Outlander Review: Providence (Season 4 Episode 12)
Outlander Season 4 Episode 12, “Providence,” is calculated chaos of the best kind.
This newest installment relies on a simple intertwine of three storylines, none of which rely on Jamie and Claire shockingly, to deliver an explosive penultimate episode of the highest caliber.
Brianna confronting her rapist, Murtagh waiting behind bars for his backup to arrive, and Roger getting acquainted with the Mohawk tribe should spell disaster when forced together — but there is nothing that feels forced about the success of “Providence.”
There is no question, this is Outlander and television at its absolute best.
Honestly, of all three storylines, Brianna’s appeared the weakest and the most questionable at the beginning of this episode.
What else did confronting Bonnet have to offer other than an opportunity for him to learn of Brianna’s value to him and who he has to go looking for when he escapes (come on Brianna they always escape).
However, by the end of the conversation, Bonnet comes away as a more fleshed out villain and Brianna comes out looking much stronger.
I especially love Bonnet’s plea to Brianna to use the gemstone to take care of his child. It’s a cheeky way of hinting that the stone will likely be used to transport her child through the stones at some point in the series.
What really ties Brianna’s storyline together nicely is how gracefully her visit to the jail collides with the Regulators’ attempt to break Murtagh out of his cell. It is a great transition and one that gives Lord John Grey a proper part to play in the exchange.
When John is on screen he simply can’t be pushed to the side — it would be a tragic waste of his character.
Which is why having him escort Brianna to Bonnet felt like a poor decision on the show’s part. That is until he runs right into the barrel of a Regulator’s gun and a very grown-up Fergus in an exchange that is exciting as it is quick.
The fact that John says he will respect the British rule but continues to dance around their authority to protect Jamie and his friends is what makes his character so darn intriguing.
It’s no surprise Outlander thrives in those moments where the soundtrack is loud, the action is amplified, and Scottish men are running for their lives with smiles on their faces.
Despite Outlander being so many different things, Scottish shenanigans are still the cornerstone of this show’s success.
It is especially exciting to see Fergus take on a more devilish side of himself.
I know he is looking to find purpose as a father but it is so satisfying to see him take charge of the Regulators and orchestrate the prison break. It finally feels like the show has found a purpose for Fergus now that he is on a separate path from Jamie’s.
And I love that Marsali is not being left behind. Instead of bickering or mulling over the dangers of saving Murtagh, she is already volunteering to be her husband’s getaway driver. That kind of love and devotion is as refreshing to the story as it is adorable to watch.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet because as great as these two storylines are the best moments of “Providence,” are spent with Roger and the Mohawk.
Roger has been such a hard character to like this season but thankfully there are far more phenomenal performances than eye-rolling ones to make note of this time.
Roger’s time spent in captivity with Father Alexandre Ferigault is technically pointless in the grand scheme of this season, but Roger makes a point of it by bringing back some of that compassion he forgets to show around Brianna.
His delivery is somewhat comical too as his vulgar vocabulary starts to make an appearance and is a full-blown epidemic by the time Roger utters the words, “idiot hut”.
Roger manages to hold the viewer’s attention easily as he navigates this new terrain with a vulnerability that gives us hope he can win his way back into our hearts.
Through Roger, we see not necessarily a less savage perspective of the Native Americans, but some justification as to why they act the way they do.
As the lovely healer Johiehon explains, this man doesn’t know pointing is bad or that interrupting someone is disrespectful. He just sees a horrible reaction to a simple gesture and builds perceptive of them from that interaction.
Outlander chooses to focus a good chunk of this episode on the devastating tale of Johiehon and Ferigault, which normally would seem bizarre this close to the finale but quickly becomes one of the strongest (and saddest) arcs this season.
Johiehon stepping into the fire to be with Ferigault is as tragic as it is beautiful and while their story doesn’t have much to do with Claire and Jamie’s, this little segway into the lives of the Native Americans is certainly worth the trouble.
Not only does their love story show both a compelling and conflictingly harsh side to the Mohawk, but it is also horrifying to the point that you don’t know whether to give Outlander a round of applause or send them your therapy bill.
All three of the storylines in “Providence” are executed perfectly and set out to do exactly what they are meant to.
However, another notable absence of Jamie and Claire raises a concern that goes far beyond one episode’s capabilities. While expanding the New World, it would seem Outlander has not divided the time up equally between the core couple’s isolation on Fraser’s Ridge and the world around them.
If only Outlander hadn’t left these side plots until the very end and found ways to intertwine them into Jamie and Claire’s journey sooner, rather than shut the two out completely in these crucial last moments.
That may very well be Season 4’s undoing but it certainly won’t be this episode’s as the side characters hold their own all too well not to recognize the brilliance of this newest installment.
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.