Time travel can be challenging, especially when the journey is to a very distant past and the characters in the books, series, or movies miss the advances of the future. This is discussed in Outlander by Claire and Brianna during season four when mother and daughter meet again and reminisce about the facilities of modern life.
In the first season when Claire first traveled to the past it was by accident, but some characters, like Brianna, have the opportunity to go to the past planning certain details that will make their lives easier during the first days, while they arrive at the place where people they know will welcome them. But these characters know that they shouldn’t carry a lot of modern objects, either, because they can’t interfere with the past.
Miss: The Burgers
It meant a lot to Claire to see Brianna again when her daughter traveled to the past in season four, and, although Claire decided to spend the rest of her life with Jamie in the past, she tells Bree that sometimes she misses things from the future, one of them being the burgers and all the side dishes.
In the 18th century, Claire doesn’t have the possibility of going to a fast-food restaurant and ordering a cheeseburger with fries and a large soda, so it will only remain in her memory.
Brought: A Map
Brianna travels to the past to warn her parents that a fire will occur soon and that they will die. She plans her trip to try to be ready to cross the stones.
One of the main objects is a map, which she hopes will guide her as she walks to Lallybroch, where she expects to find Jamie’s family. The distances are long, and she won’t find anyone on the way who can give her directions, so it is one of the most important objects for her at first.
Miss: Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwiches
Brianna follows her mother’s game of remembering things from the future while helping her fold the laundry. For her, hamburgers are not the food she misses the most, but instead the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Bree loves this combination of flavors so much that she prepares it as her last meal before traveling to the past and packs it in her purse so that she can eat it while she walks through the Scottish mountains.
Brought: Coins
When Claire returned to Jamie after 20 years, she also prepared herself by carrying coins from the 18th century. Brianna follows the steps of her mother buying these coins to avoid being helpless when she arrives. Even so, the money is not enough. Why don’t they carry more coins? Probably because of the difficulty to get the money of that time. Maybe they could have thought of packing some other objects of value.
Miss: Aspirin
Another thing Claire misses from the future is aspirin. Although she is a doctor, who also knows about natural medicine and the healing power of plants, Claire argues about the simplicity of taking a pill when a headache starts. In addition, Claire’s wisdom is limited by geography and the medicinal plants she can get locally.
Brought: The Newspaper
Perhaps trying to gain strength to accomplish her goal or to show her parents the evidence, Brianna packs the newspaper clipping where the news of Claire and Jamie’s death is printed. The event occurs in a fire on January 21, but the year of the event is not known because the last digit is erased by a mistake in the printing press.
Miss: The Music
For Brianna, another aspect that she misses is the music, especially Led Zeppelin. She has to explain to her mother that it’s a band from the future that she wouldn’t like, but Claire understands the point, and she makes it clear that she would love to listen jazz, or any other kind of music at the time she wants, both on the radio and on a disc player, and not just have to resort to memory.