Last week, Outlander ended with Brianna and Roger deciding to buy Lallybroch in their time and renovate it. Meanwhile Jamie, Claire, and Ian set off for Scotland to take Ian home. Let’s jump in to what happened in “A Most Uncomfortable Woman.”
Lallybroch – 1980
Two years after they return to Scotland, Roger, Brianna, and the kids are living in a caravan outside Lallybroch as the renovations continue. The project manager informs them that the upstairs requires more work than expected and hands them an updated (and astronomically high) new estimate. They are determined to figure it out. Meanwhile, Brianna finds a broken clock that Jemmy swears “the pixies” took apart. Roger finds the comment odd given Jemmy doesn’t usually lie and Scotland doesn’t particularly tend toward pixies, but other types of fairyfolk. After the kids leave the room he shows Brianna the musket ball they found in the trunk from Jamie and Claire. His constant handling while writing down everything they know about time travel into a book for the kids wore away the outer coating to reveal it’s actually solid gold.
Brianna heads off to her job interview at a nearby dam where she’s applying for the plant inspector’s position. The interviewer immediately treats her like an assistant by sending her to fetch him coffee. She does so but quickly puts a stop to the misogyny when the man questions how a woman can be qualified for the position. She points out all the flaws she saw in the dam since she’s entered the facility and he relents and gives her the position with the warning that the men working under her probably won’t take kindly to having a woman for a boss.
With Brianna away, Roger sets to painting some of the house when he realizes the kids have gone quiet. Jemmy shrugs when Roger asks where Mandy is but he quickly realizes Jemmy locked her in a secret hidden room known as “the priest hole.” That’s when Brianna arrives home announcing she got the job. Roger seems less than thrilled and she sends the kids away so they can talk. Roger relents that he’s struggling with feeling like he’s failing to take care of Brianna, as well as the fact that his idea of a set plan from God has been upturned by their saving Jamie and Claire’s lives. She assures him that’s anything but true. He’s doing a great job and she argues what they did could have been part of a bigger plan.
Later that night, Brianna looks through the pantry and notes that all the crisps and biscuits are missing. When they ask Jemmy about it he blames yet another folklore entity, a nuckelavee (a horse-like demon that mixes human and horse elements). They ask him to be truthful, so Jemmy admits to breaking the clock but swears this time that he did see a nuckelavee. He met it outside and it asked him to bring food.
Roger and Brianna are unsure what to make of Jemmy’s claims, but they agree not to stifle his imagination. Roger worries doing so will lead Jemmy to forget where he comes from and that time travel is real. Brianna jokes that Roger is handling the imaginary cavities from Jemmy’s eating too many biscuits.
Jamie’s Plans Go Awry
While in Wilmington waiting to catch a ship to Scotland, Jamie runs across Mr. Harnett, the passionate revolutionist. They speak and it quickly becomes clear that Harnett has no interest in letting Jamie leave with a war brewing. He informs him that General Skylar needs reinforcements at Ticonderoga. Jamie refuses, but Harnett threatens to conscript him if he doesn’t willingly join and head to Ticonderoga immediately giving Jamie little choice but to comply.
At the inn, Jamie tells Claire and Ian that he wants to fight rather than send someone in his place. Claire supports his decision and commits to going with him as a doctor. Ian also plans to stay and fight though Jamie wants him to return to Scotland. He argues he might be able to sway some of the Shawnee Indian tribe who is yet to commit to a side to fight for the Revolutionaries. It puts him riding through Virginia but he’s more than willing and sets off that night.
The following morning, Claire heads out into town and runs directly in Thomas Christy. In shock at seeing her, he grabs her by the face and kisses her soundly. Claire is more than a little shocked but recovers quickly and Christie offers to escort her back to the inn. Over tea, Christie shares that he’s the one who placed the obituary in the newspaper upon hearing about the fire at Fraser’s Ridge. He felt it important that their passing be marked in some way. He also tells her that he is alive because the Governor took him from the prison to be his secretary when he learned Christie was literate. By the time a real secretary arrived, there was no one for the Governor to send Christie back to and he went free. After their mildly awkward but necessary conversation, Christie leaves.
Back in their room, Claire tells Jamie about the incident and he teases her by asking if she liked it. He offers to kill Christie (mostly in jest) but Claire tells him he can’t possibly be jealous. He does admit he is glad that Tom is alive. As they talk, Claire undresses Jamie from his day and their little conversation quickly devolves into a roll in the sheets.
Later, Claire and Jamie meet up up with the other volunteers and march to Ticonderoga, arriving to find the fort well occupied already.
William Ransom Heads North
William finds himself in Wilmington awaiting his orders with his cousin when a scuffle happens in the middle of the streets. A woman is accused by a very drunk officer of trying to kill him with an infection of the pox and he throws her into the street amidst jeers from the crowd. When the officer sets the woman on fire William rushes in to put it out and yells at the officer and the crowd for being so cruel.
Thanks to his bravery, Captain Richardson rewards William with a secret mission to deliver messages to three men: Samuel Cartwright, Henry Carver, and Joshua Harrington. All three are to be found in Dismal Town and William must deliver the messages without anyone knowing he is a British soldier. He’s to head to New York after he delivers the messages. William gladly undertakes the mission and sets out on the journey.
Unfortunately, in the midst of the nearby swamp William is thrown from his horse which bolts and he’s impaled through the forearm with a stick. With the horse gone he’s forced to wonder the swamp. Dangerously close to dying after days, he’s found by none other than Young Ian, who offers him aid when he realizes who he is. Ian avoids telling William his true parentage, only saying that William’s “father” and Jamie are good friends. Ian takes William to a nearby house where Denzell Hunter, a physician, and his sister Rachel Hunter live. They are quakers and quickly welcome both men into their house to treat William’s arm. Denzell quickly assess that he’ll need to amputate but William refuses to allow it. Ian quickly talks him into it and they begin the process. William is in luck though because all the infection was contained in an abscess and they won’t have to amputate once it’s drained properly.
Sparks Fly
The following morning Rachel offers Ian some refreshments after he sat by William’s bedside all night. The air between the two is more than a little charged as they talk and Ian tells her he’s planning to leave. She seems disappointed he’ll be departing so quickly. He thanks her for helping William and he gives her some money to give William when he wakes for a horse. They say their goodbyes and Ian departs, but not without looking back at Rachel as he rides off.
With Ian gone, Rachel tends to William by shaving his growing stubble. She prods for information believing William isn’t telling the whole truth (good instincts) when he claims he was out hunting. In the course of their conversation, Rachel tells him that Denzell was kicked out of their church when he spoke for independence. Their plan is to leave in a few days and head north to Ticonderoga where Denzell plans to volunteer as a surgeon after he heard of their need from Samuel Cartwright. Realizing they are headed the same direction and needing to find Samuel, William offers to accompany them on their journey.
Outlander airs Fridays on STARZ at 8 p.m. ET and is available on the STARZ app beginning at midnight.
