'Outlander's' John Bell on Young Ian's 'Trauma' and What's Next for the Frasers

Things have been heating up in Outlander Season 6 with the American Revolution fast approaching. While some relationships have been starting to feel the strain of living at Fraser's Ridge, one duo has remained stronger than ever. In Season 6, Episode 4 of Outlander Young Ian (played by John Bell) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) have their biggest bonding experience yet, when Ian finally reveals what happened to him during his time with the Mohawk tribe.

Newsweek spoke to actor John Bell all about Ian's story in Outlander Season 6, Episode 4, and what it means going forward for Young Ian and the Frasers.

John Bell on Ian's 'Trauma'

Outlander fans finally got to find out what happened to Ian Fraser during his time with the Mohawk tribe when he first arrived in North America in Outlander Season 6, Episode 4.

Previously, Ian had revealed to Marsali (Lauren Lyle) he had fathered a child but the details were left very vague. Moreover, Marsali was the only person he had ever told about becoming a father until the truth came flooding out to his Uncle Jamie on a trip to visit the Cherokee.

As Indian agent, Jamie was tasked with handing British weapons over to the Cherokee tribe and as per usual, loyal Ian accompanied. However, what should have been a normal trip turned to the worst possible outcome for Ian.

On route to the Cherokee, Ian and Jamie encountered the Mohawk tribe, where Ian came face to face with a man from his secretive past.

The man was no other than Kaheroton, once Ian's best friend—whom he described as his brother to Jamie—who betrayed him by marrying his ex-wife Emily (full name Wakyo'teyehsnonhsa).

As Ian broke his heart to Jamie, there were a series of flashbacks where audiences learn what happened to Ian.

When Ian met Emily, they wed and he officially joined the Mohawk tribe, taking part in a traditional ritual to shed him of his Scottish identity.

Speaking to Newsweek, John Bell who plays Ian described his and Emily's relationship as a "puppy-love high-school" romance.

He reflected: "It was like a sort of puppy-love-high-school love, a sort of 'you fancy me, I fancy you, let's get together now' and it's all perfect and we are so happy and lovely but then that honeymoon phase really didn't last very long. I think he just kind of went through a lot of emotions there."

Sadly, things took an awful turn when their first daughter was stillborn. When Emily fell pregnant again with their second child, she sadly miscarried ultimately putting a strain on their marriage and on the wider Mohawk community.

As Ian grieved, he was told to leave the Mohawk tribe. They believed the man's spirit must battle with the woman's and overcome it, but sadly, the Mohawk tribe felt Ian's spirit was not strong enough for a child to take root in the womb and therefore, he and Emily were no longer compatible.

In a further blow, he was told his spirit was no longer Mohawk and asked to return to his own people, where his spirit was "more strong."

When Ian returned heartbroken to his wife to demand answers, he saw her with his close friend Kaheroton. Instantly, Ian suspected something was going on between them and he was right, Emily had left him for Kaheroton and she begged him to leave.

Bell told Newsweek Kaheroton's betrayal was like a "double homicide," adding: "Not only do they have her basically say, I don't love you anymore, or this can't be [to Ian], you also have this best friend be the one to sort of step in from the shadows and take over."

The following day, Jamie and Ian handed over the weapons from the British to the Cherokee, where Ian came face to face with his former wife and from a member of the Mohawk tribe, Ian learned the crushing news Emily had a son with Kaheroton.

In a fit of rage, Ian confronted Kaheroton and the pair got into a brutal fight on the hills, with Cherokee and Mohawk watching on. Thankfully, Jamie was there to break it up and Kaheroton's attention turned to a man named Alexander Cameron, who had insulted the Cherokee.

Cameron challenged Kaheroton to a duel and moments before it took place, Kaheroton asked Ian to go to Emily and help raise his son if he were to die in the fight. Ian accepted Kaheroton's bracelet but never agreed to meet the latter's promise. When the duel began Ian stepped in to stop Kaheroton from being shot dead by Cameron.

After their encounter, Bell shared that he hoped Ian had gotten some closure from his past. After all, after some words of wisdom from Jamie, Ian was able to accept "God had chosen" Kaheroton to be with Emily.

Bell said: " I mean, you've got to sort of reckon with his past right? I think in my mind, at the end of season 5 when he had those moments of Roger, he was able to sort of compartmentalize it [his relationship with Emily] and stick [it] in the back of his head, and sort of put it away. Just deal with what was in front of him now and it's really this has been sort of the assault, the confrontation, the conflict he was kind of dreading ever having to sort of deal with but through talking about trauma, we grow and we're hopefully healthier for it."

Despite getting some closure, Bell teased Ian's encounter with the Mohawk will have a "profound impact" on how Ian "views the world."

He said: "I think he's on the path to healing by the end of this episode but I do think that he has gone through a lot of heartbreak and put through a lot of trauma and he isn't the same sort of goofball, happy lad that everybody met back in season 3.

"This [meeting] is going to have a profound impact on how he views the world, and who he trusts I think is a big thing. Basically, his trust was broken with his best friend. I don't think he'll be as quick to trust anymore, but the one thing that he does have is his full support of his uncle so I mean, that's great. That's really lovely to see continuing to develop."

Elsewhere in the episode, Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) finally accepted treatment on his hand from Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Fergus (César Domboy) and Marsali reconciled after Fergus attempted to take his own life and Malva Christie is becoming more and more attached to Claire as the days go on.

At the end of the episode, Jamie also told the Cherokee not to fight with the British, despite dealing them their guns, and announced his plans to Claire that he was ready to switch sides and resign as Indian agent.

Bell confirmed this did not mean Fraser's relationship with the Cherokee was over, meaning there is plenty more of Jamie-and-Ian screentime to come.

He said: "Just because Jamie is resigning as the Indian agent doesn't mean that he's resigning from his allyship to the Cherokee in that area.

"I think he also knows the importance of Ian and being a little bit of a translator, and sort of cultural waypoints between the two and he now counts the Cherokee as friends. So all of that I think is going to continue on for Young Ian and Jamie to really become each other's backup; when one's in trouble, the other will be hiding in a bush somewhere ready to attack."

Outlander fans of the books will know things are set to take a drastic turn in the final four episodes and luckily, Episode 5 is under one week away.

Outlander Season 6 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz and Starzplay.