Outlander recap: Brianna finds refuge in an unlikely place in episode 7

Claire and Jamie Fraser are absent from “Down the Rabbit Hole” as episode 7 focuses on their daughter Brianna’s journey through the stones.

Last week, the hit STARZ show Outlander reunited Jamie with his estranged son William and the man who is raising him, Lord John Grey. The reunion was short-lived as the pair set off on their journey leaving Jamie and Claire to daydream about their child Brianna, who they believe to be safe in the 1970s.

Here’s how Outlander season 4 episode 7, “Down the Rabbit Hole,” played out.

It’s worth pointing out that almost this entire episode strays from the story in the book. Decide for yourself how to feel about that.

1770s: The episode opens with Brianna in the snowy Scottish Highlands, she is walking and trips and slides down a small hill and injures her ankle. She dips her badly bruised and swollen foot in a cold stream in an attempt to reduce the swelling then begins walking again. She is trying to make her way to shore where she can travel across the ocean to her parents.

1970s: A freshly shaved Roger arrives at the standing stones, he’s dressed in 1770s clothing and says goodbye to Fiona, who has driven him there. He is going after Brianna, even if it kills him in the process.

1770s: Brianna sees a home in the distance but collapses on the road from pain and exhaustion before she can reach it. She drifts off to sleep and we see a flashback of Frank Randall lifting her out of a car as a child.

WE ARE GETTING FRANK FLASHBACKS!!!

When she wakes up she is in a bed in a home and a woman enters to check on her. The woman is Laoghaire. The same woman who tried to kill both Claire and Jamie. She shows Brianna kindness, offering her to stay and feeds her. Brianna also meets Laoghaire’s daughter Joanie.

Night falls and Ian Murray comes to deliver money to Laoghaire from Jamie but it’s not what he promised. They begin to argue and Brianna has a flashback to her mother and Frank arguing at night. Brianna gets up to investigate and meets Ian. Laoghaire apologizes for waking her and sends her back to bed.

The next morning Laoghaire explains to Brianna that he husband has run off leaving her all alone (that’s Jamie in case you aren’t following along). Brianna and Joanie bond over the morning chores. Brianna braids Joanie’s hair.

FLASHBACK: Frank is in his office drunk when Brianna comes in the room. She can tell he is upset. He tells her to look at the new research he has received. It is a copy of the obituary of Jamie and Claire Fraser, though Brianna does not understand who that is. She begs Frank to tell her but he gets angry and shoos her out of the office. This is a bombshell to the viewers as it means that Frank knew Claire would eventually travel back through the stones to Jamie.

1770s: Laoghaire and Brianna talk about Laoghaire’s husband who she says was taken from her by a witch. She says they used to read bible stories to Joanie together but she hasn’t been able to do it since he’s left. Brianna asks her to tell her the stories, she does and Joanie joins them all bonding over the story.

Roger has found his way to shore and begs a ship captain to allow him on board. The captain says no, and it’s revealed to be none other than Stephen Bonnet. Roger does not take no for an answer and says he will do anything to get to Brianna. He is hired as crew after Bonnet flips a coin to decide.

The women are working in the kitchen and Brianna tells Laoghaire about her mother and the father who raised her. Laoghaire mentions Lallyboch and Brianna says she has family there and asks if Laoghaire ever met her mother Claire. The energy goes from friendly to harsh instantly.

FLASHBACK: Brianna goes back to her father’s office the next morning, he has slept on his couch. They apologize for the night before. Frank asks if Brianna has ever thought about studying abroad.

1770s: Laoghaire tells Brianna that Jamie did not want children and sent her mother away because of it. Brianna realizes that Laoghaire does not like her mother and thinks she is a witch. She wants to leave but Laoghaire locks her in her room and says she will have her tried as a witch just like her mother.

FLASHBACK: Frank reveals to Brianna that he and Claire are divorcing and he is moving back to Oxford. He wants Brianna to come with him but she is so upset by the news that she gets out of the car and runs away. Frank tells Brianna he loves her, she says nothing and shuts the door.

Brianna is standing at Frank’s grave, blaming herself for his death. Wondering what would have happened if she’d stayed in the car longer.

1770s: Roger is aboard the ship and tending to the people on board. He meets a woman with a baby and Bonnet comes to hold the child who is crying. The mother of the child is afraid of Bonnet.

Roger is awakened to screaming and sees Bonnet trying to throw a child overboard. Roger asks what is happening and Bonnet explains that the child has smallpox and will infect the whole ship and must be thrown overboard. The child’s mother is frantically screaming. Roger begs Bonnet not to do it. Bonnet hoists the child overboard and the mother jumps in after her. Bonnet tells the crew to look for anyone else with a rash and throw them overboard as well. Roger finds the woman with the baby who is crying from a toothache and has a small rash. Roger tells her to hide with the baby and he will get food to her. She hesitates, he asks her name and she says she is a MacKenzie. He reveals that he is too and she agrees to follow him to a hiding spot.

Brianna is trying to break open a window when the door to her room opens and Joanie comes in to free her. She takes her in a wagon to Lallybroch where she reveals to Ian that she is the child of Jamie and Claire’s. Ian believes her and says she is a blessing. He gives her money and a trunk of Claire’s clothing and takes her to the shore so she can go to meet Claire and Jamie.

Roger sneaks food down to the baby and the child but Bonnet has followed him and discovered him with the woman and child. He tells Roger that he will flip a coin to decide if he should live or die. Luckily for Roger, the coin is in his favor again and he can live. Though now he is being carefully watched by Bonnet.

Ian escorts Brianna to the dock and tells her to look for her cousin, Young Ian, and ask after her aunt Jocasta at River Run. Brianna is wearing Claire’s fur-lined jacket. Brianna buys passage on a ship and a man begs her to take his daughter Elizabeth as a servant to save her from being turned into a concubine. Brianna agrees reluctantly. She gives her name to the register as Brianna Randall. As the pair are walking to the ship Elizabeth turns back to wave goodbye to her father and Brianna sees an image of Frank seeing her off as well.

Steam Rating: No Claire and Jamie = no steamy scenes. WOMP WOMP.

Next Week: Fergus and Roger speak. Bonnet and Brianna meet, he hands her Claire’s ring. Murtah leads the insurgents. Jamie and Claire plot to keep Murtah safe. It appears as though Roger may have found Brianna.

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