Clan, it’s almost time. That time we’ve all been dying for. Droughtlander is almost over once again with the fourth season of the hit STARZ series Outlander coming to our screens on November 4th. Like always, the new season promises plenty of action, steamy scenes, and drama (namely because of Claire) which we can already see in the season four trailer.
If you haven’t had the time to rewatch the series, or even just the third season, we’re here to give you a refresher before you find yourself in America with a bonnie lass and a handsome redhead.
Read on for our episodic recap of Outlander Season 3! Tell us in the comments below if you’re excited for the new season!
3.01 ‘The Battle Joined’
The Battle of Culloden has finally come to pass. Jamie fought alongside many clansmen after saying goodbye to Claire as she went back through the stones to her own time. He fought fiercely and faced Black Jack Randall in a long and gruelling fight that left Randall dead and Jamie near-death. After being saved by Rupert, the surviving clansmen are discovered by the British and sentenced to death. Thankfully, Lord Hal Melton pardons Jamie as Melton’s brother, John Grey, offered a debt to Jamie and it has to be honoured. Jamie is then sent back to Lallybroch. Meanwhile, Claire struggled to readjust to being with Frank once more, moving to America, and finding her place in the world. This all changed when a bonnie little lass with red hair entered the world and quickly became Claire’s new purpose.
3.02 ‘Surrender’
Jumping forward six years to 1752, Jamie is a harrowed man living on the outskirts of Lallybroch and wanted by the British again. Young Fergus’s actions of killing a raven with a gun attracts the attention of British soldiers nearby and they storm Lallybroch and hurl questions at Jenny, who just had a baby. After Mary MacNab claims the gun as hers, they leave, but a few linger outside. When young Fergus goes for a walk, he taunts them and it ultimately leads to them chopping off his hand, and Jamie saves him afterwards. At this, Jamie decides to turn himself in so Jenny can collect the reward, and before he does, he sleeps with Mary MacNab.
In 1949 Boston, Claire is having steamy dreams of Jamie and later on leads to Claire sleeping with Frank twice, until he stops because he knows she is thinking of Jamie. This leads to Claire throwing herself into motherhood and also becomes the only female medical student at Harvard where she joins fellow outcast due to his skin, Joe Abernathy.
3.03 ‘All Debts Paid’
Three years later, Jamie remains in Ardsmuir Prison along with Murtagh when a new British officer is stationed there and goes by the name, Lord John Grey. The pair don’t seem to remember one another, but Jamie quickly becomes the head of the prisoners and aids Grey when a deranged man speaks of Jacobite treasure. Jamie sneaks off to investigate himself and returns with him revealing he knows who Grey is. Soon, Ardsmuir Prison is closed, but Grey takes Jamie to Helswater to serve Lord Dunsany for the remainder of his sentence.
In 1956 Boston, Claire graduates from medical school and also unfortunately runs into Frank’s girl-on-the-side, which causes an argument to ensue, but they stay together for Brianna. In 1966, Brianna graduates high school, and Frank wants to take her to England as he’s received a position at Cambridge. After a very heated argument, Claire assists with an operation and finds out afterwards that Frank has died in a car crash.
3.04 ‘Of Lost Things’
In 1756, Jamie is at Helwater under the name Alexander MacKenzie when he is introduced to Geneva Dunsany, who is betrothed to the elderly Lord Ellesmere. She becomes intrigued by Jamie and later discovers who Jamie truly is. She then uses this information by blackmailing him into her bed, and months later, she’s pregnant. Geneva dies during childbirth and Jamie winds up killing Ellesmere as he was going to kill the baby since it wasn’t his. The Dunsany family take the child into their care and offer to let Jamie leave, but he asks to stay for a while longer. Skip forward to 1764, Jamie spends a lot of time with Willie and decides he must leave as people are beginning to notice the resemblance.
For Claire in 1968 Scotland, Brianna and Roger aid her by searching for Jamie and they uncover several pieces of information, but the trail goes cold. Before Claire decides they will return to America, Roger and Brianna share a sweet kiss.
3.05 ‘Freedom and Whisky’
It’s now December in 1968 and Brianna returns to college, while Claire tries to focus on returning to work. However, Roger turns up in Boston with news: he discovered an article written by someone named Alexander Malcolm in 1765 including a line Claire use to say ‘freedom and whisky’, but she can’t imagine leaving Brianna. Meanwhile, Joe is examining a set of bones that seem familiar to Claire, and she thinks it’s a 150 year old murder victim. Eventually, Claire comes clean to Brianna about Roger’s news and Brianna wants Claire to go. The three begin preparing for Claire’s return including antique coins, a pocketbook about Scotland, scalpels, penicillin, a necklace, and clothes. We then find Claire in 18th century Edinburgh arriving at A. Malcolm Printer and Bookseller, and upon Jamie seeing Claire, he passes out.
3.06 ‘A. Malcolm’
The episode picks up before Claire’s arrival so we can see Jamie in his element as a printer, including printing treasonous pamphlets. After waking up, Jamie is shocked to see Claire really there and they quickly share a passionate kiss. The pair then talk about Brianna, Willie, and Claire’s life in Boston before heading off to meet with Fergus, who is thrilled to see milady once again. We learn Jamie also smuggles alcohol, and get to meet Mr Willoughby. At Jamie’s accommodation (a brothel), the pair get reacquainted with scenes paralleling to their wedding night from the dinner all the way to the multiple rounds in the bed. The next day, Jamie heads out to run errands when Claire is attacked by a man looking for Jamie.
3.07 ‘Crème de Menthe’
After an altercation with the intruder, he winds up with a serious head injury. The doctor in Claire opts to save him, much to the protests of Jamie. After obtaining some tools and promising to check in on a nearby villager in need of help, Claire does her best but the man dies. Now, they must quickly sell and get rid of the alcohol as well as dispose of a body. Claire attends to Later, young Ian celebrates their day and ends up with a girl at Jamie’s shop, however, he winds up in a brawl with a man and it leads to a blazing fire. Jamie rushes to the rescue, saves Ian, and now they must return to Lallybroch with Jamie facing his other wife.
3.08 ‘First Wife’
Claire and Jamie return to Lallybroch and Jenny and Ian aren’t that welcoming, especially with everything young Ian has done while he’s been away. We meet Jenny’s now grown children with children of their own, and Jenny is very suspicious of Claire and her story. Laoghaire barges in and she is Jamie’s other wife with Claire assuming the young girl with her is also Jamie’s. The pair then get into a heated argument, resulting in some hate sex until Jenny dowses them with water. Later on, Claire tries to explain everything to Jenny while Laoghaire brandishes a pistol at Claire to “protect what’s hers” and leads to Jamie getting shot. While administering penicillin, we learn how the marriage came to be and Jamie decides to retrieve the Jacobite treasure so Laoghaire can live a happy life. Young Ian volunteers to retrieve it from the island, but he is captured.
3.09 ‘The Doldrums’
Jamie and Claire are heading to Jamaica to rescue young Ian, along with Fergus and Laoghaire’s other daughter Marsali, who announce they plan on being married and Jamie is against it. Jamie struggles being aboard the ship, but when the wind stops, they have bigger problems to deal with. Motionless for weeks, the water has gone bad, rations are halved, and the crew are seeking revenge on the person who brought bad luck. Thankfully, Mr Willoughby distracts them with his story until the wind picks up. However, a British ship approaches in search of a doctor, which happens to be Claire and it seems they have typhoid fever. Soon, they set sail and now Claire is essentially a captive.
3.10 ‘Heaven and Earth’
With Claire on another ship, Jamie commands them to sail after her but the captain has him thrown into a cell. Claire puts her doctor hat on and begins tending to the sick and enforcing cleanliness, while Jamie worries about Claire’s welfare and wants Fergus to help him escape. After several death, Claire discovers the carrier as well as learning the man searching Jamie’s print shop before it went up in flames is onboard and that Jamie is wanted for murder. Claire manages to escape by jumping off the ship.
3.11 ‘Uncharted’
Claire battles the elements and animals on the island until she comes across a house and Father Fogden. It’s a strange household where they talk to a coconut named Coco, which Claire has to pretend to do also so she can leave. Jamie soon turns up as they need to repair the ship and she goes running into his arms. Father Fogden officiates the wedding of Fergus and Marsali, and afterwards they return to the boat where Claire gets drunk off turtle soup resulting in a very steamy scene.
3.12 ‘The Bakra’
We catch up with young Ian after he’s captured and then taken to the Bakra, which turns out to be Geillis Duncan. She was after the Jacobite treasure and now wants to know about the missing sapphire as it is meant to help with a seer’s prophecy. Claire and Jamie arrive in Jamaica and Claire finds herself in hot water again over the mistreatment and sale of slaves, leading to Claire owning/rescuing a man. They then head to the Governor’s house, and he so happens to be Lord John Grey and they catch up on everything that has happened over the years. Claire runs into Geillis, who then steals the missing sapphire from Grey and the seer has an intense vision. The British captain has come for the wanted Jamie and he is taken prisoner.
3.13 ‘Eye of the Storm’
Claire arrives at Geillis’ and she’s soon interrogated by her as Geillis wants to restore her country to its former glory. Upon seeing photos of Brianna, Geillis realises Claire’s daughter is the baby that has been prophesied. Meanwhile, Grey helps Jamie be pardoned and he helps rescue Claire from Geillis’ place. The pair learn about the prophecy and race to find Geillis who is in a cave and supposedly another portal like the stones. With Ian as a sacrifice, they stop Geillis in time and Claire decapitates her causing a flashback to her holding the skull. They return to the ship and face treacherous waters and Claire goes overboard with Jamie following behind to rescue her. The pair then wake up on a beach and learn they are in America…
The “New World” books are my favorites in the series, so yeah, I’m very much looking forward to Season 4.