‘Outlander’ Season 4 Episode 10 Recap: “The Deep Heart’s Core”

Let’s start by talking about the most important element of Outlander Season 4 Episode 10, “The Deep Heart’s Core”: Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy) is back, y’all! I have a deep and abiding love for that crazy yet extremely loyal broad, so it was great to see her back on our screens. If anyone is up to the task of looking after Brianna (Sophie Skelton) while Jamie (Sam Heughan), Claire (Caitriona Balfe), and Young Ian (John Bell) go off in search of Roger (Richard Rankin). They’d better be quick before he passes through that stone!

Another highlight: Brianna claiming ownership over her experience with rape by telling her whiny, immature biological father that he doesn’t get to be more angry about what happened to her and the ensuing events (you know, the whole “Jamie beat Roger to a bloody pulp and then sold him to the Mohawk for a shiny necklace” thing) than she does. Score one for feminism! It was a small moment, but a much-needed respite from the absolute bullhonkey going on throughout the rest of the episode.

I have to admit that there was much about this episode of Outlander that annoyed the ever-loving crap out of me, Jamie’s behavior being at the top of that list. Obviously therapy wasn’t really a thing in the 1700s, but Jamie’s version of consoling his traumatized daughter and convincing her that she wasn’t at fault for her brutal rape was to roleplay a situation that happens all too often in real life: telling Brianna that maybe it wasn’t rape at all and that she wanted it. He then put her in a headlock and made sure she felt completely powerless in an attempt to prove that she couldn’t have fought off Bonnet if she tried. Gee, thanks, “Da.”

There’s also the fact that, once he finds out he done royally messed up by beating up Roger, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that again, Brianna lied about being raped and actually “acted out of lust” before she thankfully backhands him across the face, calls him a bastard, and points out that actually, Jamie beat up the wrong guy and her rapist was still out there. I’ve always said Jamie is immature and selfish and his behavior this week really drove that point home.

The scene with Claire offering to give Brianna a surgical abortion with only whiskey as her anesthetic was meant to be empowering, that was clear, but it also came off a bit strained. Balfe was doing that beseeching thing with her acting that normally suits Claire well but came off as patronizing and a bit annoying here. Brianna considers the offer, of course, but only until she realizes that, whoops! The pull-out method may not be foolproof and the baby could possibly be Roger’s. I don’t know which fate is worse, to be honest. In any case, all I kept wondering during this scene is how Claire became so well-versed on seemingly every single medical procedure under the sun. If only today’s GPs were so versatile!

Speaking of Roger, I can’t say I was particularly sympathetic to his battered state as he was dragged along behind a Mohawk convoy. He vowed to get away, to get back to Brianna, and he eventually does… albeit by luck rather than skill or sheer will. I also hated the false flag of hope he planted at the end of the episode, reaching out towards the rock as if he was even considering going back to the ’70s. How could he control Brianna from there? There’s not a chance he’s going through, unfortunately.

There was a bit of a hilarious aside included this week, which was a much-needed dose of levity. It’s clear that Young Ian has had a bit of a crush on his cousin for a while now, which Jamie points out with amusement. Brianna’s all like, “Uh, ew, he’s my cousin” (not verbatim), to which Jamie sincerely replies, “Can you not be smitten with your cousin in your time?” I suppose you can, dude, but it’s generally quite frowned upon.

It’s hard to believe that there are only three episodes left in this season. I imagine Brianna giving birth will be saved for the finale, which makes me wonder how long and arduous this trek from the Carolinas up north to find Roger will actually be. I guess we can only wait and see.

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.

Watch Outlander Season 4 Episode 10 ("The Deep Heart's Core") on Starz