Outlander recap: What happens in Brownsville stays in Brownsville?

The Frasers get to Brownsville but not before Roger has an interesting way of dealing with a situation. Here’s what happened in Outlander Season 5, Episode 4.

We leave the dark and creepiness in the Beardsley homestead and return to the building of the militia in Outlander Season 5, Episode 4. However, it’s much easier said than done. Roger has an interesting way of dealing with a situation, but it could cause problems for Jamie down the line.

For those who expected the militia to be disbanded, as it is in “The Fiery Cross,” that doesn’t happen at this point in the story. Just to avoid the disappointment there. It looks like we’re wholly focused on the militia and the fight against the Regulators for Outlander Season 5.

Roger’s unusual way of making peace

Roger is completely out of his depth in the 18th century, and it shows in this episode. When the militia is shot at—thanks to the Browns’ opinion of Isaiah Morton—Roger has to figure out a way of protecting Isaiah and the militia at the same time.

He decides that drinking with the Browns is the way forward. Not just that, but he hands Isaiah over!

By the time Jamie gets to Brownsville, he’s not impressed. This also isn’t the way it happens in the books, so I know there will be some people screaming at the Outlander writers at this point. However, I view it as the thing Show Roger would do. This isn’t Book Roger, and I wholly accept that.

So, focusing on what’s going on in Outlander Season 5, Episode 4, we find out that Roger was hoping that becoming friends with the Browns would help all causes. Jamie notes that some of the militia has returned home. The men don’t trust Roger after his actions, not understanding the real reason Roger did what he did.

Jamie wants to make things right by getting Morton to marry the Brown daughter, Alicia. That can’t happen, though. Morton is already married. It doesn’t matter that Alicia is pregnant with his child. Marrying her would make him a bigamist. So, Jamie frees Morton and tells him to leave to where he can never be found again.

Claire finds a home for the baby

If you were wondering about the paper that Fergus scribbled on the back of during Episode 3, it comes up during this episode. While in Brownsville, Claire sees that one of her recommendation leaflets has made the paper. She does tell Jamie about it, who makes a quick joke about Claire having another husband he doesn’t know about. They don’t seem to worry too much about the leaflet being printed causing a bigger problem.

To be honest, the focus is on the baby. Claire needs to find proper milk for the baby, and there is a nursing mother in Brownsville. That mother sadly lost a child of her own and offers to take the Beardsley baby. It doesn’t actually look like this mother is after the Beardsley fortune but just wants a child she can love.

In the end, Claire and Jamie agree that the husband and wife would be better off with the child. The baby is left in their care, although there is a beautiful discussion between Claire and Jamie. Does Claire want another child? Jamie could give her one. But no, Claire is happy with everything she has now.

Dealing with Alicia and Isaiah

The moonlight conversation between Jamie and Claire is cut short when Alicia tries to kill herself. She’s pregnant but she can’t live with that and her man not allowed to be with her. She’s even more upset when she finds out that Isaiah is married already, so it’s not like he can marry Alicia.

Just when you think it’s going to be a cause of encouraging Alicia to live her life as best she can, Isaiah turns up. He couldn’t leave without Alicia. So, Jamie and Claire find a way to help the two of them escape Brownsville. Because that’s not going to come back to bite them!

Claire and Roger head home

With that, Claire realizes that Kezzie and Jo need their tonsils removed. However, Kezzie has a fever and needs antibiotics. That means she needs to work on her penicillin, so needs to return to the Ridge.

Jamie sends Roger with her. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Roger, as Roger puts it. Claire points out that Jamie has entrusted Roger with the most important person in his life: Claire. It’s true. Jamie is giving Roger a chance to redeem himself and showing faith by trusting Roger to get Claire back to Fraser’s Ridge.

Speaking of Fraser’s Ridge…

We do return during the episode. While in one of the nearby towns, Brianna finds out that an Irish gentleman gave Jemmy a coin. It sparks fear, as she’s sure that Bonnet is going to come to Fraser’s Ridge and take Jemmy.

In fact, one night, Bree takes her eyes off her son for a few minutes to find him no longer playing with Germain. After Marsali and Bree find him, the two sisters-in-law have a drink.

Marsali tells Bree that she killed her father. She had wished him dead and later he died. So she killed him, right?

No, that’s not the way it works. And Marsali knows that. She’s making a point to Brianna. Whatever Bree thinks about won’t necessarily happen. Of course, we and Brianna know that Bonnet is out there.

What I will say is I adored the scene between the two sisters-in-law. I need more of that please in Outlander Season 5.

What did you think of Outlander Season 5, Episode 4? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander Season 5 airs Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.