Ep 4. The Gathering

In Outlander season 1 episode 4, titled "The Gathering," Claire is invited to attend a gathering of the clans at Castle Leoch. This event is held once a year and is a time for the clans to come together, settle disputes, and swear loyalty to their leaders. Claire is hesitant to attend, as she fears it may put her in danger, but Jamie assures her that she will be safe.

As the day of the gathering approaches, tensions run high at the castle. Jamie's sister, Jenny, is heavily pregnant and her husband, Ian, is concerned for her well-being. Dougal, Jamie's uncle, is also on edge as he is using the event to garner support for a possible uprising against the English.

At the gathering, Claire witnesses the traditions of the Scottish clans, including the swearing of oaths and the display of swords. She also sees first-hand the animosity between the clans, as a fight breaks out between the MacKenzies and the Camerons. Jamie intervenes to stop the fight and successfully negotiates a settlement between the two clans.

Throughout the gathering, Claire struggles to fit in and understand the customs of the time. She also catches the eye of members of the clan, including Laoghaire, a young woman who is infatuated with Jamie and sees Claire as a threat.

One of the main events of the gathering is the "Riding of the Stags," a dangerous tradition where members of the clans ride on horseback to hunt a deer. Jamie participates in the event, but when Dougal insists on taking Claire along, Jamie becomes angry and refuses to let her go. This leads to a heated confrontation between Jamie and Dougal and causes tension between the two.

As the night wears on, the tension at the gathering continues to build. Dougal makes a fiery speech about the need for the clans to unite against the English and Jamie is forced to swear his loyalty to his uncle and the cause. Claire, who has been struggling to adjust to the customs of the time, finally finds some common ground with Mrs. Fitz, the castle's head housekeeper, who tells her the story of her own great love and the sacrifices she made to be with him.

As the gathering comes to a close, Jamie and Claire finally have a moment alone together. Despite their growing attraction to each other, they both acknowledge that they are from different times and that their relationship is impossible.

Overall, Outlander season 1 episode 4, "The Gathering," is a tense and dramatic episode that sets the stage for the rest of the season. It showcases the complex relationships between the Scottish clans and highlights the challenges that Claire faces as a woman from the future trying to fit into the customs of the past.