'Outlander' Season 1 Recap: Find Out How Jamie And Claire Got Engaged In Episode 6, 'The Garrison Commander' [RECAP]

“Outlander” Season 1 episode 6 proved that Dougal wasn’t the worst man for Claire to be held hostage by. The episode, titled “The Garrison Commander,” reunited Claire with the English army and Capt. Black Jack Randall. However, it became clear that she was much more comfortable around the Scottish than the English. The episode picked up right where episode 5 left off with redcoats surrounding Claire and Dougal.

Claire assured the soldiers that she was a guest of the MacKenzies, but they still wanted to bring her back to their leaders. Dougal accompanied Claire back to the English base, and Claire enjoyed not feeling like an outsider. Claire knew English soldiers in WWII, and she finally felt like she was among her people.

Brig. Gen. Lord Oliver Thomas was thrilled to see Claire and immediately wanted her to sit and dine with the men. He was less enthusiastic about Dougal's presence. Oliver claimed he couldn’t understand Dougal. It wasn’t until Dougal insulted Oliver that all of the men could easily understand him. They threatened to fight, but Claire stopped them.

“You do know how to order men about,” Oliver told Claire.

Dougal went downstairs to wait for Claire. Claire spoke and ate with the men, and it seemed that the men were willing to bring Claire back to Inverness. However, Black Jack Randall came in and immediately changed the tone of the room. He didn’t understand how any English person could befriend the Scottish. Randall accused her of sleeping with Dougal. Claire said that she just sympathized with the Scottish, but the English soldiers questioned if she was loyal to the king.

Before they could further question her, the English camp was ambushed by a couple of Scots (not the MacKenzies), and Claire had to put her medical skills to use once again -- she helped amputate a man’s arm.

Afterwards, Randall apologized for his behavior in the woods when he tried to rape her. He hoped to prove himself to her eventually and questioned her about her origins. He told her she didn’t seem like a prostitute, but he didn’t understand the circumstances of their first encounter. She was wandering through the woods in her undergarments (actually a 1940s dress) when Randall attacked her and a Scottish rebel knocked him out.

Claire made up a story to victimize herself and gain Randall’s sympathies. She claimed that she had followed an English soldier to Scotland, but he turned out to be an awful person. She claimed that she was a rape victim, but that didn’t seem to phase Randall. Randall showed her a sketch that he drew of Claire while she spoke. He called it “Beautiful Lies.” He understood that she wanted to go to Inverness and said that he would bring her there if she gave him evidence to arrest Dougal. Claire lied and said she never saw the MacKenzies collect money for the rebellion.

Claire made the mistake of mentioning Jamie’s punishment. Randall claimed that Jamie was a murderer. He recounted the torture session where he flogged Jamie.

"The boy would not beg for mercy," Randall said. "The boy would not beg."

In Randall’s mind, that meant that he should keep punishing Jamie -- despite his back being covered in blood. After one of his soldier’s passed out, Randall decided that he would keep going until he sees Jamie’s bones.

“All they could see was the horror, I could see the beauty,” Randall said. “I saw the truth. That boy and I, we were creating a masterpiece, an exquisite, bloody masterpiece. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Claire believed that Randall could change. War had changed him, but he could be a good man once again. He asked if having her taken back to Inverness would make her happy. Of course it would, and it looked like Randall was willing to change. Then he punched Claire and revealed that he would never change. He brought in another officer to kick her. Dougal burst into the room to rescue Claire. Randall told Dougal that he had to bring her to Fort William the next night or else he would be harboring a fugitive.

Dougal stopped for water on their way back to the MacKenzies and asked once again if she was a spy. She said no and he finally believed her. He said he brought her back to Liar’s Spring, and her throat would’ve burned if she lied after drinking it.

Dougal said that if she were to become Scottish, the English legally cannot demand her without proof of a crime. Dougal said that she would have to get married. Claire was frightened when she thought she would have to marry Dougal, but Dougal didn’t want to marry Claire. He wanted Jamie to marry her.

Claire was surprised that Jamie wanted to marry her. Jamie actually didn’t have many prospects of finding a wife since he was considered a fugitive. Despite Claire’s apprehensions, Jamie seemed pleased with the decision.

“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m not a virgin?” Claire asked.

“Well no, as long as it does not bother you that I am. Reckon one of us should know what we’re doing,” he said.

Claire grabbed Dougal’s bottle of liquor and walked off.

“Outlander” airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. EDT on Starz. Are you surprised that Jamie and Claire are already engaged? Sound off in the comments section below!