Rob Cameron came to collect in Outlander season 7, episode 11, but instead of successfully kidnapping Brianna MacKenzie, he was knocked out by her quick thinking and cookingware. The mysterious character was first introduced as a colleague of Brianna’s in Outlander season 7, but his run-of-the-mill misogyny gave way to more sinister intentions when he kidnapped Jemmy in the midseason finale and (supposedly) took him through the stones. Roger pursued his son into the 1700s, inadvertently setting off the chain of events that would lead to his own birth, but Brianna learned in “A Hundredweight of Stones” that Rob isn’t a time traveler at all and hid Jemmy somewhere in the present.
Brianna knocked Rob out at the end of the episode, but she still doesn’t know where her son is — which is especially concerning as her daughter Mandy could no longer “sense” Jemmy’s presence. Upcoming episodes of Outlander season 7 will see Brianna taking over the reins of the rescue operation while her husband tracks down his father in the 1730s, and the choices she makes will highlight how much she’s grown over the last 6 seasons.
ScreenRant interviewed Skelton about her big confrontation with Robert Cameron in Outlander season 7, episode 11, and how it reflects Brianna’s evolution as a character since season 2. The actor also teased what fans can expect from her arc in the remaining episodes, and she even revealed which more recent ship on the show is her favorite thus far.
How Brianna’s Confrontation With Rob Displays Growth Since Her First Outlander Appearance
“In her past, she’s been very Fraser-esque and is quite hotheaded and reactionary.”
ScreenRant: We didn’t get too much of Brianna in between Jemmy being kidnapped and Rob Cameron just showing up at the front door again. How has she been dealing with it? What does she think is happening in the other timeline?
Sophie Skelton: One of my favorite things about this season is Brianna has really grown from season 2 to where she is now. I’ve always said she’s a bit of an onion that you have to peel, and I think at this point she’s really at her motherhood layer. And so, if something like this would’ve happened in a different time in her life, I think maybe she would’ve dealt with it quite differently.
But now it’s not [herself] that she’s defending, it’s her child, and so I think that this Mother Bear element really comes out of her. Honestly, I think her way of dealing with it is just by kind of snapping to and having to point her focus in the direction of finding her child.
I think one thing for Brianna is that she spent a lot of her life as her own first and last line of defense, having to look after herself and only being able to rely on herself. And so, I think this is the first time that we see her putting her trust into another being, which is her husband, as he’s off looking for Jimmy. The fact that Brianna has to stay at home with Mandy and has the responsibility of taking care of that child too really changes how she acts. Her default mode would’ve been just to dive straight in and go and do the thing herself, but she needs to put on a brave face for their other child, so that really needs to be the priority.
ScreenRant: I feel like all of that comes to fruition in the confrontation scene when Rob shows up. I love that, instead of negotiating or pleading, you just take him out. How fun is that scene to play, and what do you think her plan is in that moment? Does she have a plan?
Sophie Skelton: I think she does have a plan. I think when she kind of edges him over to the sink, she has clocked what she’s going for. It was actually quite interesting because the fact that they had to write the scene in before, which was Brianna wrapping her finger, is because I had actually broken my finger in real life, so they had to write it into the scene. Brianna then reaching for the pan was just something that we said she could feasibly lift with one hand [since] I didn’t have two.
Actually, the props team said that that was one of the hardest props they’ve ever had to make on Outlander, which was a rubber version of a La Creuset to make it look real and to make it feel heavy. Brianna’s very strong, so they definitely had to add some weight to it.
But I think she’s a pretty calculated person. I think, in her past, she’s been very Fraser-esque and is quite hotheaded and reactionary. But I think in this one, it is a layer of self-defense, and also she knows what she’s doing. She’s quite quick now at assessing her surroundings and seeing how she can quickly formulate a plan.
Sophie Skelton Teases What To Expect From Brianna In The Remaining Outlander Season 7 Episodes
“That animalistic, raw masculine side of her is something that I’m super excited for people to see.”
ScreenRant: We’ve really gotten to see Brianna flourish in the ’80s. How much do you think what she took away from the 1700s has affected her behavior in the present, and do you have more fun with one or the other?
Sophie Skelton: It’s an interesting question. I think Brianna’s a bit of a chicken-egg situation when it comes to the ’80s and then to the 1700s because I think Frank definitely trained her for the past. She’s got the best shot on the ridge, and she’s very good at taking care of herself and others. But I do think that putting that into practice in the 1700s definitely put her in good stead for the 1980s.
The stakes are a lot higher, and so I think she’s maybe taken some awareness back with it. I think she’s had some indescribable things happen to her in the past, and her nervous system is constantly more on a smidge higher alert than it would’ve been before. And I quite enjoy playing that. I quite enjoy playing the worldliness that she’s acquired through living in that time. She just takes less rubbish.
ScreenRant: Obviously you can’t just tell me how the season ends, but is there anything in the upcoming episodes that you’re most excited for fans to see?
Sophie Skelton: I think you’ve touched on it. I am very excited for fans to see the Mama Bear aspect of Brianna. As I say, she is a tough nut to crack, but once you do, she really will do anything to defend those close to her. And she’s exceedingly loyal, but I think seeing her protecting her young is a whole different level. And that animalistic, raw masculine side of her is something that I’m super excited for people to see.
ScreenRant: One thing I think Outlander has done so well is help these side characters and romances flourish, even though some fans may just be like, “Well, where is the main family unit?” For you as a fan of the show, is there any character or romance that you’ve been watching most closely or that you’re most excited for?
More About Outlander Season 7, Part 2
Coming off the first half of Outlander Season 7, we find Claire, Jamie and Young Ian leaving the colonies and arriving in their beloved homeland: Scotland. The perils of the Revolutionary War force them to choose between standing by those they love and fighting for the land they have made their new home. Meanwhile, Roger and Brianna face new enemies across time, and must battle the forces that threaten to pull their family apart. As loyalties change and painful secrets come to light, Jamie and Claire’s marriage is tested like never before. With their love binding them over oceans and centuries, can the MacKenzies and Frasers find their way back to each other?