Recap of Outlander
Season 4, Episode 3:
The False Bride
After their harrowing experience at Jocasta's plantation, Jamie and Claire set out to search for their new home in the backcountry. However, an unexpected and harsh storm makes for a difficult night out in the wilds. Meanwhile, back in the 20th century, Brianna and Roger attend a festival where romance and drama ensue.
Tropes
- Anchored Ship: Despite their mutual attraction and interest, Roger and Brianna have a blowout argument that leaves them not on speaking terms.
- Car Ride Games: Roger and Brianna play The Minister's Cat while driving to North Carolina for the Scottish Highlander Festival.
- Continuity Nod: At the Calling of the Clans some of the more prominent names from the 18th century storylines are called including Clans Stewart, MacDonald, and MacKenzie. After the lighting of the stag, Roger yells "Tullach Ard", the same battle cry Jamie used in Season 1.
- Creepy Souvenir: Claire keeps the skull of the Native American ghost she saw. While inspecting it, she notices that it has silver fillings, indicating he was from the future.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: Roger proposes to Brianna, but she declines because she is not ready for marriage or children. Brianna still wants to sleep with Roger, but he refuses because they aren't married. He believes a woman should remain a virgin until marriage and should not be sleeping around. Brianna calls out his hypocrisy as Roger has had sex before marriage. Roger tells Brianna if she won't care to marry him, he does not care to have her in his bed.
- Differing Priorities Breakup: Roger is ready to solidly commit to their relationship, making it permanent through marriage. Brianna, who is about ten years younger and has divorced parents, wants to explore their relationship a bit more to be sure they're meant to be together. While she's saying not yet, Roger hears "no" and it escalates into a fight that pushes them apart.
- Follow in My Footsteps: During their travels, Jamie and Claire discuss the 20th century concept of career choices. Claire says she always knew that she wanted to be a healer, but she worried for Brianna who had yet to find a passion. Jamie remarks that in the 18th century, you do whatever your family does for a living and are grateful to have that provision. Had life gone the way it normally would have, Jamie would have been a land laird like his father and his grandfathers. Claire says that this was unlikely for Brianna although she had tried history for a bit, wanting to be closer to Frank.
- Ghastly Ghost: Claire sees a ghost of a scalped Native American man in the middle of a storm.
- Good Luck Charm: Roger's gifts to Fiona for her housewarming. Salt so that all her tears will be happy ones and life will always have flavor and a battle of champagne to celebrate.Roger: May the roof above never fall in and may we below it never fall out.
- Hostile Weather: Claire and Jamie get caught in a storm on their way to Woolam's Creek. Claire seeks refuge under a fallen tree after she gets separated from Jamie. There, she finds a skull and an opal.
- Huge Rider, Tiny Mount: John Quincy Meyer's mount may be normal sized, but it looks small under Meyer's girth.
- Hypocrite: Roger tries to shame Brianna for being open to sex before marriage despite the fact that as they have the argument she's a virgin and he is not, having slept with more than one woman he had no plans to marry. It's even worse as Roger was raised by Reverend Wakefield but absolves himself from his own beliefs about premarital sex.
- I Am What I Am: Jamie and Claire discuss what he wants out of life (Claire remarks that he loves working with horses, Jaime reflecting that he was good at printing if not particularly loving the profession). He admits that he spent so much of his life as an outlaw while waiting to be able to return to his "real" life that outlaw has become part of who he really is. If he were still single with no dependents, he'd be content to stay an outlaw, skirting the edges of society. But because so many people depend on him for safety, he strives to be better man who can be depended on.
- Immigrant Patriotism: The attendees at the North Carolinian Scottish Festival are very enthusiastic about their Scottish heritage. It's amusingly clean and shiny compared to the 18th century scenes of authentic Highlander clans.
- Kiss-Kiss-Slap: Although she's not ready to marry, Brianna is keen on having sex with Roger. But he is not of the same mind, telling her that if all he wanted to do was have his way with her, he'd have had her on her back a dozen times over the past year. Brianna is so offended, she slaps him.
- Madonna-Whore Complex: Brianna calls Roger out on his double standard. Roger is appalled that a good catholic girl like Brianna would consider sex outside of marriage.
- Meanwhile, in the Future…: The episode alternates between Claire and Jamie in the 18th century and Brianna and Roger in the 20th century.
- Meaningful Name: After Claire discovers wild strawberries, Jamie tells her that strawberries are part of the Fraser crest as the Scottish Frasers descend from the French Fraiselieres or literally "the strawberries." So one side of Jamie's family is known as the strawberries and the other side is known for their distinctive red hair.
- Memento MacGuffin: Jamie is moved to tears when Jacosta presents him with sterling candle sticks that belonged to his mother. The last keepsake Jamie had of her was her pearl necklace which he gave to Claire on their wedding night, which is currently in the 20th century with Brianna, leaving Jamie with nothing with which to remember his mother.
- My Girl Is Not a Slut: Roger doesn't want to be with Brianna if she's willing to have sex with him but not marry him.
- Precision F-Strike: Roger, a preacher's kid, rarely uses harsh language. But he's very upset when Brianna rejects his marriage proposal but then tries to make out with him.Roger: What in God's name are you playing at? Ye don't want to marry me, but you'll fuck me?
- Rearing Horse: Claire's horse is spooked by the lightning strike and rears back, throwing Claire and causing her to hit her head.
- Rejected Marriage Proposal: Brianna rejects Roger's marriage proposal, saying she's not ready to settle down permanently. She's afraid if she marries too young, it will turn out like Frank and Claire, who married on a whim only to meet people they loved more later on.
- Serenade Your Lover: Roger sings a romantic song at the Highlander Festival in front of an audience but directed at Brianna.
- Shipper on Deck: Fiona wants Roger to tell Brianna how he feels.
- Ship Sinking: This episode establishes that Fiona has a romantic partner and thinks that Roger should go after Brianna. Possibly disappointing to fans that thought her season 3 crush on Roger was sweet.
- Stop Motion Lighting: Ottertooth is only visible during lightning strikes, completely disappearing in between strikes.
- Stubborn Mule: Clarence the mule takes off at the first loud noise and then wonders back on his own, clearly having flanked Claire's efforts to corral him.
- Trauma Conga Line: In an effort to convince Jamie to allow him to stay in America, Young Ian lists the things that have happened to him since they left Scotland. It's a ludicrous list and will only get longer and crazier throughout the series.
- Travel Montage: Shown during the Frasers' travels to Woolam's Creek.
