Outlander season 7’s twist ending saw Claire come to the conclusion that Jane and Fanny Pocock’s mother is actually a character briefly introduced earlier in the series. This is officially when the Outlander TV series began to differ most significantly from the books since this twist never happened in Diana Gabaldon’s version of the tale. Since Claire’s suspicions served as a cliffhanger, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. Whether Claire is right about Faith Pocock is unclear, but Outlander hints that this bizarre connection is possible.
Outlander season 7, episode 16, kicked off with Claire’s recovery from the injury she gained in the Battle of Monmouth. As she rested, Claire was visited in a dream by Master Raymond, who briefly requested her forgiveness. Precisely what he was apologizing for was unclear, and Master Raymond told Claire that she would soon find out. Near the episode’s ending, Claire hears little Fanny Pocock singing the 20th-century song “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside.” It was precisely this that led Claire to a rather wild theory in Outlander’s season 7 finale.
Claire Believes Jane & Fanny’s Mother Is Her Daughter Faith
It’s A Gut Feeling With A Bit Of Evidence
Claire and Jamie’s daughter Faith was stillborn in France back in Outlander season 2. This was a traumatizing experience for Claire, who, as well as having to grieve the daughter she never knew, nearly died from infection following the birth. It was only because of Master Raymond that Claire survived, but a piece of the mother’s soul was still lost that day. Claire held Faith’s body for hours, singing to her and taking in the features of the baby’s face. Then, she was finally forced to let Faith go. The baby was buried at L’Hôpital des Anges, and there has been no reason to doubt in Outlander that she truly is dead.
Despite all this, Claire has come to believe that Faith somehow survived. Fanny told Claire that she learned the song “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside” from her mother, who also happened to be called Faith. This detail, combined with Master Raymond’s apology, led Claire to her tentative conclusion. If this were true, it would mean Jane and Fanny are Jamie and Claire’s grandchildren. Still, given the definitive nature of the baby’s death, it’s difficult to see how these two Faiths could possibly be the same character in Outlander.
There Are Hints In Outlander That Master Raymond Can Bring Back The Dead
Master Raymond’s Blue Light Power Is Something Special
The key to this entire situation in Outlander is Master Raymond. The magical way he healed Claire back in Outlander season 2 makes it clear that there is something special to this man. The Starz series has yet to really dive into it, but the Outlander books have already revealed that Master Raymond is a prehistoric time traveler. Back in season 2, he told Claire that blue is the color of healing and that both he and Claire have a blue aura. It’s with this blue-light power that Master Raymond magically healed Claire—but could he have actually used it to bring a stillborn baby back from the dead?
There are hints in Outlander that blue-light healing is nearly limitless when used by the right person for the right reason. Master Raymond is considered immortal in Outlander, and he indicates that the blue light of healing has something to do with this. Claire also has a blue aura, and the Native American healer Nayawenne prophesized that this 20th-century time traveler would come into her full power when her hair turned white. She mentions that Claire would have the power to stop death, so it stands to reason this is a power Master Raymond has already mastered.
Claire also has a blue aura, and the Native American healer Nayawenne prophesized that this 20th-century time traveler would come into her full power when her hair turned white.
So, Outlander has already laid the groundwork for resurrection. Master Raymond could feasibly have such a power, but whether he used it with Faith remains to be seen. The big question going into Outlander revolves around Master Raymond’s motivation. Why would he bring Faith back from the dead but not return her to her parents? The answer can only come from Outlander season 8 since even Gabaldon’s book series is useless in this regard.
Diana Gabaldon Considered Reviving Faith (But Decided Against It)
Outlander Season 7’s Big Twist Was Inspired By (But Not Based On) The Books
It’s almost certain that Master Raymond did not bring Faith back from the dead in the Outlander books. While there was a moment when Claire thought that her daughter might not have lived, there was no evidence to support it, and the theory was left behind. Fanny sang no song from the 20th century, and Master Raymond never appeared in a dream. However, the Outlander author has revealed that Faith being revived was something she considered for her story, though she ultimately chose against it:
“They actually did get the (general) idea from me, though. When chatting with [showrunner] Matt [Roberts] about All Things plot wise, I mentioned that if I had written a second graphic novel (I didn’t, for assorted reasons), I would have shown what actually happened after Faith’s presumed death at the Hopital des Anges, and how/why Master Raymond resuscitated and nurtured the baby secretly, but wasn’t able to come back with her before Claire and Jamie left France. So, they liked that idea and ran with it.”
Outlander season 8 will be taking a unique route, leaving the events of Gabaldon’s books behind once and for all. However, the author’s words here seem to indicate that, as far as the Starz series goes, Claire’s theory will turn out to be correct. Gabaldon didn’t say she considered making Claire believe Faith was alive, only to learn otherwise. Her tentative plan for this storyline was to reveal a particular reason that Master Raymond couldn’t return the baby to her parents. This hints that Outlander season 8 will reveal that Faith Pocock is Faith Fraser. Still, the individual details can only be spelled out by the series.