Love lost, and lost, and lost…. love found and life begins again. There were several losses of love explored this week – so much packed into an hour! I know a lot of you don’t like the main story that featured in this episode – Jamie thought lost, Claire marrying Lord John – but I hope you’re all feeling better by the end. Beyond that, though – nearly everyone had a love misadventure!

The major groups (not even couples) this week, including Ian and Rachel, Roger and his father and Bree and Jemmy, and of course Jamie and Claire, all had progress in their love journeys! (If you’re keeping track, we’re at the very end of book 7, Echo in the Bone.)

Ian and Rachel were the sweet end of the spectrum. The fire in Rachel’s eye when Ian said “her name IS” – IS??? OK, man, start talking. Ian’s openness and acknowledgment of her need to know, and his need to talk about it, was incredibly touching. She’s a more understanding young woman than most, I think, but it sure didn’t hurt when Ian made his simple declaration. “Emily chose me. And I was grateful. But Rachel, with my whole soul, I choose you. I hope you will choose me.” He has come to a realization that his younger self had few choices at that time, found a home with Emily and loved her as he could. But now that he’s more mature, had time for reflection, and came through what was more than an adolescent love, but perhaps not a fully adult one, he’s found the one woman who is willing to take him, complications and all, to whom he can give every piece of his heart.

From Starz Outlander’s Instagram account

Roger and Bree are, separately, having a moment. Even knowing the story, and what Buck and Roger will find, I’m hooked on this plotline. Dad’s dog tags are taking them places – not necessarily good ones, as when they get run off by the crofter and his menacing sons, but these certainly aren’t the places they expected to be going. Can you imagine how confused Buck would be at this point if he hadn’t been to the future and seen airplanes flying? He at least has SOME idea of what Roger is talking about. But the excitement Roger is feeling, at possibly seeing his father – a man he never really knew – is palpable. The worry for Jemmy is never far from him, I’m sure, but this has to be a conflict for him. But as I said last week, this is the time, if you haven’t already, to pick up A Leaf on the Wind and read that!

And Bree! Rob Cameron has proved himself to be a piece of slime, hasn’t he! Threatening her with a kitchen knife then telling her to pour him a glass of wine… Bree is no shrinking violet, that’s for sure, so it was no surprise when she beaned him. And thank you, production, for the great pot-to-head sound effect. Now, will she use the Mandy radar to locate Jem, since she knows he hasn’t actually gone back in time? So far, in three episodes, this end of Jem’s story has had the least amount of time, drawing out the mystery. If you didn’t already know what was going to happen, if you haven’t read the books, are you surprised? I’ve been watching the Facebook group chatter about this, and it looks like this whole bit has confused many of you – as it should!

Outlander_711_A Hundredweight of Stones_Left to Right: Sophie Skelton (“Brianna Fraser MacKenzie”)

BUT….. that’s not what you wanted to talk about, is it? OMG, Claire!! And Lord John! Caitriona Balfe certainly knows how to show us the depths, the complete and total rock bottom, of despair, as she did in season 2 with the death of her daughter Faith. I felt her screams, as I know you did too, and her need to just end it. Half her soul – the better half, she feels – is gone. How can she keep on living? And Lord John, sitting downstairs, quietly weeping, just wrapped me up. I was done, along with them. They both needed what comfort they could find, in the only other person they could see Jamie in, and while I’m very glad that we didn’t get anything more graphic than what was shown, the actors both showed total heartbreak.

The morning after scene was probably my favorite of this episode (yes, yes, I loved seeing Jamie and Claire’s reunion). The night together had made a start to heal something in both of them, something they recognized, and their grudging friendship let them recognize that together. John talking about the white deer at Mt. Josiah perfectly illustrated not only his relationship with Manoke, the cook, but a lot of his outlook on his own life. This was taken nearly word for word from Diana Gabaldon’s text, which always provides the best pieces of these scripts. They were slightly embarrassed, especially John, but understanding of their shared grief.

It certainly isn’t an easy marriage, no matter what. Claire is definitely having the harder time of it, butting up against John’s rigid class system with her more enlightened 20th century viewpoints on mixed-race marriage, and at least somewhat slightly greater acceptance of homosexuality. But none of that holds a candle to being expected to appear at and host a fundraiser for the British side of the war, while in the middle of her grief, nonetheless. But she’s functioned under similar circumstances before, calling up a hard to find but existing well of fortitude. The dress John has made for her was beautiful, wasn’t it? And you had to appreciate how difficult it was for Claire to put his ring back on, and I couldn’t help but notice that he noticed.

Outlander_711_A Hundredweight of Stones_Left to Right: David Berry (“Lord John Grey”) and Caitríona Balfe (“Claire Fraser”)

And now that she’s had time to get over the worst of the shock, and been brought to reality by John telling her that she has to think of everyone else who would be hurt – possibly arrested – by allowing her to be captured as a spy, she tells Ian that she’s decided she needs to stay in this time, as the future is no longer her home.

For book readers, Jamie’s reappearance from the depths isn’t a surprise, and this is a bit anti-climactic, but definitely welcome and cause for joy! “There it is,” Claire breathes. “What?” Jamie asks, and Claire says “My blood.” I think many of us felt the same way, even if we knew it was coming. You can’t keep these two apart for long! The reunion is cut short, but not before having a profound effect on someone it shouldn’t have.

Outlander_711_A Hundredweight of Stones_Left to Right: David Berry (“Lord John Grey”) and Caitríona Balfe (“Claire Fraser”)

William isn’t necessarily getting the easy end of the stick. He’s realized for sure that Rachel will not be his; he’s confused about why his father has married Claire, the widow of a rebel; he’s not interested in the young woman absolutely throwing herself at him; and NOW – he’s overheard a conversation completely not meant for his ears. “Your son,” is all that’s ringing in his ears. This is not quite the way Jamie wanted to tell him, if he ever would. “Who am I?” is all he can ask, as this has thrown his very confident, almost cocky vision of himself out the window. “You, sir, are a stinking Papist.” As the episode from Season 3, “Of Lost Things,” where Jamie made him into a stinking Papist is one of my favorites, this was a much awaited callback.

I talked with Charles Vandervaart about this moment, and his time on Outlander, last month during the season 7 press day.

On that same press day, I also talked with Maril Davis and Matt Roberts about changing this part of season 7 to accommodate a season 8, and their experience with this long-running show.

Coming next week – the last part of my press day interviews, as I can report the questions I asked Caitriona and Sam, and give you a summary of what several other reporters were able to ask.

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