To the pain, joy, plotting, and intimacy. La Dame Blanche (S2 E4) is a highly worthwhile ride. FINALLY!!!!!! With a sigh, slow and long…the way is found back. Time slows and story lines comes into view. I hope you enjoy my podcast review. Listen below or download on iTunes or Stitcher.
My write up on this episode.
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A Dram of Outlander 
I think Toni blew it with the bite mark scene. They should have done it like the book where Jamie was wearing his kilt and only had one bite mark. It’s plausible that the whore could shove his kilt up and bite his leg. So not sure why they have Jamie wear pants in the show. For the whore to be able to unbutton his pants, pull them down and then bite both of his legs he would have to cooperate. And since he also tells Claire that nothing happened that would make him a liar too. There is no way that Jamie would cheat on Claire and he doesn’t lie to her either. I listened to Ron’s podcast with Toni and they talked about Jamie not cheating on Claire. I just think they didn’t give proper thought about how having him wear pants instead of the kilt would make it look. Just discovered your podcast last week and I really enjoy it.
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Of course you have covered most of what I felt about this episode in your podcast. It has been really a hard stretch and a little annoying for Jamie and Claire to be in this void of communication and emotion. It also made it hard to sell the show to people who haven’t seen it before and to explain why I love it so much.
There a few points I thought I would ask you about. The title card, it appeared to me that the wheel on the carriage was being sabatoged which would cause Claire and company to walk back. What do you think?
I also thought for Jamie and Claire to be such intelligent people and Jamie having such a logical mind, after Mary telling Claire of her love for Alex Randall, that they didn’t even think that Alex could be Frank’s direct ancestor, not that I’m saying it’s true. She has seen for herself that historians don’t always get things right. I would think this would be a question she should have brought to the attention of Raymond. I hate when characters are dumbed down.
Of course, in this episode we don’t get the significance of La Dame Blanche but that sure would’ve have explained a lot.
From the coming attractions I’m afraid Claire and Jamie’s bliss may be short lived, due to unchacteristic illogical thinking.
I also disagree with your timeline. Although it appears that everything has been going on for a long tine but Jamie and Claire are still newlyweds and can still have the passions we miss so much. They haven’t even had their first anniversary. Maril said everything was in weeks, that’s why the titling was changed from 1745 to 1744, but a lot of the dialogue is contrary & didn’t change with the dates.
Thanks for your wonderful insights. You always make me think and sonetime reevaluate what I’ve seen !!
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Racquel,
thank you for your comment. The title card simply is showing something to come in the episode. I didn’t think of it as anything, but tampering is certainly plausible to move the story line forward.
As for the Alex component, the marriage is between Jack Randall and Mary so making the leap automatically to Alex being the ancestor may or may not have occurred to them. Claire just found out that evening that Alex and Mary were an item, I doubt with all the mayhem it would be the first thing to pop into their heads. It’s something that later could occur now that they are a team again and exchanging notes better as it were.
Jamie did not explain La Dame Blanche, that is likely in the next episode following the chaos and attack. Claire didn’t have time to tell him the full accounting yet.
What illogical thinking are you coming to in the future? To not kill BJR for Frank’s sake or something else.
Looking at the timeline, it doesn’t matter if they moved it back to 1744 (which is really weird BTW because of all the events that happened in the first season, not sure how they decided the TL was shorter than in actuality. I do not listen to the show based podcasts until post season as I want to review unfettered). I have sent several tweets to Maril and others seeking out the true timeline but no one has answered. They have been in Paris for at least 6-7 months if you follow the occurrences in each episode. It couldn’t be weeks, the first episode had Jared visiting them at the port city 3 weeks after arriving. That timeline holds no water IMHO regardless of who said it. The first four episodes cover 36% of the adaptable book material, which in book time is only a couple of months because they lose Faith in May. I agree they can and did make it back to each other, even Claire said it had been months since he touched her to Jamie. I will go back and look at my notes for timing of what the episodes themselves stated, regardless of year stamp. I think it’s purposely confusing.
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Again, you give me more to think about . Thanks!! I did have a slight tweeting conversation with Maril. I asked her how long were they married when they go to France and she said a few weeks. In that conversation is when she spoke of changing the time from 1745 to 1744. That was not in answer to me. I thought it strange myself since the search seemed to have taken forever. Timing is confusing me, as well as script dialogue, possibly confusing everyone. They were married near Christmas 1743, they are in spring of 1744. In book I remember her having extremely long period of Morning sickness. Maybe she conceived on the wedding night. I know reference was made to wedding anniversary in books, but occurring at inopportune time.
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It cannot be 3 weeks married. She was looking for him for weeks alone. Sigh. That’s bananas.
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Conception should have been at Abbey. They are making her pregnant at Lallybroch. The timing is all askew. There’s zero way they were married for three weeks before they sailed for France.
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Continuity problem?
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Seriously. Time to suspend disbelief as they are playing with time. It makes no sense at all. Sheesh. They should be a minimum of 5 months in France by their storytelling. And Lallybroch was something like 5-6 weeks before Wentworth, they were olaying Laird and Lady, waiting on the baby, then the Watch ambush took a few days to find out, then after Jenny returned home, she and Murtagh were 2 weeks on the road. Then the short time at Abbey. It’s utterly confusing.
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Wouldn’t that also put them together for 3 years, not 2?
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Claire went back on Samhain and several seasons passed before Wentworth including her being held by Randall and the witch trial . Could never have had all first season in 8 weeks. Nope.
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Check out Maril’s tweets on 4-15 about timing
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Maybe it’s a dream sequence. Hahaha
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In the shower??
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Maybe. Maril said they were married in late 1743 even though she arrived november 1743 and wentworth was April 1744. Ummmmmmmm huh? They did not collect rents in dead of winter nor did they marry in winter.
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From Maril: “They were married late 1743. Wentworth was around April 1744…They arrive in France April/May 1744…Claire goes through the stones November 1743.”
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Yes that’s what I was referring to. Seriously we’re expected to believe that TL? All the 16 episode events happened in 6 months? Wow. Thoughts?
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Regardless of that. She would’ve been pregnant for 6-8 weeks when she told him she was pregnant and now in France for a minimum of 5 months.
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I think they did collect rents in dead of winter. Claire was wearing that very warm coat with huge furry hood-like thing
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Thinking back, okay on the winter time. After being on road collecting rents for many weeks and then having to free her, The wedding and more traveling…They went back to Leoch and were there quite a bit of time due to the gathering and preparations, he left on the road with Dougal to deal with his wife’s death (travel took time wasn’t quick), she went to village after some days and got caught up in which trial , many days in Jamie got her then spent days traveling to stones then onto Lallybroch more days if travel , then were there for a fair chunk, then the month at Wentworth.
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I can not believe you all want reality! This is story telling at it fineness, When Alice fell down the hole did you all wonder how she fit? or just enjoyed the possibilities. Too off rational and enjoy
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Yes, I want overall functional timelines. This is fiction surrounded by real historical events, when the timeline seems askew, it is felt.
I was quite enjoying the jaunt into the inner workings of the calendar today.
I’m glad you can turn off the rational and simply go along for the ride, but telling me (us) to see it the same way, that’s not for me. I like analysis, it enhances my enjoyment. And yes I did wonder how Alice fit and what the potions were and and and. My mind was no different as a child.
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This deserves a podcast !!!!
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I cannot imagine it was all that fast…maybe creating hindsight to fit Culloden TL
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Maybe they were flustered !!
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Well starting 6 months later in TL doesn’t help. They had to truncate though is not plausible.
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Positive way of looking at this, maybe we get to spend more time at Lallybroch until all hell breaks loose (sorry for cliche).
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Nah hahaha they can never be too comfy
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Thanks for the talk !!
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U2. Now you can see why my podcast is so in-depth. I like to analyze.
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That’s why I enjoy it, perspective of knowing where the story is going, should be going, and how it gets there !!
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Okay so in the book they had 8 months before Wentworth instead of 6 and to the Abbey at Christmas, then on to Paris. Lost Faith in May, then Culloden 11 months later.
So they are trying to make up for a 2 season difference and two months lost. Much timey-wimey adjustments to get to Prestonpans and ultimately Culloden in the right timing. Phew. Lol.
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Wait, I missed something here! I’m listening to the podcasts backwards which is why it took me so long to reply. If you are still following this thread: this comment gets me close to understanding what the time difference is, but not how our why. I think “…trying to make up for a two season difference and two months lost” explains it but that’s where I got lost (I’m really bad with maths). I also to figure out what is happening when, relatively – even if it’s make believe time.
Another time problem, how does she squish that belly into those tiny dress waists? Without at least raising the waists, even with a corset.
No worries if it’s too late for reply!
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That was a mouthful!
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Yes! Hahaha
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Thinking back on the four episodes I viewed so far, the scenery and sets can’t be surpassed. The costumes, no words to express how I feel. One of the only disappointments I’ve had is make up and hair of Claire & deep phony Brittish voice., turns her onto such a bitch. But l’ve been playing a waiting game different than season 1 because I saw where that was going and it surprised and Intriguided me. Season 2. Scares me , especially with no word of Season 3 I missed the Jamie & Claire Connecrion. They are in sync, the are like a puzzle piece and they are meant to be on the pages, on the show , and in my heart,. episode 4 brought that back for me and I hope that bridge never falters & Jamie & Claire endure togtether for the rest of my life 💘💘💓💓
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