Outlander Season 6 episode 4 review

Welcome back to another weekly review of Outlander Season 6! It’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point of the season. There are only four more episodes to go before the dreaded Droughtlander is upon us once again. But I have a feeling we’re going to need a reprieve by the end of the season. The storm is certainly coming!

This week’s episode, “Hour of the Wolf,” finally gave us Young Ian’s backstory during his time with the Mohawk. John Bell played all the different emotions so beautifully – from being in love to being heartbroken, to finding closure and accepting who he is.

Why does Bell play heartbroken so well though? I don’t want to see Young Ian in that state, but his facial expressions are so on point! I was expecting his story to hurt my heart, but this was almost too much to bear. But we do end on a hopeful note.

Outlander Season 6, episode 4 is definitely in my top favorites. It moved the story forward while providing character growth for a fan-favorite character. It was balanced out well, and it didn’t feel jarring when we would cut back to the Ridge.

So let’s jump into our breakdown of the season’s fourth episode. You’ve got a show-only fan here, so my views will reflect that.

Outlander Season 6 episode 4 review

Young Ian

Of course, we absolutely have to start off with Young Ian. The show chose to tell his story through wonderful montage-like flashbacks, which worked really well. It didn’t feel long since we spent a big chunk of the episode in the flashbacks. The pacing was perfect.

Ian catches Wahionhaweh’s attention and eventually, the two become husband and wife. They truly do love each other, but heartbreaking circumstances pull them apart. The couple loses their daughter due to complications with her pregnancy.

When that’s followed by a miscarriage in their second attempt at having a child, Wahionhaweh and the tribe see it as a message that Ian is not Mohawk enough in spirit. Wahionhaweh’s grandmother tells him to leave and go back to “his people.” It’s so heart-wrenching because not only is he losing his wife who he loves very much, but also this second family he found. Ian very much fits in with the Mohawk and becomes one of them.

But he doesn’t leave without a fight. He goes to speak with his wife but finds she’s chosen another. And It’s Ian’s close friend, Kaheroton. I thought it would be nice to see a familiar face from season 4, but I feel betrayed by Kaheroton just like Ian did! When she asks him to go and says this is how it has to be, he does what she asks.

In the present, Jamie and Ian visit the Cherokee Village to deliver the guns they requested. The camp has some familiar visitors – Kaheroton and other Mohawk members. Faced with his past, Ian finally shares his story with his uncle. I love that Ian opens up to Jamie of all people. The two have such a special uncle/nephew relationship that we haven’t gotten to see much of in a long time. And a big part of that is because Ian was closed off and not ready to talk about what happened.

When Ian finds out Wahionhaweh and Kaheroton now have a son, he gets angry and fights with Kaheroton. This leads to Indian agent, Alexander Cameron aka Scotchee, to physically pull Kaheroton away in an insulting way. After refusing to apologize, the agent challenges him and Kaheroton accepts. We really see Ian’s strength and character when, during the duel, Cameron turns around to fire early and would have killed Kaheroton but it’s Ian who stops him.

As always Jamie is there to support his nephew multiple times throughout the episode, which is so heartwarming. My favorite moment in the episode is when Young Ian is wondering where his lost daughter’s soul is. Jamie tells his nephew they should pray together so that Faith can find Ian’s Iseabaìl in Heaven. The two share similar experiences in that they didn’t even get to see their daughters before the babies were buried.

By the end, Ian comes to realize that God chose Kaheroton to be with Wahionhaweh. Facing his past was painful, but it also gave him the closure he needed to start moving on. He also accepts that he doesn’t need to choose between being Wolf’s Brother or Ian Murray. He can be both. That is what’s so wonderful about his character. Even though a big part of his story with the Mohawk is heartbreaking, he still identifies himself as one of them and doesn’t turn his back on that part of himself.

Malva

Oh my gosh, Malva. How do I even describe this girl in the episode? She was way too excited to discover she can cut into someone for surgery while they’re under the effects of ether. She got a crazy twinkle in her eye. When Josiah is put under, she literally says “it’s as if we killed him and brought him back to life again.” Really, this didn’t sound off any alarm bells for Claire or Lizzie?

This, combined with Claire’s notes that she looks through is going to cause trouble. She also brought up once again how her brother believes Claire is a witch. This has been mentioned in every episode so far. It’s way past foreshadowing at this point. Something is going to go down. The people of this time are a superstitious lot who are afraid of things they don’t understand.

Jessica Reynolds plays Malva so well. There’s something under all those innocent coy smiles. But what is it? And the creepiest part was her watching Claire and Jamie‘s very private moment in the barn. Ugh!

Jamie and Claire

I’m loving all these little quiet moments between Jamie and Claire. We’ve gotten ones in every episode and it’s something we all want to see! Jamie’s too funny. He describes his prowess as “greased lightning,” not even knowing what the modern term means. Though they want nothing more than to stay in bed, unfortunately, there are responsibilities to tend to.

Jamie and Ian deliver the guns provided by Major MacDonald to the Cherokee, which the Indians are very happy to have. But Jamie doesn’t leave without giving Chief Bird a warning that in 60 years, his people will be killed and they need to hide when the time comes. Chief Bird accepts Jamie’s warning and tells him he will pass on the message to his descendants.

Jamie feels so torn between acting as an agent for the Crown and an enemy of the king. So he decides to resign as an Indian agent. It cracks me up that he’s saying all this to Claire, but she’s only got one thing on her mind. It’s a great intimate moment until we see Malva creepily watching them!

Bonus shout-outs

Did you catch Josiah holding Lizzie’s hand? Aw! This girl is laying it on thick with both brothers, in a most Lizzie-endearing way. Will these feelings get her in trouble with the twins?

The Fergus and Jamie scene was a small but important moment. It’s nice to see Fergus finally smiling again and on the road to healing.

Outlander airs Sundays on STARZ.