Outlander recap: Jamie and Claire experience a horrifying house call

As Jamie and his followers head out to build the militia, he and Claire need to make a horrifying house call in Outlander Season 5, Episode 3.

Jamie, Claire, Roger, Fergus, and others head out to build the militia in Outlander Season 5, Episode 3. It takes a horrifying turn of events when Claire and Jamie head to the Beardsley home. Here’s everything that happened in the episode.

It all started with Jamie returning back to the Ridge with the news they needed to build a militia. He sent Fergus to get a message out through the papers. And yes, Fergus picks up one of Claire’s medical “Dr. Rawlings Recommends” notes and you know that is going to come back to haunt Claire at some point.

However, not time to focus on that. The group head out, we get a bit of life on the road including some Scottish sword dancing, and then the episode takes a turn.

Jamie and Claire split from the group

When Keziah Beardsley is captured in the woods (slightly different to the way he’s found in the book but nothing too major), the Frasers learn that there’s more than one. Josiah isn’t too far behind and tells the story of them being indentured to an awful man. Jamie still wants Josiah to hunt at Fraser’s Ridge, so agrees to head to Beardsley to buy the indenture for both twins.

Jamie and Claire head off and certainly don’t expect to see what they do. They meet Fanny Beardsley, who doesn’t know anything about the indenture paperwork and she doesn’t want to let Claire and Jamie in. The Frasers know that something isn’t right.

When they do get into the home, they are overcome by a small. It’s not goat (even though the goats live in the home) and there’s something on the ceiling. Claire knows that there’s something else going on, so she heads upstairs to investigate with Fanny following her telling her not to go up there.

The horrifying truth of the Beardsleys

Upstairs, Claire is horrified to find a man lying in his own filth. Mr. Beardsley suffered a stroke and Fanny left him in the attic. While she has sort of been caring for him, Claire and Jamie also realize that she’s been torturing him.

Fanny explains that her husband was an awful man. Fanny is his fifth wife and he killed the other four. Fanny knew that she would be next, but he had a stroke before he could. The torture is Fanny’s way of getting back at him.

On top of that, Claire learns that Fanny is pregnant and about to deliver the baby. She helps with the birth, only to find out the baby is black. Fanny is happy that it isn’t Beardsley’s child, but she has no interest in the baby. Overnight, while Claire and Jamie discuss what to do to help Mr. Beardsley and get some sleep, Fanny leaves on her own. She does find the indenture paperwork, though.

And so, Jamie is left offering Mr. Beardsley a choice. While they can’t help him regain all motor function, they can take him somewhere to be looked after. Beardsley doesn’t want that. He wants to be put out of his misery. So, Claire takes the baby and the paperwork, while Jamie does his duty.

After doing what must be done, Jamie explains that he always thought a stroke (apoplexy, as it was known to him) killed outright. Now he wonders if his father suffered after having a stroke. He has one request should this happen to him: that Claire put him out of his misery. It’s something Claire vows to do, and we end the episode on a very somber note.

What did you think of the way this book storyline was handled? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander airs Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.