Outlander season 4: EP on Brianna delivery scene, sans Jamie & Claire
Why weren’t Jamie and Claire back in time to see their granddaughter born? It all really comes down to a story decision more than anything else — there were other choices made in the show that led up to it sure, but this was something that the writers simply opted against within the show itself. Instead, they had Jamie and Claire arrive to see their grandson a little bit later. Soon after that, Roger also returned and their had that romantic reunion.
Here’s our feeling about it — it would’ve been great to have the moment, but we think the intention here was to present a series of different moments — such as Bree having to give birth around relative strangers and then also her wondering where her parents on. It added more drama to the finale, though a part of us does wish that we didn’t have to hold our breath as much as we did.
This sentiment was echoed by series star Sophie Skelton, who told Entertainment Weekly a little bit about how she feels the show echoes with people in the real world:
It kind of resonates today with a lot of modern women. There are single moms, or maybe their parents aren’t around because they passed away. For someone of Bree’s age, I think it shows such strength of her character that she’s sort of surrounded by, not strangers, but people she doesn’t really know. She doesn’t really know Jocasta that well, and Lizzie is relatively new. Phaedra’s new. For Bree to do that alone is, I think, pretty great. It shows how far she’s come from the beginning of the season in terms of growing up, becoming a woman. It also then gives her that moment, just her and Jemmy, when she feels she might not be able to accept him. Then that sort of motherly love comes out of her and she realizes that she can accept this baby no matter who the father is.
Meanwhile, executive producer Matthew B. Roberts noted that there was a lot of debate in regards to showing the scene or not showing it within the writers’ room:
Once again, in the power structure, the decision was made not to show that. There is always debate in the room. You can debate 100 times about something, and somebody ultimately makes a decision. I never debate whether it’s a right decision or a wrong decision, or whether it’s good or bad. It’s just the decision, and then you fall in line. You turn and make the best show you can.
In the end, we don’t know how much more discussion we’re going to get about this scene one way or another. What was shown was shown, and now, it seems like the best thing to do is move forward and see what comes next. We of course want more Jamie, Claire, Brianna, Roger, and Jemmy family moments, but shouldn’t that be a given anyway?
Photo: Starz