Outlander recap: 'Heaven and Earth' 

Moving “Heaven and Earth” for the one you love is certainly a romantic gesture, but not always the wisest one — a lesson learned multiple times over in this week’s episode of

As you’ll recall, Claire was “kidnapped” last week by the acting captain of the British man-of-war the

, consigned to treat the soldiers stricken with typhoid. When Jamie spies the ship setting sail with his wife, he yells at the crew of the

to pursue. But Jamie is not the captain of the vessel, and when the real captain tells him to stand down, he refuses. He’s restrained and locked up below deck.

, Claire meets resistance from some of the crew members, unaccustomed to taking orders from a “lady doctor.” But she finds an ally in young Mr. Pound, a 14-year-old soldier who helps Claire care for the sick men and even comes up with the idea of distilling the ship’s alcohol to use as a disinfectant. But Mr. Pound is dealt a harsh blow when, while making the rounds with Claire, he finds his friend Jim dead. Jim’s body is prepared for burial at sea, stitched into a large canvas bag. Mr. Pound (Elias) explains to Claire how a friend must do the final stitch.

Despite Claire’s best attempts to stop the spread of the disease, more men continue to fall ill. She requests the ship’s logs to see if she can find the source of the infection. It seems to have started in one particular mess — all the men in those quarters have died save for one…who’s now working in the galley (i.e. touching everyone’s food with his dirty hands). Claire insists the man be put in quarantine.

, Jamie is also sick. Seasick, that is. Behind bars, he can’t get his acupuncture treatments from Mr. Willoughby. But the guards do allow a visit from Fergus, whom Jamie instructs to purloin the cell keys and free him so they can take command of the ship and sail after Claire. It’s a risky (and, let’s be honest, harebrained) scheme.  I didn’t entirely buy the urgency — Jamie knows the other ship is bound for Jamaica, as well. Sure, they may be a day or two ahead, but Claire isn’t in any imminent danger, is she? Whatever the case, Fergus is loath to help, but Jamie promises to give him and Marsali his blessing if the plan succeeds.

Fergus tells his plan to Marsali, who is also dubious. As they kiss, she presses for them to do more. “It may be our only chance,” she insists. But Fergus, after a few torrid moments, refuses, saying he promised Jamie they’d abstain. “You’re just like him, you know,” Marsali says. “Stubborn.”

Fergus follows Jamie’s orders and sneaks to the captain’s quarters, but he hears how the captain and his crew members speak of Marsali — what they want to do to her — and he knows he can’t risk being arrested (or worse), leaving her to fend for herself. He tells Jamie as much.