Most Outlander fans expected Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) to face hard times in Season 2. After all, the characters are still dealing with Jamie’s imprisonment and sexual assault last season, and they made the drastic move to Paris with an impossible task in mind. However, nobody thought it would be this hard. With their relationship starting to feel an intense strain, will they be able to make it through in one piece?
In an interview with Yahoo TV , Heughan discussed why Jamie and Claire find Paris challenging. Not only are they dealing with past issues, their mission is proving much harder than they had originally anticipated.
“Jamie is not in a healthy place when they begin this part of their journey,” Heughan shared. “And France and the mission they are on there — trying to infiltrate the Jacobite rebellion and stop the battle of Culloden and a race of people being wiped out — has a lot of consequences on their relationship, and love may not be strong enough to see them through. They’re not comfortable in this world.”
For her part, Balfe revealed that both characters are entering new territory. During the first season, Jamie and Claire enjoyed the freedom of being true to themselves and their beliefs. However, they now have to take on completely different roles as they mingle with the politics of 18th-century France.
“Even though we were playing the same characters, it felt almost like a different show,” Balfe explained. “Our characters, in a sense, were also playing characters as well. We’re so used to Jamie and Claire being so honorable, honest, and forthright. And here, we find them in a situation where they’re being quite duplicitous and manipulative. It was an uncomfortable readjustment for us, but they were also feeling that, so it helped us too.”
![Tobias Menzies will return as both Black Jack Randall and Frank Randall in season 2 of 'Outlander.' [Image via Starz]](http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Black-Jack-Randall_Starz-670x388.jpg)
Meanwhile, E! Online is reporting that Claire is still struggling with telling Jamie that Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) is still alive. Although Claire landed a new job with Mother Hildegarde (Frances de la Tour), it’s only a matter of time before Jamie finds out that his arch nemesis’ heart is still beating. This is especially true if Jamie meets up with the Duke of Sandringham (Laurence Dobiesz), who is also funding the Jacobite Rebellion.
Of course, there is no telling how Jamie will react once he finds out that his former torturer is alive. Considering everything that Black Jack put him through at the end of last season, his initial reaction is not going to be good.
That being said, the upcoming episode, titled “La Dame Blanche,” will feature Jamie and Claire spending a little quality time together. According to the International Business Times , Jamie and Claire are set to host a fancy dinner party in the coming episode. Their plan is to stop certain individuals from financing Prince Charles’ war. The guest list includes the Duke of Sandringham and Black Jack’s younger brother.
In addition to the party, fans will see Jamie and Claire attempt to spice things up in the bedroom. Apparently, their efforts pay off, and the two share some physical interactions in the next installment. Given their struggles in bed as of late, this latest development should help Jamie and Claire feel more comfortable in their relationship.
Sadly, any bedroom celebrations will be cut short as the two realize just how dangerous Paris can be. In particular, Claire is poisoned by an unknown person during the dinner party. Although Claire doesn’t know who poisoned her, she suspects that Comte St. Germain (Stanley Weber) was the culprit. After all, he blames Claire for his ship and all that it carried being burned after she revealed that some of his sailors had smallpox.
The second season of Outlander continues Saturday nights on Starz.
Tell us! Do you think Jamie and Claire will get through the drama of Season 2 of Outlander together? Let us know in the comments, and check out a preview for Episode 4 below.
[Image via Starz]