‘Outlander’ Season 7 Episode 4 Recap: “A Most Uncomfortable Woman”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Outlander Season 7 Episode 4 Lallybroch
Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Starz’s Outlander season seven episode four opens with a short time jump to Lallybroch in 1980. Two years have passed since Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and Roger (Richard Rankin) purchased the property, and the family’s living in a mobile home in the front yard while it’s being repaired. Jemmy and Mandy have reached the fighting siblings stage, and Mandy hits her older brother with a stick. Mandy only grudgingly says she’s sorry.

It’s revealed Bree and Roger won’t let the workers paint over the dining room murals or fix a large spot on the wall. There’s still so much work to be done that the estimate’s jumped up to what Bree describes as an “astronomical” figure. They’re halfway through their money and not even close to having bedrooms at this point. Bree tries to look on the bright side: at least they have flushing toilets and a working kitchen.

Later, Roger’s busy writing down his memories of Claire and Jamie while rubbing the musket ball from the crate between his fingers. The black ash begins to come off, and Roger realizes he’s holding a solid gold ball.

Bree gets the kids out of bed for school and is shocked to discover that Jemmy’s taken apart her alarm clock. He loses his allowance when he places the blame on the pixies.

Once the kids are gone, Roger notes that it’s strange Jemmy said pixies. That’s not a mythical creature Scots normally reference, and it’s not like Jemmy to lie. They debate asking Jemmy about the clue to the Jacobite gold and decide against it, wanting them just to be kids right now.

Bree can picture her dad behind the desk Roger’s now claimed as his own.

Bree goes for an interview as a plant inspector, but the man interviewing her thinks she’s there for the job of secretary. He can’t believe a woman would be after that position, and Bree points out that nothing in the requirements necessitates possessing a penis. He assures her it’s too rough for a woman – both the physical conditions and the men who work in the plant.

The man gets flustered when Bree doesn’t back down and calls him out on his chauvinistic attitude. She also takes him completely by surprise by pointing out multiple items in need of immediate repair.

Bree returns home excited to have landed the job. Roger doesn’t seem as happy as he should and admits he didn’t think she’d get it because she’s a woman. Bree understands it’s because he wants to be the breadwinner, and Roger confesses that’s true.

Roger feels as though he’s failing Claire and Jamie by not taking care of Bree. She insists that’s not the case.

Food is missing from the kitchen, and Bree and Roger ask Jemmy if he knows what happened to it. He swears he met a nuckelavee (horse demon) who demanded he bring him food. But he does confess to breaking the alarm clock and blaming it on the pixies. However, he says the nuckelavee is real. He’s not lying now.

After the kids leave the room, Roger and Bree talk, and Roger thinks Jemmy might actually believe what he’s saying. Jemmy knows there’s magic in the world, and Roger worries about stifling his imagination. He wants Jemmy to remember where and who he comes from.

Outlander Season 7 Episode 4 Jamie and Claire Recap
Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)

The Frasers Get Caught Up in War

Jamie (Sam Heughan), Claire (Caitriona Balfe), and Ian (John Bell) take a break on their trip and set up camp. Jamie’s hungry and pretends to enjoy an apple, but Claire knows it’s an act. She notes that Highlanders are always suspicious of fresh fruit. Still, Claire makes him eat the fruit so he won’t catch scurvy on their three-month-long sea voyage.

Ian’s returning to the campsite when he hears a noise and assumes it’s Arch Bug. He becomes quite upset, and Jamie tries to calm him down. Ian confesses he’s not scared for himself. Arch promised to take away something Ian loved, and he believes Arch will kill Jamie and/or Claire to get back at him.

Meanwhile in Wilmington, William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart) helps his cousin, Henry Grey (Harry Jarvis), after Henry has a little too much to drink. William snags a copy of the Declaration of Independence off the wall and hands it to Henry to use as a napkin. They’ve been celebrating Henry’s posting in New York, and William’s a bit jealous he hasn’t received his own posting yet.

It seems William’s much more ready and willing to fight for England than Henry.

Outlander Season 7 Episode 4
Charles Vandervaart (“William Ransom”) and Harry Jarvis (“Henry Grey”) in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)

Later that night, William’s the only soldier to help a prostitute who his fellow soldiers have set on fire after discovering she has the pox. He steps up and puts out the flames with his coat, but it’s too late. She dies in the street.

The following day, Lt. Ransom speaks with Captain Richardson (Ben Lambert) and is praised for at least attempting to help the deceased woman when no one else would. The captain believes William’s the right person to deliver messages to Samuel Cartwright, Henry Carver, and Joshua Harrington in the Great Dismal Swamp. He’s not to open the messages or write down the names. When he arrives, he’s to say he’s a friend of Cartwright’s cousin and looking for work.

Once that mission’s completed, he can join General Burgoyne’s forces in New York.

William rides out to deliver the messages but is thrown from his horse during the trip when a snake crosses their path. A branch has impaled his arm during the tumble from his horse, and he immediately pulls it out and wraps the wound to stop the bleeding.

He screams out for his horse, Jupiter, and quickly gets back on his feet.

Jamie, Claire, and Ian make it to Wilmington, and Jamie’s surprised when Cornelius Harnett (James Weber Brown), one of the Sons of Liberty leaders, calls out to him. Although Jamie makes it clear he’s heading to Scotland, Harnett wants him to go to Fort Ticonderoga to help fight the British. General Washington doesn’t have any men to spare.

Jamie assures him he will join the fight – but not right now. Harnett points out they can compel citizens to join them and confirms he’d be stupid not to conscript Jamie since he’s a born leader. Or Jamie can send someone in his place.

Jamie’s furious Hartnett would do this to him but doesn’t see a way out.

Jamie discusses the situation with Claire and Ian and says he’ll fight but not for freedom or liberty. He’ll fight for his family and their future because there’s no way he can ask someone to fight in his place. He kisses Claire’s hand and reminds her that nothing is guaranteed, but he knows they won’t lose the war.

Jamie plans on taking a ship to New Haven and then he’ll head off on foot to Fort Ticonderoga. Claire and Ian say they’re coming with him, and he’s fine with Claire doing so but wants Ian to return to Scotland. Ian refuses to take no for an answer. He loves America and wants to fight for this land.

Ian believes he can help get the Shawnee to fight against the Brits and for America. He’s willing to ride through Virginia if it helps the cause – and if Harnett lets him.

Outlander Season 7 Episode 4
Charles Vandervaart (“William Ransom”) in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)

William is forced to make his way on foot, and he curses the Great Dismal Swamp. Suddenly, he hears a noise behind him and turns to find Ian and Rollo watching him from 20’ away. William is shocked that Ian’s Scottish and suggests he can pay him well for food or something to drink, admitting he doesn’t have much money on him. (What a coincidence!)

Ian spots William’s wound and knows it needs to be taken care of. Only then does William offer his name, which Ian instantly recognizes. As Ian works on William’s arm, he explains how they’re connected. Ian also reminds William that they met when William was younger and visited Fraser’s Ridge.

The wound is in bad shape, and Ian removes wood that’s been left inside it to fester. As they talk, Rollo lies down next to William to watch over him.

Claire literally runs into Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) in the Wilmington streets, eyes lighting up in surprise. He grabs her face and kisses her on the lips, and then immediately begs her pardon. They both acknowledge that the other should be dead. Claire assures him that she and Jamie made it out of the fire on the Ridge and that they’re currently staying at the Red Falcon Inn in town.

Tom escorts her back to the inn and fetches drinks. He wonders if Jamie knows why he confessed to murder in Claire’s spot, and Claire reveals Jamie not only knows but understands.

Tom explains he was given a reprieve by Governor Martin when Martin discovered Tom could read and write. He was employed as Martin’s secretary until a real secretary arrived. By then, there was no one for Martin to surrender Tom to, so he was freed.

Tom’s decided not to return to the Ridge since his family’s gone.

Tom confesses that he believed Claire and Jamie died in the fire, so he placed an obituary in the paper. He didn’t want them to vanish from the earth without a record being made. Tom’s loved two women, and his love of Claire led him to his salvation. However, now that she’s alive, he doesn’t think he’ll have any peace – but he doesn’t regret that.

That night, Jamie chuckles when Claire says Tom kissed her. Jamie suggests he can kill the man for touching her against her will, and Claire tells him he absolutely will not do such a thing.

Jamie holds Claire close and teases that while Tom might want her, the poor man knows nothing about her. Jamie insists he never kissed her without knowing who she is. Claire reminds him that he knew nothing about her when they married, and they playfully slap each other’s butts.

Jamie brings up that she won’t come into her full power until her hair turns white. Claire wonders why he thought of that after all this time, and he teases that he’s still got time to bed her before she becomes too dangerous.

He runs down the list of things she’s done to him in bed – bitten him, scratched him, and stabbed him in the back with her “nasty wee needles.” He strips off her clothes as she insists he can’t count the shots as something she’s done to him in bed. (They were necessary to save his life.)

They continue to lovingly tease each other as they make love.

Outlander Season 7 Episode 4
Joey Phillips (“Dr. Denzell Hunter”) and Izzy Meikle-Small (“Rachel Hunter”) in ‘Outlander’ season 7 episode 4 (Photo Credit: Starz)

William’s in sorry shape as Ian leads his horse to Dr. Denzell Hunter’s home. Ian introduces himself and says William’s been hurt, and Denzel’s sister, Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small), rushes out to assist her brother. Denzell (Joey Phillips) takes one look at the wound and orders Rachel to fetch the saw. The only way to save William is by cutting off his arm.

Just as Denzell’s about to make the cut, an abscess releases the bile, and it pools outside William’s body. If they release the fluid, then the wound should heal. (Even Claire would be impressed with Denzell’s skills.)

Morning arrives, and William’s fever has gone down. Rachel brings Ian breakfast and tea outside, and he thanks her for caring for William. Ian needs to leave now but believes William is in fine hands. He and Rachel flirt a little before Ian takes off, and Ian hands her money to give to William to purchase a horse.

Days later, Rachel shaves William’s beard as they discuss her Quaker beliefs. She admits it’s rare to see a gentleman of his caliber in the Great Dismal Swamp. Rachel knows he’s not telling her everything, but she treats him kindly, nevertheless.

His wound has healed enough to leave a scar, and he’s recovered quickly. That’s good because she and her brother are leaving soon to help with wounded American soldiers. Denzell wants to join the Continental Army as a surgeon. The rest of their community is backing the British, seeing it as their best hope for reconciliation.

Rachel explains they’re heading to Fort Ticonderoga because Samuel Cartwright said there’s a call for men there. William recognizes the name, and it turns out that Cartwright is a neighbor.

William volunteers to accompany Rachel and Denzell on the road for a while since it’s dangerous to journey north.

Jamie and Claire are on the move, marching with the Continental Army. They see Fort Ticonderoga in the distance as episode four ends.




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