Go ahead and call Strangerit’s Jamie The scientistbecause while no one said returning to Scotland would be easy, no one ever said it would be this difficult – and heartbreaking.

In short order during the Starz series’ midseason premiere, The Notorious JAMMF discovers a loved one is dying, gets stalked by a still-crazy, still-crazy ex-wife, and says goodbye to his current wife as she heads to America. And we haven’t even touched on the time travel bomb that he and Claire detonated right there at Lallybroch’s dining table.

Meanwhile, elsewhere and in Scotland, Roger is experiencing his own little adventure. Read on to discover the highlights of “Unfinished Business.”

A HEARING RETURN | After fulfilling their duty and returning Simon Fraser’s body to his homeland, Jamie, Claire and Young Ian arrive at Lallybroch’s courtyard. When Jenny (now played by Kristen Atherton) comes out of the house, she immediately runs to her son but needs a minute to realize how different he is from the last time she saw him. Still, she grabs him and hugs him tightly before turning her attention to Jamie, who looks well and truly scared of his sister. He has It’s been a lot longer than expected between visits, hasn’t it? She attacks him for a minute, then runs to him and kisses him, then Claire, with all her strength.

Everyone is starting to catch up. Old man’s other children Ian and Jenny are adults, or almost. Speaking of the elder Murray, “Where’s Da?” » asks young Ian to his mother. “Coughing a lung inside” is the answer: When everyone comes into the house to see Jenny’s husband, it’s clear that he is very ill. “Dinna fash, it’s always me,” he says jokingly, but he can’t find the strength to get up and say hello. Claire surreptitiously asks Jenny how long Ian has been coughing and learns that it has been years, although he has been much worse in recent months. Buckle up, Sassenachs: we’re only 10 minutes into the episode, and IAN IS DEAD.

Claire’s quick diagnosis: consumption. Jamie makes gallows humor jokes with his dear friend, but when the Frasers have a moment alone, Big Red is shaken. Claire makes it clear that she can’t save her brother-in-law, but that she will make him feel as comfortable as possible. And even though death is so prevalent in the house that you can practically see the Grim Reaper making himself comfortable in the living room, everyone tries to proceed with Jamie and Claire’s visit as if everything is fine.

At one point, Ian updates his post about Swiftest of Turtles and his English name Ian James; the news makes old Ian cry with joy. Then, young Ian shares that he is in love with Rachel and the men talk about the importance of having a good wife. Old Ian urges his son to return to America as soon as he can, lest someone else step in and woo the Quaker while he is away.

‘HE NEEDS ME’ | And now, the comic relief of the hour, which comes in the form of Laoghaire trying to kill Jamie with his bare hands. After getting permission from a perplexed Claire to visit his ex-wife and settle some unfinished business (Caitríona Balfe’s line about “Send her my best regards” is perfect, btw), Jamie goes to Laoghaire’s farm and tries to apologize. being an imposter inside the entire time they were together. But she thinks he’s really there to get out of the financial situation they found themselves in years ago. Within minutes, she’s getting under his skin with SURGICAL precision, which is such a fun contrast between her huffing frustration and Claire’s light-hearted nonchalance in the previous scene.

Soon, she points out that she was just a placeholder for him, someone to help him while he mourned Claire, but that she really had feelings for him. She flatly asks him if he was already in love with Claire when he kissed her after being beaten for her at Castle Leoch. “Always. Yes, I was,” he answers honestly… which prompts her to chase after him with a pitchfork. The Laoghaire farmer notices what is happening and rushes to his aid. Jamie punches him, which exposes the man, and Laoghaire immediately abandons his attack to run towards the man. She kisses him, trying to see how hurt he is, as Jamie watches. “He needs me,” she spits by way of explanation. “You bastard never did it.”

That night in their room, Jamie cries as he makes sure Claire knows he needs her. “As far as I know, you needed me urgently from the moment you saw me,” she teases. “I have no reason to think that you have become more independent since then.” Oh, and anything else? She wants to tell her family that she is truly from the 20th century.

ONCE CLAIRE CAN’T HELP | The impetus for his revelation is that Jenny and Ian’s son, Michael, live in France, where a very bloody revolution is planned in the near future. She therefore warns him not to be there after 1788, and backs it up by explaining: “I know it because I am not from that time. I was born in 1918.” THEIR FACES! “Claire knows about things that are going to happen,” Jamie adds. “I would listen to it.”

Jenny says, “Great!” So heal Ian! And when Claire can’t, Jenny thinks it’s because her sister-in-law is mad at her about her role in Laoghaire-gate since the last time they were all together. “I’m not magic. And I have no power, just some knowledge,” Claire tries to explain. “Not enough to save a dying person, not even the one I love.” But Jenny accuses him of not having a soul, then runs away crying. Oh man, I feel for Jenny in this episode. Deep sorrow AND guests? No wonder she runs off into the woods to cry like a wounded animal. And she can’t even have a moment of peace THEN! Jamie finds her and feels the need to immediately cheer her up by telling her a litany about how she must always have been the strongest person in their family. Verbatim of my notes: “My God, give him a minute to sob! » Still, by the end of their conversation, she at least has a weak, watery smile on her face, so I guess that’s something?

A NEW ARRANGEMENT | Returning home, Jamie summons Laoghaire, his farmhand, and his daughter, Joanie (Marsali’s sister) to Lallybroch. Thanks to some information from Joanie, Jamie knows that Laoghaire really wants to marry the farmer but is holding back because their previous arrangement means she will lose the house to Jamie. So he (with the help of Ned Gowan, who no one can believe is still alive) drafts an amendment that will allow Laoghaire to keep the house. Meanwhile, Joanie’s dowry will be released to pay for her time at the convent she wishes to join, and Jamie will give her two gold musket balls for her upkeep there. If you have a moment, do yourself a favor and replay the moment around the 46:20 mark, paying special attention to Claire’s face when Laoghaire finally nods. It’s pretty damn awesome.

HERE’S YOUR HAT, WHAT’S YOUR PRESS? | But it’s not Stranger Unless someone is in dire need of Claire’s skills, they soon receive a letter from Lord John asking her to come to Philadelphia and treat his nephew, Henry, who was shot in the abdomen in combat and is looks bad. Claire wants to stay for Ian’s final days, but the Fraser siblings gently encourage her to help Lord John. And after Jenny also makes it clear that Ian has her and old Ian’s blessing to go to Rachel and make her his wife, young Ian joins his aunt on her journey.

The day they leave, Jenny apologizes to Claire, and things are much easier between them than they have been in all episodes. Then a very gray-looking Ian cautiously walks outside to say goodbye to everyone, waving at them as their cart disappears down the road.

ROGER RETURNS | Life is much more overwhelming — and that’s saying something! – for the Fraser-MacKenzie side of the family. Roger and Buck cross the stones, leaving a helpless Brianna behind in the present to grieve and care for Mandy. When Rog and Buck arrive in the past, it’s clear that it took a huge physical toll on the older man; Roger fears Buck is having a heart attack, but the immediate danger passes. “If Buck dies, would I exist?” » asks Roger in voiceover. “Would Jemmy exist?”

The men split up to search for Roger’s son, with Rog heading straight for Lallybroch. But when he knocks on the door, he’s shocked when Brian Fraser, aka Jamie’s dad, answers! Yes: Roger went back too far in time. When Brian mentions that Jamie is at college, Rog realizes that it is probably 1739 or 1740. He is so distracted that he barely notices when the family talks about a “fairy man” who has been seen in the region. And then he has a much bigger problem when Buck falls ill on the way to Lallybroch, and Roger has to take him to the local herbalist.

This herbalist turns out to be… the murderess and blood magic enthusiast Geillis Duncan, played once again by Lotte Verbeek! “Oh, Jesus Christ!” Roger voiceovers as the episode cuts to black.

What did you think of the midseason premiere? Rate it via the poll below, watch our conversation with Balfe and Sam Heughan in the video at the top of the article, then hit the comments with any thoughts you might have. Stranger thoughts!