Spoilers ahead for Episode 4 of Outlander Season 7, called “A Most Uncomfortable Woman.”
War is imminent for the Frasers as of the latest episode of Outlander, which brought back Tom Christie just in time to see Jamie and Claire march off to Fort Ticonderoga while Young Ian went on a mission of his own that unexpectedly reunited him with William Ransom. Meanwhile, in the 20th century, Brianna and Roger had problems of their own to deal with that could at least be partially solved with an influx of money, which raises the question: should they go on a treasure hunt for the Jacobite gold? Stars Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin debated that very topic during an interview with CinemaBlend, and they had some hilarious answers.
To recap, while the Frasers were dealing with another tragedy and the accidental death of Mrs. Bug in the 18th century in the previous episode, Roger and Brianna got a box of letters that Claire and Jamie wrote for them… which included the means to find the location to the stash of Jacobite gold that had previously been lost. All they have to do is ask Jemmy about the secret he shared with his grandfather, and they could have the money they need to renovate Lallybroch. But Roger and Bree haven’t wanted to put any burden on Jemmy so far, even with their financial struggles in “A Most Uncomfortable Woman.”
Naturally, when I spoke with the Outlander stars about everything from their thoughts on Bree’s second pregnancy to the very emotional scene that gave them the giggles, I had to ask Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin for their thoughts on the Jacobite gold and whether they would want to go on a treasure hunt to North Carolina to get it. Their initial reactions were a bit different from each other, as they told CinemaBlend:
- Richard Rankin: “I’d be on the first flight.”
- Sophie Skelton: “I think I’m a little superstitious.”
Richard Rankin immediately said that he’d be heading straight to North Carolina to retrieve the hidden stash of gold, whereas Sophie Skelton wasn’t so quick to jump on board with a treasure hunt. They changed their tunes a bit when they started to consider what they’d do in their characters’ places, saying:
- Sophie Skelton: “Well, they’re trying to renovate the house. Roger has expensive taste.”
- Richard Rankin: “He does. He likes his paint.”
- Sophie Skelton: “He does like his paint. It’s hard to say. I think as Brianna, it feels a little wrong to go and get the gold. But they’re living in a trailer with kids for two years. You know what? Yeah, we’ve been in a trailer with kids for two years. I think we need the house to get the gold.”
What’s a little superstition compared to living in a trailer for multiple years with a pair of growing kids to raise? While the trailer at least had the benefit of no priest hole for Jemmy to stash Mandy in, “A Most Uncomfortable Woman” certainly showed that the kids are a handful. Plus, paint for a whole manor isn’t just going to buy itself! As the stars continued considering what they’d do in Roger and Bree’s shoes, Richard Rankin mentioned pop culture’s most iconic treasure-hunter: Indiana Jones himself. The back-and-forth between co-stars went on:
- Richard Rankin: “It just feels a bit like these historians, like Indiana Jones. Go off and search for the gold. We get ourselves little hats.”
- Sophie Skelton: “But I think they do it to give it back to the public so people can see it.”
- Richard Rankin: “Definitely for the good.”
- Sophie Skelton: “Basically, what we’re saying is, yes, we’re materialistic and we’d go and get the gold.” [laughs]
- Richard Rankin: “And a portion of it would go to to good causes.”
It remains to be seen if the MacKenzies do hop a flight to North Carolina to try and retrieve the Jacobite gold, but I’m officially on board with Richard Rankin’s idea of little hats being involved. Roger and Bree are not quite at a point in the 20th century that Raiders of the Lost Ark would have premiered yet to debut Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, though! Sophie Skelton was seemingly inspired by the idea of getting the gold for good causes, and she shared the final answer:
Even for charity donation, they should go get the gold, actually. If they know it’s there, right? Help some people in the world. We’ve seen what it’s like to live in the harsh winters and things of a time period where you don’t have many means at your disposal. So yeah, now we’re in the 20th century, we should go get the gold and help some people out. Renovations can wait!
Renovations are hardly the most pressing matter for the Outlander characters at the moment, even though Roger and Bree don’t have war to worry about or visions of the future like what Jamie experiences and has to interpret. Whether or not the MacKenzies need a treasure hunt for funds is up in the air at this point. Brianna did just get what seems to be a well-paying job despite the odds being stacked against her, so they have some money coming in even if Roger isn’t working outside the household.
See what’s next for Roger and Bree with new episodes of Outlander on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on Starz in the 2023 TV schedule, and/or streaming with the Starz app on Fridays starting at midnight ET. You can also revisit earlier seasons of the hit show with a Netflix subscription.