Through a Glass, Darkly

Through a Glass, Darkly
Airdate	April 9, 2016
Runtime	59 minutes
Writer	Ronald D. Moore
Director	Metin Hüseyin
Production Code	201
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Through a Glass, Darkly is the first episode of Season Two and seventeenth episode overall of the Outlander television series.

Summary

Returning to her own time, Claire must reconcile her future with the life she left behind. Shifting back to 18th century, Jamie, Claire and Murtagh arrive in France, but learn that Paris presents its own challenges.

Plot

Claire 'wakes' at Craigh na Dun in anguish over everything she's left behind, as she has returned to her own time. Following a meeting with a motorist, Claire comes face to face with her estranged husband Frank Randall in a hospital. Claire tries to make him leave her, but Frank refuses, even after she tells him the whole story of where she'd been, about loving and marrying Jamie, and more importantly about being pregnant with Jamie's child. To escape the tabloids, Frank proposes that they get as far from Scotland – and hopefully Claire's memories of this 'Jamie' – and move to Boston, where he has been offered a position at Harvard University. As Claire steps off the airplane to start her new life in Boston, her mind takes her back to the day she arrived at Le Havre with Jamie.

Claire and Jamie having chosen their path to try and alter the future, find their way into Prince Charles Stuart's favor via Jamie's wealthy wine merchant cousin Jared Fraser. Jared offers to help them by giving them run of his home and business while he is away. They run afoul of the Comte St. Germain, Jared's business rival, when Claire insists that his ship be burnt following an outbreak of smallpox among the crew – an act for which St. Germain declares he will have his revenge.

Cast

Main Cast Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall Fraser Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall Duncan Lacroix as Murtagh Fraser Stanley Weber as Comte St. Germain

Guest Cast James Fleet as Reverend Wakefield Tracey Wilkinson as Mrs. Graham Rory Burns as Young Roger Wakefield Robert Cavanah as Jared Fraser Sandy Welch as Dr. Edwards Stephen Docherty as Scottish Driver Morven Macbeth as Nurse John Scougall as Photographer Fabien Lucciarini as Patagonia Captain Christian Perez as Port Official

Trivia

• The episode title comes from 1 Corinthians 13:12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
• The original airing of the episode displayed the caption "Le Havre, France 1745" for the scene when Claire and Jamie arrive in France. The date was incorrect; in the show's timeline, they arrive in France in April/May 1744.
• Part I of Dragonfly in Amber is called "Through a Looking Glass, Darkly."
• The dog seen outside Claire’s hospital window is Cuilean, Ronald D. Moore and Terry Dresbach's dog in real life.
• Le Comte St. Germain's crest was created by the art department and it can be seen hanging above the Comte's wine warehouse and stamped on his wine barrels.
• St. Germain's Theme: While looking for an authentic sound, Outlander composer Bear McCreary discovered the historical figure Comte de St. Germain, which the character is based upon. Among his many skills, the real St. Germain was also a composer and wrote music. McCreary had a music historian pull some of the real St. Germain's music and ended up using one of his pieces for St. Germain's theme in the show.

Multimedia

Soundtrack

"Leave the Past Behind" – Bear McCreary
"Wrath of the Comte" – Bear McCreary

Videos

Outlander Inside - Episode 201 ‘Through A Glass, Darkly’

Images

• Stills
• Screencaps
• Behind the Scenes

Comte St. Germain Crest