A Bob Dylan song. A steamy sex scene. A child. A kiss. A lot of heartbreak. That pretty much sums up Outlander‘s latest episode entitled “Of Lost Things.” In one of it’s strongest episodes of the series, Outlander uses the strength of its actors (both main and recurring) to deliver an unbelievable episode. In 1968, Claire, Brianna and Roger search for any clues leading to Jamie, meanwhile Jamie’s service at Helwater takes an unexpected turn.
Just when we thought Sam Heughan had reached peak acting accomplishments, he delivers a performance worthy of as many gold stars as we can pin on him. With Jamie serving at Helwater as a groomsman, he finds himself the interest of Lady Geneva (Hannah James). When Geneva is set to marry Lord Ellesmere, she asks Jamie (who is going by Alexander MacKenzie) to have sex with her so her first time is with someone she’s actually attracted to. It’s a proposition Jamie originally refutes until Geneva reveals she knows of Jamie’s jacobite past.
Once again, Heughan delivers a breathtaking performance. Straying from the physical performances that earned him praise in the past, Heughan thrives on subtlety. It’s remarkable watching how far he’s come as an actor and this solidifies his rank amongst the best on TV now. While we’re used to Heughan working opposite Caitriona Balfe, this episode he goes toe-to-toe with Hannah James.
While Hannah James is only in this episode, she makes one of the biggest impacts. After Geneva gets pregnant with Jamie’s child, she ends up dying shortly after childbirth. When Lord Ellesmere threatens to kill the baby because he’s a bastard, Jamie protects his son, Willie, by killing Ellesmere. James is un-matchable in this episode and it’s hard to believe she becomes such a pivotal character with only one episode. James and Heughan are the perfect sparring partners as they perfectly portray the complicated relationship between these two. James is a force opposite Heughan and we bow down to yet another powerful female character in Outlander‘s universe.
A major change from book to screen comes when Geneva and Jamie have sex. In “Voyager,” Geneva and Jamie start to have sex and Geneva ends up telling Jamie to stop, but he continues. The TV series takes a different approach. Geneva and Jamie having sex is all clinical. No feelings. Jamie is kind and generous while Geneva is frightened by having sex for the first time. It’s also one of the steamiest sex scenes Outlander has given us. Of course, it’s not between Jamie and Claire and that’s just upsetting.
In 1968, we finally get to see Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin in action as Brianna and Roger. As they search through every piece of historical records to find Jamie, Brianna and Roger grow closer. It’s an adorable slow burn and we’re here for it. Both Skelton and Rankin have brought the characters to life effortlessly and we’re excited to see more of them as the season continues.
Brianna and Roger’s biggest scene comes when Brianna confides in Roger that she’s scared to lose Claire once they do find Jamie. In return, Roger admits he’s already sad about Brianna having to go home to Boston. They share an adorable kiss before Brianna scurries off like and adorable little girl who just told her crush she likes him. It’s a sweet moment and we’re swooning.
While Skelton’s work with Rankin is off to an amazing start, we can’t let this review go by without singing the praises of Skelton’s work with Caitriona Balfe. They have created a complicated, but loving mother/daughter relationship in just a few episodes. It’s amazing to watch it all come to fruition, especially in this episode. The scene that sticks with us from Balfe and Skelton this week is when Brianna calls Claire “Mama.” Claire responds with “You haven’t called me that in a very long time.” It’s a small scene in the grand scheme of the episode, but it’s powerful.
Outlander gives us another beautifully crafted episode of television. Not only is the acting amazing, the music, including a Bob Dylan cover that perfectly suits a montage filled with loss, is monumental. Every actor gives it their all in “Of Lost Things” and it makes us even more excited for the episodes to come.
Outlander airs Sundays at 8/7c on Starz.