Outlander Season 4, Episode 11 was a fun episode with drama, attempted blackmail, and much more. What were the five best moments from If Not for Hope?
I love how Outlander is growing. While it started about Claire’s story about Jamie, it’s grown into an ensemble cast. We’re now getting much more of the individual stories. And while some earlier episodes were more about Roger or Claire, this episode was definitely about Brianna’s development in the past.
“If Not for Hope” brought plenty of drama and attempted blackmail. There was also laughter and intrigue. Just what were the best five moments from the episode?
As usual, I’ve worked with TV Time to break down this list. It turns out my favorite moments were those that the TV Time app users loved too.
5. Brianna’s failed attempt at blackmail
Blackmail is wrong. I will state that now before I get anyone @’ing me. However, I really enjoyed this scene.
Brianna is a young woman, still trying to figure out her place in the world, especially this world. The man she loves is gone and she’s scared he won’t come back. But she wants someone she can be friends with and who will look out for her by her side. That’s where Lord John Grey comes in.
It’s easy to see why she wants him by her side. And she thinks she has her way in when she finds out his secret. But deep down, she’s also a good person. There’s no way she would put someone’s life on the line for her own happiness and security and Lord John Grey knows that. He calls her bluff.
This moment is so important. It leads to Brianna telling Lord John Grey the whole truth. That honesty is what brings them together.
4. Jamie opening up to Claire
One thing I disliked about Outlander Season 4, Episode 11 was the way Jamie and Claire were acting for most of it. I understood Claire’s refusal to talk, as she tried to work out her own feelings and figure out exactly who she was angry towards. But Jamie acting too much like a sulking child.
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However, I enjoyed the ending. Jamie finally opened up to Claire about what he was feeling. He admitted his jealousy and how ridiculous he felt because of it. Finally, the sulking made more sense.
I don’t think the writers are focusing enough on Jamie to get his feelings out when he sulks. It feels like he’s being a child from the outside, but it would be good to get the same exposition on him throughout the episodes that we get with Claire. One of the benefits of TV vs. a book in first person is to see the other characters’ thoughts and feelings.
The ending put it all together. Jamie was secure enough in finally talking to Claire about his worries and his disappointment. This was the start of bringing the two back together and will be important for the episodes that follow.
3. The opening with Roger
Oh, I loved how the episode opened. We saw the shower turn on and then found out it was Roger. For a minute, it felt like Roger really had put his hand on the stones and gone back to his own time to regroup.
And I certainly wouldn’t blame him. Even Richard Rankin admitted that he’d probably go back to regroup. It’s that fight or flight mechanism and sometimes we have to fly for our own safety.
I want to be romantic and say I'd stay and find the woman I loved. But... Shit... I'm being chased through country I don't know by Mohawk. Armed Mohawk. Who are in a bad mood with me. I'm going back through the stones. #AskRichardRankin https://t.co/ICbNYFSnoP
— Richard Rankin (@RikRankin) January 8, 2019
There are times I wonder if we’d have been better seeing how the Mohawks caught him, but I loved how this scene connected to Claire’s daydream in Outlander Season 1. She thought of reactions if she told the truth about falling through the stones and was awoken from it with cold water. Roger was also awoken rudely in a similar way.
2. Bonding with Jocasta
We all need someone like Jocasta in our lives. Actually, we probably all do since she is that meddling family member who is full of love. Yes, she’s also calculating, but she’s trying to do what’s right for Brianna in a judgmental society.
My favorite Jocasta moment in the episode was when she sat with Brianna by the window. They talked about Brianna going to the dinner and Jocasta and Ellen’s mutual love for painting. Brianna had a chance to realize she was more like Ellen than anyone has ever told her.
This is a chance to see Jocasta’s maternal side. After all, she’d have one considering she did have children of her own (they died, unfortunately). And she’s always shown her love for Jamie, even if she also showed her dislike for Claire. Jocasta sees that Brianna is a mixture of Claire and Jamie, but she focuses on the Jamie connection because of the Ellen connection and it’s so beautifully sweet.
1. Lord John Grey admitting Willie isn’t his son
While he didn’t admit who the father is, he did share some more of his own secrets to Brianna. This was actually more to focus on how Roger would feel about Brianna’s baby. Even if the baby isn’t Roger’s, Lord John Grey knows it’s possible to be full of love for a child.
This moment brings us more bonding between Brianna and Roger. It’s a chance for them to connect further after Brianna spilled her secrets to him. This is a chance for the two to become extremely close friends, which it’s clear will be important for the future.
Yet, I love that John doesn’t even think of telling Brianna the full truth. Willie’s true paternity isn’t a secret for John to tell. It’s one for Jamie, and John respects and understands that. After all, John not being the true father isn’t a major secret for those willing to do their research, but Willie’s real biological father is.
But the conversation wasn’t about who Willie’s father is and more the point of loving someone else’s child. While John hasn’t even met Roger, he’s sure that this man who loves Brianna and is possibly the father of the child will accept the bairn. He gives Brianna more hope, which is exactly what she needs.
What were your favorite moments from Outlander Season 4, Episode 11? What can’t you wait to see in the future episodes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Outlander Season 4 continues on Sundays on STARZ.