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OUTLANDER 2.12 Recap – “The Hail Mary”

Claire and Jamie are running out of options in OUTLANDER’s “The Hail Mary”!

Outlander Season 2 is coming to an end, and in its second-to-last episode “The Hail Mary,” things are more dicey than ever for The Frasers and the Scottish Highlanders. Can last minute attempts to change the future save them from the world they know?

The episode starts months from where it last left off, five months into the retreat from Manchster, to be exact. Fergus is giving his best “Are we there yet?” but after five months of riding, damn, it’s justified!

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After months of retreat without proper provisions, the troops are weak and starving. And the Battle of Culloden’s historic date is only days away, begging a serious question:

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In the war room, Jamie rails against the idea of fighting at Culloden. He points out all the faults in the field that he knows will get the Scots slaughtered, but no one seems to hear him. The prince is stubborn and bored with retreat, so he just wants to get his men in battle again without much thought of the consequences.

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Meanwhile, Claire is gathering medical supplies for the upcoming battle when she bumps into another familiar face– someone who isn’t too happy to see her. Mary Hawkins is back with Alex Randall. He’s told her all about Claire’s efforts to keep them apart in Paris, but they’re due to be married despite her. Mary is pregnant and seems well. However, Alex is seriously ailing and Mary knows Claire could be of service as a healer, so she asks her to visit.

Unfortunately, someone else is there as well.

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Claire flies from the room in a shocked rage, but Jack follows her out. She tells him Alex’s condition is fatal, but Jack still pleads for her help easing his pain. Claire has a condition, of course: She’ll only help Alex if Jack gives up the position of British troops. The deal leaves Jack particularly surprised by her now-wicked ways.

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Still, he gives her the information: The British are 12 miles away and can easily be ambushed.

Even with that knowledge, Jamie is fuming that Claire is dealing with the Randalls once again.

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Somewhat controversially, Jamie isn’t directly involved in the dealings with the Randalls as he was in the books– instead, Murtagh goes while Jamie convinces the troops to ambush the British– and his frustration never dissolves into his famous “Damn All Randalls” speech, which was certainly a key moment fans were excepting. While we can deal with the former because Duncan LaCroix was excellent, we’re a little miffed that Jamie didn’t get his standout moment.

Because Claire makes one big promise to Jamie: If she’s wrong and Black Jack doesn’t die in war, she’ll help Jamie brutally kill him and get his revenge.

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There’s another guest to worry about at the Jacobite camp, as well. Colum MacKenzie is there, and not because he’s joined the cause. He’s dying and wants to iron out a few things with his family before he goes.

First, Colum privately asks Claire for a remedy to help him end it all as the pain grows too powerful. She reluctantly provides him with yellow jasmine to consume when he’s ready.

Then, Colum gives Dougal and Jamie his last wishes: That not Dougal but Jamie serve as Hamish’s guardian and head of Clan Fraser until the young boy is of age. Even in his final moments, Colum makes it clear that he trusts his nephew much more than his own brother, widening their rift.

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At Alex and Mary’s boarding house, Alex asks his brother to do the unthinkable. He wants Jack to marry Mary and secure a well-kept future for her and their unborn child. Jack is clearly overwhelmed by the proposition and storms out.

Claire is following Jack out of the boarding house this time in the name of securing Frank’s future, much to Murtagh’s chagrin.

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But of course everyone forgets that big ol’ possible TIME PARADOX in which Claire wouldn’t even go through the stones if not for being with Frank in the 1940s. Keeping his lineage and identity safe is a massive part of making this story work.

Claire finds Jack in a bar, where he admits that he’s not sorry for what he did to Jamie, he knows he could be dangerous to Mary, and he’s let the darkness overcome him.

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Claire has one reassurance for him: Black Jack is due to die the very next day at the Battle of Culloden. Mary will gets his money and property and be remembered by history. Alex will die with comfort in his heart.

For all his shortcomings, Jack cares deeply for his brother. And so he marries Mary at his bedside.

Shortly after, Alex dies.

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In a big turn from the books, Jack starts to break down then quickly changes speed, beating on the body of his dead brother in anguish. It was certainly surprising but unlike some others, we loved it! Black Jack IS terrifying and brutal. He doesn’t know how to process his emotions and he is a man shaped by war. There is no true redemption for Black Jack, nor do we think there should be after all he’s done.

Across town, the MacKenzie brothers are still working out their worst. Dougal comes back drunk in the evening and seems determined to get Colum to go back on his word, to admit their bonds of brotherhood matter more than anything. Colum will not.

Dougal begins a stirring speech, one that should get Graham McTavish some love in critical circles, we hope, because it was wonderfully delivered. At the end, he turns to Colum to get his reaction and realizes that Colum has already overdosed on the yellow jasmine and died quietly, perhaps never hearing a word.

Things are bleak, but at least there’s Jamie’s surprise attack on the British, right? RIGHT?!

Not so right. The troops split into two groups on the way to attack: One lead by Jamie, the other lead by Prince Charles. Unfortunately, Charles’ group gets lost in the woods and therefore the prince calls off the attack. Jamie still tries to press his troops forward, to no avail.

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The Battle of Culloden is going to happen no matter what.

We hope you’ve got your tissues ready for the season finale, because we’re pretty sure it’s going to destroy us!