Just about everyone was angry in Outlander season 7, episode 12, but there was only one person with an actual right to be. The previous episode of the Starz fantasy series saw a variety of big reveals come to light, and episode 12 explored the fallout. Jamie’s return from the dead with a league of British soldiers on his tail was certainly an upset that Lord John Grey would have to deal with.
Simultaneously, Jamie had to cope with the revelation that Lord John had slept with his wife. Claire was angry about Jamie’s accusations, while William reeled over the truth about his father. In all, it was pure chaos.
Of course, Outlander has been working up to all this for quite some time. Jamie and Lord John have had a complicated relationship for years, owed to the fact that one is madly in love with the other. Lord John marrying Claire was obviously going to have explosive consequences in Outlander season 7, and this only became more intense after the two hooked up with one another in episode 11.
Then there is poor William, who has been lied to his entire life about who his father is and what sort of status he was born to. So, while everyone is pretty angry in Outlander, William is the only one with a right to be.
William’s Anger Is Completely Justified In Outlander Season 7, Episode 12
William Has Every Reason To Be Angry
William is certainly dealing with a lot in Outlander season 7, episode 12. Sure, he had never known the man who was supposed to be his father, but the revelation that William is a bastard is still significant. It means that he isn’t really the Earl of Ellesmere. Everyone he knows and loves, including his adoptive father, Lord John Grey, and his deceased adoptive mother, Isobel, had been lying to him his entire life. To make matters even worse, the man who William just learned is his real father kidnapped Lord John at gunpoint and escaped Philadelphia with British soldiers on his heels.
Jamie and Lord John escaping the city means William has no one to help him through the situation. Claire was there, but she wasn’t even around in the 18th century when William was born, and the decisions about his life were made, so she wasn’t much help. While everyone else is running around being angry about a variety of nonsense, William has been essentially left to his own devices without any real support. His behavior after finding out the truth in Outlander is pretty terrible, but it’s understandable, considering the fact everyone dropped this bombshell on him and then disappeared.
Jamie’s Reaction To Lord John’s Big Reveal Was Over The Top
Jamie Nearly Got Lord John Killed
Jamie really wasn’t at his best in Outlander season 7, episode 12. William finding out the truth about him should have been Jamie’s first priority, but he instead exited the city in a blaze of glory and essentially forgot all about his son. Then, after learning that Lord John—the man who adopted William as a favor to him—slept with Claire, Jamie beat the man to a bloody pulp and left him to be executed by rebel soldiers. From there, he headed to fight with Claire about the whole ordeal, interrogating her about the precise method through which she and Lord John were intimate.
Rather than attempt to empathize, Jamie essentially condemned Lord John to death, never stopping to think that William would need his adoptive father now more than ever.
While it’s understandable that Jamie would have conflicted feelings about Lord John and Claire’s situation, his reaction was completely over the top. The pair had believed that Jamie was dead, and it was a devistating experience for both of them. Rather than attempt to empathize, Jamie essentially condemned Lord John to death, never stopping to think that William would need his adoptive father now more than ever. This was Jamie’s first chance to be William’s real father, but he selfishly forgot all about the boy. In all, this whole episode of Outlander was an epic failure on Jamie’s part.
William Didn’t Make Great Decisions In Outlander Season 7, Episode 12 (But He Deserves Empathy)
William’s Actions Weren’t Okay, But At Least He Is Somewhat Justified
Of course, William wasn’t entirely blameless in Outlander season 7, episode 12. It was clearer than ever that William was Jamie’s son since they both spent the episode running around treating people they cared about terribly. William attacked Ian for no reason and then had him arrested for attacking an officer. To make matters even worse, he kissed poor Rachel Hunter, who was utterly baffled by William’s behavior. It was as if William believed being a bastard meant he was obligated to act like a terrible person.
Still, considering the weight of the news William received and the way he was immediately abandoned thereafter, he deserves a bit of empathy. His journey will continue to be difficult in Outlander as he copes with his identity crisis and is in dire need of support. Of course, with Lord John in captivity and Jamie focused on his own problems, such support may not be easy to come by. Sure, everyone has a lot going on in Outlander season 7, but at this point in the game, poor William has more reason than anyone to be angry.