The title of this episode got my mind spinning a bit. Did I miss something during my binge a few weeks ago? Some little-nuanced detail? No. But all was revealed in "First Wife."

With some understandable trepidation Jamie, Young Ian, and Claire arrive back at Lallybroch. Jenny and Ian greet them albeit a bit coldly. Once formalities are spoken, mainly to ghost-turned-alive human Claire, the three weary travelers enter the parlor and explain to Jenny that the print shop in Edinburgh had burned. Despite trying to reconnect with Jenny, Claire is met with Jenny’s icy shoulder and no eye contact.

Jenny doesn't buy the Culloden story

Jenny demands Jamie tell her where Claire has been and doesn’t buy his Culloden story. She knows Claire better than that. We also learn Jamie took another wife while Claire was back to the future. The headstrong and emotionally transparent Jenny is relentless in her requirement for the full truth before she lets Claire back into her fold. Will she ever get it? Is it any wonder Jenny Fraser is the only person that got the better of Black Jack Randall if you can call it that. She is the toughest of nuts to crack.

During an intimate night in their bedroom at Lallybroch, Jamie tells Claire he went searching for her when he got out of prison. He followed the tip from a delirious dying man who said there was a treasure on one of the isles guarded by a white witch.

On an off chance that white witch was Claire he took his chances swimming in icy waters to Seal Island and found a treasure of jewels and coins but not Claire. He took a single sapphire back to the jailer and left the chest where he found it. He also begins to tell her something more but it reveals itself before he can finish.

A second wife

Laoghaire, still beautiful but off her rocker, appears with a stunning red-haired daughter (who appeared in the opening scene) and we learn Claire’s old nemesis is technically Jamie’s wife now save one annoying detail, his first wife is alive. A suspicious Jenny informed Laoghaire (via her innocent daughter) that Jamie has returned to Lallybroch.

This was an act of how angry Jenny is with Claire, which Claire sensed since she returned.

Incited and red-faced, Laoghaire confronts Jamie and Claire with a pistol. Despite the newlyweds not living as husband and wife, we learn that on top of her life-long love/obsession for Jaime, he has been supporting her and her children born from a now dead husband. In an act of desperation and an unsteady hand, Laoghaire shoots Jaime in the arm. Jaime gets bloodied and yet again he’s injured but not past the point where skilled surgeon Claire, can save him. Claire bitterly removes the pellet while fuming because he married a woman who tried to have her killed. Jaime explains how the second marriage came to be.

Chalk it up to a weak moment and being at the wrong place at the right time.

Claire half explains to Jenny where she has been and of her life with Frank. She skirts the topic of Brianna and the time travel thing. Jenny listens fairly but, asserts her characteristic spitfire stubbornness. A later conversation Jenny spells out she no longer is satisfied with blind faith about Claire’s white witchery. She is heartbroken Claire left as it was like losing her sister. Claire wants back in the entire clan and Jenny insists they will never be close like they once were. We know how charming Claire can be. Time will tell.

Claire whips out a needleful of penicillin for Jaime post surgery. The mystery medical bag came back from the twentieth century.

I have a sneaking suspicion, and I haven’t read the books, that this may be how Jenny learns of the time travel situation.

Paying off bad decisions

After speaking to council, Claire and Jamie decide rather than have Laoghaire convicted for her crime of passion. She will be paid off with an annual support payment. Being the honorable guy he is Jamie wants to provide for Laoghaire’s children that he’s grown fond of. That valuable chest on Seal Island comes in handy now except Jamie is lame and can’t swim out to get it. Once retrieved, traded in France the monies can be paid to Laoghaire. Young Ian offers as he near worships his uncle and loves his auntie, Claire. An injured arm and icy waters of the North Sea do not mix.

While Ian retrieves the chest of goodies a ship anchors and a small boat arrives at the island unbeknownst to Ian. Jaime tries to yell him a warning but he can't hear him across the water. Ian is captured by the pirates and taken back to the ship with goods in hand. The sails come down and Ian is taken away. Jamie’s nephew is following his footsteps. His good intentions lead him into troublesome situations.
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