‘Outlander’: Jamie’s Unexpected Reunion & Brianna’s Reveal in ‘The Birds and The Bees’ (RECAP)
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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 4, Episode 9 of Outlander, “The Birds and The Bees.”]
The moment that fans have been waiting for has finally arrived on Outlander! A reunion 20 years in the making took place in the December 30 episode, “The Birds and The Bees,” and in case you’re not up to speed, we’ve got you covered with the Frasers’ story, which took some shocking and life-altering turns.
For the show’s legion of fans, this moment included a reunion between a father and daughter, but we’ll get to that later as the episode picked up where last week’s left off. After Brianna’s (Sophie Skelton) rape by Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers), she returns to her quarters with Lizzie (Caitlyn O’Ryan), where the girl takes note of Bree’s bloodied and bruised appearance.
When Bree confirms that she was with a man, Lizzie is horrified by the blood on Bree’s petticoat as she undresses, offering help and support. But Bree denies her, opting for a mind-numbing sleep. The next morning we see Roger (Richard Rankin) arrive at the tavern where Bree is staying, asking after her. That’s when Roger crosses paths with Bonnet again, unaware of the latter’s violence against Bree the night before. The pirate tells Roger he must finish his stint as a deckhand or pay the price of amputation. The dilemma forces Roger to set sail for Pennsylvania against his will, and he tells the tavern’s proprietor to let Bree know that he had been there.
Waking up well past noon, Bree rushes to get her things together, even more eager to reach her parents. And despite Lizzie’s concern and suggestion of rest, Bree insists that her timing is everything – she is trying to warn her parents about their impending death, after all. Upon reaching the tavern’s main room, Bree learns Roger left with the Gloriana. This detail leads Bree to believe Roger’s returning to Scotland, something he’d promised to do last episode. But that miscommunication is never clarified as Bree discovers at the docks that the ship is no longer there.
Thankfully, Lizzie has some good news for Bree — after some chatter with a local Scotsman, she learned the Frasers are in Wilmington after news of their exploits at the playhouse begins to circulate. Lizzie tells Bree that a Mr. Fraser – Jamie (Sam Heughan) – is at a local establishment called McCabe’s. Of course, Bree goes racing after him, asking a man outside McCabe’s if he has seen a Scotsman with red hair, and he directs her to the back of the building.
Bree finds Jamie in the alley way as he’s relieving himself. He mistakes her interest as romantic, stating that he’s married. But Bree doesn’t let him leave, instead confirming his identity and revealing herself to be his daughter. Of course, things turn emotional and the father-daughter reunion devolves into tears and first hugs. The joyful moment becomes even happier when Jamie realizes that Bree has yet to see Claire (Caitriona Balfe), so they set off to surprise her.
After the dust of their emotional first reunion settles, Bree gets down to business, showing her parents the obituary that sparked her journey. She explains that she had to make it to them as soon as possible because of the smudged date on the obituary – something that Jamie calls unforgivable considering his background in printing. Bree’s parents then invite her and Lizzie back with them to Fraser’s Ridge, as Ian (John Bell) comes stumbling over and Jamie and Claire introduce him to his long-lost cousin.
As they begin their journey on the river, Lizzie quickly grows infatuated with Ian. Meanwhile, Bree recounts her experiences in the 18th-century to Claire but is sparing in her details. She tells her mother that Roger followed her and they ended up hand-fasting, but after an argument, he left. She regrets the situation, and admits to Claire she wishes she went after him. During the conversation, Bree notes that Claire has a new ring in place of the one she found with Bonnet. Later, her cousin Ian details their ordeal on the river from the Season 4 premiere. Upon learning of Bonnet’s past exploits, Bree is chilled to the bone, flinching when Ian tries to comfort her.
As they reach land, Jamie and Claire discuss Bree’s current situation with Roger and the news about their deaths. They agree that they haven’t had much luck trying to change history in the past. On their way to Fraser’s Ridge, Bree remarks on the beautiful landscapes and references pioneer Daniel Boone which prompts questions from Jamie – Bree explains that Boone was a pioneer most likely living in their current time. Claire assures Bree that Jamie is used to discussing the past and future.
Approaching the Fraser cabin, Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) emerges to find the group and notes the two new women in their company. Before introducing Brianna to his godfather, Jamie discusses Governor Tryon’s (Tim Downie) plan to catch Murtagh and the regulators, they agree that laying low will be his best course of action. The scene dissolves into a family dinner as Ian, Claire, Jamie, Bree and Murtagh laugh around the table. After talk about George Washington and Jamie’s childhood experiences, Bree turns in for the night. Claire follows her daughter out to the second shelter, and Murtagh and Jamie remark upon Bree’s similarities to Jamie’s mother. Murtagh also tells Jamie he deserves this happiness, but Jamie expresses concern for wanting Bree to feel at home in this time.
The next morning, Bree talks with Claire privately, telling her that Frank (Tobias Menzies) was aware of her reunion with Jamie because she had seen the obituary in his office years ago, unaware of the significance. Claire notes Frank’s astuteness but focuses on Bree’s transition to the time, which she notes can be overwhelming. Bree then drops some supplies on the ground and begins freaking out, making it clear that there’s more to her distress than Claire realizes, as she continues to hide her rape. Bree’s mother assures her that she can talk about Roger, as viewers are given a glimpse of what’s happening with him and Bonnet. After reaching the end of his commitment, Roger asks Bonnet to be paid in gems – a key component for traveling through time – and sets out to find Brianna in Fraser’s Ridge.
In the meantime, Brianna’s life at Fraser’s Ridge is shown in montages that include family time, farming, laundry, going to the creek with Murtagh, and shooting with Jamie. When Jamie discovers his daughter’s talent for aim, she divulges that Frank taught her and some awkwardness ensues. Later, down by the creek, Bree helps Jamie, Ian, and Murtagh make whiskey as they talk about names, and when she tells them people call her Bree, they become too silent. We later learn that the word translates into “disturbance.”
Jamie worries about his daughter’s heartache over Roger and Claire suggests they take a hunting trip just the two of them to get better acquainted. Taking his wife’s advice, Jamie goes to wake Bree and the two head off to find bees for honey. During that journey, the two talk about bees as Jamie alludes to wanting his daughter to enjoy her new home. Bree insists she already has a home, displaying her loyalty to Frank, and Jamie expresses his gratitude for the man that raised her.
Bree says she doesn’t know what to call Jamie, and he tells her to call him “Da.” Upon returning to the cabin, the family of three enjoys fresh honey together. That evening Jamie is up worrying about his daughter returning to her own time, though he takes comfort in some supportive words from Claire.
The next morning, Bree is in a daze which spurs further concern from Lizzie. While picking herbs with Claire, Bree’s mother asks her how far along she is, guessing that she’s pregnant. Bree confirms that news, revealing that she’s two months pregnant. Claire assumes the pregnancy is a result of her handfasting with Roger but Bree reveals that another man could be the child’s father, revealing that she was raped, much to Claire’s shock and sadness.
The women determine that the child is likely a product of rape considering the precautions made by Roger and Bree during their time together. Still, Bree keeps the identity of her rapist from her mother. Of course, Claire feels compelled to tell Jamie about the situation, and his seething anger quickly forms. So when Ian and Lizzie come across Roger in the woods, Lizzie panics and tells Jamie that the man who hurt Bree is Roger, unaware of Bree’s encounter with Bonnet. After learning this, Jamie tells Lizzie and Ian to hurry home, as back at the cabin, Claire comes across her wedding ring in Bree’s laundry.
The discovery leads to Claire’s realization that Bree’s rapist is Stephen Bonnet, but when she confronts her daughter, she is asked to keep it a secret knowing that Bonnet is capable of horrible things. All of these secrets lead to dangerous assumptions, as Jamie tracks down an innocent Roger and proceeds to beat him to a bloody pulp. When Ian arrives on the scene, Jamie tells him to get rid of the man without killing him.
How will it all play out? Surely the wait until next week will be nearly unbearable. Below are a few things to keep in mind until then:
- Where’s Roger going? After being lead away from Fraser’s Ridge bloodied and unconscious, will he be able to explain the situation or will he be lost?
- There are a lot of secrets being kept right now, including Jamie’s attack on Roger and Bree’s rape by Bonnet. Will it cause a rift between Jamie and Claire?
- Will Bree learn about Jamie’s encounter with Roger? And will that impact their still new father-daughter relationship?
Outlander, Sundays, 8/7c, Starz
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