STARZ' Outlander season 4 finale recap: Man of Worth

We canna believe Outlander is over for the season–but how did it come to an end? Let’s discuss!

Outlander gave us a rather interesting season 4 finale. I’m sort of torn between loving it and feeling a bit indifferent towards it. Of course, this is all relative because a so-so Outlander episode is still much better than your average drama series episode. There is a lot to discuss so let’s not waste any more time and get right to it!

Every episode of Outlander starts with a quick glance at a scene as the episode’s title is displayed. In the season 4 finale, a Native American gentleman is shown and he appears to be wearing clothes from around the 60s-70s decade. If you’re quick to put it together, you have an inkling of why this specific person is so important–but we’ll get to that in a bit.

For the past couple of episodes, Jamie, Claire, and Ian have been trying to make their way to the Mohawk village, and in the finale, they finally make it. They approach the village with a plan to trade some of their precious belongings. But things take a dramatic turn when one of the villagers notices the necklace Claire is wearing. It is the gem she found inside of the skull earlier in the season, and it holds some frightening significance to the Mohawk.

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When she offers to give it to them in exchange for Roger, the three of them are kicked out of the village immediately. As they make their way back to camp, they are confronted by a group of the Mohawk demanding the stone.

Once again, Claire says she is more than willing to hand it over but only if they give them Roger in exchange for it.

At this point, we are just as curious as the three of them about this stone, and luckily the entire story is revealed. Basically, a man they called Otter Tooth visited the village many years back and was in possession of this opal stone.

He heeded a warning about white men and saying that the tribe would have to kill them in order to live.

As time went on, the tribe kicked the man out because he grew progressively erratic, and according to them–possessed. Eventually, the tribe men killed Otter Tooth but he continued to haunt them (even after they separated his head from his body). It turns out whoever has the stone will see Otter Tooth–and if you recall, Claire did see him!

Hoping to strike up a deal, Claire tells the Mohawk woman that they will give her the stone if she can just help them free Roger. This part is what confuses me. What could have been an easy getaway turned into a whole thing. Now, I haven’t read the books so I’m not sure if this is how it plays out in them, and I understand it is for the continuity of the story–but still.

Claire, Ian, and Jamie don’t make it very far with Roger before they are surrounded by the entire Mohawk tribe. Outlander gives us a slight panic attack because there seems to be no easy way out of this situation. The Mohawk leader agrees to let them all go but says that Roger has to stay. And then Jamie steps up to make the ultimate sacrifice.

He will stay back in place of Roger and asks Ian to make the deal (he can speak the native tongue). As Jamie and Claire are saying their tearful goodbyes, Ian strikes up a deal–but not the one everyone is thinking. Instead of asking for Jamie to stay behind, Ian offers to stay himself and the Mohawk leader agreed. But what about Aunt Jenny? But, he’s just a kid!

And as Claire, Jamie, and Roger say goodbye and leave, Ian is forced to face the same aggressive Mohawk lineup. But unlike Roger, he kicks ass at it and is accepted by the Mohawk tribe as of one of their own. Perhaps this worked out in Ian’s favor after all!

Credit: Starz

Back at River Run, things are going in a direction many may not have seen coming. Murtagh is visiting, and one thing leads to another and him and Jocasta are cozying up to each other in bed. I have to admit, I definitely saw it coming–and I didn’t mind it! And can we just take a moment to reflect on Murtagh’s majestic gray hair?!

Back to the Frasers and Roger, things are, well, aggressive. Roger has a lot of pent-up anger over what happened to him, and Jamie’s hand in all of it. As a favor of sorts, Jamie lets Roger beat the crap out of him. When he’s finally done with his rage session, the truth of everything that has gone down is revealed to him. First things first, Brianna asked her parents to go look for him, and no, she did not ask her father to beat him up.

Secondly, he finds out that Brianna was raped by Stephen Bonnet after Roger left (something Jamie is not afraid to remind him). But worst of all, he finds out that the child Brianna is pregnant with may not even be his. Awkward. This revelation changes everything, and why shouldn’t it? Jamie doesn’t feel this way, however, and demands that Roger decide immediately what he wants to do–go back with them or go through the stones or something else.

In all this time, Brianna gives birth to a beautiful baby boy (really wish it was easier to tell whose child it is). A couple of months go by and Brianna is summoned with the news that riders were seen coming in, and someone spotted her mother. Unfortunately, as Jamie and Claire pull up to River Run they are sans Roger.

Credit: Starz

Ugh, my blood was boiling at this point because WTF Roger?! Ian had to stay back because of you. Also, Sophie Skelton does the best job she’s ever done on Outlander in this scene. She portrays Brianna’s heartbreak and grief so incredibly well here.

Of course, we were sort of anticipating that Roger would somehow return because everything that happened this season would have been worthless if he didn’t. And lo and behold, he did! Phew, Roger almost made it on everyone’s s**t list, but he saved himself.

As Brianna and Roger embraced each other in passionate kisses, a herd of redcoat soldiers came stomping into River Run. Anyone watching assumed they were probably coming for Murtagh as did everyone inside of the house. While Murtagh was escorted into hiding, Jamie went to greet the soldiers only to learn that they were there to see him.

They come bearing a summons from Lord Tryon to Jamie. He wants Jamie to lead a fight against the Regulators. What is his first order of business? Kill Murtagh Fitzgibbons.

Next. Outlander season 4, episode 12 recap: Providence. dark

Okay, so Outlander fans, explain this to me. Aren’t there so many ways for Jamie to lie and avoid this order? And is it really the best “cliffhanger” for a finale? We’ve had much better finale endings for this series, and this was, in my opinion, the weakest one. Again, I have not read the books so I am not aware of how this goes along in the context of what’s happening in the books. It just didn’t sit well with me, and it didn’t leave me on the edge of my seat.

We’d love to hear what you thought so please share your comments below!

Until next season, folks! Here’s to hoping the Droughtlander doesn’t last for too long.

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