Overall, Outlander has enjoyed considerable success. Although it doesn’t always fully capture the essence of the books, the storylines of Claire and Jamie have delivered satisfying enough conclusions to keep fans invested. However, there is one character and storyline that many viewers find problematic.
Brianna, the daughter of Claire and Jamie, has often drawn criticism. While she sometimes steals the spotlight from the show’s true stars—Claire and Jamie—she is also known for making decisions that feel baffling or inconsistent. Here are some of the most frustrating inconsistencies that fans have pointed out.
She Decides Not To Stay In The Past
One would think that after all Brianna goes through to time travel and reach her mother to warn her of the impending danger, she would at least remain in the past until the anticipated moment of Jamie and Claire’s death. After all, she meticulously prepared for her journey.
Yet, she chooses to return home before that moment arrives. While her decision is somewhat understandable given the birth of Jemmy, the show fails to fully explore her reasoning, leaving her choice to seemingly ignore her parents’ looming fate feeling underdeveloped.
She Blackmails Lord John Grey
Brianna is portrayed as a modern woman. Like Claire, she’s open-minded and progressive, which makes her stand out in the past. This is evident in the way she treats Jocasta’s slaves—as human beings rather than mere servants.
Given this, it feels jarring when she uses Lord John Grey’s sexual orientation to blackmail him. Such a move seems beneath her and inconsistent with the compassion she would naturally feel toward him.
She Can Do Almost Everything
Many of Claire’s abilities in the past make sense, given her experience as a combat medic in the military. Brianna, however, surviving a trek alone through snowy Scotland armed with only an old map and a sandwich, stretches believability.
Although the show mentions that Frank taught her to shoot and took her camping, it’s still unlikely that a modern woman from our time would possess the level of survival skills she demonstrates.
She Fights Roger Over A Small Thing
When Roger Wakefield and Brianna finally reunite in the past, they decide to start a relationship—a decision that already feels a bit rushed. They share a heartfelt scene, professing their undying love and sharing an intimate moment.
Yet, just moments later, Brianna overreacts when Roger admits he hadn’t mentioned the obituary he discovered. Her sudden change in attitude, completely contradicting her earlier loving words and letting him walk away, feels abrupt and illogical.
She Shoots Stephen Bonnet At His Execution
After numerous episodes portraying Stephen Bonnet as a terrifying criminal who violently abused Brianna, fans were expecting a more satisfying resolution to the conflict—something significant to grant Brianna her vengeance.
At first, it seems promising: Bonnet is tied to a post in a river with the tide rising, playing on his fear of drowning. But instead of letting him face a punishment that fits his crimes, Brianna shoots him in the head before he can drown. Even Roger questions whether her action was truly merciful or simply a way to guarantee his death. Either way, it falls short of the resolution fans had hoped for.
She Doesn’t Blame Lizzie For Roger’s Fate
The entire misunderstanding that paints Roger as Brianna’s abuser stems from Lizzie witnessing him arguing with Brianna in the streets. Without knowing the full story, Lizzie jumps to conclusions and unintentionally casts him as the antagonist.
Yet, when the truth comes out, Brianna shows no resentment toward Lizzie. Considering Lizzie was the one who passed along false information to Jamie and Ian, one might expect Brianna to confront her or at least express some frustration—but she doesn’t.
She Lets Claire Return To The Past
From the beginning, Brianna and Claire share a complicated relationship. Their family dynamic has been heavily impacted by Claire and Frank’s broken marriage, and since Brianna was closer to Frank, she naturally harbors strong feelings about her mother’s secret life.
Just as they begin to reconcile and strengthen their bond, Brianna lets Claire return to the past, once again putting Jamie ahead of her—a choice that undercuts the progress in their relationship.
She Gets Overly Mad At Jamie’s Mistake
Connected to the whole Lizzie incident, once the truth about Roger is revealed, Brianna directs all her anger at Jamie and Young Ian, even though they were misled by Lizzie and had no way of knowing the facts.
She lashes out at Jamie in a manner that feels exaggerated and somewhat out of character. Even when Brianna eventually forgives him, the forgiveness comes across as insincere.
She Approaches Bonnet Without Fear
One of the most harrowing moments in the series is Brianna’s assault, yet the circumstances leading up to it feel odd. After an argument with Roger, she returns to the inn and, upon spotting Claire’s ring, approaches a group of strangers.
Considering this is the past, her fearless approach comes across as naive and reckless—especially given the survival and safety training she received from Frank. While she is in no way to blame for the assault, her actions feel inconsistent with her established character.
She Marries Roger After Little Contact With Him
When Roger first proposes, Brianna is caught off guard and declines, explaining that she isn’t ready for such a significant commitment. Months pass without any meaningful communication between them, until they finally reunite in the past.
Despite nothing fundamentally changing between them, they suddenly decide to get married. The sudden change of heart feels forced and somewhat unconvincing.
