Outlander recap: Ghosts of the past return

Jamie and Claire reach Jamaica to continue their search for Young Ian in Outlander season 3, episode 12.

The penultimate episode of Outlander season 3 was full of twists, turns, and familiar faces. Claire and Jamie finally reach Jamaica in their search for Young Ian. Meanwhile, Young Ian learns more about his captor with a surprising first meeting.

Outlander has never been afraid to use daring storylines from the books. Many fans suspected that a storyline involving Claire and a slave would be avoided this season, but it was included initially very similar to the book, “Voyager.” However, there were some major changes in “The Bakra.”

Young Ian’s fate known

After weeks of seeing the search, Outlander initially took us back in time to when Young Ian was captured. Young Ian is pulled on board the Bruja, the Portuguese ship working for a woman only known as “The Bakra” at the time. All the crew want is the box of treasures, but the captain decides that Young Ian may be useful as “The Bakra” likes young boys.

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When they reach Jamaica, Young Ian is thrown into a cell where he meets two other young boys. One doesn’t speak English, but clearly knows and fears the term “The Bakra.” The other explains that there were six of them at one point, but one-by-one they’ve been taken and never seen again.

Young Ian gets to meet his captor, who turns out to be none other than Geillis Duncan, although it’s Geillis Abernathy now. The first meeting is when she’s bathing in blood (goat’s blood, she explains, to keep her young because of the proteins and iron) and she allows him to have cake and tea. It turns out the tea has been made by a witch doctor and ensures Young Ian speaks the truth. He gives away the knowledge that Jamie knew all about the treasure and likely took the missing sapphire.

Claire becomes a slave owner

When Claire and Jamie reach Jamaica, they’re instantly stopped by one of Jared’s employees. He wasn’t expecting the Artemis but it is good timing for him as the new governor is throwing a ball and he needs casks of wine. He also invites the Frasers to the ball.

Initially they refuse. They need to find Young Ian. He’s likely been sold illegally as a slave, so they take a trip to the slave market. There Claire is appalled at all the slaves in cages and the treatment of them at an auction. After attacking the auctioneer, she asks Jamie to do something to help the young man being sold. Jamie does the only thing he can at the time: buys the slave for Claire.

Claire isn’t happy but she decides the best thing is to set him free. She needs to keep the paperwork for now to be able to prove who he belongs to, otherwise he can be sold back into slavery. Having the young man on side may be helpful though. He may be able to connect with other slaves to find out where Young Ian is. They promise his freedom at the first chance they get if he will help.

The Frasers go to a ball

Meanwhile, the Frasers attend the governer’s ball and Jamie is shocked to learn that the Governor of Jamaica is none other than Lord John Grey. The Frasers and John talk in private, where Jamie learns that John kept the sapphire Jamie had taken and surrender years earlier.

Hearing that Young Ian has been taken, John is more than happy to help in anyway that he can. When Jamie goes off in search of a lead, Claire and John get a chance to talk, where they admit that they do know each other from the time before the Battle of Prestonpans. John is also shocked to learn that Claire knows everything about Willie and Jamie’s time at Helwater.

The conversation is cut short when Claire sees Geillis walking around the ball. Shocked to see her alive, Claire follows Geillis outside where they can chat in private. Geillis pretends that she knows nothing about Young Ian and just shares the story of how her baby and Dougal both saved her from the pyre. After Dougal died, Geillis married a plantation owner and is now widowed and the owner of the plantation.

Margaret Campbell performs a reading

It’s not only Geillis and John who return. The Campbells are also in Jamaica. Geillis has paid for them to attend in the West Indies, because she wants a reading with the three sapphires. That’s why she needed the treasure box and why she needs the missing third sapphire. When Geillis realizes that John has it, she arranges for Margaret Campbell to perform readings. The crowd encourages John to sit at the table and have his fortune read.

It’s an odd fortune that involves the death of a baby who is 200 years old at the time to put the rightful King of Scotland on the throne. Geillis and Archibald can’t make out the true meaning of it, but Geillis decides she has time.

Meanwhile, Fergus and Marsali see Captain Leonard attend the ball and race to find Claire and Jamie to warn them. They all get out, where Claire and Jamie run into their slave. He has learned that Mrs. Abernathy has Young Ian, who Claire knows is Geillis. It means Geillis lied to her. They don’t have time to discuss is, so they rush away. All the slave wants is to be allowed to go free at a special place on the island. The Frasers agree.

When they get to the point to say goodbye to their now-free slave, the Frasers are stopped by the British Army. Captain Leonard has found them and arrests Jamie, leaving Claire alone with her carriage driver in the night.

Next: Outlander S3E11 recap: Uncharted

Were you happy about the ghosts of the past turning up in Outlander? Are you excited for the season finale? Share in the comments below.

The Outlander season 3 finale airs on Sunday at 8/7c on Starz.