History Series / Outlander

In [[TheForties 1945]], married UsefulNotes/WorldWarII nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall (Balfe) goes on a second honeymoon to UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} with her husband Frank only to find herself [[AccidentalTimeTravel accidentally transported back in time]] to 1743. There, she finds herself in amidst a time of danger and Civil War, and she encounters both her husband's vicious ancestor "Black Jack" Randall (Menzies) and the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Heughan).

The series is also notable for casting actual Scots in the main Scottish roles, showcasing Scotland's landscapes as far as possible, and using Gaelic (that isn't subtitled!) in most episodes.

In [[TheForties 1945]], married UsefulNotes/WorldWarII nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall (Balfe) goes on a second honeymoon to Scotland with her husband Frank only to find herself [[AccidentalTimeTravel accidentally transported back in time]] to 1743. There, she finds herself in amidst a time of danger and Civil War, and she encounters both her husband's vicious ancestor "Black Jack" Randall (Menzies) and the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Heughan).

* TemporalMutability: There are several discussions about the extent to which time travelers are actually able to change the past. The general consensus amongst the Frasers is that they can influence things that only effect a small number of people such as Claire saving people's lives or having children that otherwise would not have been born, but they don't have the ability to change large scale events such as the Battle of Culloden or the outcome of the American Revolution that initially effect thousands of people and have a time ripple effect out to millions if not billions of people. This seems to be born out by the multiple native americans who have traveled back in time to warn the indigenous peoples of the threat of European immigration only to find themselves unable to change the trajectory of their peoples.

** [[spoiler: Colum's son Hamish is his nephew biologically, sired by his younger brother Dougal. Due to Colum's disability, it's likely that he couldn't have children of his own but he still needed an heir. This is foreshadowed when Claire assumes Dougal is Hamish's father when she sees them talking early in Season 1]].
** [[spoiler:Jack Randall isn't Frank's direct ancestor for a similar reason. Frank's direct Randall ancestor is ''Alex'' Randall, Jack's younger brother, the only person Black Jack actually loves. Alex and Mary Hawkins conceive a child together. Because Alex is fatally ill and too unwell to wed or provide for Mary, he pleads for Jack to wed Mary in his place so that as an officer's wife, Mary will be taken care of after his death; even if Jack dies as well - which he will soon, at Culloden - Mary will receive a widow's pension. Jack agrees to marry her, promising Alex he will protect and provide for Mary. As a result, Mary and Alex's child is recorded as the child of Mary and Jack on the family tree]].

** In "The Birds and The Bees," [[spoiler: Brianna tells her mother she is '''2 months''' pregnant and was raped. At the end of the episode, Roger comes to Fraser's Ridge, Jamie beats him, and Young Ian sells him to the Mohawk.]]
** In "The Deep Heart's Core," [[spoiler: Roger tells Caleb it has been '''a week''' since he was sold to the Mohawk, and they walk at least '''10 miles a day'''. Claire tells Brianna the Mohawk live in Upstate New York, '''700 miles away'''.]]
*** [[spoiler: If Roger walks '''10 miles a day''' and Upstate NY is '''700 miles away''', it should take '''70 days (approximately 2 months and 10 days)''' to get to Upstate NY.]]
*** [[spoiler: Jamie tells Claire, Brianna, Young Ian, and Murtagh the New York trip will take '''4 months there and back (round trip)'''.]]
** In "If Not For Hope," [[spoiler: Claire, Jamie, and Young Ian meet with the Cherokee. Young Ian tells Claire and Jamie that it will take '''2 months''' to get to Upstate NY. Later in the episode, Rollo, Claire, Jamie, and Young Ian find Caleb's skeleton. Claire says he's been dead for at least a month, indicating that Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian are about a month behind the Mohawk.]]
** In "Man of Worth," [[spoiler: Claire, Jamie, and Young Ian make it to Shadow Lake in Upstate New York. It should be at least '''2 months''' since they left North Carolina.]]
*** [[spoiler: Brianna gives birth, but her parents should have made it in time. She should have been at least '''7 months pregnant''' by the time they returned to North Carolina.]]
*** [[spoiler: Brianna's original 2 months of pregnancy, plus 1 extra month before departure, plus the approximate 4 months to travel to NY and back, will equal about 7 months of pregnancy.]]
** [[spoiler: When Jamie and Claire do get to River Run, Jemmy is already two months old. Roger is understandably late as he had to decide whether or not he wanted to return, but Jamie and Claire should have known how to make it back. Even if Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian were lost, the show makes no indication that they were. They seemed to have followed the same path as Roger and the Mohawk because they found Caleb’s skeleton. Also, Jemmy was not said to have been born early.]]

* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: [[spoiler: When the Committee of Safety arrest Jamie and Claire for their alleged crimes, the townsfolk believe they are guilty even before a trial. The members of the Committee of Safety make things worse when they vocally declare who Jamie and Claire are and what their crimes are in every village they travel to. This behavior leads to a violent riot where Jamie and Claire’s wagon is stoned, injuring Claire.]]
* CrimeOfSelfDefense: Ulysses is sent underground, since killing a white man even to defend his mistress from attempted murder would still no doubt mean he'd be lynched.
* DefiledForever: Jamie warns Claire not to let anyone know of Mary's rape, or she'll never be married, something which Claire finds outrageous.

* DepravedBisexual: "Black Jack" Randall, [[spoiler:who tortures and rapes Jamie while the latter is a prisoner in Wentworth Prison. He had previously attempted to rape Jamie's sister, though couldn't perform, as well as Claire when he first met her. Later Jamie comes upon him raping young Fergus in the brothel in Paris]].
%%* DistressBall
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Jamie is blackmailed into sex with Geneva, as she doesn't want to lose her virginity with her (much older) husband. This is treated mildly by the narrative, as being unkind at worst.
* DoubleStandardRapeMaleOnMale: While the show depicts rape of all kinds as serious, horrible, and traumatizing, this trope still comes into effect with how rape is shown onscreen. Instances of men raping women are quick with little detail shown, often involving lots of clothes in the way or happening in darkness or offscreen. The single instance of heterosexual rape where the female is the rapist occurs almost entirely offscreen (and is not given nearly so much story attention in the aftermath as the other instances). However, the male-on-male rape sequence takes up at least ''half an episode'' and is extremely graphic, occurring largely center of screen and with clear lighting, indicating that the creative staff felt it was far more acceptable to show the graphic horrors of rape as long as all participants were male. Alternatively, it could be that they chose to show it to show exactly how traumatizing it is whereas everyone knows male on female is traumatizing.
* DrivenToSuicide: After his traumatic near-death by hanging, [[spoiler:Roger]] is clearly contemplating suicide there for at least a moment when he looks down over a cliff, as a result of his PTSD. Soon after, he stops [[spoiler:Ian]] from killing himself with the hemlock he's boiling over a woman he lost.

* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Granted, the two men who express interest in Jamie are gay and bisexual respectively, but it's clear that he is pretty much universally attractive.

* FaithInTheFoe: Throughout the series, Claire Fraser develops a reputation of being able to heal the sick and injured with a proficiency that approaches miraculous. Despite being an arch-nemesis of the Highlanders in general and the Frasers in particular, Captain Jack Randall is certain she can heal his younger brother's ailment. Perhaps it's because Claire's husband Jamie is not only alive but actively commanding an army even after the brutal and systemic torture Captain Randall inflicted on him. Randall has so much faith in Claire's ability as a healer, he's even willing to trade military intelligence to entice her to help his brother.
* FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo:

* ForegoneConclusion: The second season premiere opens with Claire returning to her time and learning that history is unchanged. This means that her efforts for the rest of the season to prevent the Battle of Culloden are doomed.
* FromDressToDressing: Claire in the first episode.
* GoingNative: After offering himself in exchange for [[spoiler: having Roger freed from captivity, Young Ian is adopted by the Mohawk, an outcome he is very pleased with]]. Upon his reappearance, he wears a Mohawk hairstyle and clothing, along with carrying a bow.
* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion:

* GreenEyedMonster: Laoghaire towards Claire -- which increases after Claire marries Jamie.

* HardHead: More than once, Jamie survives a serious bump on the head without sustaining a concussion. Claire jokes that Jamie has “the thickest skull I’ve ever seen.”

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Bonnie Prince Charlie has been given one in modern Scotland, which disgusts Claire, noting that the real man was, in fact, a fool who led his men to their deaths. He's also been depicted as much taller than his actual height.

* HorseReturnsWithoutRider: Jamie, Roger, and several other men go hunting for bison. The group splits up with Jamie and Roger headed in one direction and the others in another. While hunting, Jamie is bitten by a snake and rapidly begins to succumb to the venom. The other men, having failed to find any game, return to the homestead. When Jamie and Roger aren't home yet, everyone assumes that they found a good hunting spot, are camping out, and will return in the morning. However, Young Ian realizes that something is amiss when Jamie's horse returns home alone. A rescue party is sent out to find Jamie and Roger.
* HypocriticalHeartwarming: The [=MacKenzies=] frequently make disparaging remarks towards Claire, but the moment another Scottish clan insults Claire, they step up to defend her.
-->'''Murtagh Fraser''': You're a guest of the [=MacKenzie=]. We can insult you, but God help any other man that does.
* IChooseToStay: Jamie chooses to stay [[spoiler:at Helwater over returning home out of love for his newborn son William and to watch him grow up. Despite wanting to claim William as his own child, Jamie is prevented from doing so because Willie will be outed as illegitimate if he does and the Dunsays -- the family of William's mother Geneva -- must keep the scandal of William's true parentage under wraps. However, in order to have as much of a hand in raising Willie as possible, Jamie stays at Helwater as a groom, where he and Willie develop a close and loving relationship. When Willie is 6 years old, people begin to notice [[LikeFatherLikeSon Willie's growing resemblance to Jamie]] and Jamie is forced to separate from his son to protect him. Jamie and Willie are [[{{Tearjerker}} heartbroken]] when Jamie must leave.]]

* IdenticalGrandson: Frank and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. [[spoiler: Although, it turns out that Frank is actually descended from Black Jack's brother Alexander. Jack honors Alexander's last wishes by marrying his pregnant lover]].
* InThePastEveryoneWillBeFamous: In Season 4's "Wilmington", Claire attends a party and is stunned to meet a former British colonel by the name of George Washington.
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: In "Dragonfly in Amber," Mother Hildegarde is surprised when Claire is familiar with Johann Sebastian Bach, who at the time is a local musician she is in correspondence with. She mentions that she doesn't think he is very good and won't go anywhere with his career.
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Jenny, Jamie's sister, gives this to an English soldier by heating up the ramrod of his musket in the campfire and applying it to the soles of his bare feet, in order to get him to talk. In keeping with the trope, he tells them the truth: [[spoiler: he's a courier, which prompts Claire to go through his bags and find out what the army is planning to do with Jamie.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Dougal, though the respective quantities of "jerk" and "gold" are often deliberately ambiguous.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Rupert]] in "The Battle Joined".
* KissingCousins:
** Young Ian becomes attracted to Brianna after they meet, and when Roger is seemingly lost forever he tries to propose to her to save her honor since she's pregnant, even though they're first cousins. Brianna has to explain to Jamie that such relationships aren't accepted in her time the way they are in the 18th century. Earlier it was mentioned that Jamie's own first kiss was with one of his uncle Dougal's daughters.

* LargeAndInCharge: Dougal. He's physically imposing -- and he's often in charge.
* LoveTranscendsSpaceTime: Once Jamie and Claire meet, the fact that they were born two hundred years apart means nothing. They're fated to be together and neither space nor time will keep them apart.
* LukeYouAreMyFather: In the episode "The Birds and the Bees," [[spoiler:Brianna introduces herself to Jamie as his daughter after some initial awkwardness when they meet. Jamie certainly knew about his daughter Brianna but believed she was currently in the 1970s. Though he's seen photos of her when Claire brought some with her from the 20th-century in Season 3, he initially doesn't recognize Brianna when she meets him in the 18th-century -- but it quickly becomes clear to him Brianna is his daughter]].
* TheMedic: Claire is a skilled physician, having worked as an army nurse during World War II, and treats many people during her stay in the 18th century (including Jamie).
** [[spoiler: After Claire returns to the 20th century, she attends medical school and becomes a surgeon.]]

* MistakenIdentity: Since Jamie hadn't known it was Stephen Bonnet who [[spoiler:raped Brianna]] and he has never seen Brianna's LoveInterest Roger before, Jamie mistakes Roger [[spoiler:as the man who raped Brianna]] when Brianna's maid Lizzie identifies him as [[spoiler:Brianna's rapist]]. Jamie [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown nearly beats Roger to death]], and afterward, tells Young Ian to get rid of him and Young Ian [[spoiler:sells Roger to the Mohawk]]. Lizzie mistakes Roger as [[spoiler:Brianna's rapist]] because she had witnessed a heated argument between Roger and Brianna, and Brianna [[spoiler:was raped that night]], unaware Brianna [[spoiler:consensually lost her virginity to Roger hours before Bonnet raped her]]. Later, when Brianna realizes what's happened, she's devastated and immediately tells Jamie, Young Ian, and Lizzie it wasn't ''Roger'' who [[spoiler:raped her but Bonnet]] who did. Jamie, Lizzie and Ian are horrified, and Jamie and Young Ian resolve to get Roger back.
* MistakenForProstitute:

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Claire's attempt to rescue Jamie from Wentworth Prison fails dismally. She's captured, and Jamie has to [[PleaseIWillDoAnything agree to Black Jack's terms]] to [[ScarpiaUltimatum get Claire released]].

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Stephen Bonnet, a pirate and thief, pays back Jamie and Claire for their help in his escape by coming back to rob them. Jamie and Claire had even risked ''themselves'' when they helped out Bonnet -- and they almost lose their own lives again when [[UngratefulBastard Bonnet and his band robs them and murders their boat's captain]]. Later, when Jamie and Claire[[spoiler:'s daughter Brianna]] arrives in Wilmington, [[spoiler:she runs into]] Bonnet and notices Bonnet has Claire's wedding ring from Jamie. When she tries to haggle for it with money, Bonnet refuses and instead, he [[spoiler:[[RapeAsDrama rapes her]]]] as 'payment' for the ring.

* NoPeekingRequest: In "Lallybroch", Jamie dives under the mill pond to fix the wheel. But just as he gets in, a British patrol starts to approach and he has to [[SuperNotDrowningSkills hide underwater]] while Claire and Jenny distract and shoo them away. When they finally leave, Jenny and Claire rush over to Jamie, worried he drowned, only for Jamie to be more embarrassed by being naked in front of Jenny and his sister (especially because the water is [[TeenyWeenie very cold]]) and he [[HandOrObjectUnderwear clutches his privates]] while imploring them to turn around so he can [[SexySurfacingShot climb out of the water]].

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: English actress Sophie Skelton's American accent is quite shaky at times, though it may be explained by Brianna having been raised by two English parents.

* PrecisionFStrike: [[spoiler: Geillis]] delivers one in "The Devil's Mark", doubling as a WhamLine because it reveals that [[spoiler:she, like Claire, is not from the 1700s.]]
* RapeAsDrama:

* RapeAndRevenge:

* RetroactivePrecognition: Claire arrives in 1743 with some historical knowledge about how the Jacobite Risings are going to play out. She's not a Scottish history expert, but she knows that an English victory is a ForegoneConclusion and that the FinalBattle Of Culloden is three years away in 1746.

* ScarpiaUltimatum: When Black Jack has both Jamie and Claire captured in Wentworth Prison, this is the only way one of them can free the other. When Jamie is put in the Bastille later, Claire learns the king will free him for this. However, it turns out that the king has more than simply that in mind for her.
* SeeYouInHell: [[spoiler: The Comte St. Gemain's]] last words to Claire.

* SlaveLiberation: {{Discussed}} with Jocasta by Claire since she opposes slavery but Jocasta owns over a hundred. She, along with Jamie, tries to get them freed by Jocasta. However, it turns out this is impossible, since North Carolina law requires the slaves must have done something, like save a life, and the slave owners must put up a bond for every slave, which is far beyond Jocasta's means. Jocasta later [[spoiler: frees her loyal butler Ulysses who ''did'' save her life]].
* SoftSpokenSadist: Black Jack Randall is a straight-up sadist; all of his sexual interactions seem to involve rape or other extreme cruelty. His speech is usually polite and measured, as befits a gentleman; even when he's furious, he generally doesn't raise his voice.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler: Murtagh survives the Battle of Culloden and becomes a prisoner alongside Jamie. He is last seen being sent with all the prisoners (except for Jamie, who is taken to England) to the American colonies.]]
* SpitTake: Jack Randall when Claire casually brings up the Duke of Sandringham during their conversation.
* SpottingTheThread: Roger believes he's found a clue to Jamie's whereabouts in 1765 by showing a printer making quotes Claire told Jamie. One is by Robert Burns and when Claire says that could have come from anywhere, Roger points out Burns was only 6 years old at the time and wouldn't write the poem for another two decades.

* TheStoner: Father Fogden, who adapts the habit of smoking a local herb called yupa (scientific name: ''[[http://entheology.com/research/native-hallucinogen-piptadenias/ Anadenanthera peregrina]]'') in a pipe -- "quite relaxing".

* TakeMeInstead: Jamie offers to trade himself for Roger's release and tells [[spoiler:Young Ian]] to make this offer to the Mohawk. When the Mohawk accept the offer, it's revealed [[spoiler:Young Ian has offered ''himself'']] in Jamie's place so Jamie and Claire can return to their daughter with Roger. Jamie and [[spoiler:Young Ian]] are heartbroken over having to part and [[spoiler:Young Ian]] makes Jamie promise not to come back for him because he gave his word he will stay. This trope is played with since the Mohawk aren't among the series' villains and when [[spoiler:Young Ian]] manages to pass the Mohawk's test, he is declared one of them and [[spoiler:Young Ian]] looks over the moon with happiness.
* ATasteOfTheLash: Jamie has horrific scars on his back from Black Jack Randall's brutal whipping at Fort William.
* TheirFirstTime: Brianna and Roger, after handfasting (an old Scottish custom in which a couple get temporarily married outside formal proceedings), tenderly have sex in a closed up shop (it's also her first time, period, as she is a virgin before this). Unfortunately, they have a fight afterward, which causes Brianna to leave.
* ThousandYardStare: After nearly dying when he's hanged for being mistakenly condemned as a rebel, [[spoiler:Roger]] gets this along with his PTSD. The trope is explicitly mentioned as something a [[ShellShockedVeteran Vietnam veteran]] friend of Brianna's also had after he got home from the war.
* ThouShaltNotKill: Claire believes in this (aside from once practicing [[MercyKill euthanasia]]). She took the Hippocratic Oath as a physician, famously including "Do no harm". Her loved ones, however, have no such compunction, killing on her behalf (which she mostly doesn't try to stop).

* UnderwearSwimsuit: Attempting to clear a blockage underneath the mill's waterwheel, Jamie Fraser removes everything but his linen undershirt and goes for a dip (apparently underdrawers or Long Johns weren't a priority for men in 18th-century Scotland- that's kilts for ya!).
* UngratefulBastard: Stephen Bonnet, a thief, is helped by Claire and Jamie. He repays them by coming back with some other thieves to rob everyone.

* WokenUpAtAnUngodlyHour: When Claire unexpectedly lands in the 18th century and arrives at Caste Leoch she is put under the care of Mrs. Fitz. The day after arrival, Mrs. Fitz cheerfully rouses her from bed, clucking that she's never seen a lazy body. She says Claire has nearly slept half the day away. It's already half past four in the morning! Claire, who is from the 20th century where people don't rise or rest according to the sun, is nearly dead on her feet.

* ArtisticLicenseReligion:

** Similarly, lily-of-the-valley does exist in Scotland, and is probably more common than wild garlic (whose leaves, not berries, are sometimes confused with the poisonous plant). Treating with digitalis (foxglove), which has a similar heart-effective poison, is risky at best, and might worsen the symptoms at worst.

** In [[Recap/OutlanderS4E12Providence "Providence"]] Roger meets Father Alexandre Ferigault, who's a French Catholic priest held captive by the Mohawk because he offended them in not performing a baptism on the son he fathered with a Mohawk woman. He tells Roger that he can't do it under Catholic doctrine because he's not in a state of grace, due to violating his vows by conceiving the boy. This is wrong, though. Catholic doctrine is that a sacrament stays valid regardless of the spiritual state of the person who performs it, because in their belief it's God not the human being who has done it. The opposite view, called Donatism, is actually condemned as a [[UsefulNotes/HeresiesAndHeretics heresy]] by the Church.
** The Mohawk people in the show are depicted as being unfamiliar with Christianity and the doctrine of the religion. In reality the Haudenosaunee as a whole had known of Christianity for well over 100 years by this point, and had had many dealings with missionaries already. A significant number would already have converted.

* BerserkButton: Colum [=MacKenzie=] may be a benevolent man, but comment on his crooked legs, and you are in for a world of trouble -- unless you are Claire.

* BetterPartnerAssertion: After finding out that Jamie and Claire have married, Laoghaire [=MacKenzie=] attempts to break them up, believing she is the better choice to be Jamie's wife. Her reasons include: being Scottish like Jamie instead of English like Claire (at a time when the English and the Scottish were conflicting), having known Jamie since they were kids, that he once kissed Laoghaire, and he once took a punishment on her behalf. Her insistence tips into {{Yandere}} with her putting ill-wish voodoo dolls under the couple's marital bed, attempting to entice Jamie into breaking his marriage vows, and arranging to have Claire arrested for witchcraft.
* BigDamnHeroes:

* BitterAlmonds: Claire smells this on Arthur Duncan's breath, leading to her conclusion that he was poisoned.
* BlackWidow: Geillis Duncan, who murders her husband Arthur Duncan with cyanide in [[Recap/OutlanderS1E10ByThePrickingOfMyThumbs "By the Pricking of my Thumbs"]] and is later revealed to have killed her 20th-century husband to get through the stones at Craigh na Dun.
* BloodBath: The Season 3 episode “The Bakra” features Geilis Duncan bathing in the blood of a goat to ostensibly maintain healthy skin.

* TheCassandra: Claire, warning against the outcome of the Jacobite uprising. Of course, no one actually listens to her.
* CassandraTruth: Obviously, when told the truth about her parentage, [[spoiler: Brianna doesn't believe this insane story her mother went back in time and her true father is a man who's been dead for 200 years. It takes seeing Gellis vanish through the stone for Brianna to accept it.]]
* CessationOfExistence: {{Discussed}} by [[spoiler:Roger]] and [[spoiler: Young Ian]] after the first stops the latter's attempted suicide. Since he had nearly died by hanging, [[spoiler: Young Ian]] asks [[spoiler:Roger]] what he saw. [[spoiler:Roger]] says he saw his wife, which [[spoiler: Young Ian]] interprets as there being an afterlife. He is disappointed, stating that he'd hoped it would be over (it turns out his attempt was due to losing his wife).
* ChildByRape:
** Jamie's son William, as he was blackmailed by William's mother Geneva into having sex with her.
** [[spoiler:Brianna]] realizes she is pregnant two months after the night she was raped by [[spoiler:Stephen Bonnet]], which occurred hours after [[spoiler:her consensual sexual experience with Roger. At first, Brianna believes she is pregnant as the result of the rape by Stephen Bonnet and not from her sexual experience with Roger because, as she confides to her mother, Roger pulled out during sex. However, Brianna later realizes that the withdrawal method to prevent pregnancy is not foolproof and tells Claire she isn't sure if her child was conceived as the result of the rape or sex with Roger.]]
* CircleOfStandingStones: How Claire is transported back in time.
* {{Cliffhanger}}: The episode "The Bakra" ends with Jamie arrested, leaving Claire with the task of searching for Young Ian at Rose Hall.
* CloudCuckoolander: Father Fogden, after a long time living alone with his servant and his coconut.

* AdaptationExpansion: [[spoiler: Laoghaire appears in Season 2 even though the character never appears in the source novel. Ron Moore has revealed that she was added to set up her storyline in Season 3.]]

* AllThereInTheScript: [[spoiler: Brianna is not named at all in the brief flash-forward that begins the episode "Faith". Instead, she is named in the closing credits.]]
* AmbiguouslyGay: The Duke of Sandringham, who is stereotypically effeminate (although this is also similar to many heterosexual "fops" or "dandys" of the time's behavior), a lifelong bachelor, makes comments about Jamie's attractiveness, and is played by the openly gay English actor Simon Callow.
* AnArmAndALeg: Fergus has his hand cut off by British soldiers [[DisproportionateRetribution for taunting them]].
* ApothecaryAlligator: Seen hanging from the ceiling in Master Raymond's apothecary in the episode ''Not in Scotland Anymore''.