Outlander recap: [Spoiler] returns with a haunting storyline

A returning family member

Out in the wilderness while playing a game of hide and seek with Claire and Jemmy, Jamie notices that there’s a sound from the bushes. He knows that it’s a hog, so sends Claire and Jemmy to the cabin. Just as he is about to fight against the hog, an arrow shoots the hog down.

Jamie and Claire look up the hill to see a Native American tribe member standing at the top of the hill. At least, it looks like one of their Cherokee neighbors. When Rollo comes bounding over the hill, it’s soon clear that it’s Young Ian.

He’s back, but he’s certainly not the same. As he sees the house and family members ask for his story, it’s evidently clear that he’s hiding some sort of pain and grief.

Jamie has an idea that Young Ian can help roger with surveying the new land. Young Ian doesn’t immediately say he’ll do it, but he does head out with Roger to help.

It’s a chance for Young Ian and Roger to bond. They’re the two that haven’t got to know each other yet, but it’s clear that everyone has caught Young Ian up to speed about Alamance.

One day, Roger is looking over a cliff. Young Ian watches, knowing what Roger is thinking. But does he really? While looking over the edge, Roger remembers that in the darkness of what he thought would be death, he saw Brianna’s face. Suddenly, he remembers that Brianna has been the light in the darkness and he needs to get back to her.

He throws a paper airplane that Brianna made over the cliff and decides it’s time to be a new man. However, there’s one thing he needs to do first. Young Ian was the one to steal the water hemlock root (something Claire feared Roger had stolen) and was going to kill himself. He had a wife and lost her. She’s not dead but lost to him.

While he doesn’t say anything more, it’s clear that he is grieving the loss of more than just his wife. Marsali’s discussion with him about babies brought up a raw note of anger in him. He’s lost a child (or children) but he’s not ready to tell that tale.

Roger is there to stop Young Ian from killing himself and admits that he had buried his voice. But now he needs to change.