Outlander recap: Claire and Jamie face off with the Cherokee in season 4, episode 4

Claire and Jamie Fraser come in contact with the Cherokee Indians who border the land that they have decided to settle on.

Last week, the hit STARZ show Outlander gave us a glimpse into the crumbling relationship between Brianna and Roger and left viewers heartbroken at their abrupt breakup. In the 1770s, we saw Claire encounter a ghost who she believes may have been a time traveler like herself and she and Jamie decide on a plot of land which will become Fraser’s Ridge.

Here’s how episode 4 played out.

North Carolina – 1771: Jamie signs Governor Tryon’s documents granting 10,000 acres of land in exchange for his service to the Crown should the time come. Governor Tryon offers to allow Claire a place to live in the city while builds on the land, Jamie says she intends to come with him. Governor Tryon warns him that it is dangerous in the backwoods. He says that Jamie should choose carefully those he allows to settle on the land as the regulators and tax collectors are often fighting with each other. Governor Tryon asks Jamie if he believes that the Highlanders have savagery in common with the Indians. Jamie says he sees savagery in any man.

Claire has packed all of their goods and buys provisions for their journey. Marsali says that she had meant to organize the food, but has been feeling sick because of her pregnancy. Claire offers her advice and Marsali begins to cry and admits that she misses her mother. She says there is no other healer than Claire that she’d want by her side. Jamie tells Fergus to find Highlanders to settle on the land and asks him to find the men he was with at Ardsmuir Prison. Fergus and Marsali will stay in town until she delivers the baby. Jamie points out that Marsali is the same age as Brianna and Claire looks sad. She tells Jamie that she worries it was wrong to leave Brianna, as she won’t be there to see her grandchildren. Jamie says that when he was without Claire he’d think of her face, her word, and her heart and he was thankful for that. He says Brianna will do the same.

Claire, Jamie and Young Ian head back out to Fraser’s Ridge.

The set out to place the posts throughout the land to mark where their land begins and ends. Claire recites the Star Spangled Banner and explains it’s meaning to Jamie. He asks her to sing it, and tells her that her singing makes him “want to do indecent things.” Jamie begins to tell her what those things are, but is interrupted by Young Ian calling for him. They have found two trees which they were searching for. The trees signal the furthest boundaries of their land. Jamie carves an F.R. in the tree to signify the entrance to their land. Jamie steps on animal poop and Claire warns Young Ian that there are dangerous animals in North Carolina like bears and panthers. Just then Rollo begins to bark. The men turn to see a group of Indians. Claire asks what’s behind her, afraid to turn around. The Indians have guns and arrows, there appear to be five of them.

“Claire put the knife in my hand and get behind me,” Jamie says.

Young Ian says they look like Cherokee and the ones he met with John Quincy Myers were friendly. Jamie tells them both to stay by the guns, he approaches the Indians and drops the knife and introduces himself to the Indians. They turn and leave.

Oxford University – 1971: Roger is sad and distracted, unable to hold a conversation with his fellow teachers. Roger pulls the book out of his drawer that Brianna gave him before they split up. Inside is the sketch of the pair made the day of the Scottish festival. He opens the book to a photo with a caption that describes a mountain which was settled by Scottish Highlanders. The caption mentions Fraser’s Ridge. While he reads we see Claire and Jamie clearing the land and building structures. Young Ian finds an arrowhead. The Fraser’s have a makeshift shelter and are roping off where they want to build the cabin. Jamie shows Claire where they have hung their food to keep the animals away until they can build a shed. He points to where he will build her surgery. They kiss.

Young Ian comes running to camp with a band of Indians on horseback chasing after him. The Indians throw stakes into the ground and speak in a language that is not understood. They are clearly angry, then ride off.

Oxford University – 1971: Roger receives a package from the States. Inside are documents about Fraser’s Ridge including maps, deeds signed by Jamie and a letter.

Boston – 1971: Brianna answers her ringing phone. It’s Roger. She has a friend over and they are heading out the door. Roger says he’s well. Brianna says she’s been thinking about him. He tells her that he has news about Claire. He tells her he found a place called Fraser’s Ridge and that he found out more about it.

“Claire found Jamie,” Roger says. “They were reunited.”

OK CUE WATERWORKS

Rogers tells Brianna that Fraser’s Ridge is now called Grandfather Mountain, and that is where the festival they were at is called. Brianna thanks Roger for the news, in spite of everything that’s happened between them. She looks like she was going to says something else but Roger, near tears, cuts her off. They say goodbye.

North Carolina – 1771: It’s nightfall at Fraser’s Ridge, Claire and Jamie are discussing if they should build somewhere further than the Indians. Jamie says it won’t matter where they settle if the Indians want them gone, they will. Claire says she wonders if the skull they found was a warning that they should not settle there. He is a man like her (from a modern time) and he was killed with an ax. Jamie says he feels the “rightness” of the place. He says the mountain spoke to him. Claire suggests they make a gesture of goodwill to the Indians.

Claire, Jamie and Young Ian are awakened in the night by Rollo’s barking. Jamie grabs his pistol and heads outside of the shelter. Jamie thinks it is the Indians and lights a torch to see better. The camp outside is destroyed and the meat hanging from the tree is gone. One of their horses stumbles into camp, clawed and bleeding. Claire says it’s not the Cherokee, it’s a bear.

The next morning Jamie speaks with John Quincey Myers who says the Cherokee have also said they have been the victim of a bear. He says they believe it is a bad omen, a spirit within a bear. Myers says that the Indians may be hard to make friends with, but they like tobacco. He gives Jamie a portion of the tobacco to try to make friends. Myers teaches Jamie a few words to say to the Indians. Myers says he will take the tobacco to the Indians on his behalf since they already trust him. He advised that they have already given him a warning, and they may not be kind the next time around.

Claire and Young Ian have caught fish to eat. Young Ian is knitting a net to catch more. Claire says she never learned how to knit, but can do stitches. Young Ian says even Jamie knows how to knit. Young Ian goes off to check on the horses, and Claire warns him to be careful in case the bear comes back.

Claire is shooting logs off a block, learning aim. Jamie shows her how to pack her powder better.

Nightfall again and Rolo begins barking again. Rolo leads them to a body moaning in the woods It is Myers who has been attacked by the bear. The screen cuts to the Indians praying about the bear. Claire begins to work on Myers. Jamie leaves the hut to look for the bear, who he thinks is still close. Jamie goes running through the forest with his torch and a gun. The Indians are performing some kind of ritual. Jamie spots the bear and shoots but misses. He repacks his powder.

Back in the camp Claire sees that Myers has been bitten on his neck, but not by a bear.

Back in the forest and Jamie is attacked by the bear, he drops his unloaded gun and notices that it is a man dressed as a bear who is attacking him. They fight in the dark. The man pulls out a knife and tries to stab Jamie, but he is able to wrestle it from his hands. The claws on the bear suit impale Jamie’s shoulder but he is able to get out from under the and impales him with one of the stakes used to mark the land.

The next morning Jamie carries the body of the man to the tribe. They come out to him, guns raised and he lays the body at their feet He says the greeting that Myers had taught him and the Indians reply in English. Jamie admits to killing him, they put down their guns. He lifts the bear covering to show the Indians that it’s a man, and they do not need to be afraid anymore.

“It’s just a man, not a monster,” Jamie says.

“Oftentimes, man is monster,” says the Indian.

The Indian explains that the man was once their own, but was banished when he raped a woman. He says that the Indians could not kill what was already dead to him. Jamie asks if there will be trouble for him and his family. The Indians appear to be open to peace.

Back at the camp, Myers will live. They invite him to remain with them until he is healed. Indians arrive at Fraser’s Ridge. The chief tells Jamie that he hopes there will be no more bloodshed. The chief gives Jamie a name — Bear Killer. He invites the Indians to join them at the fire, Two women approach Claire and introduce themselves. The younger Indian says her grandmother dreamed about Claire, she says that she became a white raven who swallowed the moon, laid an egg in the palm of her hand. The egg opened into a stone and she knew the stone could heal sickness. The grandmother is also a great healer. She says that Claire will have more medicine when her hair is white like snow. The woman says that “death is sent from the Gods and it will not be your fault.” Claire says she does not understand but invites them to the fire.

Inverness – 1971: Roger is back at his old home in Scotland picking up the last of his boxes. Roger speaks with his old housekeeper (Fiona) who admits that she knows of Claire traveling through the stones. Roger admits that he’d hope he and Briana could have a new beginning. Fiona says that her grandmother has papers that she hesitates showing him, but does anyway. It is an obituary for Jamie and Claire which says that they died in a fire on Fraser’s Ridge. The date is smudged but it’s from January 1770s. This means that Claire and Jamie will die sometime in the next 12 years. Roger knows that Brianna will be heartbroken, and he says that he will not tell her.

North Carolina – 1771: The Fraser’s set to work building more of their homestead. The first walls have been built and Jamie carries Claire over the threshold.

Oxford University – 1971: Roger stares into the fire and picks up his phone to call Brianna. Her roommate answers the phone and says she went to Scotland to visit her mother a few weeks ago. Roger knows immediately where she’s really gone.

Steam Rating: This season has been a HUGE downer for steam, this episode gets a 2 for the dirty talk from Jamie. When do we get to see Jamie shirtless again?!

Next Week: Roger searches for Brianna in Scotland and finds that she bought a one-way ticket to Craig na Duhn. Claire tells the Indian healer that she has a daughter who lives far away. Claire has to settle a dispute between the Indians and someone yet to be introduced. Claire is holding a gun. Brianna approaches the stones.

Watch Outlander on STARZ every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.