Outlander: 10 Things You Forgot From The First Episode

Given that the episode aired over six years ago, it might be easy for fans of the series to forget everything that happened in it. While the episode did a good job of laying the foundation for what was to come, there might be an important detail or two fans may have overlooked. Take these instances for example…

10 Blood On The Doorway

In the pilot episode, Claire and Frank reconnected after World War II and went to Inverness for their second honeymoon. At the inn that they were staying in, they happened to notice blood on the doorway. There was blood outside other homes in the street too.

The couple joked about pagan rituals, with Frank suggesting that there was plenty of magic and superstition in the Scottish Highlands. The inn owner, Mrs. Baird, told them that the blood was from a black cockerel. It was meant to honor the legendary Saint Odhran due to his sacrifice.

9 Claire And Frank’s Confessions

Claire revealed that she and Frank had only seen each other ten times in the past five years. This was due to their hectic schedules during the War. They were also stationed in different locations.

Claire recalled how she tried to remember Frank’s laugh during the war but she couldn’t. Frank also revealed that he used to draw the lines of her palms all the time just so he could keep his memory of her. This even got him in trouble with his superiors because they felt he was distracted.

8 Claire’s Reference To The Titles Of The Episode And The Series

At Reverend Reginald Wakefield’s manse, Frank did some research about his ancestor, Jonathan Randall. He mentioned how Jonathan was given the nickname Black Jack due to his brutality. As an English garrison commander, he spent most of his years harassing the people who lived in the Scottish countryside.

Frank told Claire that the English were hated in Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries, and Claire claimed that this may still be the case. Apparently, she heard someone referring to them as Sassenachs while they were at a pub the previous night. The reverend then explained that the word “sassenach” meant “Englishman” or “Outlander.”

7 Mrs. Graham’s Prediction That Claire Will Have Two Husbands

While Frank was busy researching about Jonathan Randall,  the reverend’s housekeeper, Mrs. Graham, invited Claire to join her in the kitchen. She then predicted Claire’s future by reading the tea leaves in her cup.

She told Claire that she would soon embark on a journey where she would meet plenty of strangers. Mrs. Graham also looked at the lines on Claire’s hand and explained that her marriage line was divided. She concluded that Claire would have two marriages but won’t necessarily divorce both of her husbands. This way, Mrs. Graham foreshadowed Claire’s time with Jamie Fraser.

6 Frank Saw A ‘Ghost’

While making his way to the inn, Frank saw a man standing in the rain. Frank tried to approach the man, the man suddenly disappeared in front of his eyes. When Frank got back to his room, he was visibly rattled.

He told Claire about how strange it was when he didn’t feel anything as the man passed him. It was like he was a ghost. The only logical answer Frank could come up with that the man Claire had nursed during the war was maybe trying to reconnect with her. As expected, Claire was angry that Frank was accusing her of being unfaithful. He thus apologized.

5 Claire’s Recollection Of An Accident

Claire had no idea what would happen when she touched the stones at Craigh na Dun. As she was time-traveling, she tried to tell the viewers what this felt like. The only way she could explain it was to compare it to the car accident she was involved in.

She said that time-traveling felt exactly like she was spiraling out of control. Like her feet couldn’t find the ground. It probably wasn’t a pleasant experience.

4 Frank Was Partly To Blame For Claire’s Disappearance

Frank’s insistence that he and Claire go to Craigh na Dun to watch the rituals set up a chain of events that led to Claire’s disappearance. Claire just wanted to relax but Frank took it as an opportunity to get more research for his project. While there, Frank examined the rocks while Claire examined the plants.

Later on, as Claire was reading a botany book, she recalled how she had seen a similar plant near the stones. Frank urged her to go and get it. She went by herself to get it. However, she soon got distracted when she heard a buzzing and decided to touch them. That’s how she ended up time-traveling.

3 Claire Used Her Knowledge From The Future To Warn Jamie About An Ambush

The day after Claire found herself in the 18th century, she had no option but to ride with Jamie and Dougal. After all, Dougal had warned her that he would kill her if she even tried to escape.

As they were traveling back to Castle Leoch, Claire remembered how Frank told her how the English would secretly ambush the Scots when they passed through the valleys. She openly suggested to Jamie that it could happen in the place they were in, to which Jamie agreed and warned Dougal. Moments later, an ambush did indeed happen.

2 Jamie Used His Injury To Convince Claire Not To Escape

When Jamie and his team went to intercept the redcoats, Claire saw her chance to escape. She was quickly stopped by a blood-soaked Jamie, who went on to brag that most of it was his enemies’.

He then told Claire that he would throw her over the shoulder she just treated earlier and carry her if she didn’t stop trying to escape. As a nurse, Claire believed in healing, not making wounds worse. Thus, she decided to do as Jamie wanted so he wouldn’t harm himself further.

1 Claire’s Confusion

It took Claire a while to realize that she was in the 18th century. When she saw redcoats running, she thought a studio was filming a period drama. But when they began shooting at her, she realized she was mistaken. She then saw Black Jack Randall leaning by a brook and thought it was Frank.

Again, she realized she was mistaken. The complete opposite of Frank, Black Jack began aggressively questioning her before attempting to assault her. Luckily, Mutargh showed up just in time to save her. By the end of the episode, she still couldn’t believe she was in the past. She only came to terms with the truth when she saw Castle Leoch fully restored.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1232 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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