Claire and Lord John Grey consummated their marriage in Outlander season 7, episode 11—but this wasn’t done out of carnal desire or marital obligation. This episode was particularly emotional since it followed the reveal that Jamie Fraser had been lost at sea and kicked off with Claire and Lord John’s reluctant marriage. Since Claire immediately locked herself back in her room and removed her new wedding ring, it seemed that these two would be married only on paper. However, during a night of significant pain, Claire and Lord John had sex.
Outlander has never shied away from intimate scenes, but this moment was quite a surprise, considering who these characters are. Lord John is gay and has only been intimate with women out of obligation. On the other hand, Claire is entirely loyal to Jamie and is reluctant to marry Lord John, given her dedication to her husband. The pair have become friends, sure, but there has always been a bit of tension between them, born from the fact that they both love Jamie (but can’t both have him). Still, Claire and Lord John wound up in each other’s arms in Outlander season 7, episode 11—but why?
Claire & Lord John Both Pretended They Were Sleeping With Jamie In Outlander Season 7
They Used One Another’s Closeness to Jamie
Claire was determined to suffer in solitude in Outlander season 7, episode 11, but a night came when Lord John could no longer handle this. He went up to Claire’s room after having several drinks and announced that he wouldn’t mourn alone any longer. The scene that followed was emotional and deeply messy. They went back and forth between yelling at or holding one another. Claire screamed that Lord John had no right to mourn Jamie since he had never been his. The jealousy between them came to a head, but at the same time, they both recognized one another as people Jamie had greatly loved.
After they slept with one another, Claire and Lord John both admitted that they had been imagining that the other was Jamie. They saw one another as the closest they could get to actually being with Jamie again, and combined with the alcohol, such intimacy made sense in the moment. This is a highly controversial moment in Outlander, both the books and TV show. However, Claire and Lord John having sex was really just a combination of jealousy, anger, sadness, and an odd sort of love. It wasn’t romantic, but the moment was effective.
Claire & Lord John’s Intimacy Aided In Their Mourning
Their Strange Night Together Helped Them Take The Next Steps
Claire and Lord John sleeping together wasn’t a particularly healthy choice. They were drunk and in pain and were using their sadness to pose one another as Jamie’s replacements. However, their night together in Outlander season 7 was a significant step forward for their characters’ mourning process. Before this, Claire came close to killing herself alone in her room, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Lord John tried to carry on with his duties, but the pain slowly became too much to bear. However, after they had sex, their ability to function was greatly improved.
It was an odd kind of therapy, but Claire and Lord John took steps toward moving on the very next day.
Claire being intimate with Lord John allowed her to work through some feelings. There was a part of her that was angry with her husband and herself, and she expressed that through her passion with her new husband. Lord John, on the other hand, had left so much unsaid. He had been hiding a part of himself for so long, and he was able to share that with Claire when they sat in bed together the next morning—just as he had with Jamie in years past. It was an odd kind of therapy, but Claire and Lord John took steps toward moving on the very next day.
What Claire & Lord John’s Marriage Means Now That Jamie Has Returned
Things Will Get More Complicated In Outlander Season 7, Episode 12
Of course, Claire and Lord John’s effort toward moving on after Jamie’s death came to mean very little since the man himself appeared before them not long after. Jamie had never actually been aboard the lost Utopian and had instead taken a different ship from Scotland to the Americas. Outlander season 7, episode 11, ended before the consequence of Jamie’s return could be fully explored. Claire and Lord John’s marriage will undoubtedly be annulled, but Jamie may have some feelings about the news that his wife and best friend had sex in his absence.
Jamie will, of course, forgive Claire. After all, they have slept with others while separated by time and space. However, this isn’t to say it won’t be a difficult situation. Jamie and Lord John are good friends, so the idea that he slept with his wife will lead to some complicated feelings. Add in the fact that William found out the truth about Jamie in Outlander season 7, episode 11, and the entire relationship between the Greys and Frasers is sure to get all the more challenging.