Caitriona Balfe’s Top 10 Best Moments as Claire Fraser on Outlander

6. Episode 109, “The Reckoning”: Claire won’t stand for Jamie’s punishment

Fan reaction to this moment ran the gamut: some found it controversial, while some applauded Claire for pushing back against Jamie’s idea of “punishment.” Regardless of how you viewed it, Caitriona Balfe really brings out Claire’s feisty and fierce side in this episode.

Before this, Claire was taken hostage by Black Jack Randall and held at Ft. William, but was soon rescued by Jamie and his merry band of bandits. Problem solved and happy ending, right?

According to Jamie, wrong, very wrong. In fact, he demanded an apology from Claire for not staying where she was told to stay, which resulted in her being kidnapped.

In fact, all the clansmen are irked by Claire’s actions, so Jamie decides he must punish her for her wrongdoings, aka whip her with his belt. From the perspective of an 18th-century man, this might make sense, but he doesn’t realize that he’s dealing with a very strong 20th century woman who will not stand for such backwards practices.

Jamie does eventually manage to hit Claire a few times with his belt, but she gives him a few punches and scratches in return. The moment is indeed tricky to parse, but what’s certain about it is that Balfe gives her all. We can all applaud her fiery spirit and her bravery in the face of something she thinks is wrong, no matter what time period it is. Balfe takes on the scene with command and vigor, and no matter how you feel about it, that’s worth recognizing.