Last week's episode of Outlander was...interesting, to say the least. I am not sure if interesting is the correct word, because I was suffering from intense anxiety after learning that Jamie (Sam Heughan) was no more. However, I refused to believe it then and I maintained that mindset as I started this new episode, "A Hundredweight of Stones."
Not only did we learn of Jamie's supposed demise in last week's episode, we also learned that Lord John (David Berry) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) must marry immediately. This is primarily due to the fact that she is being accused of being a spy, and in order to protect her, this is a step they must take.
What about Jamie? He is going to come back, right? They can't quite possibly do this...can they?
Tune in below to read our review to find out what goes down in "A Hundredweight of Stones", including whether or not Claire and Lord John get married. And of course, as always, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
Till death us do part...
As expected, the episode goes full steam ahead as Lord John and Claire do indeed tie the knot. There don't seem to be many options, and if it means protecting Claire, then Lord John will do whatever it takes, especially because it would mean everything to Jamie.
It's not an easy transition, however, as Claire heavily mourns the loss of her beloved husband. Life without him is meaningless, and feels as if it is not worth living. In one of Balfe's more powerful performances thus far this season, she exudes anguish and pain as Claire mourns Jamie. In fact, Claire attempts to take her own life, or at least contemplates it, until she hears Jamie's voice in her head and she stops herself from taking that step.
What follows is a guttural cry as Claire realizes the pain she is feeling. Lord John Grey, who is mournin in his own way, hears her moans and cries from below. He loved the man, and he never quite got to experience the love story he wanted with him.
Lord John decides he will not mourn Jamie's loss alone and joins Claire in her room. They have a series of emotionally vulnerable moments together as they scream, cry, and flail in pain. Claire even says in one moment that Lord John has no right to mourn him.
The emotional exchange leads to an unexpected moment as they end up sleeping together. This comes out of left field as Lord John has identified as a gay man, but the passion and pain felt by Jamie's loss led him into Claire's arms.
The two wake up the next morning feeling awkward, but somehow a little less suffocated than they had been the night before. After learning more about Lord John's lovers and his past with men, Claire seems to find herself back on her feet, even though it kills her that Jamie has left this world, and left her to tend with it on her own (sort of).
The mystery of Rob Cameron
Meanwhile, in the present, we finally catch up with Brianna (Sophie Skelton), who is dealing with her husband and son being gone, and no one to turn to in Scotland. It's not like she can pick up the phone and call her parents. It's a rather isolating feeling portrayed effortlessly by Skelton.
However, things take a scary, wild, and totally unexpected turn when none other than Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton) shows up in her kitchen. You were thinking what we were all thinking...isn't he supposed to be in the past with Jemmy?
It turns out it was all a ruse so Roger would leave Brianna behind, leaving her vulnerable. Rob's plan is to use Brianna to get Jemmy to share where the gold is. They have to fly to the States to do this, and Brianna would seem to have no option but to go along the plan.
This is starting to make me nervous, ya'll!
Young Ian and Rachel
I particularly enjoyed Young Ian (John Bell) and Rachel's (Izzy Meikle-Small) arc in this episode. As Young Ian mourns his Uncle Jamie, he also opens up about his past with Rachel. There's an intimate quality to this plotline that I liked.
Rachel learns for the first time that Young Ian was previously married, and not only that, that his ex-wife is still alive and the two share a child together. It is a lot for anyone to take in, but given that Rachel is from a modest Quaker background, it's a ton.
But that doesn't stop her from loving Ian. It makes things complicated, but their love is as strong as ever, even if their religions do not align.
Roger and Buck continue to search for "the fairy man"
In 1739 Scotland, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Buck (Diarmid Murtagh) continue their search for the fairy man that they believe may be Roger's father, instead of Rob Cameron. Their search leads them to a man that sells them gemstones and some information about the fairy man.
There is a strong possibility that the fairy man could be Roger's father given the army tags and the fact that his father's body was never found following his plane crashing in open water.
Their search leads them to a man who is accompanied by two other men that are not happy to see Roger or Buck. They are threatened by their presence, and don't like Roger asking questions about the jacket the guy has hanging from the tree. It's an RAF pilot's jacket, so it has to be his father's, right?
They decide to walk away from the men, but Roger can't help but wonder how this man got his hand's on the jacket. According to Roger, an RAF pilot never gives up his jacket, so either his father is dead or he had to sell his jacket.
We will have to tune in next week to see what happens...
What else happened in Outlander Season 7, Episode 11?
There are some interesting developments with Lord John's nephew Henry and his love interest, Mercy. They both declare they are in love and are to marry, which does not sit well with Lord John. It could have devastating consequences for Henry, especially with Mercy being a rebel.
This creates some frustration between John and Claire, which further increases after Lord John presents her with a lavish dress to wear for an elegant supper they are having for the Loyalist cause. It is not what Claire wants to do, and it irks her to support the cause this way, but Lord John reminds her that they have to be a team for one another and to keep Jamie's memory alive.
Claire manages to muster up the energy to attend the party, but it results in the Captain pushing her to consider being a spy for him. He wants Claire to spy on Lord John and his brother so they can find out what is going on and plan their steps accordingly.
Does Claire say yes to his proposal? OF COURSE NOT!
Ending of Outlander Season 7, Episode 11 explained
That choice has consequences. The next day, Lord John is inundated with a lot of communication and requests. He urges Claire that they must be a united front, but before he can dive deep into this conversation, a familiar voice comes shouting up the stairs.
Hey...we know that voice...that voice belongs to...JAMIE. JAMIE IS ALIVE, we repeat, JAMIE IS ALIVE!
It turns out that he never boarded that ship, which means he never got lost at sea, which means that he is alive and well. This is AMAZING news, and while we knew something like this would happen, it doesn't change the fact that we are so happy he's okay.
However, there is the awkward matter of his wife getting married to Lord John, and then also sleeping with him...
There is no time to address that though, because there are a group of British soldiers after him. They come rushing into the house to capture him. Just as this happens, Jamie and Claire exit the room to see William standing outside. You see, that normally would not be a shocking moment; however, moments before this Lord John referred to William as Jamie's son. William overheard this and is thrown for a loop, but there is not much time to process anything because Jamie uses Lord John to hatch an escape by pretending to hurt him.
The episode ends with Claire smiling at the chaos...but I'd bet anything that the smile will soon turn into awkward glances and discomfort when she has to fill Jamie in on what has happened since he "died."
Grade: A
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