In the past, I have written two posts concerning the second sight in both Jamie and Brianna. It seems that they “time travel” via their dreams. For example, Jamie can see his grandchildren in the future through his dreams without being physically there. Of course, there is a probability that his grandchildren perceive his presence. Before reading this post, please check the recommended readings at the bottom. I will also discuss slightly the appearance of Frank in Episode S04E07.
Chapter 3 starts with Brianna waking up because of Roger calling her on the phone. She reveals she was having a vivid dream of Frank. She could not see his face and she could not hear what he was telling her. She assumes it is Frank because she used to hike with him in the woods.
What is the significance of this dream that Brianna is having of Frank. Some fans/readers have speculated that it has to deal with him investigating Jamie and eventually finding both Claire and Brianna in the past. Of course, book 8 provides the reader with more information, especially as members of the Scottish National Party start harassing her family in the twentieth century (and Frank is aware these nationalists are a threat to his daughter). Overall, Frank still has a role to play in the whole series.
The TV adaptation has also brought up the special relationship between Brianna and Frank. First, there is the lovely scene in which Brianna falls asleep in the car, and Frank carries her out. His face demonstrates how much he loves Brianna. However, there is the scene that reveals the article of The Wilmington Gazette, the one specifying that Jamie and Claire will die in a fire at Fraser’s Ridge. Of course, the article does not make sense to Brianna. She does not know Jamie is her birth father at that stage. She is not aware of her mother’s time-traveling “gift.” This scene reveals that he has been tracing Jamie Fraser and the likelihood that he discovered both Claire and Brianna in the past. Of course, it is not possible for Frank to explain everything (it is also not his role but Claire’s). The fact that he found out his wife in the past with her other husband saddens him (and it is probably the reason why he is thinking of divorce). It simply confirms what Brianna mentioned to Joanie: her mother was not in love with Frank. Similarly, Jamie was never in love with Laoghaire.
Of course, some questions remain to be answered. Was Frank concerned that Claire would leave Brianna in the twentieth century? Was he aware that Brianna could travel to the past? Or, was he concerned of being alone?
Finally, I would like to add a funny but significant detail that the author incorporated to emphasize Brianna’s second sight. In Chapter 3, Brianna guesses that Roger is in Scotland and not in England when he calls her because of the way he rolls the r’s when speaking to other Scots. Because she was correct on her guess, Roger mentions, “And herrrrre I was beginning to think ye were psychic,” . . . (Drums of Autumn, ch. 3)
Thanks for reading! I will be posting another Outlander post soon.
Sources
Gabaldon, Diana. Drums of Autumn. New York: Dell Publishing. 1997. Print.