Indecisionlander
The Bonnie Prince has taken great pains to outfit himself appropriately, but cannot make a decision about the troops' next move. It seems their Jacobite group took Edinburgh by chasing away the surprised British army, but without the shock factor at play anymore, no one can agree on the next move. Especially because what lies between them and the redcoats is unpredictable marshy land that might not hold up under a Jacobite charge, so while one side wants to march over and kill them all, the other side is PRETTY sure they'll get stuck in the mud and die trying. What's a tartan-clad heir-in-training to do? The Bonnie Prince stomps around pouting about how much he would prefer this to be civilized, given that the English are his brothers and his subjects too.
Charlie then asks Jamie to tell Claire -- the de facto Head Medic -- to treat all the wounded English first, as a show of civility and good will. Jamie is like, "Um, nice try." Charlie notes that while Claire might not obey the prince, she OUGHT to obey her "lord and master." It's all Jamie can do not to snort right in his face.
Missionlander
Jamie wants to be proven right, but his position with the prince isn't up for sacrifice. So he cleverly, subtly, prods Dougal into doing the deed: crossing the bog to see how well it could support their army. Dougal never met a bagpipe-measuring contest he didn't think he could win, so...
Marshlander
... away he goes, in broad daylight. Jamie tells him not to get within 125 feet of the British because of their weaponry; Dougal obviously intends to push that, because he's Dougal, and he knows best. But I think half the intent here was also to see just what the range of the British weapons was, hence not trying this at night when nobody could see them.
For his trouble, Dougal's horse gets stuck, and he takes a bullet to the hat. It pierces a neat hole through it and grazes Dougal's skull; as the bullets spray right at his horse's feet, he dismounts and all but drags his steed to safety. The Scots cheer, considering this feat a massive moral victory -- honestly, it's probably more that they were all SO BORED by the inaction and indecision that it felt good to have one option crossed off the list -- and the redcoats just seem bemused at what in the haggis-soaked hell any of that meant.
Shitlander
Dougal gets a big, long snuggle from the Bonnie Prince, who tells him that they'd win this war tomorrow if everyone was as brave as Dougal. (Never mind that Dougal confesses to the crowd that he soiled his kilt.) And I can't tell if Dougal's expression here is a) paranoia about the kilt-soiling, or b) disinterest in being cuddled by a jackwagon in curls.
Palslander
A young kid who lives nearby, and knows the land, promises the soldiers safe passage around the marsh -- and right to where they can catch the redcoats unawares. On the eve of battle, these two -- Ross and Kincaid, Lallybroch farmers -- pledge fealty to each other's families. They seal it by sewing BEST FRIENDS into a giant tartan blanket, then cutting it in half to make two kilts. (Just kidding. They spit in their palms and shake, like civilized people.)
Rupanguslander
All of this makes Angus mushy, so he tries to tell Rupert that he can have all Angus's wordly goods. Indeed, this episode works overtime to have Angus acting the lovable scamp -- he even fishes for a farewell kiss from Claire, and gets one on the cheek -- while Rupert tells everyone they are NOT GONNA DIE NOPE NOT HAPPENING NO WAY NO HOW. So you knew they were setting the table for a bayonet through the Rupangus portmanteau.
Cherublander
Oh, please. Could this kid be any MORE Ripped From a Renaissance Painting About Boy Angels?
Kneelander
Claire is pretty sure that history remembers the Jacobites winning this battle -- she is correct, by the way, and Outlander fans are reawakening a petition to preserve the battlefield as a historical site -- but Murtagh is bummed. He's starting to feel the size of all this, and what a drop in the bucket his death will be when it's one of thousands lost to the sands of time. God, he would have LOVED the opening credits to "Days of our Lives."
Jamie plops his knee up on something so he can think with more clarity and freedom for his junk to swing. Eventually this ends with him admitting he feels the same way, but hey, they have each other's backs. Bros before foes.
Smoochlander
Claire is not about to let Jamie go to war without a warm-up swordfight against her tongue.
Mediclander
And here, the episode segregates. The menfolk all sneak off into the mists to fight, while the women busy themselves getting the makeshift hospital ready for the wounded they know will be pouring in soon. It's an interesting juxtaposition between the men -- prowling, then pouncing -- and the women, left to twiddle their thumbs and sterilize knives and then wait in a tense panic as they hear the cries of war ring out over the bog.
Gavrochelander
Oh, and Fergus of course snuck off with the men, and the sight of his little self with that tiny knife -- pretending to be brave while actually scared pantsless -- was really touching and also a source of panic. They did a GREAT job during the battle scenes of making him look like the absolute most vulnerable little thing, and the most foolish for having insisted he tag along. I was worried about him. The show has burned me before, showing his bright-eyed little face right before having something terrible happen to him. I was on ALERT. But he is fine, y'all.
Fightlander
You know, for all the effort Jamie put into teaching the men to march and be organized, this looks AWFULLY like Dougal's favored brand of highland charge.
The battle scenes are quite grisly. Swords are run through a good many body parts, and the men are ruthless. The red coats are caught completely unawares, and the Scots run roughshod all over them. It's a total bloodbath; a vampire's buffet.
Deathlander
Ross brings in the already-lifeless body of his buddy Kincaid -- he with, I believe, the six children awaiting him at home. He's not best pleased, and spends a chunk of what remains of the hour sitting next to the corpse and mourning.
Deathlander, Part 2
Angus brings in Rupert, who is breathing, but barely. He took a wicked slash to the chest, and as Claire stitches him up, there's some malarkey wherein Rupert wakes and mutters something about whether Angus blew up. Angus shrugs it off...
Herolander
... but we flash back to this shot of Angus shooting the red coat that was about to ride over and behead his buddy, only to take the brunt of a cannon blast. He insists he's fine to Claire, and she only glances at him to see if he has a concussion and then moves along. Never checks his back, nor his body; nothing. Just takes him at his word, even though he's clearly in shock and scared for his friend. This -- plus the full hero shot from out on the battlefield; Angus has NEVER looked more glorious and manly and strong -- is when it's immediately obvious that Angus is going to die. That writing is on the wall in 16 different languages.
Survivallander
Aye, but these two live to see another shower.
Shocklander
Claire is beside herself when she sees Fergus, clutching him to her as if he were her own son (it's rather sweet). He's in a daze because he killed an English officer, and Claire is like, "OH NO OH SWEET FERGUS NO." Her reaction is at least sort of on par with that time he got raped, but HE sure seems more upset now. I know things were different in the books when it comes to that rape and Fergus's past, etc., but I feel like it behooves me NOT to have read the books because I can judge more clearly whether the TV series stands on its own. Which it should. But in the case of Fergus, it doesn't.
Slaylander
Dougal casually romps around the battlefield stabbing the remaining life out of all the wounded redcoats -- including one who helped him and Claire out in season one. "The only honorable redcoat," he says, before taking umbrage at the guy's suggestion that the Jacobite success is fleeting and that beating the redcoats will be impossible. "Then I'll look for you in hell," he tells the guy, filleting him energetically.
Urinelander
And then of course we pause for Jamie to have an actual literal pissing match with a wounded redcoat. Claire wants him to pee in a cup so she can see if the horse that stepped on Jamie's back has done any kidney damage. The redcoat bets Jamie he can't take aim from any distance, and... they're in a MEDICAL FACILITY. Claire and what remains of her 1940s sense of hygiene should at least tell them to knock it off.
Charlielander
The Prince cuts it short instead. He comes in to offer the English a message of support and brotherhood, and is of course interrupted by Dougal storming in and deciding he wants to sup on more British blood. Charlie's lacy French knickers bunch up MOST obtrusively as he curses Dougal for being a brute, and casts him out.
Reprievelander
Jamie comes up with a solution: Promote Dougal to captain, give him a small squad of mischief-makers, and let him scamper around spying and wreaking general mayhem -- or, as Jamie puts it, making use of Dougal's skills -- while funneling info back to them. Charlie agrees and tells Dougal he owes the great James Fraser everything. "You champion me and you exile me, both at the same time," he observes, likening Jamie's cunning to Colum's (it's the second time we've had mention of that side of him, the first being when they met Lord Lovat and Claire wryly noted some similarities).
Deathlander, Part 2, For Real This Time
And then everyone is distracted by Angus essentially exploding. It seems he's been bleeding internally this whole time. I'm not sure Claire could have done anything even if she'd known, but it's WAY too late now. All his orifaces bubble over with blood. And what's even more devastating in this moment is the look of fear and confusion in Angus's eyes, as he stares up at Claire and Jamie, who are helplessly waiting for his death. Angus was a merry little jokester, and one of the few light spots in the show. He's an obvious choice to kill off, and they telegraphed it, but it still stung. I shall miss his flowing locks.
Grieflander
And of course, poor Rupert wakes up right at that moment, and hauls himself over and takes Angus's sword -- the one Angus had promised him; the one worldly possession of his -- and then hugs it to him, too numb to cry. It really IS moving. I hate it when a bromance dies early.
Drinklander
At least Ross and Rupert have each other. They carouse late into the night, each drinking away the sorrow of losing their other half. I assume this means they will bro-marry each other soon, to fill the void.
Fearlander
Murtagh and Jamie are surprised victory doesn't taste sweeter. Claire points out that perhaps that is because her being right about Prestonpans means she's also right about Culloden. Girl, we already KNOW you are right about Culloden. That was not in question. You're not going to find out if you've changed Culloden until Culloden HAPPENS. Maybe Claire just meant that by keeping with history here, they have likely not done anything to change what's coming.
Regardless, the point is this: Their joy is tempered by the knowledge that the great massacre, the one they're essentially pre-ordained to lose, still awaits. You know sometimes each of them lies awake thinking of France, wondering what might've happened if they'd just moved over there and worked in the wine biz and never mentioned the word "Jacobite" to a soul. They'd still be there, eating their weight in Brie. Which has to be a kick in the gut on several levels.