The episode opens in 1945. World War II has just ended, and we meet (Caitriona Balfe) and her husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies). They are reconnecting in the Scottish Highlands after being separated by the war. Frank is a historian; Claire is a former combat nurse.
As the camera pulls back, we see the ghost from the beginning—the kilted man—watching from the edge of the forest. It is Jamie Fraser, older, spectral, his eyes filled with longing. He has been waiting for her for over two hundred years. episode 1 outlander
Claire wakes again, this time tied to a tree. Her captors are a group of rugged Scotsmen, their faces streaked with woad and dirt. They speak Gaelic, their voices harsh. Their leader is a young, broad-shouldered man with fiery red hair and a scarred face—Dougal MacKenzie, war chieftain of Clan MacKenzie. The episode opens in 1945
When Claire, in desperation, reveals she was a nurse, Dougal’s eyes narrow with interest. They are currently hiding a wounded clansman. If Claire can save him, she may prove useful. If not, she may be handed over to the Redcoats. Frank is a historian; Claire is a former combat nurse
The Highlanders are impressed. Dougal grudgingly agrees to keep her alive—for now. But she is not free. She is a prisoner, a “Sassenach” in a land of clans, Redcoats, and rebellion.
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