He continues punching Lord John until a group of Dunning’s Rangers, led by Corporal Jethro Woodbine (Ben Freeman), interrupts them. They ask about Jamie’s prisoner, and one of the rangers remembers seeing Lord John in an officer’s uniform. Lord John’s day gets significantly worse when Jethro won’t take his word that he’s retired from the military. Jethro also won’t take Jamie’s word that he’s questioning John on a personal matter. In fact, Jethro doesn’t think Jamie is who he claims to be.

Rather than be taken in for questioning, Jamie turns Lord John over to the rangers. But first, he promises Lord John he’s not finished with him.

The rangers search Lord John and become convinced he’s not only a soldier, he’s a spy. They want to hang him now, but Jethro knows Colonel Smith will want a public hanging back at camp. Lord John is a relative of General Charles Grey, who they hate after he led the attack on an American camp during the Paoli massacre. Grey ordered his men to charge with bayonets during a sneak attack that resulted in 100 men dying in their beds.

Meanwhile, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) offers William (Charles Vandervaart) a drink as they talk about William’s real father. Claire confirms she knew all about William’s birth, and William wants to know if it was rape. It wasn’t, of course, and Claire assures him that they loved each other as much as they could have. They were only together one night. Claire also confirms that Lord John and Isobel knew all along.

William believes his entire life is a lie. He runs through the house, destroying everything in his path, pausing in front of a mirror and smashing it. William’s still enraged and walks through the streets, muttering about bastards. A prostitute named Arabella (Silvia Presente) convinces him to join her, and things go south quickly. He’s still so angry that he slaps a bottle from her hands and then tries to stifle her when she screams for help. It’s a miracle he’s able to leave without being beaten up or worse.

Jamie delivers a letter to Colonel Morgan (Barry O’Connor) for the army’s high command. The letter has an official seal and is from their friends in France. Morgan introduces Jamie to General George Washington (Gary Fannin), and George remembers they’ve met before. Jamie says they met in Wilmington at the theatre.

George reads the letter and is impressed Jamie was cunning enough to procure the documents on his own accord. George asks Jamie to accept command of a battalion, and Jamie accepts. Jamie is appointed brigadier general, although Congress must make it official.

William’s assisting in evacuating loyalist citizens when he runs into Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small) and Ian (John Bell). William’s surprised to learn Ian and Rachel are betrothed, and when Ian approaches him, William punches him in the face. He quickly apologizes and then just as quickly lashes out (verbally this time) at Ian. William’s angry that Ian knew Jamie’s his father and never said anything. Rachel claims she’s not surprised because there’s a resemblance.

William acts like being Jamie’s son is disgusting, and now it’s Ian’s turn to punch William in the face. The fight escalates and more punches are thrown until Ian’s pulled away by British soldiers. William wants Ian taken away for assaulting an officer.

As Ian’s being dragged off, Rachel reminds William that he assaulted Ian first. She warns him she’ll do something if he doesn’t free Ian, punctuating the warning with a slap. William’s doomed Ian, repudiated Jamie, and forced her to betray her principles. Rachel wonders what he’ll do next. William responds by kissing her. She pushes him away and spits at his feet before storming off.

Back at Lord John’s, Claire learns that General Clinton sent Lord John a letter to come at once and he hasn’t shown up. The letter also indicated Lord John was recalled to duty.

Outlander Season 7 Episode 12 Recap
David Berry and Joey Phillips in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 12 (Photo Credit: Starz)

The Dunning’s Rangers deliver Lord John to Colonel Watson Smith (Anthony Howell) at their camp. Lord John remembers meeting Colonel Smith at his sister-in-law’s London home when Smith was a captain in the Royal East Kent Regiment. Smith asks if Lord John is a spy working with Jamie Fraser, and John says his argument with Jamie was of a personal nature.

As for the prospect of a hanging, Lord John suggests his cooperation would be more valuable than his death. Colonel Smith will send word to General Washington about John’s offer. Smith sends John to the medical tent, and in a lucky turn of events, Dr. Denzell Hunter (Joey Phillips) tends to the wounded. John’s eye’s swollen shut and hurts like hell, and Denzell calls the wound “dramatic.” It appears he has a fracture and can’t move his eye.

Denzell wishes Lord John’s wife was there to help, and Lord John breaks the news that Claire isn’t his wife because Jamie isn’t dead. He also reveals that Jamie’s the one who hit him.

Colonel Smith calls Denzell away from the exam to ask if Lord John can be moved. Denzell claims he can’t, and Smith reveals he’s sending for General Wayne to come to the camp. He wants Denzell to make sure Lord John remains coherent.

Outlander Season 7 episode 12 Recap
Charles Vandervaart and Sam Heughan in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 12 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Jamie sees Ian under arrest and being led away by British soldiers. He asks Rachel what’s going on and then immediately grabs William, ordering him to tell the soldiers to set Ian free. If William doesn’t, Jamie will tell the captain he’s his father. William gives him his word he’ll get Ian released.

“God damn you, sir. God damn you to hell,” says William through gritted teeth.

William fulfills his promise and has Ian released from custody. Rachel glares at William as Ian returns to her side.

Later that night, William goes out drinking with his officer buddies, and they wind up at the brothel. Captain Harkness makes crude comments about women, prompting to William to announce he’ll pay for Arabella for the night. Harkness objects, claiming she’s his. The madam confirms William had already requested the girl.

Captain Harkness doesn’t back down, and neither does William. William wins after paying more than Harkness. Once alone, he promises not to hurt her and asks for forgiveness. She confesses that her name isn’t Arabella; it’s Jane. William also confesses he wants to have sex, but he won’t. He didn’t save her from Harkness just to have her himself. She can sleep the night away if she wants.

Outlander Season 7 episode 12 Recap
Charles Vandervaart in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 12 (Photo Credit: Starz)

William is willing to sleep sitting up, but Jane says, “Come and get into bed, you idiot.” He does, and she makes a move. He tells her to stop, but she doesn’t. Jane’s willing to have sex (on her terms), but William says as a bastard, he only has his word. He promised he wouldn’t touch her. Jane kisses him and removes his shirt. Both naked, they have sex with Jane on top and in control.

William asks why she made him break his word. Jane holds him close and says she has a sense of honor, too.

The following day, Lord John’s sporting an eye patch when Denzell brings him stew. Denzell moves in close and secretly hands John a blade, telling him he needs to go now because Smith sent for General Wayne to hang him. Denzell reveals that Smith said John’s worth is more dead than alive. Denzell’s going for supplies tomorrow and wants John to hide in his wagon as soon as possible. John refuses to involve Denzell in his escape but promises to make a run for it.

Denzell explains the main road is about four miles away, southwest of camp.

Jamie finally makes it back to Lord John Grey’s house, and he’s in a rotten mood. He immediately reveals that Lord John Grey told him they had carnal knowledge, and Claire doesn’t deny it. Jamie strides through the house and to the bed he shared with his wife. He asks if it was there, and Claire says it was actually on the floor. They didn’t decide to make love to each other, and Jamie asks Claire to explain what happened.

Claire confesses she ran out of brandy and was thinking about ways to kill herself when John came into the room. They were drunk, and Claire describes John as “having the look of a man about to throw himself off the cliff.” John refused to mourn alone, and Claire also didn’t want to be alone. Claire believes she made the first move because she needed to feel a human touch.

Jamie makes the grievous error of asking if John buggered her, and Claire replies, “You absolute bastard.” It’s now Claire’s turn to storm out of the room angrily. Jamie follows, and Claire asks if he killed Lord John. She doesn’t think he did, but Jamie claims he would have been within his rights. Claire points out dead men do not have rights.

Jamie tells her he’s always loved her and doesn’t care who she has slept with. However, he wonders why she didn’t tell him at once. He understands what she’s like when she drinks; she thinks with her body, not her mind. That earns him a well-deserved slap.

Claire never asked about his time with Mary in the cave after Culloden, and now Jamie describes their encounter as tender and sad. Claire says none of that applies to sex with Lord John. He gave her something to hit. By hitting John, she was hitting Jamie. She was numb and couldn’t bear to feel it, but Lord John had more courage and allowed himself to feel.

Claire demands to know where Lord John is, informing Jamie that General Clinton reactivated John’s commission. Jamie admits to hitting him but didn’t kill him. He asks Claire if it’s true nothing can split them apart, and Claire agrees at once. Jamie finally smiles but turns serious to ask if Claire’s his wife. She is, of course, so Jamie’s done talking. It’s time for a much more intimate reunion.

Shots of Jamie and Claire making love are intermixed with scenes of Lord John cutting through his bindings at the militia camp. He escapes the tent and carefully makes his way into the woods. Unfortunately, Colonel Smith wakes up and notices he’s gone. The guards give chase.

Episode 12 ends with a shot ringing out in the dark.




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