‘Outlander’ Season 4, Episode 12 Review: “Providence”

“Providence” was an apt title for Outlander‘s twelfth episode of the season, and not just because of the introduction (and unfortunate demise) of Father Alexandre at the Mohawk camp. Perhaps it’s just because the end of the season is nearing, but the climax feels very near—and no, I’m not referring to another steamy Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) bathtub scene. Brianna’s (Sophie Skelton) pregnancy is progressing, the Regulators’ rebellion is escalating, and Roger (Richard Rankin) will either be dead soon or found by Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian (John Bell). Something’s going to combust soon, right?

I’m getting ahead of myself, of course. We’ll start with Brianna, whose visit to Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers)—due to be hanged, so long as they don’t lose him yet again—for some sort of closure was both understandable yet disappointing. It feels wrong to even attempt to tell the survivor of a violent sexual assault how to process that experience, and if telling Bonnet that she forgives him helped her heal even slightly, it was a trip worth taking. However, the idea that learning that he was going to have a child would suddenly soften Bonnet in any way does beggar belief. Yeah, every monster has a soft spot, yada yada, but I’m not buying it.

Now that Brianna and Lord John Grey (David Berry) are in a sham engagement, we’ll likely see them spending a lot of time together and I have to be honest, in a weird way, I actually kinda ‘ship it. Their connection is somewhat strained (which makes sense considering they literally just met a few days ago) and their feelings will likely never progress beyond the platonic, but they’re both genuinely good people and “Providence” made it quite clear that Grey really cares for Brianna’s well-being, as well as the well-being of her unborn child. And let’s be honest—I’d rather see Brianna fall for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich than ever reunite with Roger.

Speaking of Roger, his “every man for himself” attitude he preaches about to Father Alexandre is a load of bull. If he really felt that way, he’d have gone through the stones when he found them. Then again, he does seem arrogant enough to stick around just to see if he can win Brianna over again, so perhaps there’s some shred of truth in his method. Still, the writers clearly want us to believe that Roger is a bonafide sweetheart because even though he manages to escape the Mohawk camp, he comes back to try and save the preacher. He’s too late, of course, but his final act of mercy of accelerating the fire that was slowly building at Alexandre’s feet was the crowning glory on the “Isn’t Roger Such A Nice Guy?” cake. (Nope, never.)

I did find the final scene of the episode rather heartbreaking, seeing Johiehon leave her young child behind and join Father Alexandre on the pyre. It was a nice change of perspective for the series, which often focuses on the white man’s experience and keeps its Natives as plot devices to push the main characters’ storylines forward. Frankly, I’d love to see a bit more of these tribes and their members as established characters on their own, but I digress…

Oh, I forgot to mention the other big event, which was Fergus (Romann Berrux) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle) deciding to move out to Frasers Ridge finally—but not before they help the Regulators break Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) out of prison and blow the place up while they’re at it. I’m glad Murtagh’s a free man again—y’all know I truly love him and think he’s kind of the best—but did the whole place have to be blown up? The price of revolution, I suppose.

No Jamie or Claire this episode, but I’m only realizing that now that I’m typing this. “Providence” was well-paced enough that their absence wasn’t noticeable, though Brianna did mention that she missed her mom and seems ready to perhaps forgive Jamie for the awful things he said to her when they last saw one another. No worries, Brianna—I’m sure you’ll all be reunited again next week.

Jennifer Still is a writer and editor from New York who cares too way much about fictional characters and spends her time writing about them.

Stream Outlander Season 4 Episode 12 ("Providence") on Starz