You would think that watching six seasons of Outlander would prepare you for the rollercoaster that is the hit series’ Season 7. Well, it’s inevitable to break the illusion, because this new season following Jamie and Claire’s life also brings some of our favorite characters lives into really, really difficult situations. While each of Outlander’s new episodes that has aired on Starz so far is tough for the nerves in some way, there is one episode which is simply baffling. Outlander’s Episode 12 of Season 7, “Carnal Knowledge,” is easily the most controversial episode yet, and here is why.
The End of a Friendship in Episode 12 of ‘Outlander’ Season 7
Just in case the episode’s title, “Carnal Knowledge,” doesn’t already make it obvious enough, it is all about an intimate time between two people. While there has been plenty of that between Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitríona Balfe), this episode is actually referring to the night spent between Claire and Jamie’s closest friend, Lord John (David Berry). When Jamie was thought dead, the two tried to ease their grief by imagining the other to be Jamie. Episode 12 focuses on the fact that Jamie is, in fact, still very much alive, and what happened after Lord John practically shouts at him that he had carnal knowledge of his wife. Easily one of the best moments in Outlander, ever.
As exciting as it is to see Lord John break out of his shell and seeing his character develop in a fascinating way, this episode is not without its faults. Jamie, at first, doesn’t believe him, but when he does, hell breaks loose, and it seems as though a life-long friendship finds its end. We have just started to recover from Outlander’s most devastating episode yet, and here they hit us with a massive controversy surrounding one of the most important characters in the series.
Jamie’s Reaction to Claire and Lord John’s Marriage in ‘Outlander’
Upon Jamie’s unexpected return, Lord John helps him escape the British soldiers following him, and uses the moment to reveal that he shared an intimate night with Claire. Dropping a bombshell like that on someone is one thing, but dropping it on a hot-headed Scot can be quite another, and John definitely got to feel that.
Jamie channeled his inner Hulk from the MCU, and showed Lord John that spending a night with Claire wasn’t quite the best move. Shocker. The betrayal Jamie felt was palpable, as he continued to attack his close friend. While John tried to explain that it only happened because they were both being crushed under the pain of their grief, and that they used each other to feel some sort of intimacy while imagining Jamie for the last time (or in John’s case, for the first time), Jamie certainly didn’t want to hear any of it.
His erratic behavior was understandable to some, but others were quite shocked by how Jamie treated his life-long friend. Someone who has helped him more times than one could count, and has literally saved his life numerous times. Many are saying that Jamie was acting out of character in Episode 12. He beat Lord John for spending a night with his wife, which would still be somewhat understandable, but he then simply let John be arrested by a group of Continental soldiers who suggested that Lord John was a spy and should be hanged for his crime.
The Controversy Around Jamie’s Behavior in ‘Outlander’ Season 7
Yes, compared to Jamie’s clan members or many other Scots that have been introduced throughout the successful long-running series, James Fraser is by far the most progressive one, if you will. Claire certainly had a massive hand in this, but, in general, Jamie had always been a very jealous man throughout all the Outlander seasons. He certainly didn’t think Claire would just find this comfort with someone else so quickly, which is exactly why he simply lost it.
Both Claire and Lord John had an explanation for the intimate time they spent together. As for Claire, she had obviously just found out that her husband, the love of her life, was ripped out of her life forever, and clouding her pain with the comfort of feeling someone else again seemed right at that moment. Something quite similar can be said about Lord John, whose romantic love for Jamie goes way back. He has always had feelings for the Scot, has even revealed them to Jamie, but he was never able to share intimacy with him. The two used their intimate moment, during which they imagined the other to be Jamie, as a way to ease their grief, and reconnect with Jamie once more.
Did this explanation matter to Jamie? No. No, it certainly didn’t. Maybe the spinoff Outlander: Blood of My Blood will reveal who Jamie got his stubbornness from. While it is understandable that his feelings were hurt, he still completely lost sight of what actually mattered. Just after he suddenly showed up out of nowhere after everyone believed him to be dead, William found out that Jamie was his biological father, as he overheard a conversation between Jamie, John, and Claire.
Jamie should have been there for William, who had just received the bombshell of his life that he wasn’t who he thought he was and was lied to by everyone, but instead, Jamie used Lord John to escape from the British soldiers who were after him. Later, he simply questions Claire about all the tiny details, ignoring the fact that John might be executed after he left him in the hands of Continental soldiers, and forgets about William’s desperate need for support during this rough time. Ever heard of empathy, Jamie?
Yes, finding out about what happened between Claire and John was understandably rough on Jamie. However, it truly doesn’t justify his behavior towards all the people around him, and it could be argued that it is also out of character, since he always cares deeply for his closest friends and loved ones. Here is hoping that he will regain some sort of conscience and acknowledge what happened for what it truly was. A way to mourn him. And please, please, please, let’s have Jamie finally be there for William in a proper way. Outlander is airing weekly on Starz.