Fellow Outlander fans, we are back, FINALLY! It has been a literal eternity (or since August 2023) since we have been in the world of the Frasers, but I am so happy to be back!
The premiere episode of Season 7B had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and certainly threw me for a loop at many points. There is simply so much to discuss and unravel, and I can't wait to dive right into it.
However, before doing that, here is a very quick recap of where we left things when Outlander Season 7A ended: in the midst of the American Revolutionary War, Jamie (Sam Heughan), Claire (Caitriona Balfe), and Ian (John Hunter Bell) returned to Scotland after Jamie was tasked with bringing the body of Simon Fraser to his Scottish homeland. It doesn't feel like that this trip to Scotland is meant to be permanent, however, as both Jamie and Claire have plans to rebuild Fraser's Ridge after that awful fire.
Unbeknownst to them, Roger (Richard Rankin) traveled through the stones with his ancestor Buck MacKenzie (Diarmaid Murtagh) to find his and Brianna's (Sophie Skelton) son, Jemmy. A man named Rob Cameron kidnapped Jemmy after learning that Brianna and Roger's family have traveled through time. Rob is looking for a stash of Jacobite gold, and Jemmy knows where it is.
Basically, this is where we left off our favorite Outlander characters. We pick up with them in "Unfinished Business."
Hello Scotland, we're home
Jamie, Ian, and Claire successfully land on the shores of Scotland and complete their duty to bring Simon's body back to the homeland. Promptly, they make their way back to Jamie's ancestral home of Lallybroch to reunite with their family. Jamie's voiceover paints the scene of this return home as he writes to Bri about how they've returned, and how he feels at peace that she is in her own time with Roger and their kids.
....At least that is what he thinks.
Meanwhile, the scene cuts back to Roger who has seemingly traveled through the stones with Buck (who once accidentally stumbled into the future through the stones). It's always a jarring trip for those who make it, but it looks like they have arrived with all their limbs intact.
One of the strong elements of this premiere episode is that we hear narrative voiceovers from everyone except Claire. The episode opens with Jamie and then transitions to Roger trying to figure out if they successfully traveled. With no cars puttering around, it would appear that they made it. While Buck heads to Inverness to see if he can look for Rob Cameron there, Roger heads towards Lallybroch where he assumes Rob may have taken Jemmy.
A beautiful reunion
Meanwhile, there is a beautiful, tearful family reunion at Lallybroch as Ian reunites with his mother Jenny (who is no longer played by Laura Donnelly but instead Kristin Atherton), his brothers, and of course his father Ian (Steven Cree). It's been a very long time since they all have been together. Ian and his brothers are no longer children, and Ian's parents are no longer the young, robust individuals he once knew.
In fact, older Ian Murray is gravely ill due to consumption, and as Claire quickly realizes, he doesn't have much time. Sadly, she does not have the tools or medicine in this time to save his life. It's a gut-wrenching moment because even though we don't see Papa Ian much, he has been an integral part of this story from the start. Learning about his sickness is just one of the moments in this episode that remind you we are near the end of this Outlander journey, and we're not ready for it!
A blast from the past
As Jamie has returned to Lallybroch, he realizes there is someone he needs to go and meet...and potentially squash a beef with. Any guesses as to who this might be? None other than...Laoghaire (Nell Hudson)!
It's not exactly the friendliest reunion. Laoghaire still carries a lot of resentment towards Jamie for all that he did to her. You know, the whole thing where he got married to her out of pity, never really loving her even though she was head over heels for him...that sort of stuff.
It's clear that she isn't ready to negotiate or have any peace with Jamie, but things are resolved later thanks to a situation involving Laoghaire's daughter Joannie (Layla Burns). After Jamie's unfortunate encounter with Laoghaire, Joannie pays him a visit asking for his help. As it turns out, due to the agreement signed between Jamie and Laoghaire years before, Laoghaire won't marry the man she is currently in love with because she wants to continue getting support from Jamie. She is worried that once agreement is null and void she won't be able to take care of herself. Joannie also shares she has been inspired to become a nun, and unfortunately, until her mother is no longer living in sin with a man, that dream cannot come true.
We all know Jamie and Claire are the best of problem-solvers, so Jamie comes up with a solution that inspires Laoghaire to forgive him at least a little bit. He signs a new agreement that frees Laoghaire to marry the man she wants while also allowing her to keep Balriggan. Even better, Joannie is now free to become a nun!
Alls well that ends well, right?
I will say that seeing Laoghaire after so long was quite a treat, and seeing that she still hates Claire after all these years feels absolutely on point for her character.
Claire reveals her secret
After arriving at Lallybroch, it was evident that Claire felt unsettled after hearing Ian's brother talk about Britain invading France. She knows that there are dark days ahead for France, and it doesn't bode well that the Murrays are looking to open up three more establishments for their wine business in Paris.
She once told Jamie about the fate of Culloden, and once again Claire finds herself at a crucial crossroads of sharing her time-traveling secret to save the ones she loves. After talking to Jamie about it, Claire decides telling the family about her secret will help protect them all from harm in the coming days, months, and years.
Of course, telling someone that you are a time traveler doesn't always end well, but it confirm that the rumors about Claire being "a fairy woman" were somewhat true. The Murray family takes her revelation in, but Jenny is rattled. If Claire is from the future, surely she can save old Ian from dying, right?
Unfortunately, that conversation does not go over well, and when Claire shares she simply does not have the medicine or the tools to save Ian, Jenny unleashes her wrath on Claire, unable to comprehend that her husband will soon be no more. Luckily, Jamie is able to provide a grieving Jenny some love and support, which ultimately translates into more understanding towards Claire.
Wait, what time period are we in?
For seasons now, many of us have been wondering, how do the stones work? Why do they always take people back and forth to the same year?
One of my favorite moments of this episode sheds a bit of thrilling light onto this age-old question. As Claire shares her secret with the Murray family, we also see Roger arrive at Lallybroch. At that moment, eagle-eyed viewers may realize something isn't right. Roger knocks on the door of Lallybroch, and we hear the same knock as the Murray family is learning about Claire's secret.
Jamie goes to answer the door and Roger looks up, but they are in fact not looking at one another. Jamie opens the door to find Joannie there, and Roger looks up to see someone unexpected.
Ending of Outlander Season 7, Episode 9 explained
Instead of it being Jamie or someone else from the Murray family he knows, Roger realizes the man at the door is none other than...Brian Fraser (Andrew Whipp), Jamie's dad! Somehow, Roger and Buck traveled back to 1739 Scotland, even before the Battle of Culloden. Jamie isn't shown, but referred to as being in university, and young Jenny is starting to court Ian.
It's unclear how Roger and Buck end up so far removed from the time they were meant visit. It begs the question: are Jemmy and Rob in this time too? Or are they lost to another time? How the heck will this all come together?!
With Brian's help, Roger manages to find some people that heard of a "fairy man" who was wearing strange clothes and didn't fit in with the people around there. Roger assumes this is Rob Cameron.
In the final moments of the episode, Roger is lead to a home in town and is shocked to see who opens the door wide to greet him: Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek). Of course she would be involved in all of this somehow! I have so many questios about this reveal, and I need to know how and when Roger ended up where he is, and how he will find his way back to Bri...if he's able to.
What else happened in Outlander Season 7, Episode 9?
Once again, Claire and Jamie will be separating as Lord John Grey wrote to them asking for Claire's medical intervention for his nephew. It appears he was gravely injured in war, and the only person that can save his life is Claire. She and Jamie decide that she must travel back to Philadelphia while Jaime stays with Jenny as Old Ian's health deteriorates. I know I speak for a lot of Outlander fans when I say that every time Claire and Jamie separate, it gives me anxiety. I know things are different now, but this isn't a quick flight over to the States, it's months of boat travel there and back, and in the midst of war, anything can happen!
Luckily, Young Ian is accompanying Claire, after much convincing by his mother to go back to the States where his young belle Rachel awaits him. He doesn't want to leave his dying father, but he must, in order to move on and create his own life. It doesn't make the goodbyes any easier, and the episode ends with a gut punch as Ian and Claire head back to the States.
We are certainly hoping for a quick reunion in the episodes to come, because too much time apart with so few episodes left in the entire series isn't going to sit well with us!
Episode Grade: A
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