TV Show Review

TV Review: OUTLANDER: Season 2, Episode 11: Vengeance Is Mine [Starz]

Duncan Lacroix Rosie Day Caitriona Balfe Outlander Vengeance Is Mine

Outlander Vengeance Is Mine Review

Outlander Vengeance Is Mine Review. Starz’s Outlander: Season 2, Episode 11: Vengeance Is Mine featured another attempt by Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) to change history. The viewer wondered why Jamie had been so adamant about attacking London when everyone else in the room, except Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Andrew Gower), was against it. When Jamie revealed why he had been so adamant later in Vengeance Is Mine, it made perfect sense. Here is what went unsaid during the opening military meeting:

The Jacobite leaders said they didn’t know the locations of the British forces hence their trepidation towards making a move on London. Why didn’t the Jacobite army send out probes to find the exact locations of the British forces?

The Jacobite army lost its momentum by retreating. The British received the time they needed to bring in reinforcements because of the retreat. Didn’t the Scottish realize this? Great Britain had far more trained soldiers than the Jacobites. The Jacobite frontal assault cessation would give Britain time to ship more soldiers to the battlefront while analyzing previous Jacobite assaults.

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Rupert MacKenzie (Grant O’Rourke) proved himself to be one of the toughest characters on the series with what he endured in Vengeance Is Mine. The viewer was surprised that he could stay upright for as long as he did. The viewer was also surprised by the move Dougal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish) made on horseback to preserve Rupert’s life. The viewer can say what they will about Dougal’s battlefield combat porn, he cared about his clansmen.

The Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow)’s revealed criminal collusion and duplicity was the most pivotal event of Vengeance Is Mine. Callow is an actor capable of delivering devilish and comedic lines side by side, elegantly transitioning from one to the other with ease. Callow’s sinister character provided the lion-share of the humor in the episode. Callow used Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day) as the straight man in his comedy, though Mary was more cognizant of sub-text at hand than she let on.

There are very few individuals that believe that rape is preferable to death and vice versa. A person of rationality believes both are abhorrent and should be avoided at all costs. The Duke of Sandringham made a devil’s bargain with Le Comte St. Germain. The Duke was a smart individual. Why didn’t Sandringham come up with a compromise for the destroyed ship and cargo? Le Comte’s anger would have disappeared if he had been reimbursed. Jamie and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) could have set up a repayment installment plan with Le Comte. Claire and Jamie, however, didn’t know dangerous Le Comte was until it was too late.

For a string-puller, The Duke received one of the most violent deaths in Outlander‘s short TV history. Some outwardly malicious combatants on Outlander were given far ‘cleaner’ deaths than the Duke received. The Duke, on the other hand, did have his violent end coming.

TV and film criminals always feel the overwhelming need to monologue about their nefarious deeds to someone. This speech is often delivered to the hero or the aggrieved party. This situation was no different in Vengeance Is Mine between The Duke and Claire.

Mary stabbing Danton (Andrea Dolente) was uncharacteristically aggressive of her. With vengeance inches away from her finger tips, of course she acted. Mary’s anger over her violation, over everything that she had lost, moved her hand and her fingers towards that knife. Mary inched her way out of her shell in Vengeance Is Mine. First when she went outside to talk to a “beggar” on Claire’s behalf and second with the stabbing of Danton. Mary began to do things for herself instead of waiting for someone else to do them for her. She took an active role in her own destiny instead of sitting back and enjoying the ride. Mary will become independent and self-actualized if this streak continues.

Leave your thoughts on this Outlander Vengeance Is Mine review and this episode of Outlander below in the comments section. Readers seeking more Outlander can visit our Outlander Page and our Outlander Google+ Page. Readers seeking more TV show reviews can visit our TV Show Review Page, our TV Show Review Twitter Page, our TV Show Review Facebook Page, and our TV Show Review Google+ Page. Want up-to-the-minute notification? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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