Outlander Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Prestonpans
Lisa Babick
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What's mine is yours and yours mine.
Outlander Season 2 Episode 10 was a bloody and emotional hour that was filled with tension and hard to watch.
I sort of feel like Fergus. A little shell shocked.
War is horrible. It's brutal. It's ugly. And it brings out the worst in people. Are there really any winners in any war?
So much happened this hour, I don't even know where to begin, so let's start with the ugly parts first.
Watching Jamie blindly lead Prince Charles' men into a thick fog to surprise attack the British Army was absolutely heart-stopping. And everything that happened afterwards wasn't any better.
I have to give kudos to the cinematographers for those brutal battles scenes, because those scenes really took you into the violence of it all. I don't know about you guys, but I felt like I was right there in the thick of it with Jamie and the others.
Those should have been the hardest scenes to watch, but unfortunately they weren't. There was something that happened later that was even worse.
Lord General had every right to be suspicious of the Anderson boy. After Dougal unsuccessfully tried to cross the marsh (don't you wish he was shot and killed?), it did seem rather convenient that this kid just showed up to tell them about a secret path around the marsh. It really did seem like it could be a set up.
Fortune drops out of the sky and onto our doorstep. Convenient, is it not? Do we trust this boy?
Lord General
Prince Charles having to make the final decision to take action was scary. The guy has no clue what he is doing. If wasn't for Jamie or the Lord General this battle could very well have been a slaughter on their side instead of the British side.
So, I'm glad it was Jamie who led the charge. But, my God, was that a violent battle. Jamie's thrill at the victory really seemed out of place, but it's understandable that he was excited for the win.
It was obvious from the semi-focus on Kincaid and Ross and Angus and Rupert that somebody wasn't going to make it out alive, so it wasn't surprising when Ross brought in a mortally wounded Kincaid. He was a goner before he was even put on the cot, and Ross' reaction to his death was heartbreaking.
Rupert's injury was pretty severe as well, but Claire's quick action and tremendous skills saved him from a certain death. It's too bad her eye wasn't able to catch what was going on with Angus.
Out of every death this hour, Angus' hit the hardest. Watching someone die like that without being able to do anything had to be incredibly difficult. Having gone through something similar, I really can imagine what was going through Claire's head as she watched him die.
I'm glad she granted the man's wish for her to kiss him before he went off to battle, because had she not, I think she might have felt a bit of guilt about that.
Angus, surely there's another woman you could have kiss you goodbye?
Claire
But she may feel guilt about it later anyway. It's not something that's just going to disappear if she closes her eyes. It's going to be sort of like how she felt about the American soldier from Outlander Season 2 Episode 9.
She can't get his screaming for his mother out of her head and she may never get the picture of Angus vomiting blood out of her head either. That may very well be the image of war she carries over when she returns to her other home whenever that might be.
It's too bad it wasn't Dougal we had to say goodbye to, because out of everyone this hour, he was the one that deserved it the most. It was shocking to see him kill those soldiers who should have been taken to the infirmary. It was sickening to watch, but when he killed the soldier who knew him, it really showed what a true bastard he really is.
Is your thirst for slaughter not quenched yet?
British soldier
I can't even imagine what was going through that soldier's mind when he saw what Dougal was doing, and it was pretty stupid of him to say what he said about the Scots not having a chance against the British Army. He sealed his fate with that one, but I think he knew it. Dougal was going to kill him no matter what.
When he went back to the infirmary and saw all the British soldiers, I'm glad Prince Charles was able to see his true colors. Dougal needed some sort of karma for his brutality out on the field. But, let me tell you, I could not believe Jamie came to his defense. I was like WTF when he brought up the idea of a promotion. I wanted Prince Charles to behead the guy or something.
But, Jamie is smart and took advantage of a situation to put them at a better advantage in this war. I would never had thought to do what he did, so kudos to Jamie for his quick thinking. I'm glad Dougal understood exactly what Jamie did. In that moment, Dougal pretty much lost everything.
I know what you did. You championed me and exiled me both at the same time. That's a plan worthy of my brother, Colum.
Dougal
I still want him to die though.
So what did you guys think? Are you happy about Dougal's promotion? Will the Scots change history and win the rebellion? There are only three more episodes, so how do you think the season will end? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.
If you missed this emotional episode, you can watch Outlander online right here via TV Fanatic.
