It’s a big step for the series, and seemingly a necessary one for its long-term growth. The takeaway from “Both Sides Now” was that Claire won’t be getting back to her time anytime soon, so it’s all the more important now that Outlander plant its feet in the world and fiction that the story is going to be taking place in for the near future. Part of that means getting out of Claire’s head though, as a fish-out-of-water can only make us so aware of the period’s politics and culture without the show delivering reams of exposition.
Jamie proves just as prone to breaking out in heady internal monologues as his new wife, so “Reckoning” makes for a smooth stylistic transition on its surface. But the change in perspective does impact how we’re intended to read some of the events in the premiere. Clashing gender politics are a major touchstone of Outlander, but we’ve only ever seen these issues from Claire’s more modern side of things. In adopting Jamie’s position for a change, a scene that might come off as unsettling from Claire’s outlook is instead played for comic effect from Jamie’s.
By the end of “Reckoning,” Jamie emerges as a more complicated character than the impossibly progressive dreamboat the first eight episodes made him out to be (though even those complications somehow make him MORE noble). This is matched by the plotting of the episode, which delves more heavily into the inner workings and divides among the McKenzie clansmen. You may want to brush up on your supporting players before watching, as telling many of the interchangeably scruffy characters apart can be a bit of a challenge after such a long break.
Any real umbrage I can take with the premiere is a matter of preference, as Outlander’s runtime still seems like the only part of the show with fat to trim. But for fans that love just being in this world, a glut of Outlander probably sounds like a great problem to have right now. There’s a trimmer version of the show here, but the transportive appeal of Outlander is often worth any slackness of pace. There’s some thrilling action at episode’s open, a complicated, kinky sex scene at its end, and a lot of gorgeous photography in between. Outlander is still comfortable just doing its own thing, and it’s as well acted, shot, and produced as ever. Simply put, if you kin Outlander is for you already, not much has changed, and what has seems for the better.