Outlander Season 3, Episode 3 recap: All Debts Paid

Claire says a final goodbye to Frank

As for Claire’s story, this is set over the rest of the 20-year separation. She and Frank are settling into their new normal. They try to act like a loving couple on the outside, but Frank has moved on and is now seeing someone else. This is an agreement both have, but it’s clear that it comes to a shock for Claire. Maybe she was shocked he’d moved on or maybe she’s shocked at how she feels about that.

We get snippets of their lives together, remaining married for the sake of Brianna and to keep up appearances. However, it all goes embarrassingly wrong at Claire’s graduation party. She’s made it through Harvard University and is celebrating with her friends–the men who once sneered at her and Joe Abernathy obviously realized they were worth their salt. There’s a time mix-up and Frank’s date shows up at the door while everyone is still there.

Claire manages to cover up her embarrassment by getting everyone out of the house, but she’s clearly not happy with the situation. When Frank does return home–and drunk–she makes her feelings clear. The two start to have an argument and Claire offers a divorce. However, Frank isn’t taking that because he wants to be in Brianna’s life.

Once Brianna turns 18, Frank finally goes back to Claire to ask for the divorce. He also wants to take Brianna to England–to live. Of course, Claire naturally fights against it. I’m surprised at how insulted Frank was at Claire wanting to keep Brianna with her. What else did he expect? We later see just how much Claire fights against that want to go back in time and it takes Brianna giving her permission for her to finally do it. She wasn’t going to give up her daughter without a fight.

Some truths also come out. Claire makes it very clear that even without Brianna, she would never have forgotten Jamie. There just wasn’t enough time for that to happen and it shows the deepness of their love.

Claire is called out to the hospital for work and, of course, this is when a nightmare many spouses have happens. Frank is involved in a car crash and is killed instantly. I have to say that I’m impressed this instant crash left no cuts at all on Frank’s body, but maybe that was just to keep the focus on what Claire does next rather than looking at just how beat up he was from the accident. Claire tells Frank that she did love him.

She’s clearly sad not to have him in her life anymore and not just because he’s Brianna’s stepfather. This is a man who has been there for her. They married when she was young and he spent months searching for her. When she returned, he came back and he agreed to raise a child that wasn’t his own. While he’s certainly had his faults, he did make some selfless decisions to make sure Claire and Brianna were both protected. And she did love him with what she thought was all her heart at one point in time. Those memories of happier times don’t just go away.

Next: Outlander Season 3, Episode 2 recap

In the end, we said goodbye to Frank (and Tobias Menzies) but hello to a new journey. Now it was time for Claire to find her way back to Jamie in Outlander Season 3.

What did you think of Outlander Season 3, Episode 3? Which part of the story in the episode was your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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