Recap of Outlander
Season 4, Episode 7
Down the Rabbit Hole
Brianna travels through the stones to 18th century Scotland in order to warn her parents of impending troubles only to find trouble of her own. Roger follows only to find his native Scotland much more perilous in the past.
Tropes
- Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: When Brianna envisions Frank in the harbor crowd, he is wearing very clean, precisely tailored clothes from the 20th century, making him stand out sharply amongst the grungy, shabbily clad dock workers in their 18th century garb.
- Bonding over Missing Parents: During Brianna's time in Laoghaire's home, Brianna and Joan talk about their missing fathers.
- Burn the Witch!: Laoghaire's plan once she learns that Brianna is Claire and Jamie's daughter.
- The Bus Came Back: Laoghaire and Joanie return for the first time since "First Wife" in season 3.
- Crashing Dreams: After falling asleep in the woods due to exhaustion and injury, Brianna dreams of Frank carrying her into the house after she'd fallen asleep in the backseat of the car on the ride home. He assures her she's safe and there's nothing to worry about. She wakes up to find herself in a bed, having been rescued by Laoghaire and Joanie.
- Daddy's Girl: This episode helps illustrate how close Frank and Brianna actually were. Even when he found evidence that would likely irrevocably estrange Brianna and Claire, he doesn't tell Brianna because he doesn't want her to experience the heartbreak he's lived with all her life.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: To blend with 18th-century society, Roger shaves his face and gets appropriate clothing.
- Foregone Conclusion: Although it looks for a moment as though Frank will reveal the truth of Brianna's heritage to her, but as prior episodes have already revealed that Brianna was completely blindsided by Claire's reveal, there was never any chance of Frank telling Bree.
- Genre Savvy: Brianna brings matches, a map, and other useful items on her trip to the 18th century.
- Although, she only brings one peanut butter and jelly sandwich for her entire trip. She loses her energy because she did not eat enough and is seen hungrily eating food in Laoghaire's home.
- She's also markedly bad at being a time traveler. Unwary she gives away information with no idea what the impact might be. She sings about San Francisco (which has not yet been established), gives her name as Randall (a name still notorious in the Highlands), and tells who her parents are without knowing whether or not the person she's speaking to might have hard feelings against them (Laoghaire does, of course). When she claims to know of a future fire, she gets accused of witchcraft.
- Grave-Marking Scene: Brianna visits her father's grave after his car accident. She tells him she blames herself for the accident and regrets leaving him in anger.
- Heads or Tails?: Stephen Bonnet utilizes the coin toss to determine if Roger should join his crew, and later if Roger should die for hiding Morag and her baby and bringing them food, in contravention of his orders.
- Indentured Servitude: The Wymess owe a debt and have been sold into indentured servitude to pay their debt holder. Joseph convinces Bree to buy Lizzie's contract so that she won't be sold to a man who wants to use her as a concubine.
- Innocently Insensitive: Joanie takes a liking to Brianna, but still repeats the things that Laoghaire has said about Claire.Joanie: You're a kind soul. It's not your fault your mother's a witch. When you find our da, maybe you'll ask him to come home.
- Injured Limb Episode: Brianna trips down a hill and sprains her ankle. She passes out because of her injury, loss of energy, and the freezing temperatures. She recovers in Laoghaire's home.
- Internal Reveal: Ian Senior meets Brianna and learns that she is Jamie and Claire's daughter.
- I Will Find You: Roger goes back to the 18th century to find Brianna.
- It's a Small World, After All:
- Brianna is injured and lost in the frozen wilderness of Scotland only to be found and rescued by Jamie's second wife and stepdaughter.
- Ian just happens to stop by Laoghaire's while Brianna is there, opening a dialogue between Laoghaire, Bree, and Joanie about fathers and husbands.
- Keeping Secrets Sucks: Frank discovers that Claire will return to Jamie. He doesn't want to confront Claire and he can't tell Bree. He fears that Claire will convince Bree to go with her and he'll lose his daughter forever. The fear and anxiety of the secret drives him to drink which slowly begins to estrange him from Brianna, the very opposite of what he wants.
- Kick the Dog: When Laoghaire realizes that Brianna has never met Jamie, she tells her that Jamie left Claire when he found out she was pregnant because he never wanted kids. The audience, of course, knows this is the exact opposite of how Jamie felt, but Brianna has know way of knowing this and it will take quite a while for Jamie to overcome this seed of doubt once the two finally meet.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: Bree's last conversation with Frank was an argument and Bree stormed off, assuming they'd talk again later when they'd both had a chance to cool off. Unfortunately, Frank was killed in a car accident minutes later.
- Parting-Words Regret: Bree feels very guilty that her final words to her father were spoken in anger. Frank told Bree that he loved her and she literally slammed the door in his face and walked off. Later, she wonders if she'd agreed to go to England with him, would he have still had the car accident?
- Perspective Flip: Laoghaire tells Brianna about her ex-husband (Jamie) who once loved her with all his heart, willing to do anything for her including taking a beating in public to keep her safe, and stealing kisses from her on the sly because he couldn't help himself. But then an evil sorceress (Claire) swooped in, bewitched him, and stole him away. Finally, the witch died and Jamie, her true love, returned to her. They were a happy family, reading Bible stories together as a family, finally experiencing peace, until Claire returned from the dead and stole him away once again. Anyone who didn't know Jamie and Claire would be convinced that Claire is a terrible person and Jamie is a weak-minded idiot, blinded by lust.
- Pet the Dog: Laoghaire is generally an unlikable character because of all the chaos she creates for the Frasers. This episode shows when left to her own devices, she can actually be quite kind-hearted, taking in a stranger simply because Brianna was a young woman alone who bore a striking resemblance to her own daughters. Unfortunately, when Brianna accidentally reveals that she is in fact a Fraser, Laoghaire reverts to her usual form.
- Psycho Ex-Wife Upon learning that Brianna is Claire and Jamie's daughter, Laoghaire flips out, locks Brianna in a room, and goes to swear out a complaint against Brianna for witchcraft, hoping to have her executed, simply because she knows that doing so would irreparably devastate Jamie and Claire.
- Replacement Goldfish: This episode highlights how similar Brianna and Joanie actually are, both physically and personality wise, further emphasizing why Jamie was attracted by the idea of being able to help raise Marsali and Joanie. Joanie even points out that their red-hair is very similar and Brianna replies that she gets her hair from her father.
- The Reveal: Frank discovered an obituary for Jamie and Claire Fraser, meaning that around the time he asked for a divorce, he was already aware that Claire would eventually leave him and return to Jamie.
- Sacred Hospitality: Laoghaire saves Brianna from starvation and frigid temperatures and allows Brianna to recover in her home.
- This becomes subverted after Brianna reveals her mother is Claire Fraser, and Brianna tells Laoghaire that she needs to warn her parents of a fire that will kill them. Laoghaire accuses Brianna of being a witch and has her locked away. Luckily, Joan saves Brianna and takes her to Lallybroch.
- Sex Slave: Lizzie averts this when she leaves Scotland as Brianna's maidservant so that the man who owns her father's contract can't make her a concubine.
- Shipper on Deck: Fiona supports Roger's plan to travel to the past to find Brianna, going so far as to drive him to Craigh Na Dun.
- Travel Montage: The episode opens with Bree coming through the stones and heading off towards the nearest port. Her map shows that she's planning to travel a significant portion of the country on foot and there are several fade ins and outs to show the progression of time as she walks.
- Troubled Backstory Flashback: Listening to Ian Senior and Laoghaire argue about her alimony payment evokes Bree's memory of listening to Claire and Frank argue. She specifically recalls the argument they had in Season 3's "All Debts Paid."
- Unbalanced By Rival's Kid: Laoghaire absolutely loses it when she learns that Brianna is Jamie and Claire's daughter. Previously kind and friendly, Laoghaire decides that Brianna is a witch like Claire and must die.
- Unknown Relative:
- Roger meets his ancestor Morag MacKenzie and her son Jemmy. They, of course, don't know he's from the future.
- When Ian initially meets Brianna at Laoghaire's house, he doesn't realize she is his niece.
- Waking Up Elsewhere: Bree passes out in the forest from pain and exhaustion. She wakes up disoriented in a soft bed in a warm home.
- Would Hurt a Child: Stephen Bonnet throws a child overboard his ship for having smallpox. He claims he'll do it to anyone because the disease spreads quickly, and they will all die if they don't take out the infected.
- Written-In Absence: When Brianna visits Lallybroch, she's supposed to meet both Ian and Jenny, but Jenny's actress was not available. In story, Ian explains this away as she's gone to help one of her daughters give birth and she'll be heart sick that she didn't get the chance to meet Brianna.
