Outlander Season 4 is one of those seasons that has fans divided. Here’s my ranking of the episodes from worst to best.
It’s clear that Outlander Season 4 has left fans divided. As more characters come into the story, the attention is taken solely off Claire and Jamie. There are episodes some fans loved that other fans hated.
This isn’t a case of book vs. show fans, either. Fans within those groups are divided on their thoughts of the episodes. In a way it’s surprising, but it also shows just how diverse this fandom is. And I respect those differences.
We all have things that we like and dislike. All I ask is for respect for others when sharing those opinions. Allow everyone to share their thoughts.
With that in mind, it’s time for me to delve into my Outlander Season 4 episode ranking. I do this with every season. Sometimes, after a few rewatches my opinions change. Usually, it’s some of the episodes in the middle rather than the best or the worst.
Here’s a look at the episodes I disliked to loved (I never say hated unless there is nothing good that I could pick out) in that order. I also share my reasons for my feelings.
13. Episode 1: America the Beautiful
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This is one of the episodes that received the lowest grade for me out of each of the episodes. As much as I wanted to love the Season 4 premiere, I really couldn’t. There were some moments that stood out in good ways — I loved the foreshadowing of Claire’s ring being taken and the talk between Claire and Jamie about how he could never give her anything more than the ring — but overall the episode was disappointing.
This was an episode I watched a few times. I got to see it at NYCC and immediately took a dislike to various elements. I thought it was just my feelings after missing out on the first part of the episode because of how late press had been allowed into the panel, but those feelings didn’t go with a second watch. So, it was clear that I just didn’t like the episode.
The ending was the most disappointing for me. Use music and take away the voice sound, fine. But using a 20th-century song over the 18th-century scenes took me out of the moment completely.
12. Episode 2: Do No Harm
The other episode that received the lowest grade was “Do No Harm.” It was another episode that there were moments I liked but, for the most part, there was too much to dislike.
One thing I loved was Jamie learning why he wouldn’t just be able to free the slaves. This was something I didn’t know and is something brought up in the books, so including it in the episode was important.
What I disliked was everything about Claire in the episode. I’ve always thought she’s pushed her 20th-century view too much in the show.
I don’t like comparing to the book, but Book Claire is far more subtle with her views. She doesn’t like slavery but she doesn’t push her opinion too much. In fact, she makes a point of saying she can’t do anything about it but she will use the slaves as little as possible. That I can respect.
Show Claire grinds my gears a lot with her “higher than thou” attitude. The more I think of this episode, the more I dislike it. Maybe it will be one that drops into last place eventually!
11. Episode 3: The False Bride
So far, it’s been the first episodes that have been at the bottom of my list. I made no secret in my recaps or on social media that I found each episode got better over time. So, really, it’s not surprising to see that the worst three episodes on my list are the first three.
“The False Bride” gave us Brianna and Roger’s story, while also allowing Claire and Jamie to find a home. It was an okay episode. There was nothing I absolutely detested in it, unlike the first two, but I’ll admit that I found myself a little bored.
In fact, the worst moments for me were Claire and Jamie’s scenes. I found myself wanting to go back to the 20th century to see Brianna and Roger. This is a couple that needs more development and I would have loved to have seen that in this episode.
Alas, we didn’t get it. Instead, we got Claire and Jamie finding the skull and their home. The ending was cheesy and the greenscreening was bad (all greenscreening seems to be at the moment) and so the episode is pushed towards the bottom.
10. Episode 10: The Deep Heart’s Core
This is one of those episodes that I enjoyed while watching but an episode that I forgot about afterwards. There were some much better episodes throughout the season, delivering better storylines and interesting tidbits.
I know this is an episode that leaves fans divided. To be honest, it was Jamie’s attitude that I disliked the most throughout this episode and it left a bad taste in my mouth. This is also at the point in the book that I start to dislike Book Jamie, too.
For one thing, he pushes his own time on Brianna — something I’ve hated about Claire doing to people in the 18th century. But the worst part was him insinuating that Brianna was lying about being raped. I would find it hard to forgive a man who said that to me, so I never blamed Brianna for her actions.
And it’s a shame, because up to that point, the episode was okay. I really enjoyed seeing Roger show his devotion to Brianna, as he tried to figure out what had happened to him. When he escaped, I was desperate to see him go through the stones to recover and then go back, to put himself first.
I was also annoyed about the writings keeping the fact that Claire had told Brianna about Wentworth prison in. This was one moment from the book I hoped the writers would change.
9. Episode 4: Common Ground
Jumping back to the start of the season and it’s time for “Common Ground.” This was another episode that took place in two timelines and was the first to receive a B- grading.
It certainly helped to pick up the pace a little in Outlander Season 4. We got a glimpse of the 20th century to see what they were learning over time and their next movies. It was a push to both Roger and Brianna heading through the stones. I enjoyed seeing Fiona make it clear that she knew the truth and pass on the information she had for Roger.
The past is, again, where some of the weakness was for me. While I adored the man-bear twist (far more realistic than the bear!), the struggles between the Cherokee and the Frasers just felt forced. I think, for me, it was the ending that felt off.
Jamie takes this man-bear back and finally hears the story about who he is. Adawehi shares her dream about Claire. Everything was rushed and didn’t quite feel like it fit properly.
8. Episode 11: If Not for Hope
For the most part, this episode was enjoyable. I loved seeing more of Brianna at River Run and watching her fend off those trying to marry her. Claire and Jamie’s moments irritated me but they were important to get their relationship back on track.
The moment that annoyed me to no end was Brianna’s blackmailing moment. I get why she did it and I understand why she wanted Lord John Grey to marry her. However, she went about it completely wrong.
So, why isn’t this further down my list? Well, she redeemed herself. She knew that she would never blackmail John and she apologized for her actions. This was a chance to see her desperation to get Roger back.
Plus, there were some hilarious moments. The dinner scene with Brianns certainly stood out for the right reasons for me.
7. Episode 9: The Birds and the Bees
Outlander Season 4, Episode 9 finally brought Brianna to her parents. We got the meeting and the reunion we’d been waiting for. And as epic as it was, there was something not quite right.
This was definitely a moment that was rushed. We got the scenes from the book but it very quickly needed to move onto other moments. Sure, the bee hunting scene was there and we got that moment between Brianna and Jamie, as he admited his thankfulness to Roger, but everything was rushed so much.
This episode also included Brianna telling Claire about the pregnancy and the rape. We got Jamie finding out from Lizzie that Brianna was raped. Roger was beaten to a pulp.
I would have loved for this episode to have taken place over two. I would have gladly seen one of the earlier episodes (maybe the first two episodes combined?) removed to give more time for Brianna meeting her father and reuniting with her mother.
6. Episode 8: Wilmington
I know it may seem strange that this episode comes before “The Bird and the Bees,” but there was so much in “Wilmington” that was well written and beautiful. It’s also one of the most traumatic episodes, though.
This was the episode that delivered Roger and Brianna’s handfasting. It was a beautiful, romantic moment and I wish we had more time to explore the positivity in their relationship. Maybe Outlander Season 5 can right that wrong.
It was also the episode that Lizzie got completely the wrong end of the stick. Seeing her view of Roger and Brianna reuniting and then the aftermath of Brianna’s rape helped to make Lizzie’s mistake make a lot of sense. It was clear why she jumped to the conclusions she did, so that was well written.
Then there was the theater scene. While it was a “Claire saves a life” moment again, it also showed Jamie in a loyal way. He wanted to avoid imprisonment himself but also needed to save Murtagh from the hangman. Claire and Jamie worked together to make it all possible and Jamie was smart enough to send Fergus, giving us a reunion we didn’t know we needed.
5. Episode 7: Down the Rabbit Hole
To kick off my Top 5 of Outlander Season 4 episodes, it’s all about Roger and Brianna’s episode. They went through the stones and we got an episode that was purely focused on the two. This was one of the strongest episodes for the writing and delivered some show-only moments that worked well.
Because Laura Donnelly wasn’t available for filming, it was clear that Brianna would never be able to meet her aunt. This meant a lot of other elements of the Lallybroch scenes had to change, so putting her in Laoghaire’s house made a lot of sense.
We got to see Laoghaire in a different (and important) light. This was a chance to see just how crazy Laoghaire is, too. Then there was the way Brianna helped to fix the cabinets, showing some of her skills that she can use while in the past.
Don’t forget the Frank flashbacks, either. These were important for Brianna’s development and showed us Frank in a different (and also important) light. There was a chance to see how he’d researched, something that Diana Gabaldon has used in her books. We got to see Brianna’s mixed feelings, as she headed to the past to save her parents.
Then Roger’s storyline was heartbreaking, scary, and expertly written. We saw his determination to save people on Bonnet’s ship, despite knowing there was very little that he could do. It was a side of Roger we’ve never been able to see, setting up some important character development for the future.
4. Episode 6: Blood of My Blood
Lord John Grey and Willie getting to Fraser’s Ridge certainly brought plenty of drama. It also delivered an episode that will remain in my mind for all the right reasons.
We got to see Claire and Lord John Grey finally bond. As he recovered from the measles, he had the chance to share a few truths with Claire. The two are far more alike than they would initially want to admit. Despite coming from different time periods and different worlds, they were able to bond over their shared regret of not offering complete satisfaction to someone.
This is an important moment for the future. Even though I haven’t read past “Drums of Autumn” yet, I know the storylines and I know that this moment helps to set up some future elements.
Then there’s Jamie and Willie hunting together. We got to see this relationship develop and grow, possibly setting up some doubts in Willie’s mind. My favorite moment was when Willie looked back, offering some hope to Jamie that they would see each other again.
Maybe it helps that “Of Lost Things” is my favorite episode of Outlander Season 3. I adored seeing father and son together again, getting the hint that there’s more to come for the two of them.
3. Episode 13: Man of Worth
Outlander Season 4 ended on a high note for me and the finale makes it to the Top 3. There were so many elements that were just right. The only reason it doesn’t move further to the top is because we didn’t get to see Roger see his son. That would have been a beautiful moment.
And no, I’m not bothered that Jamie and Claire weren’t at the birth. This had been a hint from Episode 10. Had they made it back in time, I would have questioned the timeline and just how fast the horses were going. Nitpicking? Maybe but a timeline needs to make sense.
The best part of this episode was Roger making his decision — actually getting the time to make this decision. He needed to have that time to think about the future. After all, Brianna wasn’t just raped by any man. She was raped by Bonnet, someone Roger had grown to despise.
Needing to think about things was important. He had been through a hell of an ordeal and had just learned he could be the father of Brianna’s baby. As happy as he was, he was also distraught that Brianna had been put in danger and would have to raise a baby that was potentially her rapist’s. It wasn’t an easy decision to make.
And then we got Young Ian’s transformation. He became a man of worth, trading himself for Roger and being adopted by the Mohawks.
2. Episode 5: Savages
Jumping back to the start of the season and it’s all about one of the more heartbreaking episodes. We got a chance to see Claire protect herself, while also getting the reunion we’d been waiting for.
Claire was left at Fraser’s Ridge alone, which would certainly show us life in the countryside. She was living life and happy about it all, until it came to problems between tenants and the Cherokee neighbors.
Everything came to a head with the measles outbreak. The German man had viciously killed Adawehi and others. It was heartbreaking to see Claire learn the truth but there was also that beautiful moment at the end when Claire just needed Jamie to hold her. I don’t need romantic moments but I need these moments to show their bond.
Then there was the reunion in Wilmington. Jamie finally saw Murtagh and the reunion was everything we could ask for. Their realization that they were both there and then the ability to catch up were all priceless moments.
My favorite had to be the very end. I loved Murtagh whistling the “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” as he came up behind Claire. Their bond had developed during “The Search,” even if it wasn’t a great episode, and this moment reminded us of that.
1. Episode 12: Providence
Finally, it’s the penultimate episode. Everything about this episode worked for me. It wasn’t until the trailer for the next episode that I realized Claire and Jamie had barely been part of the episode, showing how excellent I found the writing.
This episode gave us character development for Brianna, Roger, Fergus, and Marsali. Let’s start with Brianna, who had the chance to face Bonnet. This was important, as she needed to move on from him to really be able to accept her child in her life. Plus, we got to see the fear of a dying man.
For Fergus and Marsali, it was important to see their bond grow. Outlander Season 5 will see them on the Ridge and this was the moment that put them there. They’d tried a life away from Claire and Jamie, but Fergus was struggling as a cripple. Nobody wanted to hire him and he had to rely on his wife for an income.
What we got in “Providence” was his wife knowing that he was struggling. She needed him to be a whole man inside and that meant supporting him to get Murtagh out of prison and heading to the Ridge where he would be wanted.
Finally, Roger. His scenes were some of my favorite of the whole series. There was this chance to see him go through a range of emotions, as he had time to figure out everything that had happened. We had this chance to see him attempt to put himself first and fail, because that’s just not the type of man Roger is.
The ending still sends shivers down my spine. Would I have liked Bear McCreary to have the chance to compose something over this scene? Yes. But I do admit that I adored the use of “Adagio for Strings.”
What were your favorite episodes of Outlander Season 4? Which episodes would you be able to watch over and over again? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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