Why the ‘bear’ attack on Outlander Season 4, Episode 4 worked for me
The “bear” attack was just right on Outlander Season 4, Episode 4
Not everything can be adapted as it’s told in the book. The bear attack in Outlander Season 4, Episode 4 was one of those moments.
In Drums of Autumn, Jamie and Claire attacked by a real bear. Jamie rights off the bear and manages to kill it. When I first read this chapter (this was the point where I became a book-first fan), I did wonder how the show would adapt it.
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Not only did it feel a little too “out there” in terms of story, but it would be difficult to adapt for the screen. The use of a mechanical or a CGI bear would be off-putting.
Would the show skip it altogether like the wolf scene from the first book? It was too important for that because of what the scene meant. So, the show had to find a way to transform this into something more believable (for the characters and for viewers watching the CGI) and safer (for the actors).
In the end, instead of opting for a real bear, a man was dressed as a bear. However, the symbolism remained.
This scene touched on Cherokee beliefs
The Native tribes are extremely spiritual. They don’t just believe people can wear the hyde of a bear. People can become the bear. Their spirits can become one.
To the local Cherokee on Outlander Season 4, Episode 4, the former tribe member had become a bear. He was just as dangerous as a bear was, and there were plenty of tribe members scared of him.
To them, Jamie had killed a bear. This wasn’t just some symbolism but something real. It was important to them, and Jamie earning the name “Bear Killer,” was just lip service. To the Cherokee, Jamie was Bear Killer.
The show offered an honorable way of showing the Cherokee beliefs. It was respectful while keeping the drama for the series.
John Quincy Myers’s shock on Outlander Season 4, Episode 4
Even the moments with John Quincy Myers in this episode were important. We get to know JQM well enough in this episode to know he is respectful of the tribes, but he is still a Welshman. And yet, when he is attacked by the man posing as a bear, he uses the Cherokee name for it.
We get this portrayal of shock. JQM doesn’t quite know how to explain things to the Frasers after being attacked. He’s scared, he’s hurt, and he’s confused.
You see, he didn’t really know what the Cherokee name meant. He didn’t really know what to expect. So being attacked by this man dressed as a bear in the middle of the night would have confused him. As he tried to explain to Claire and Jamie what had attacked him, all he could use was the Cherokee name for it. This was the name in his head, the only name that made sense at a time.
The show has always been very good at showing how different people react in difficult situations. While Claire and Jamie can remain calm, not everyone can. We later see in Outlander Season 5 that Lizzie has a fright response while Brianna later in Outlander Season 4 detaches herself from reality for a while during her attack and then suffers from that response afterward.
In this moment, JQM’s response is partly fight, but the shock takes over. Fright kicks in, and he can’t quite explain what he’s seen.
This part of the whole episode is well done in my opinion. It brings the same ending as the novel with Jamie gaining the Cherokee’s respect but it shows more for JQM’s character development and offers a more believable (and safer) story.
Next. 5 best moments from Outlander Season 4, Episode 4. dark
What did you think of the use of the man/bear? What do you think as you rewatch Outlander Season 4, Episode 4 now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.