Outlander season 7, episode 11’s twist ending was exactly what the series needed, and it couldn’t have come soon enough. The episode picked right up with Claire and Lord John Grey’s wedding, which they arranged after getting news that Jamie had been lost at sea during his crossing back to the Americas. The purpose of these nuptials was to ensure that Claire didn’t end up arrested as a spy. In desperate mourning for Jamie, Claire had no desire to get married or live on. However, since so many loved ones would have gone down with her if she was arrested, Claire agreed to start a new life.
Of course, this isn’t the first time in Outlander that Claire has believed that Jamie was dead and had to soldier on alone. The pair have been frequently separated, and much of the series has been spent watching them try desperately to be reunited. It’s a bit of a tired trend, and this fact somewhat took the wind out of the sails of Jamie’s death story. Given previous interactions of this Outlander conflict, there was concern that the series might draw out Claire and Jamie’s reunion again, perhaps only bringing them together during the season finale. However, Outlander season 7, episode 11, moved the twist up the timeline.
Claire & Jamie Are Reunited At The End Of Outlander Season 7, Episode 11
Jamie Came Back Much Sooner Than Expected
Jamie’s death was only just announced in Outlander season 7, episode 10. Now, after a single episode, Claire and Jamie have already been brought back together in episode 11. The twist here is less that Jamie is alive—there were endless signs that his character would return and that he and Claire would be reunited. Instead, the surprising aspect of this big reveal is that it happened so quickly. While this might have inspired accusations of a rushed plotline in the past, the fact that Outlander has repeated such similar conflicts so often makes Jamie’s quick return a significant relief.
The majority of Outlander se ason 7, episode 11 saw Claire and John both mourning Jamie’s loss, and near the episode’s ending, it seemed as if they were finally taking their first steps toward moving on. However, in a matter of moments, Jamie burst into the room, William discovered the truth about his parentage, and a group of Redcoats ran into the house intent on making an arrest. It was a very exciting ending for the Outlander season 7 episode, which is far more effective than again spending several episodes to build up to a predictable reunion.
Outlander Has Depended Heavily On Claire & Jamie Being Separated
It’s A Repetitive Book Trope That Is More Obvious On The Screen
Claire and Jamie have been separated several times in the Outlander series, and while heartwarming reunions have become the show’s emotional bread and butter, it’s gotten a bit tiresome. The same is somewhat true in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books, but the on-screen format makes the repetitiveness of Claire and Jamie’s story far less noticeable. Jamie’s presumed death on the Utopia was a far more drawn-out conflict on the page, but if it had remained like this on the screen, the story would have quickly gotten dry. Instead, Outlander jumped right into the good stuff, making upcoming stories even more exciting.
Claire & Jamie’s Reunion Proves That There Are Better Conflicts On The Way
Outlander Can Look Forward Toward It’s Unique Ending
Outlander will be coming to a close with season 8, so there is a limited number of episodes to wrap things up. The TV series faces an additional challenge since Gabaldon’s book series is not yet complete—Outlander season 8’s ending will be entirely on its own with no concrete source to depend on. This only emphasizes the fact that season 7 could have easily dragged its feet. Claire and Jamie’s big reunion could have been the season 7 finale, leaving Gabaldon’s remaining stories to fill out season 8. Instead, the series moved this twist up to episode 11, opening the door to more intriguing resolutions.
While book-faithful adaptations are typically preferred, Outlander has no choice but to forge its own way forward, and it’s better to start sooner rather than later.
While book-faithful adaptations are typically preferred, Outlander has no choice but to forge its own way forward, and it’s better to start sooner rather than later. Dragging out Gabaldon’s existing stories across season 7 would only result in an anticlimactic ending. However, with the more accelerated timeline of recent episodes, book and TV audiences alike will be asking themselves, “What will happen next?” With Claire and Jamie’s big book reunion out of the way, Outlander can now introduce some fresh, new conflicts to keep everyone on their toes.
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