Exclusive

How to Prepare for Outlander's Big Reunion Episode

Plus, an exclusive announcement you're going to want to hear!

By Lauren Piester Oct 12, 2017 5:00 PMTags
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Still reeling from the end of last week's Outlander?

And still reeling even more from the fact that you have to wait a whole extra week to find out what happens next? We feel you. We're there with you. We got you. 

Last week's episode obviously ended with Claire finally making it back to her husband in the 1700s after discovering that Jamie had survived and was working as a printer in Edinburgh under the name Alexander Malcolm, quoting poems that hadn't been written yet. But all we got was Claire arriving at the shop, and alerting Jamie to her presence before he passed out cold (a reasonable reaction, tbh). 

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All the Scoop on Outlander Season 3

"There's a pint pot somewhere that goes awry," Sam Heughan told us of the aftermath of the fainting when we caught up with him at the launch of his signature collection for Barbour. "It's gonna be everything…you know, these two people haven't seen each other, and they're going to rediscover that bond, that attraction, that love for each other, but also it's kind of awkward because they haven't seen each other for so long and there's so much riding on it. It's almost like they're teenagers again." 

Now, we still have a week and a half to go before we get to see Jamie and Claire be those teenagers again, but there are actually a lot of things you can do in that time to prepare yourself for all the various kinds of catching up Claire and Jamie will have to do. 

First, just put this preview on repeat while you prepare your sustenance. Sure, it's as much of a tease as the end of last week's episode was, but all that collar-undoing is still something. 

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Second, you'll need alcohol. Lucky for all of us, Outlander is not lacking in that department. While whisky is always a go-to where anything Scottish is concerned, the show also has its own line of wines via Lot 18, with fun names like Mo Nighean Donn, Red Jamie, A. Malcolm, La Dame Blanche, Mac Dubh, and even a delightful rosé called Sassenach, all printed on gorgeous labels that will make you almost not even want to open the wine. (Almost.) 

And yes friends, you heard us correctly. There is Outlander rosé, and yes it is good, and yes it has a hashtag: #SassenachRoseAllDay

Starz

Third, food! There's an official Outlander cookbook, but all you really need are some bannocks and some delicious freshly made (or, you know, bought) butter and you're golden! Bannocks are flat, unleavened oat cakes that Jamie and Claire eat quite a lot of in the book series, and that were traditionally served warm with most meals. 

We can also recommend Scottish Tablet (most likely referred to as "crumbly" in season one), but only if you're a REALLY big fan of sugar. It's basically a lot of sugar, butter, condensed milk, and vanilla, and we cannot stress enough how sugary it is. But if you're into that sort of thing, it's delicious. 

You should also prepare some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to keep in your pocket for your journey through the stones! 

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Outlander Finally Makes it to the Print Shop, Breaking Our Hearts in the Process

Fourth, now that you've armed yourself with food and drink, you're ready to do some reminiscing. When we asked Heughan what episodes fans should rewatch to prepare, he said, "I think you should watch all the episodes, especially of season three." 

While some people may have time to do that, most do not, but there are just a few we'd suggest taking a look back at in preparation. First, the pilot. "Sassenach" showed Claire's first journey through the stones and introduced her to Jamie Fraser for the first time, so it's an obvious choice. Then, just skip on over to episode seven, also known as "The Wedding." You know why. 

From there, head over to season two, episode seven, "Faith." It's a hard watch, but a worthwhile one for so many reasons, including its devastating performances. Then take on the season two finale, "Dragonfly in Amber," to watch Claire and Jamie say goodbye. 

From there, take Heughan's advice and just rewatch the first five episodes of season three! 

John A. Angelillo

"We covered 20 years that Claire and Jamie are apart, and a lot happens to both those characters and it's an amazing season," Heughan told us. "I'm so excited about this season and I know people are enjoying it. And each episode is very different so when we actually finally get to the reunion, there's just…the stakes are even higher. We've learned that these two people have lived lives apart, and yeah, I can't wait for the fans to see the print shop." 

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The Outlander Print Shop Reunion You've Been Waiting for Is Here and It's Super Steamy

When you've finished your season three rewatch (even if you skipped episode four, which even Heughan admitted was going to make a lot of people "angry"), here's some more from Jamie himself about being reunited with Claire on screen and costar Caitriona Balfe off-screen. 

"Obviously in the show there are so many fan favorite moments in the books so there's always a pressure to get these right, but of course we knew the print shop was a big one," he says. "We hadn't worked together for a long time so it was nice to have each other back again. There's a different atmosphere, a different dynamic on set, and you know, the makeup trailer was quieter without her. The music was different. But it was really great to be working with her again, and this great sort of dynamic between the two of us. It was fun, and I think viewers will be sort of surprised, but they'll see what they're anticipating." 

Sony/Outlander Store

And finally, an exclusive announcement: If you act fast, you can get your hands on a gorgeous print, printed on the very printer Jamie A. Malcolm uses in the show! 

Starting tomorrow, the Outlander Store is selling a very limited edition art print of the gorgeous cover page of the "A. Malcolm" script. It even says "printed by A. Malcolm," so it feels very legit. Here's the official description: 

"Own a piece of the print shop from Outlander with this limited-edition ‘A. Malcolm Printer and Bookseller' art print. Hand typeset on the fully-restored 1800's printer in the actual print shop set, as seen in Season 3 of Outlander: The Series, this beautiful and framed print recreates the ‘A. Malcolm by Matthew B. Roberts' cover page on handmade, archival 80gsm paper (the approximate equivalent of 70 lb. text weight paper). Twenty-five of these unique hand numbered prints were created during production of Season 3 and 20 of these prints are available now for you to showcase in your Outlander collection. Available exclusively at www.outlanderstore.com." 

We'll see you in a week and a half! 

Outlander's super-sized reunion episode airs next Sunday, October 22 at 8 p.m. on Starz.