There was a confrontation and some big reveals in Saturday's night's episode of Starz's "Outlander."
(Spoiler alert! If you haven't watched Episode 110, bookmark this link to come back to later.)
Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) had to address the "ill-wish" with Laoghaire MacKenzie (Nell Hudson), and the confrontation resulted in some nasty insults, followed by a slap. Later, Claire learned something about another woman she had been associating with -- Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek). After watching her dance in the dark, Claire learned Geillis is Dougal MacKenzie's (Graham McTavish) mistress and she's carrying his child. She also learned her friend was willing to do anything to be with Dougal, including poisoning her own husband.
PHOTOS: ‘Outlander’: Scenes From Season 1, Part 2
Access Hollywood spoke with the cast about some of those big scenes:
Claire Fraser's Confrontation With Laoghaire MacKenzie
"Mrs. Fitz, would you mind giving us a few moments? Laoghaire and I have something to discuss," Claire Fraser said as she went into Castle Leoch's kitchen to tackle the issue of the "ill-wish" found in her room at the end of "The Reckoning" episode.
Claire tried to use her logical side as she confronted Mrs. Fitz's granddaughter about the wee present left under the bed (that meant her harm). "I know you have deep feelings for Jamie, and when tender regard is denied, it can be very hurtful," Claire said, adding, "I never conspired to take Jamie from you." But, she lost it when Laoghaire let loose with the insults. "My poor Jamie, trapped in a loveless marriage, forced to share his bed with a cold, English b***. He must have to get himself swine drunk every night before he can stand to plow your field," the young woman spit out. And Claire couldn't help herself. She reached up and slapped Laoghaire.
"The funny thing is, I was very resistant to that," Caitriona told Access Hollywood when we asked her about getting to slap Laoghaire. "I felt that Claire maybe wouldn't do that because I felt that she would not stoop to fighting with another woman over a man, but once we got into it I quite enjoyed it – not to slap Nell, because Nell's absolutely lovely and so amazing, but I think Laoghaire probably deserved it. So yeah, I'm glad that the writers were insistent on that and they didn't listen to me."
Geillis Duncan's Dance In The Dark
While outside at night, Claire came upon a beautiful sight, something similar to one she'd seen before, in 1945 – a stunning druid dance. This one, though, was a solo number by Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) that featured a major reveal – Geillis is pregnant.
Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan in 'Outlander' (Sony Pictures Television/Starz)
Lotte, who started out as a dancer before becoming an actress, told Access about filming the stunning television sequence.
"We choreographed it. There was a choreographer. We worked a couple of times and a lot of it was about the logistics of doing a dance that's somewhat -- it's mystical and it's mysterious and it's a ritual, but it's also -- the logistics of making sure that not everything was revealed physically, because I was not wearing a lot, but then certain parts would have to be revealed, for example, the belly," Lotte said. "So there was a lot of technical stuff to it. But once on set, in the forest, with all the magic of Scotland, it was just such a phenomenal scene to shoot."
WATCH: ‘Outlander’: Lotte Verbeek & Caitriona Balfe On Ep. 110 Dance
Caitriona loved observing it too.
"It's beautiful," Caitriona told Access. "Her movement is amazing. It was so cold and she was so fantastic and we were doing it in this glen and… even though it was summertime, it was so cold, but we were fighting with the light, because the light there, it only gets dark for two or three hours in the mid-summer, so we were kind of fighting to have it all done within this time. And she was just so amazing. … You feel like she's evoking the spirits. It really felt very magical, so it was beautiful."
At the end of the dance, Geillis addressed Claire, who had been secretly (or so Claire thought) watching her. In that scene, Geillis revealed her affair with Dougal MacKenzie, and she also announced that he is the father of her child. The dance was to ask mother nature for their freedom (Geillis' and Dougal's), Geillis told Claire.
"When would you get to shoot a scene that's pretty much a solo scene, half-naked in the forest and that's so magical, and then, there's a dialogue scene and it's really kind of light and you see Geillis back to how you know [her]? It's so interesting that she keeps having these twists and being this way and being that way. It's a great thing to play," Lotte said.
The Death Of Arthur Duncan!
Geillis' husband Arthur died of arsenic poisoning. Claire smelled the proof, and Colum (Gary Lewis) seemed to suspect something was up when he saw Geillis and his brother, Dougal, exchange an important look across the hall.
"It's so funny because obviously a lot must have happened between Geillis and Dougal, but it almost seems like immaculate conception at some point because you never see them together," Lotte told Access. "Even that day on set, when they have that look, Geillis' husband drops dead and she stands up and they look at each other. Even on set that day -- 'cause I spent most of the day on this side of the room, and [Graham McTavish] was [on the other side], so it was like – it's just that look, and then you know. And then obviously she's going to reveal more about the relationship. And that's what's so great, I think, in the writing as well. It's not laid out, you didn’t see it happen, you don't see them together, but just by the way she talks, things start to make sense, 'Oh, now I get it, I totally get it. Of course, that makes total sense.'"
Graham McTavish as Douga in 'Outlander' (Sony Pictures Television/Starz)
While Geillis may have poisoned Arthur, Dougal trusts her completely.
"I do think he trusts her," Graham said.
"I don't think he has any worries that she's going to poison him, because she does things for a reason, and the reason in that case was obviously so that her and I could be together," Graham added.
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Earlier in the episode, Dougal lashed out when he found out his wife had died of a sudden fever. But knowing Geillis is pregnant with his child gives him new hope.
"He's full of guilt and self-loathing about all of that -- about his wife and how he's treated her. What's that extraordinary line? 'A blind man would never have considered her attractive,' or something like that. What a thing to say about your dead wife, but he's had a few drinks," Graham said. "But yeah, I think he's going to be a very proud dad, well, and also, this is a chance for him to actually have an acknowledged son or daughter rather than the one he's having to pretend isn't his."
"Outlander" continues Saturday at 9 PM ET/PT on Starz.
-- Jolie Lash
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