Outlander Season 4 developed Brianna’s character to make her story more integral to the series. There were some beautiful parallels to Claire’s story.
Throughout Outlander Season 4, we got more focus on Brianna and Roger. They’re becoming far more important to the overall story and that’s only going to continue in Season 5. Before we look ahead, it’s important to look back and assess.
Season 4 had some beautiful parallels between Claire and Brianna’s storylines. Here’s a look at the parallels you like missed.
The trek through the wilderness
I know this wasn’t a favorite part for some, but it was an important parallel between Claire and Brianna. In Episode 7, Brianna found herself wandering through Scotland trying to get to the harbor. This was reminiscent of Claire’s trek through the jungle in Season 3.
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The difference is that Claire knew how to survive better. Brianna didn’t have the military experience or knowledge to know how to survive in the wilderness, and it was much colder in Scotland than in Jamaica. However, both ended up passing out and were saved by people who lived nearby.
The wedding night
Brianna’s handfasting to Roger was on a much more romantic level than Claire’s wedding to Jamie. Before you jump on me for saying that, hear me out! I’m talking about the ceremony and not the night afterward! Bree and Roger wanted this to happen while Claire and Jamie were forced into it. However, there were some parallels in the actual wedding night, which was certainly romantic for both pairs.
Both took time to get to know each other. Claire was nervous and wanted to get to know Jamie before she consummated their marriage. Brianna was nervous because it was her first time. They were both settled by their men, who took the lead in a way to help their partners gain comfort and relax a little.
Births without their husbands
Both Claire and Brianna went through childbirth without their men by their sides. Of course, the men wouldn’t be allowed to be by their sides in the 18th century anyway, but their men weren’t even in the same vicinity.
When Claire gave birth to Faith, she was in the French hospital while Jamie was locked up in the Bastille. For Brianna, she was in safer, calmer hands but Roger was with the Mohawks and on his journey back to Brianna.
Friends to enemies
Brianna’s time at Laoghaire’s brought a couple of other mirrors to Claire’s storyline. The first is that between Claire and Marsali. While Brianna and Laoghaire liked each other at first until they found out the truth about each other, Claire and Marsali disliked each other until they found out the truth about each other.
However, the parallel could also be with Claire and Geillis. The two characters got along. In fact, you could say they were friends for a while until Geillis’ need to fill a prophecy got the better of her and Claire had to kill her. In Outlander Season 4, Laoghaire started mothering Brianna until she learned the truth about her parentage and tried to have her tried as a witch.
The witch trials
Since I’ve mentioned the attempt of trying to have Brianna tried as a witch, this links back to Claire’s storyline in Season 1. Laoghaire was the one that arranged for Claire and Geillis to be arrested. It was a way for Laoghaire to get Claire out of the way.
Both were also saved by people. Claire managed to escape thanks to Geillis sacrificing herself and Jamie coming to save Claire. Meanwhile, Brianna was saved by Joanie getting Brianna to Lallyborch so Ian Murray could take her in and help.
Swayed by romantic gestures
During Outlander Season 4, Episode 8, Brianna and Roger finally reunite. Suddenly, the arguments of the past are forgotten about for the most part. Brianna is suddenly ready to marry Roger, and it’s arguably the romantic gesture of coming through the stones and risking his life for her that sways her into this.
It’s a parallel to Claire’s story in Season 1. After Claire is beaten by Jamie for her actions that led to her getting taken to Black Jack Randall, she is angry and refuses to speak to him. Jamie has to find a way to apologize as he realizes that what he did wasn’t right. He makes a romantic gesture through swearing an oath to her, and it’s just what Claire needs to be swayed into forgiveness.
Finding traditional men
The partners Claire and Brianna find are rather traditional for their time period for the most part. This isn’t really a parallel just within the TV show, but a parallel that is introduced within the books. Jamie, Frank, and Roger are all really men of their time and upbringing.
Yes, Jamie has moments where he is a forward-thinking man, but he’s still a man with 18th-century expectations a lot of the time. We just have to look at his opinion about bikinis, Brianna and Roger marrying and providing for Claire, Brianna, and others to see that he’s a man of his time.
Frank is certainly a man of the 1940s and 50s. While one difference is that he clearly does a lot of the child-raising in the later years once Claire becomes a doctor, he still has many views similar to his colleagues of the time. He wants to remain with Claire purely for Brianna, knowing that he would barely get to see her if they split up because of the time period.
As for Roger, he was marriage and commitment before sex. He considers himself the man of the relationship, the one to provide but also the one to obey. It is a 1960s Scottish view, while Brianna is a woman of her time and upbringing in the same way that Claire was.
Standing up to the enemy
In Outlander Season 4, Episode 12, Brianna has the chance to face Stephen Bonnet. It’s an important moment, as Brianna makes it extremely clear that Bonnet will die and be forgotten. The child will never know who his father (possibly) is.
While not under the same circumstance, Claire has the chance to stand up to an enemy in Outlander Season 1, Episode 15. She faces off against Black Jack Randall, making it clear when he will die.
Both women manage to instill a sense of fear of death in their enemies. Bonnet fears dying and leaving nothing while Randall just seems to fear death without gaining what he wants in life.
What parallels between Claire and Brianna did you see in Outlander Season 4? What would you like to see for both characters moving forward? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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