Outlander recap: What does Claire find in the storm?

Claire and Jamie leave River Run

As for 1768, Claire and Jamie decide it’s time to leave River Run. It was obvious they’d have to after everything with Rufus, but Jocasta isn’t happy. She’s certainly not happy with Claire, who must have poisoned Jamie’s mind against everything the plantation has to offer.

The two aren’t leaving alone. Young Ian makes it clear that after the things he’s seen, he doesn’t want to go to Scotland. Jamie finally agrees to allow him to stay, so Young Ian and Rollo join the two on the journey. And since John Quincy Myers knows the area and is heading out himself, he offers to guide the family over the mountains.

During the journey, John Quincy and Young Ian leave the Frasers. JQ has business with a Native tribe and has offered Young Ian (who is impressed with and curious about the tribe) to come with him. After promising Young Ian’s safety, the two and Rollo head off.

I’ll admit here that this is exactly how I envisioned this storyline going after realizing JQ’s storyline was changed. It makes sense and I look forward to seeing Young Ian after his time with the tribes.

Now the Frasers have the chance to talk about where to go to build their home. Claire wants to be in a city for safety and makes it clear that Boston is off the table. However, there is a peace in the wilderness.

A ghostly encounter

The next night, a storm rolls in. When Clarence the Mule breaks free from his rope while Jamie is fixing the shoe on his horse, Claire races after him. The two are temporarily separated, with Claire thrown from her horse and knocked out when her horse bolts in the storm.

When she wakes in the rain, she finds some shelter and removes her wet boots. There lies a skull and a gem, which is when Claire sees someone in the woods. Thinking it’s Jamie, she leaves her shelter only to see a Native man walking towards her. He says nothing and when he turns, Claire sees he’s been scalped and there is a crack in his skull that matches the crack in the skull in her hand. This is a ghost of the man who was killed here.

The next morning, Claire wakes in her shelter to find her boots are now missing. There’s footprints in the mood that match her boot footprints, so she picks up the skull and gem and follows them. The footprints lead her to Jamie, who says he hoped she’d return to this point in the woods.

Return? She’d never been there. So why were her boots there?

It’s a mystery for another episode of Outlander. Right now, the focus is on the skull, which after washing, Claire realizes has a silver filling. That ghost was another traveler.

And it looks like the ghost helped Claire and Jamie find their home. As Jamie looks over the ridge and across to the mountains, Claire notices he’s in love. While a city may be safe, there’s no denying that they’re in a beautiful location. It will mean making a deal with the devil (Governor Tryon) but surely it will be worth it to build Fraser’s Ridge.

What did you think of Outlander Season 4, Episode 3? What was your favorite moment of the episode? What stood out for you in both time periods? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander Season 4 continues Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.