The long hiatus between the third and fourth seasons of Outlander is almost over, and fans will get to see what's in store next for Jamie and Claire. The course of true love never did run smooth for these two, and all the trailer footage we've seen so far (not to mention the incredible new opening credits) points toward more trouble ahead for them. They won't have lost their spark, however, and here's what you need to remember about their Season 3 journey before tuning into the Season 4 premiere!
A Whole New World
Season 3 took Jamie and Claire on a wild ride, with Claire traveling a couple centuries back in time just in time to join Jamie on a quest to the Caribbean to recover Young Ian after the young man was kidnapped. There were more than a few near-death experiences, and their time seemed to be up in the finale when their ship was smashed to pieces.
Since the Outlander saga isn't anywhere near complete, however, of course Jamie and Claire survived, along with a number of their friends. They washed up on the shores of Georgia and are poised to build a life for themselves in Colonial America. This means new people in new places with new challenges, and nobody will be able to just beat a hasty retreat to Lallybroch when times get tough. At least Geillis is out of the picture!
Young Ian's Ordeal
Speaking of Geillis, we shouldn't expect Young Ian to just shrug off his ordeals from Season 3. Although the majority of the second half of the season followed Jamie and Claire's adventures in the Caribbean, Young Ian had his fair share of harrowing experiences after being kidnapped for sacrifice by Geillis Duncan, whose determination to put a Scot on the throne didn't die with the Highlanders at Culloden.
The good news is that Geillis did meet a bloody end before she could kill Young Ian or reach through time to kill Brianna and theoretically fulfill a prophecy, but not before traumatizing Young Ian by striding naked out of a pool of blood. That would be awful enough without Geillis forcing Young Ian to do things against his will. As Outlander already proved with Jamie at the mercy of Black Jack Randall, characters can't just shrug off these horrible experiences.
Fergus And Marsali Tied The Knot
In one of the most uplifting scenes of Outlander Season 3, Fergus and Marsali were married in the Caribbean. It wasn't the most traditional wedding, what with the officiant being a loopy former priest and the ceremony happening pretty quickly, but it brought a pair of sweet young lovers together and saw Jamie officially make Fergus a Fraser.
Fans of Diana Gabaldon's book saga know that Fergus and Marsali's story as a couple definitely didn't end with getting hitched, and viewers should expect Fergus to have priorities other than serving Jamie in Season 4. It's a whole new world for everybody, and that includes unconventional newlyweds.
The Redcoats Are Still In The Mix
Will Jamie ever escape the redcoats? Probably not, unless that ghostly figure from way back in the series premiere proves to be a Jamie who made it to the 20th century somehow. While he's not being actively hunted thanks to the intervention of John Grey in Season 3, he has a knack for attracting their attention in the most unfortunate ways, and he can't exactly pass for anything other than a Scot. He'll still be a former Highland warrior who fought at Culloden.
That said, America is a whole new world, and Jamie will find some Brits who don't want to give him a hard time, even if early footage proved that there are still some who will get in his way. The bigger question may be whether Jamie can accept a future surrounded by Brits. War is after all coming to the Colonies, and Jamie might not be inclined to fight for the redcoats, no matter how he may be welcomed and no matter what his feelings for certain Brits, including his wife and John Grey.
Claire Has Inside Info
While we're on the subject of that upcoming war, we have to bear in mind that Claire knows the outcome of the American Revolution. She may not have the historical facts to say the outcome of every single battle, but she lived in the U.S. for a long time. Her knowledge from the future can help the Frasers avoid ending up on the wrong side of another war involving the British.
Her future knowledge of America could come in handy in other ways as well, including the state of the relationships between colonists and the Native Americans. Native Americans will have a presence in Season 4 (and look to know a bit about time travel via stones like those at Craigh na Dun and Abandawe). Throw in what Claire must know of the geography and even culture of the time, and she could be the key to success in the colonies.
Brianna Is In The 1960s
Although we do know that Brianna will be traveling through time at some point in Season 4 to have an important meeting (and suffer something terrible), we can expect that her Season 4 story will start with her in the 1960s. She'll undoubtedly be on both of her parents' minds, and a early trailer indicated that part of Jamie's motivation to stay in America will be to try and make it a better place for Brianna in the future.
Brianna may impact the events of the past even before she makes the journey herself. Jamie's interest in his daughter won't have gone away just because he was swept across the ocean to America.
A New Villain
Thanks to the deaths of Black Jack Randall and Geillis Duncan, Outlander ended its third season without a primary antagonist. Well, that is certainly going to change in Season 4 thanks to the introduction of Stephen Bonnet, who is a far cry from Geillis and reportedly even worse than Randall. Bear in mind that he's not to be trusted, no matter how charming and charismatic he may seen.
Honestly, it may just be a good policy to remember not to automatically trust new characters on Outlander. Claire and Jamie have a bad habit of running into unsavory characters and finding out too late that they made a mistake of trusting them.
We'll have to wait and see what happens. The Season 4 premiere of Outlander airs Sunday, November 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Starz. For more viewing options in the not-too-distant future, take a gander at our fall TV guide. There are plenty of shows without mind-boggling time travel if you're in the mood for something more straightforward.
