For the five years the show has been on the air, Outlander has seen a lot of rivalries come and go. Some of them have provided fans with a great source of entertainment and others have filled them with rage. While these are often the relationships that prove to be the most notable, there have been a few that have left fans questioning the writers’ motives.
Why? Because the animosity between several of the characters doesn’t always make sense. Would you like some examples? From the familial rivalry between Jenny and Claire to the feud between Geillis and Claire, here are the 5 best rivalries on the show and 5 that make no sense.
BEST: Jenny v Claire
The brief rivalry between Jenny and Claire is one of the easiest to explain since it is one born out of overprotectiveness. Claire and Jenny’s rivalry first began in “Lallybroch” after the older Fraser was hesitant to trust Claire’s new relationship with Jamie.
The pair also clashed in “The Search” when she and Claire argued over their different interrogation methods. Let’s not forget the cold reception Claire got in “First Wife” when she returned to Lallybroch 20 years after Culloden. Every argument Claire and Jenny ever got into has been about Jamie’s well-being - which isn’t so bad since both women just want to see him happy.
WORST: Jamie v Roger
The rivalry that has been growing between Jamie and Roger is quite irritating. Since season 4, fans have watched as Jamie has put the historian through the wringer because he doesn’t believe Roger is good enough for his daughter. Jamie doesn’t like that Roger is a Presbyterian, has no way of providing for Bree, or the fact that he left her alone in a dangerous time.
While Roger is not always a fan favorite, you can’t help but sympathize with the historian as Jamie continues to place him under immense pressure to do their family proud. Let’s not forget that their relationship is already fragile since Jamie almost killed Roger and sold him to the Mohawks.
BEST: Dougal v Jamie
One of the underrated rivalries on the show had to be between Jamie and his uncle, Dougal. From the very first episode, it was obvious that Jamie and Dougal didn’t have the best of relationships, with the War Chieftain using Jamie’s scars to fuel the Jacobite cause.
There is also a tension between the two as Dougal fears clan MacKenzie wouldn’t follow him since Jamie was set to be the next ruling Laird. Let’s not forget that Dougal had a penchant to make a move on Claire when Jamie was incapacitated. It seemed as if he was trying to rob Jamie’s life for himself - which makes it all the more fitting when you remember Jamie was the one to kill him.
WORST: Geillis v Claire
Unless you had read the books, nobody would have guessed that Geillis and Claire’s relationship would have turned into a rivalry. With their relationship beginning in season 1, fans would have been able to see an underlying tension between the friends when Claire realized Geillis had murdered her husband. Still, Claire appreciated her after Geillis sacrificed herself to save her life.
However, Claire and Geillis’s relationship changed after Geillis became the new antagonist - kidnapping and abusing Ian, as well as trying to kill Brianna. Claire had no other choice but to kill the occultist after she tries to jump through the portal. Despite everything Geillis did, Claire did show some remorse for her actions.
BEST: Bonnet v The Frasers
The on-going rivalry between Stephen Bonnet and the Fraser-MacKenzies is one that has fans on the edge of their seats recently. Beginning in season 4, Bonnet made an enemy of the Fraser clan after he ambushed them and took all their valuables. He made an enemy out of the MacKenzies too when he assaulted Brianna and tried to kill Roger.
Fans were led to believe he had died in the prison explosion back in season 4. However, the season 5 premiere revealed that Bonnet had escaped - which means the smuggler is likely to disrupt Brianna and Roger’s happiness. Who knows what will happen to him once he comes face to face with clan Fraser-MacKenzie?
WORST: Claire v Marsali
Although Marsali and Claire are on better terms now, the surgeon and her apprentice did have a brief rivalry in season 3. Beginning in the episode “The Doldrums,” Marsali expressed her distaste for Claire after she found out that Jamie had left her mother for the Englishwoman.
Claire wasn’t too fond of the young woman either, because of her association with Laoghaire. However, was this enough reason to hate one another? Not really. Just because Claire had a feud with her mother didn’t mean Marsali had to carry it on. Especially since she didn’t know or hear Claire’s side of the story. Now look at them!
BEST: Claire v Laoghaire
Despite fans detesting Laoghaire’s character, they can’t deny that the show wouldn’t have been the same without her or her feud with Claire. Starting in season 1, Claire and Laoghaire went head-to-head over Jamie’s affections. Claire was placed on Laoghaire’s radar after she and Jamie were married, which caused the maiden to try and get rid of her.
Since Laoghaire failed to shoot her and have her killed in the witch trials, Claire and Laoghaire have done their best to stay out of each other’s way. However, Laoghaire still dispenses hateful comments to this day about how Claire continues to steal Jamie away from her.
WORST: Claire v Frank
One of the weirdest rivalries that occurred was the one between Frank and Claire. In season 3, Frank and Claire moved to America after the historian suggested that it could be a fresh start for them. Frank also agreed that he would help Claire to raise Brianna as long as she never mentioned Jamie ever again.
However, the former couple ended up coming to blows over Brianna after they split up. For some reason, Frank makes Claire compete for Brianna’s affections when he tells her that he’s taking her to England with him. He also says she’s never there for her. If he pushes Claire too far, then she reminds him that he isn’t her real father. No one even understood why this issue came about in the first place.
BEST: Jamie v Captain Jack Randall
There is no doubt that Jamie and Randall’s rivalry had to make the top entry spots as the writers spent three years developing their feud. Beginning pre-series, Jamie expressed his hatred for the Captain after the Englishman flogged him in public and then assaulted him.
From season 2 to the beginning of season 3, fans watched as Jamie planned his vengeance while Randall began to torment his family. In the end, this rivalry came to an end in the Battle of Culloden, where Jamie delivered Randall’s comeuppance personally.
WORST: Frank v Jamie
If there was a title for the worst rivalry on the show, it had to be the one between Frank and Jamie. As fans know, Frank and Jamie’s rivalry began ever since Claire fell in love with the Highlander and chose to remain in the eighteenth-century. However, she briefly reconnected with Frank after she believed that Jamie had died at Culloden.
What’s funny about this rivalry is how petty their jealousy can get, especially when both men get jealous over someone who doesn’t exist or is dead. 200 years are separating them, and still, they are haunted and threatened by each other’s ghosts. It’s no wonder Brianna and Claire can become so frustrated by them.
