Outlander Season 4 wishes: Should the show have kept Brianna’s thoughts of death?

Outlander Season 4 needed to cut quite a bit of content out to fit into 13 hours of TV. Was it right to cut out Brianna’s thoughts of death?

As you may expect from the title, there are spoilers from the book “Drums of Autumn” in this post. The spoilers are only for the specific Brianna parts to argue for or against keeping them in Outlander Season 4.

With only 13 hours of TV, Outlander Season 4 had plenty against it. “Drums of Autumn” is about 44 hours long to read, judging by Audible, so it was clear from the start that some of the smaller elements would need to be cut out. One of those elements involved Brianna’s fear of death.

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After learning she’s pregnant, she mentions to Jamie that she’s sure the pregnancy will kill her. She’s sure the baby will be fine but something in her gut tells her that she’s going to die.

Why? It’s likely linked to the fact her mother almost died in childbirth. Considering the amount that Claire told Brianna about Jamie at Wentworth, she should have told Brianna about Faith and the childbed fever. Then there would have been the conversation about Claire’s medical issues giving birth, the fact that Claire would die if she gave birth in the 18th century.

These parts of the story certainly add more depth to Brianna’s story. They also offer moments of bonding between Jamie and Brianna. It all builds to a moment that was cut from Outlander Season 4 for various reasons — Jamie and Claire being by Brianna’s side for the birth of their grandchild.

While the fear of death certainly added an element to Brianna’s character in the novel, there just simply wasn’t the time to keep it all in during Outlander Season 4. Plus, without the scene of Jamie and Claire being there for the birth of the baby, including Brianna’s thoughts of death during labor wouldn’t have made sense.

Detail is where a novel will always win. I try not to compare book to show too much. Naturally, there are times that I’ll pick a scene and wonder if it works, but it always comes down to the fact that novels allow for more detail. They can be longer and include plenty of smaller plot points that link slowly and intricately with future moments.

A TV show doesn’t have that liberty. With 13 hours, Outlander Season 4 focused on the right things, developing Brianna’s character in its own way. She’s not the same woman as in the books and that’s okay! It works.

Would you have liked to see Brianna’s fear of dying during labor? Which parts of “Drums fo Autumn” did you feel were missing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Follow Claire and Jamie on Twitter for more thoughts on Outlander Seasons 4 and 5 as we get through Droughtlander together.