Six seasons in, no one could make the argument that Outlander is lacking in adventure and significant stakes — but Season 5 was dominated throughout by ordeal: death for one major character, near-deadly circumstances for another, all leading to a particularly traumatic ordeal for Claire (Caitriona Balfe). It's no wonder, then, that Season 6 takes an almost-necessary step back from suffering for the sake of drama, with Fraser's Ridge largely serving as the backdrop for Claire and Jamie (Sam Heughan), as well as the rest of us, to enjoy a much-needed respite in the aftermath of last season's brutality. While it might feel, at points, like Outlander's latest batch of episodes is narratively treading water, there's something innately comforting about this season's drama being mostly rooted in neighborly tiffs, or the interpersonal conflicts between some of the show's most important characters, rather than an external force swooping in to inflict more horrors on the Frasers and their kin.
Fortunately, Claire and Jamie are as strong as they've ever been — and while Claire is still, on occasion, dealing with the psychological aftereffects of her attack last season, the show makes a point to remind us that these are two people who are still not only madly in love with one another; they're ridiculously attracted to each other too. (It's no surprise, given that Jamie still looks very muscled for his advancing age, albeit with a little more gray at his temples and the need to wear reading glasses, as well as the role he adopts in essentially playing firm but fair grandfather to most of the children on Fraser's Ridge.) Several scenes dedicated to their physical relationship are valuable because of the emotional intimacy they portray; on the other hand, Balfe and Heughan have been doing this for so long that the casual affection between the Frasers feels instinctive and natural, to the point where Jamie and Claire's scenes are still the most compelling parts of the show itself.
Most of the plotlines this season happen in and around Fraser's Ridge, with several supporting cast members afforded some of the most major emotional beats. The backstory of what happened between Jamie's nephew Ian (John Bell) and his time with the Mohawk tribe is finally revealed, with the ripple effects of that past carrying into the present as Jamie navigates his new role as a go-between with the British armies and a local Cherokee tribe. Roger (Richard Rankin) stumbles into a new position of his own as the Ridge's minister, while Brianna (Sophie Skelton) is much more adrift by comparison (at least in the initial episodes provided for review) as she tries to come up with basic scientific inventions, bringing the concept of matches into the 18th century. However, the couple that has the most pain to wade through this season is Marsali (Lauren Lyle) and Fergus (Cesar Domboy), the latter blaming himself for the attack his wife suffered during Claire's kidnapping, which leads him to drown his sorrows rather pitifully and neglect his responsibilities at home — at the expense of a very pregnant Marsali and the rest of their children.
There are newcomers on the Ridge this season too with the arrival of the Christies, a family whose patriarch (Mark Lewis Jones) has a particular history with Jamie that results in a cautious détente between the two, especially when Tom Christie declares that he and his offspring will be settling on the land themselves, taking advantage of a previous missive Jamie had sent out to the survivors of Ardsmuir Prison. Tom's daughter Malva (Jessica Reynolds) takes an interest in Claire's healing, with a natural curiosity about the world that her very religious father has thus far attempted to quash, but whether she'll be a sincere or a duplicitous presence in the Frasers' lives is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, her brother Allan (Alexander Vlahos) seems somewhat more guileless on the surface, but certain actions early in the season point to the possibility of him getting into much deeper trouble than could be predicted. Ultimately, it's Tom himself that could prove to be the largest source of conflict, especially when his conservative ways of thinking are immediately set up to clash with Claire's self-reliance outside of Jamie and her rightly-earned confidence in her abilities as a surgeon.
There are undoubtedly bigger storylines brewing in the distance — with the Revolutionary War looming, it's becoming more and more clear that Jamie, in particular, is going to need to make a definitive choice regarding which side to align himself with — but the show's choice to limit its initial scope, pulling back from charging so rapidly into yet another life-changing conflict for all of these characters, is one that benefits the series at its current point and as a whole. It would be naive to remain convinced that from this moment on, Outlander could shift to only being the type of show that's about idyllic, pleasant living on the American frontier, centered around two people and a romance that is still truly one for the ages. But for the time being, at least, it's a welcome change of pace, even if this restful period for the Frasers and their loved ones will likely not last forever.
Rating: B+
Season 6 of Outlander premieres Sunday, March 6 on Starz.