Spoilers below.
If there is something the Frasers know about, it is loss. Outlander is not easing up on the pain front as death bookends this week’s episode, “Brotherly Love.” While Old Ian Murray (Steven Cree) is ready to meet his maker, the news Claire (Caitriona Balfe) receives about the fate of her husband, Jamie (Sam Heughan), cuts to her very core. Strap in, because this episode is an emotional ride featuring reunions, heartbreak, and bombshells galore.
But in the meantime, the Frasers and Murrays use humor to deflect from the reality of Old Ian’s impending demise. Amid the jokes, Jamie reminds his brother-in-law that their bond is deep. After all, they “gave each other blood for blood” when they were kids—almost shouting out the forthcoming prequel title. Jamie carries Ian to bed, which is an incredibly tender last act. Ian dies saying Jenny’s (Kristin Atherton) name, and for all the violence we have previously seen, this passing is peaceful. Digging Ian’s grave in the Scottish rain isn’t easy, yet Jamie feels compelled to do it without his nephews’ assistance. Jamie offers to stay as long as Jenny needs him in Scotland, and afterward, he plans to visit Joan in the Parisian covenant before sailing to Philadelphia.
Philadelphia might be the city of “Brotherly Love” (the episode title hits a double meaning); however, Claire and Ian’s (John Bell) arrival coincides with heightened tension due to the number of suspected spies. The occupying British Redcoat forces scrutinize everyone journeying in and out and search the contents of their carriages. Well, not quite everyone, as women are not being asked to show their papers or subjected to invasive searches. Perhaps this ingrained misogyny will work in Claire’s favor.
Minutes later, Claire makes an incorrect assumption of her own as she assumes the Black woman who greets her is the maid. Claire quickly apologizes for this presumption, and Mrs. Mercy Woodcock (Gloria Obianyo) doesn’t take offense at the error. Mercy is more concerned about the patient, Lord Henry Grey (Harry Jarvis), and immediately takes Claire to see his uncle, Lord John Grey (David Berry). Even though Lord John has resigned from his commission, he still wears his British uniform “for intimidation” to protect Mercy because she supports independence. The city was under Continental rule when Henry landed in Mercy’s care as an injured POW, and despite the change in fortune, Henry remains in this location due to his ill health—plus, there is a hint of Mercy and Henry being sweet on each other.
Gloria Obianyo as Mercy Woodcock and Caitríona Balfe as Claire Fraser.
On the other side of the ocean four decades earlier, Claire’s friend-turned-enemy Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) is giving Cousin Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) the once over. Sure, he is dealing with a lot right now, but Roger (Richard Rankin) needs a better poker face, as he can’t stop staring at Geillis. Geillis asks if she knows Buck, which could open up a whole can of worms if Roger spoke his thoughts aloud: “You should; he’s your son!” Geillis maintains a primarily neutral expression with a dash of playful mischief in her demeanor, which could suggest she knows something. Either way, time travel is quite the trickster when it comes to relatives crossing paths!
When Geillis leaves the room to get herbs for the sick Buck, Roger gives his many-times grandfather a quick explainer of who Geillis is—minus the whole mother part. Roger’s exposition dump doubles as a handy season 2 finale recap, including that Geillis’s real name is Gillian Edgars; Roger first met her in 1968, and she thinks she needs to make a blood sacrifice to time travel. Geillis has killed five husbands and tried to kill Brianna (Sophie Skelton), who is far more dangerous and cunning than she appears. It has been 12 years since Roger met Geillis, but it could be fewer for her. Perhaps he left zero impression on Geillis.
Considering the tangled time travel web, it isn’t out of the question that Geillis knows Jemmy’s kidnapper, Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton). Rob and Geillis are from the same time and place and are both “history nuts,” so they could run in the same twisted circles, but Roger also thinks Rob accidentally returned to 1739 because the gold Rob is using Jemmy to locate won’t be in North Carolina for nearly 40 more years. Roger concludes it must be a coincidence, but Outlander rarely deals in accidental paths crossing—especially where Geillis is concerned.
Meanwhile, Claire gets a rundown of Henry’s medical history and is thrilled to hear Dr. Hunter (Joey Phillips) is in town—see, small world—immediately seeking him out to ask for his assistance in operating on Henry. Claire also discovers that Denny’s sister Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small) is in Philadelphia, which is either perfect or terrible timing, depending on whether Ian has left the city yet.
Balfe as Claire and Joey Phillips as Dr. Denzell Hunter.
The path to true love never runs smoothly (particularly on Outlander). Rachel also has another potential suitor, William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart), who is crushing hard—even though she is not a loyalist. Though politics isn’t the only obstacle, Rachel’s dedication to looking after Ian’s dog, Rollo, suggests she only has eyes for Ian. When Rollo runs off in the middle of the marketplace, Rachel quickly assumes this means Ian is close, but Rachel does not give much chase after the half-wolf canine. Plus, danger lurks as Mr. Bug (Hugh Ross) continues to plan vengeance against Ian—no, Mr. Bug has not forgiven Ian for killing his wife.
Back in 1739, Roger’s snooping is interrupted by Geillis, who teasingly suggests that Roger also looks familiar. Again, it is hard to tell if Geillis is clued into Roger’s identity, but either way, she uses this moment to suggest they get to know each other in a more intimate setting. Roger declines, citing he is married (this does not bother Geillis), but also he doesn’t want to sleep with his many-times grandmother (and one who likes to murder her bedfellows at that). The more serious matter is that Jemmy has been kidnapped, which Roger tells Geillis about, citing the fairy man Robert Cameron, and he believes Geillis doesn’t know Rob. A knock at the door brings a fairy man update, but it is the person with the news who will excite viewers. Hello, Dougal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish)! “Oh, Christ!” is Roger’s internal reaction to realizing this is Buck’s father in the flesh. It is a family reunion where no one other than Roger (maybe Geillis) knows how bonkers this encounter is. However, this isn’t even the most brain-wrinkling moment of the episode.
But first, we return to Claire guiding Dr. Hunter through his first surgery using ether. Dr. Hunter is giddy that he gets to look at someone’s insides without the battlefield “shattered and ruined” mess. After the successful surgery, Mercy asks Claire about her husband, Walter Woodcock (Tobi Bakare), as Dr. Hunter operated on him but had to leave. Walter appeared in the first half of the season, and Claire gently breaks the news that he died from complications after surgery. Claire explains she was with Walter when he died, and “he died thinking of you.” The world is vast, but Outlander is unafraid to show overlapping paths amid the violence of war.
John Bell as young Ian.
Whether it is by fate or chance, Ian is thrilled to discover that Rachel is nearby. Unfortunately, Rachel is not alone, as Mr. Bug holds her hostage until Ian swings by. Mr. Bug plans on only killing Rachel, and not Ian, to fulfill his duty to his dead wife. Rachel wonders how the hell she got caught up in this feud and tries to reason, but it is futile. When Ian arrives, a fight ensues, and Rachel begs Ian not to kill Mr. Bug. Thankfully, William is on hand to shoot Mr. Bug dead, and his red coat will stop him from getting arrested. There is nothing quite like a near-death experience to get those “I love yous” flowing, and Rachel and Ian finally cross that particular relationship threshold. Aside from the news of Old Ian passing, everything’s coming up roses for the Fraser-Murrays, with Claire receiving a letter from Jamie about his travels. Jamie has been yucking it up with friends of Benjamin Franklin in France but has passage booked home.
Before that reunion, we return to 1739, and Roger gets another stab at maintaining his composure in the light of a huge bombshell. All kudos to him as he remains calm when Dougal shows him a charm that supposedly came from the fairy man. Roger explains that the charm is actually a set of military ID tags from WWII, which he thinks belong to his father! Roger tells Buck that his dad was in the Royal Air Force, and his body was never found. Could the fairy man in strange clothing be his father? Now, Roger is on a mission to find his missing father and kidnapped son.
Speaking of missions, Claire has done her surgeon duties, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be helpful in other ways while she awaits Jamie’s return. Mercy is in a panic as she has been couriering messages out of the city for the Continentals, but her contact has been caught, and Claire offers to go in her place. Upon leaving the city, Claire is questioned because this is the second day in a row that she has gone foraging in the garden. Claire starts talking about supplies needed to help with exploding bowels, and it seems like she is in the clear.
David Berry as Lord John Grey opposite Balfe as Claire.
Unfortunately, Claire’s day is about to go from fine to awful as a visitor at Lord John’s place has the worst news imaginable. Jamie’s ship was lost at sea “with all hands,” the latter meaning there were no survivors of the wreck. Claire is certain this is a mistake. “That doesn’t happen,” she states. But Jamie’s name is on the manifest, seemingly confirming the terrible news. Claire’s heart disagrees: “You’re wrong. I would feel it. I would know.” A teary Lord John believes it to be true, and despite the montage showing us moments from Claire and Jamie’s love story, I am with Claire’s heart on this one. After all, we still have another season of this show. Despite my skepticism about this turn of events, Balfe and Berry sell the hell out of their grief.
Claire stays in bed, and though her heart continues to beat, she might not have to worry about that soon, as she is going to be arrested for spying, which is punishable by death. Turns out, the Brits aren’t as dopey as it seems when it comes to women spies. Lord John bursts into her room and tells her they must marry immediately. Claire can’t quite believe what she is hearing, but Lord John has good reason to propose because it will save her from the noose. Lord John sees this as a last act of service to Jamie, and Claire still wants to pass on this offer. If Claire won’t do it to save herself, then Lord John implores that she should consider her friends and family, who will be seen as co-conspirators. Even though Lord John is no longer active in the military, the Redcoat uniform is a shield, and in this instance, Claire needs to say yes to a quickie marriage despite how much her body aches with grief. So much for a happily ever after.
Emma Fraser is a freelance culture writer with a focus on TV, movies, and costume design. You can find her talking about all of these things on Twitter.