Michelle Monkou on 'Outlander': Wentworth Prison

Just a quick note that my gal pal Mandi is not with me for this week's recap. I journeyed solo into this episode that starts on a grim note. The condemned have the pleasure to watch the other condemned die as they steadily progress through the line. Thanks to the sound effects, you hear the squeaking protest of the rope, the clang of the restraints and the snap of the necks — cue the visual of legs twitching. I did say it was grim.

Injecting some lighter fare: Jamie is looking handsome, as a rugged, dirty prisoner with strength and rebellion in those gorgeous eyes. Cheers to the makeup artists.

Now when Black Jack rides in to save Jamie's neck, you have to wonder if jumping off the edge of the platform was a more palatable option than being rescued by a sadist. His is nothing like Jamie's I-am-the-hero entrances to get Claire out of her scrapes. Curiosity and dread are partnering companions to me as I watch. And, as for Claire, I fell in love with her all over again. I have to admit that she began to annoy me with her headlong and headstrong plunge into dangerous situations. But she has stepped up with all of her anger, pride and trembling chin to find and rescue her man. The lengths that she is willing to go are commendable and heartbreaking with her lack of success.

Injecting some lighter fare: Angus and Rupert are hilarious and a welcoming breath of fresh air, or more like humor, in this dour situation. Of course their drunken detective work is initially unappreciated. But there is a brain ... or two … ticking between this personable pair.

Back to Wentworth we go. Black Jack burns the incriminating evidence and toys with Jamie. When he asks in the tone of a tormentor, "May I?" his look is enough to make you keep holding your breath for a few seconds more. Brilliantly played by the actors, Tobias Menzies and Jamie and the idiot guard are the dancers in a macabre performance as they navigate the small space in their various roles. Thankfully, nods to Diana Gabaldon, the screenwriter and director (and whoever else should get the credit), this isn't a scene to memorialize being a victim or to elevate the depravity of a monster. The goal, in my opinion, is to solidify the love between Claire and Jamie. It's about sacrifice. It's about honor beyond the normal trappings of honorable acts. In the eyes of a lover, it's a simple and perfect act of selflessness … in all its grim, dreaded glory.

Michelle Monkou loves writing her sexy, complex heroes. Her website is michellemonkou.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook.