The best and worst thing that can be said about this episode is that it serves its purpose in the Paris arc, fittingly a kind of midpoint in this portion of the story. It's the first episode in the arc where you really begin to see the toll that life in Paris is taking on the Frasers. Compare their relationship in this episode to the first episode this season. In the first episode, the two were completely in sync, feeding off of each other, completely on the same page. By this episode, you see that the secrets, the deceptions, and the subterfuge are beginning to wear on Jaime in particular. He's beaten down, tired, and acting against his character. Remember, he's a man of honor, one who would rather be punching you in your face than stabbing you in your back. What's worse is that unlike in the first season, Jaime is left to do this largely on his own. He alone is meeting with Duvernay and Prince Charles, he alone is on the front lines betraying his contacts in an effort to stave off the rebellion. That's why it's such a gut punch to him when he finds out that Charles has been keeping secrets from him, and secretly has a reserve of English backers to fund his campaign. Jaime's worked so hard to try to thwart Charles, put up with his blathering for weeks, and ultimately is left with nothing to show for it.
Of course, this is through no fault of Claire's, and she too finds herself adrift and living a largely meaningless existence in Paris. If you know anything about Claire, she will be far from satisfied with the frivolous meetings with Louise and dinner parties. Claire has always been a woman of substance, as a healer at Leoch, in the rent party, and instrumental in the effort to save Jaime. In Paris, she finds herself as a side character in her own story, left on the sidelines while Jaime handles the business of actually combating the rebellion. It's not surprising that she seeks out work at the charity hospital, giving her a way to feel useful and meaningful.
Indeed, the episode boils down to two people trying to find meaning in their lives, and their challenges in doing so are having a profound effect on the marriage. The examples are ever present, Jaime and Claire not sleeping together, Jaime unaware that Claire has gone to help at the charity hospital, Claire unaware that Jaime has welcomed Fergus in the house to help him steal letters.
Season 2 is so strong in its coherence, with each episode building off of the one before it. This episode is not memorable, and does end with some success for the Frasers, but you begin to see that Paris is beginning to take its toll, and that the ghost of Black Jack Randall is getting ever closer, both in Claire's remembering that Mary Hawkins is to marry Randall, and due to the fact that Jaime will likely learn that Black Jack is alive when they engage with the Duke of Sandringham.
Of course, this is through no fault of Claire's, and she too finds herself adrift and living a largely meaningless existence in Paris. If you know anything about Claire, she will be far from satisfied with the frivolous meetings with Louise and dinner parties. Claire has always been a woman of substance, as a healer at Leoch, in the rent party, and instrumental in the effort to save Jaime. In Paris, she finds herself as a side character in her own story, left on the sidelines while Jaime handles the business of actually combating the rebellion. It's not surprising that she seeks out work at the charity hospital, giving her a way to feel useful and meaningful.
Indeed, the episode boils down to two people trying to find meaning in their lives, and their challenges in doing so are having a profound effect on the marriage. The examples are ever present, Jaime and Claire not sleeping together, Jaime unaware that Claire has gone to help at the charity hospital, Claire unaware that Jaime has welcomed Fergus in the house to help him steal letters.
Season 2 is so strong in its coherence, with each episode building off of the one before it. This episode is not memorable, and does end with some success for the Frasers, but you begin to see that Paris is beginning to take its toll, and that the ghost of Black Jack Randall is getting ever closer, both in Claire's remembering that Mary Hawkins is to marry Randall, and due to the fact that Jaime will likely learn that Black Jack is alive when they engage with the Duke of Sandringham.
