Outlander Season 4, Episode 12 is one of the strongest episodes of the series
There are some excellent episodes of Outlander every season. Outlander Season 4, Episode 12 remains one of my all-time favorites, and I think it will remain like that all the way until the end.
While Claire and Jamie are in the opening moments, they don’t show up for the majority of the episode. This is all about Brianna, Roger, and Fergus; three characters that need the time to develop.
I know this isn’t a favorite for those who only want to see Claire and Jamie. For me, the story has grown past them, though. It’s about the growing family, and I’d be mighty annoyed if characters didn’t get the right development just for the same two characters we’ve already seen get plenty of development.
But it’s more than just the development of the characters. They have particular storylines in this episode that leads to important storylines moving forward.
Brianna shows her strength of character and confidence
Brianna visits Stephen Bonnet in the jail during Outlander Season 4, Episode 12. She’s sure that this is the last time she’ll see him, and she needs to let go of her anger. This is the man who raped her, and she’s sure he’s the father of her unborn baby. It’s the man who has haunted her dreams and made her doubt herself.
She shows off her confidence and her strength of character by visiting him. There’s also a moment of compassion for the man, although she probably doesn’t view it as compassion. She’s not doing this for him but for herself.
This isn’t about forgiveness but about making it clear he’ll be forgotten. It’s clearly something Bonnet worries about. He wants to make a mark in the world, and now he’s realized that while he may leave something behind, that child will never know him.
She didn’t need to tell him this, but she felt like she needed to for herself.
And nobody really needs to understand why. As a victim, she gets to face her attacker if she wants. Who can say what would make her feel better? Nobody but her.