Outlander Review: The False Bride (Season 4 Episode 3)
One may think that a road trip centric episode is something of an odd choice for a historical show such as Outlander. But that is what Outlander Season 4 Episode 3, “The False Bride,” is from start to finish — a good old-fashioned road trip.
Whether transportation is a horse or automobile we get to spend some quality time with the Frasers and their friends on the road. Good times are shared, futures are discussed, and like on all road trips a fight or two can’t help but ensue.
Thankfully as Jocasta and her plantation walls fade into the distance this episode begins to pick up speed, taking viewers on a promising adventure that puts the dreariness of the last installment behind us, hopefully for good.
What is so great about “The False Bride,” are the connections the episode builds between past and present. It is rare to see an episode that divides it’s time up almost equally between Claire’s time and Jamie’s time — and rather seamlessly I might add.
Of course, this is not This Is Us and Outlander’s main objective is not to transition between one family’s present and past all the time but when it compliments the story so well and keeps the arc for both couples trudging along at a nice pace I am all for two different timelines being represented together more often.
Seeing everything come full circle from Claire and Jamie’s time as Scots in North Carolina to Brianna and Roger attending a Scottish festival in 1970s’ North Carolina puts more emphasis on Claire and Jamie’s connection to their daughter when the three cannot have a physical connection.
Sophie Skelton (Brianna Randall), Richard Rankin (Roger Wakefield) – Outlander Episode 403
Connections like this have to be established if Brianna’s inevitable reunion with her parents is to carry any anticipation or emotional weight. Which is why Claire mentioning Brianna’s career plans and her history of favoring Frank over her mother is not wasted time.
On the contrary, it is little conversations like this that will set the stage for stronger storytelling later on in the midseason.
The only weak storyline that can be found in this episode is between Brianna and Roger. Which is too bad because their shenanigans in the first half of the episode are quite enjoyable to watch, but everything turns sour when Roger gives that ridiculous marriage proposal.
Nothing about their fight in the cabin really makes sense from what we have seen from the two characters so far and feels more like forced conflict thrown in to further the plot — which ends up doing the exact opposite.
This episode is best spent with Claire as she tries to find her way back to Jamie.
Something as subtle as the zippers on Claire’s boots can easily make this scene memorable. The small detail is a cute reminder from the Outlander costume department that Claire is a time traveler regardless of how much time she spends in the past.
This plays into a reveal moments later that the Indian remains Claire finds actually belonged to another time traveler.
This reveal is not necessarily a new revelation, Claire already knows she is not the first person to travel through the stones. But the introduction of another time traveler suggests there will be more to come and that time travel won’t always be as subtle as zippers and tooth fillings.
However, to say the best parts of “The False Bride,” are Claire’s boots and the prospect of time travel would be to completely overlook the fact that Outlander may have just introduced ghosts to the mythology as well.
Maybe the Indian man that appears and then disappears right before Claire’s very eyes isn’t a spirit. Maybe he is a dream or the byproduct of a concussion. But let’s say this man is, in fact, a ghost. It wouldn’t be the most ridiculous addition to a show routed in Scottish mythology.
Claire passing through the stones into a different time proves that not all Scottish myths are fiction. And while Claire goes out of her way to dismiss magic and myth throughout the series, if time travel is real in the Outlander universe who’s to say ghosts and fairies can’t exist as well.
While Roger and Brianna’s fight might seem out of place, a ghost fits right into the underlining mythology of this show. Although, one can’t ignore the fact that introducing more mythology could very well change the structure of Outlander, so seeing it so boldly used in this episode is quite shocking.
“The False Bride” is steeped in Scottish culture despite everything in this episode technically taking place in North Carolina.
Adventurous, cultural, and captivating, this episode’s central focus is on the two love stories brought together by Claire’s journey through the stones and I couldn’t be more happy with romance driving the plot once again.
The road trip theme allows for more uplifting and hopeful storylines throughout this newest installment and certainly has a more positive impact on episodes to come as these characters begin to find purpose in America.
What did you think of this episode of Outlander? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Outlander airs Sundays at 8 E/P on Starz.
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a writer from Canada. She credits her passion for TV and film to superheroes, workplace comedies, cheesy holiday movies, and coming-of-age stories. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts.