Claire struggles to survive brutal treatment from her captors, as Jamie gathers a group of loyal men to help him rescue his wife. Roger and Brianna’s journey takes a surprising turn.
Claire lies at the base of a tree with a noose around her neck to keep her there. Her mind goes from what happened when Lionel Brown dragged her away angry to an ambiguous house where everyone from her Ridge family are living in the 60s. There she stares at a painting of the Big House we see hints of her life on the Ridge.
Lionel is angry about her “Dr. Rawlings” advice. He wants her to go to Brownsville and confess to the woman who she is so the see her as a charlatan. He’s upset that his new wife has ideas about keeping him out of her bed.
Lionel and his men blew up the stile to create a distraction so they could get Claire out. Claire tries to flee from them but is caught and Hodgepile cuts her chest. A man named Tebbe is terrified of her believing she is a conjure woman and will put a curse on them. He’s concerned about harming her. A native man ties her up asking where she is from and talks about the man on the moon.
That night she lies under the tree cold listening to the men joke that her feet aren’t tied; knowing they mean to rape her.
In Claire’s mind everyone is showing up at the house. Fergus, Marsali, and Germain arrive. Young Ian comes home in a military uniform and wishes them a Happy Thanksgiving.
Claire stands at the window watching the rain and the cold outside when Jamie comes up behind her and wraps her in a blanket and his arms.
Claire remembers their travel and being in a wagon with Tebbe who offered her food and drink and told her to remember he didn’t hurt her.
When they stop to cross the creek Claire plays on Tebbe’s fear and tells him about the waterhorses in the water that are her friends and how he can help her get away. He agrees but Hodgepile intervenes saying he will take Claire across. Tebbe and Hodgepile fight over Claire but Lionel intervenes. Claire says JHRC and the Native man catches it. Cuddy (a Brown) believes she’s cursing them again and Lionel gags her.
In Claire’s mind everyone is happy together. Jocasta and Murtagh are there and everyone is laughing and enjoying time together.
Claire comes back to herself lying beneath the tree where she remembers Lionel putting her after she stared at him across the fire. He became incensed and beat her before tying her beneath the tree. Claire sobs under the tree and Claire goes back to her family in the house. She turns her head and sees a rabbit on the carpeting and then in the woods where she comes back to herself.
Claire begins to have trouble breathing and tries to get the gag out of her mouth when the Native comes to her and removes the gag. He asks if the name Ringo Starr means anything to her and she is stunned.
She tells him he is a drummer and Wendigo Donner tells her he knew she was like him. He traveled back with a group of American Indians in 1968. She says Otter Tooth or Robert Springer and Wendigo is stunned to hear Bob’s name. She says the Mohawk killed him but Wendigo doesn’t think that makes sense because they came back to save the American Indians.
She begs him to untie her and she will tell him everything. He’s been trying to get home for a long time but needs gemstones. She tells him she has gemstones and knows where there is a stone circle. She can get him home if he take her with him now. He is reluctant because Lionel is crazy so he’ll wait until the others fall asleep.
Lionel calls out to find out what he’s doing and he says he’s making sure she’s tied. He tells her most of the woman of this time are afraid of men and she should act more afraid. He then replaces the gag and leaves.
Claire’s mind retreats to the house but Lionel is in the window. When she comes back to herself Lionel is approaching with his nephew who he is coaching on how to rape her. The boy does rape her but pretty much loses himself before much can happen. Lionel doesn’t have that problem and slaps and kicks her before raping her.
In her mind, she’s at the house with everyone having fun and playing. Jamie is helping set the table and he’s checked on the turkey. Claire notices a drip from the ceiling and Young Ian asks after Roger and Bree who are on their way. Jamie toasts to Claire but again Lionel appears and she comes back to herself as he finishes.
Lionel offers her up to the other men who seem to be keen to rape her.
In Claire’s mind, Germain is running around and Marsali is making a plate for Jemmy who has yet to arrive. Jamie doesn’t want her to worry as Roger and Bree will be there soon. The doorbell rings and Claire goes to answer it but it is police (Lionel and Hodgepile) who tells her Roger and Bree died in a car accident with Jem. He says they tried to save them but their injuries were fatal which is the same way Frank died.
Bree, Roger, and Jem wake up at the base of the stones and Jem runs to Ian who is waiting. They haven’t gone anywhere. They haven’t been gone long. Both Roger and Bree were thinking of home and apparently went nowhere. They head back and decide to stop and camp but see the fiery cross burning and push on through the night.
When they make it to the Ridge (I thought it took two weeks) they find the men all prepared to for battle. Jamie is surprised to see them and they simply say it didn’t work. Jamie tells them the Browns took Claire. Bree wants to go but Jamie tells her to stay.
Josiah wants to go as he’s a good shot and it is for Mistress Claire. Roger wants to go too. Jamie called him to stand by his side and there is time for men of peace and time for men of blood.
Young Ian paints his face in what appears to be blood and the men ride out.
Back in Claire’s mind she is reliving her dream of Jamie coming home. They dance and then Claire comes to herself seeing fighting and men running.
The men of the Ridge are slaughtering the men who took Claire and we see Ian’s very Mohawk fighting and killing. Roger is attacked and kills a man as Jamie takes out everyone he encounters while calling out for Claire.
In her head, Jamie tells her not to be afraid because there is the two of them now. Jamie finds her beaten and violated and ungags her. He cuts her ties and sits her up. He tells her she is alive and whole.
The mean comes to see her. Fergus and Ian are horrified and Myers says there are some still alive and offers Claire vengeance. Jamie tells him she’s taken an oath to do no harm and he kills for her. Ian and Fergus both say they too kill for her. Jamie asks Claire who and how many but she doesn’t know. Jamie tells them, “Kill them all.”
Ian, Myers, and Fergus return to the others and all of them are killed. Ian returns to Jamie saying it is done. Jamie wraps Claire in his plaid and picks her up. He carries her to the men who have been killed so she knows they will never return to her.
Myers says one is alive and it is Lionel. Roger stops them from killing him and says there are questions. Should they ask now or taken him with them. Jamie wants to take Claire home and has Roger and Myers take him to the Ridge.
On the road, Claire is by the stream and Jamie waits. She asks after Marsali and Jamie gives her the news she is alive and the baby is fine. Geordie (the man she was healing) is dead.
Claire asks if there was an Indian man among the dead. He was from the future. Jamie wants to know if he hurt her but she shakes her head and says he didn’t help her. But he wasn’t among the dead. She thinks her mind is playing tricks on her because she saw Roger. Jamie tells her they came home.
They finally make it back to the Ridge where Bree rushes out to Claire who hugs her gently. Marsali joins them and the three hug.
Upstairs Claire is bathing and Bree is helping her wash. Claire is trying to scrub away what they did. Bree leaves her and tells her, “you have my hand and my ear if you need it.”
Claire assesses the damage and later stares at herself in the mirror. Jamie comes in and says he wants to kill when he sees what was done to her. She asks if he will kill Lionel and then confesses she is sorry that she is glad the others are dead.
Claire won’t look Jamie in the face. She tells him not to worry about her and when he tries to tell her he understand what happened to her she cuts him off. She has lived through a world war. She won’t let this shatter her.
Brianna goes home to Roger sleeping in a chair by the fire. He asks after Claire and whether she could talk about it. Bree tells him it is still raw. Maybe she’ll tell Da someday. Roger says, “What a horrific combination of words for anyone to have to find within themselves… and utter to another being,” as he looks up and Bree who no doubt had too. The two embrace and then go to bed. Roger wants to confess to her but wishes to do it in the dark. When Bree blows out the candles, Roger says he killed a man.
The next day, Claire goes to the surgery where Lionel is begging for mercy. Claire is there to do her job but considers killing him with one of her blades. She can’t do it and leaves. She goes upstairs and breaks down in the hallway.
Downstairs, Marsali is supposed to be steeping the comfrey but is instead she steeps water hemlock which is a poison. Lionel is harassing her and tells her if he’s not treated well his brother will come with his mean and slaughter them all and burn their homes over them while the sleep. Like what happened to the Dutch family?
Marsali prepares the syringe and he asks about it. She says she’s been learning the art of healing from Mistress Fraser. She injects him saying she took no such oath. She tells him, “You hurt me. You hurt my family. You hurt my ma. I’ll watch you burn in hell before I let you harm another soul in this house,” as she injects him and he dies.
Jamie find her sitting on the floor of the surgery and she confesses to killing him and asks if she’ll go to hell. Jamie assures her there is nothing to fear and helps her up off the floor.
Jamie takes Lionel’s body to Brownsville and delivers him to Richard. Jamie tells Richard what Lionel did and Richard says Lionel reaped what he sowed and Jamie did what he must, but so will he when the times comes.
Roger and Bree walk up. They believe they are home.
Jamie and Claire watch from the porch while everyone enjoys themselves in the yard. She notices a post is crooked and he is willing to mend it but she says it can wait. They should enjoy the peace before what comes.
Claire seems determined to move on. She tells him she loves him and Jamie says, “when the day shall come that we do part, if my last words are not, ‘I love you,’ ye ken it’s because I didna have time.”
At night, Jamie and Claire lay in bed naked. He holds her as she curls into him. He tells her she is a brave wee thing, implying she told him everything she endured. He asks how she feels and she tells him safe. The two listen to the thunder entwined.
