Outlander review, Episode 706: “Where the Waters Meet”

Things are heating up on Outlander! As the Revolutionary War continues, Jamie (Sam Heughan), Young Ian (John Hunter Bell), and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) lead a herd of folks away from Fort Ticonderoga as it’s beset by the British.

As we saw during last week’s episode, the officers at the fort did not heed Jamie’s suggestions and were defeated. Maybe if they knew he had secondhand knowledge of the future they’d have behaved differently, but he can’t go around revealing that.

There were some major developments in this week’s episode of Outlander, “Where the Waters Meet,” that I cannot wait to get into below! As always, be aware of MAJOR SPOILERS ahead!

Farewell, Fort Ticonderoga — Hello, William

At the end of last week’s episode, Jamie and company had to flee Fort Ticonderoga after the British invaded. As they look for somewhere safer, Jamie’s son William (Charles Vandevaart) shows up for duty at the fort. Unbeknownst to him, his biological father just fled the very spot he now stands on!

Claire, Jamie and Young Ian face a major problem: the Redcoats are pretending to be local Native Americans (quite offensive if you ask me) and mimicking their tribal calls to find the rebels. Claire gets captured by the Redcoats and returned to Fort Ticonderoga. Crossing paths with William is inevitable at this point. So far he’s met his half-cousin and stepmother but has not spoken with his biological father! It’s a conversation the show keeps keeping from us and I cannot wait to see it!

In any case, Claire does what she always does and immediately starts tending to the sick and frail. She even asks William for help getting supplies. He happily obliges because he remembers that she saved Lord John Grey’s (David Bell) life back at Fraser’s Ridge.

William begins to make connections when Young Ian shows up to save Claire claiming he’s a Mohawk supporting the British. William lets Young Ian and Claire find a way to escape to safety. Will he have to help Jamie soon? And will he do that before or after he learns that Jamie is his bio father? Oh, the drama!

The portal

In the 20th century, Brianna (Sophie Skelton) tries to make sense of the portal she found while locked in the tunnel. It makes me wonder: are there more time travelers we are unaware of?

As Roger deduced, the portal’s location may take them from the dam to Craigh Na Dun. If that is the case, Outlander just got a whole lot crazier.

And that leads to a big reveal at the end of the episode…

Ending of Outlander season 7, Episode 6 explained

The series hints that someone may be living in or around Lallybroch. Jemmy mentioned this individual, and Roger (Richard Rankin) saw empty food cans around the property. Book-readers know exactly who this person is. But for those of us who don’t know anything, we got a quick glimpse at this person’s face at the end of the hour. As Roger is jamming to Gaelic music in the kitchen, he becomes aware that someone is watching from outside.

Roger runs outside to confront this man, and when he pulls him around, Roger notices that the man is wearing 16th-century clothing. Say what?! Is this guy a LARPer? I doubt it!

It appears that it’s one of Roger’s ancestors: William Buccleigh MacKenzie, aka Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh). I know you all must have as many questions as I do, and hopefully we will get all the answers shortly. There is so much I want to know. Did this man time travel through that weird portal in the tunnel?

Also, I just love the timing of one of Roger’s ancestors showing up just as he gets back into Scottish culture and is teaching others how to speak Gaelic. But I don’t know if I should celebrate just yet; is Buck a villain in the books? If so, I’m not sure what his appearance will mean for everyone.

Tune in to find out as we inch very close to wrapping up the first half of Outlander Season 7.

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