NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 10, "Brotherly Love".
Roger continues to have unlikely encounters in the past while Claire and Young Ian arrive in Philadelphia in this new episode of Outlander season 7. Meanwhile, still in Scotland, Jamie has to say goodbye to an old friend.
Let’s see what happened to the Frasers on this new episode of the smash-hit series.
This new episode of Outlander is aptly titled “Brotherly Love,” referring to the strong bond between Jaimie Fraser and his brother-in-law, Ian Murray. It opens on a flashback showing them as young lads training together under the supervision of Ian's father. They grew up together, fought wars together, and they will be together until the very end as we then return to the present to find them on the grounds of Lallybroch, taking in the scenery and joking about the fact that Claire is centuries older than Jamie.
As the two men reminisce about their shared experiences, and Ian battles a coughing fit, Jamie says he wishes he could take Ian's place. He tells Ian how he has loved him as a brother ever since he lost his own, and after their outing he takes Ian back to his bed where he dies peacefully with Jenny and Jamie by his side.
After he is gone, we find Jamie digging his grave and telling Jenny he will stay with her for as long as she needs, then he'll visit Joanie in France before returning to America. He suggests she comes with him to live with the Frasers at the ridge, but Jenny refuses, although adding she might one day take him up on the offer, when the war is over.
Welcome to Philadelphia
As Jamie and Jenny face their loss, Claire and Young Ian arrive in Philadelphia where he still grapples with the fact that he left his dying dad behind. However Claire reminds him that Old Ian wanted his son to be reunited with Rachel, so Ian makes plans to go find his beloved. Asking him to be careful, Claire points out the country is still at war and they can tell by looking outside their carriage. Philadelphia is under British occupation and the army is very much keeping an eye out for rebels.
Claire then arrives at Mercy Woodcock's house, where Lord John's nephew, Henry Grey, is awaiting her visit. Mercy is actually the wife of Walter Woodcock, a soldier in the Continental army whom Claire treated back in the first part of season 7.
It turns out Lord John Grey is also at Mercy's, having been at his nephew's side for weeks. Seeing that he still wears his British army uniform, Claire wonders if John is back in service but he explains he wears it as protection for Mrs. Woodcock, who is pro-independence. When Claire explains she will need vitriol (to make ether) before she can operate on Henry, Lord John says he has already acquired everything she needs, knowing she would come to help.
The return of Arch Bug
When Claire examines Henry, she finds out Denzell Hunter has already tried to help him and learns that he is in town, along with his sister Rachel. When she meets with Denzell to discuss Henry’s case, Claire asks him for his help with the operation, and explains she hopes Ian will see Rachel soon.
We then find Rachel shopping in a market with the assistance of Lord John’s son, William. Suddenly, Ian’s dog Rollo leaves her side and runs off, which prompts Rachel to think Ian must be around otherwise the animal would never have left her like that. She and William look for Rollo and we see that Ian’s nemesis, Arch Bug, is keeping an eye on them.
It is clear William has a crush on Rachel, but it seems her heart is set on Ian. When Rollo finds his owner, Ian sets off to be reunited with Rachel and arrives right on time. Indeed, after going to the stables to tend to the horses, Rachel is attacked by Arch Bug, who wants to hurt her in order to take his revenge on Ian. He shows up and fights the old man, with Rachel telling him not to kill Bug. The latter manages to get the upper hand on Ian and is about to hurt him when William shoots him to save the day.
William tells them to leave as he will not get arrested for what happened, being a British soldier and all, and Rachel and Ian go to Claire so she can tend to his wounds. Later on, Ian is all patched up and finally tells Rachel he loves her, and she returns the feeling. He also explains he cannot become a Quaker but that does not seem to be a deal breaker for Rachel.
More familiar faces return
While things unfold in 1778, Roger Mackenzie is still back in Scotland’s 1740s, having shown up on Geillis Duncan’s doorstep at the end of the previous episode. Still in shock from seeing her, he has her take a look at Buck, whom she doesn't know is her son (and neither does Buck). Seeing the look on Roger’s face, Buck asks if he knows Geillis and Roger reveals that she is a time traveler, and a dangerous one at that, having killed several husbands and tried to kill Bree.
They wonder if she might know Rob Cameron and be in cahoots with him, so Roger then has a conversation with Geillis trying to figure that out. When he explains the situation about Jemmy missing, Roger comes to the conclusion that Geillis has nothing to do with it. Then arrives another member of his and Buck’s family tree in the form of Dougal Mackenzie, who has come by because he might be able to help with the search for the “fairy man.” He is Buck’s father, Roger’s sixth-great-grandfather, and fans rejoice at the sight of Graham McTavish back in the role, however briefly.
Roger does his best to keep it cool in front of Dougal, although these unexpected family reunions keep throwing him for a loop. Dougal then gives him a charm that he says belongs to the fairy man and features the name Jeremiah. After flirting with Geillis, she and Dougal leave the room (presumably to start working on Buck’s conception), and Roger, baffled, explains to his “cousin” that the charm is in fact a set of military tags that belonged to his father who went missing in action during World War II. The fairy man then isn't Rob Cameron, it’s Roger's dad.
From surgeon to spy
Back in Philadelphia, Claire operates successfully on Henry with the help of Denzell and Mercy. After the operation, Claire praises Mercy’s job as an improvised nurse and they talk about Mercy’s husband dying at Fort Ticonderoga.
Having some free time now, Claire goes to an herb garden to gather supplies and notices the British soldiers hardly bat an eye at her coming and going. When she returns home, she learns a letter from Jamie has arrived saying Old Ian has passed away and that he is now on his way back to America after making a trip to France (where he apparently hung out with friends of Benjamin Franklin).
Happy her husband will soon be by her side again, Claire accepts a side job from Mercy, who explains to her she has been spying for the Continental army but that her contact has been arrested. She needs help to deliver a letter and, saying the British never stop her from going about her business, Claire offers to fulfill this mission and seem to manage it with flying colors.
But when she returns home, she finds Lord John waiting for her with a grim look on his face and the captain of a ship by his side. They tell her the ship Jamie was on was lost at sea and that there were no survivors. Claire refuses to hear it, arguing Jamie cannot be gone because she would know if his heart had shopped, as hers would have too. Lord John insists that Jamie is dead and we later see Claire in bed, crying herself to sleep as she thinks about her husband.
In the following days, John receives the visit of Captain Richardson who has come to ask him about Claire because he wants to arrest her as a spy (turns out her delivery mission didn’t go so well and her message was intercepted). John pretends Claire isn't there but in mourning at church and, respecting John’s position and reputation, Richardson decides to give him time before he arrests Claire.
As Richardson leaves, Lord John rushes to Claire’s room and barges in, telling her to marry him right away because he can protect her from being arrested, and it’s the last thing he can do for Jamie. Claire ponders letting the British hang her but John says Ian and the others would be suspects too, so really, Claire doesn't have much of a choice here.
That concludes this rather eventful episode of Outlander and to find out whether Claire will marry Lord John or not, tune in next week for a new episode of the series on Starz and MGM+.
