#DROUGHTLANDER is finally coming to an end! The seemingly endless period of time between new seasons is coming to a close this Sunday with the premiere of Outlander's sixth season. Seeing as it's been two years since the last season aired, here is everything you need to remember before Sunday!
TW: Contains mentions of sexual assault
Revolution
Season 5 takes place in the early 1770s, and the beginnings of the American Revolution are starting to make their appearance. In exchange for the land of Fraser's Ridge, now Claire and Jamie's home, Jamie agreed to assist the British Crown in fighting dissent in the colonies. He raised a militia in order to fight the Regulators, a group that opposed the harsh taxation of the Crown on those living in the colonies.
Murtagh, Jamie's godfather, was a part of this group, and as such, Jamie was ordered to kill him. While he managed to avoid this request, Murtagh was nevertheless killed by one of Jamie's men during the Battle of Alamance.
Following this, Jamie rejected his duty to the Crown, which may have serious consequences on the Frasers' home.
Time Travel
Brianna and Roger, Claire's daughter and son-in-law, resided at Fraser's Ridge throughout season 5 along with their young son, Jeremiah. The couple had traveled back in time from 1968, shortly after Claire. While they had not originally intended to stay in the past for long, the birth of their son while there complicated things.
The rocks which allow for time travel are not accessible to everyone, and it is unknown what allows one person and not another to pass through. Brianna and Roger did not wish to risk attempting to pass through the rocks before they were certain their son possessed the ability to.
It was eventually determined that Jeremiah would be able to join them, and the family was ready to say goodbye to what had become their home. However, as they touched the rocks and felt the time travel occur as it had in the past, they did not in fact, return to their own time. They instead remained in 1772 for an unknown reason, an event which had never occurred to anyone else they knew who had traveled through the rocks.
Evidence of more time travelers also appeared throughout the season. In the season finale, Claire encountered Wendigo Donner. He recognized her mannerisms and practices as being from the future and revealed that he himself traveled from 1969. He will surely be appearing in the next season, bringing with him the possibility of an even larger presence of time travelers than Claire ever considered.
Modern Medicine
Brianna, Roger, and Jeremiah's presence at Fraser's Ridge was a source of happiness for Claire. They also caused her to begin implementing medical practices of the modern world that had yet to be discovered in the 18th century, as a means of protecting those she loves and the community she is a part of.
She was successful, managing to create the antibiotic penicillin from mold, which saved Jamie's life after he was bitten by a snake while hunting. Claire decided to begin writing under a pen name, Dr. Rawlings, in order to spread useful medical advice that was not yet known or accepted in the 1700s.
Soon thereafter, advice on how women can avoid unwanted pregnancies caused a woman to arrive at Claire's home for medical services. Her husband, Lionel Brown, harmed her after she followed Dr. Rawlings' advice and refused his advances.
Lionel Brown already had a tenuous relationship with the Frasers, as Jamie had refused to join his group of men who circulated the surrounding areas to independently enforce the order. While at Claire's home, he saw a box in her office labeled Dr. Rawlings. Having realized that Claire was in fact the one spreading the medical advice, he enacted a horrific plan to take revenge on the Frasers.
Difficult Realities
Brown's plan took Claire as its primary victim, wishing to stop her spread of harmful information, which in reality was simple modern medical advice. Along with his supporters, Brown kidnapped Claire and repeatedly assaulted her. Thankfully, Jamie and the other men of the Ridge quickly realized who had taken her and were able to save her from further harm, killing Brown in the process.
Brown's brother, Richard, appeared at Fraser's Ridge following the attack. He claimed to understand Jamie's actions but hinted that he would soon be back for his own revenge for the death of his brother.
The effects of this horrific assault will undoubtedly play a large part in season 6, and Claire is not the only character who will likely be dealing with trauma. Her daughter Brianna, who was also assaulted, is still carrying the memories of her attacker with her.
Stephen Bonnet, the man behind Brianna's assault, was found and killed during season 5, but only after he kidnapped Brianna, believing her son Jeremiah to be his, not her husband's. The memories of these events are yet to be out of Brianna's mind and her healing process is not complete.
Rewriting History
During the emotional events of the last season, the reason Brianna originally left the modern world to seek out her mother is easy to forget.
After her mother left to return to Jamie in season 3, Brianna discovered documents dating from the 1770s which contained important information about her mother's life in the past. While it confirmed to Brianna that she was able to find Jamie, the document was an obituary revealing the couple's death in a house fire, though the exact date was smudged.
This leaves us with an undeniable sense of dread—will Claire and Jamie be able to avoid a seemingly certain fate?
What Comes Next?
More time travelers, a man out for revenge, a brewing war, and an apparent death sentence leave season 6 with much to work with.
We have also already been teased about a new set of characters who will be arriving at Fraser's Ridge: the Christies.
Tom Christie, the father, spent time in Ardsmuir Prison along with Jamie following the Jacobite Rising and Battle of Culloden. The family is sure to bring lots of new tension to Fraser's Ridge.
The season premiere of Outlander airs this Sunday, March 6 on Starz!
