Outlander season 7, part 2, will again see Jamie and Claire separated, and I’m not sure how much more I can take of this same old conflict. These two star-crossed lovers began their romance under impossible circumstances, and this same dynamic has continued to follow them from beginning to end. Of course, every period in which Claire and Jamie are apart is followed by a dramatic reunion, and such moments are what many watching Outlander live for. While I have enjoyed these dramatic rises and falls as much as the next romance fanatic, I’m concerned about what another go at this will mean for season 8.
Outlander season 8 is confirmed to be the last of the series, which is a bit of a disappointment since the book series by Diana Gabaldon has not yet concluded. The first half of Outlander season 7 mostly follows the events of An Echo in the Bone, which is the seventh out of 10 planned books. Now, the plot details that stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have teased for Outlander season 7, part 2 indicate that this next installment will continue to explore An Echo in the Bone’s story, including Claire and Jaime’s next big separation.
Jamie & Claire’s Outlander Season 7, Part 2 Update Makes Me Worried About Season 8
Repeating This Storyline Isn’t A Great Way To Set Up A Final Season
Leading up to the November 22, 2024, premiere of Outlander season 7, part 2, Balfe and Heughan teased that the Frasers’ trip back to Scotland would be interrupted when Claire is called back to America (alone) for some sort of medical emergency. During this time, she will come to believe that a devastating event has befallen her husband, which will only prolong Claire and Jamie’s time apart. This lines up reasonably well with the events of An Echo in the Bone, but with such limited time before the end of Outlander, I’m a bit frustrated that the series is continuing the “tragically separated” course.
Claire and Jamie have been apart for a great deal of Outlander, and each reunion has been a little less exciting than the last. It’s more or less the same storyline repeated over and over again. While this is also true in the books, the overarching tale is more drawn out and packed full of additional details that keep this story from feeling repetitive. In contrast, the ebb and flow of Claire and Jamie’s relationship has been far more jolting in the TV format. Since Outlander already has no choice but to separate its story from the books, it might have been better if the big separation of An Echo in the Bone had been left out.
My frustrations with this storyline being brought to Outlander season 7, part 2, only add to my curiosity regarding how the series will handle season 8. Wrapping up the story when the book series is ongoing will be no easy task, and Claire and Jaime will need another big climactic conflict before everything is resolved. The problem is that the Frasers’ next big reunion (as described in An Echo in the Bone) will be a tough act to follow.
Jamie & Claire’s Final Reunion Should Be The Series’ Most Exciting One Yet
The Reunion Outlander Season 7 Is Setting Up Might Not Cut It
Jamie and Claire’s reunions are always dramatic and full of passion, but the final instance of this in Outlander needs to take this to a whole new level. It must feel as if this is finally the last time that these two will have to tolerate each other’s absence until death ultimately parts them. As it is, the reunion already written in An Echo in the Bone might not be the best fit. Claire comes to believe that Jamie has been killed, so she marries a certain someone for the sake of survival (similar to her story with Jamie at the beginning of Outlander). So, rather than passion and romance, Jamie and Claire’s next reunion will be chaotic and confusing.
There needs to be a final moment of high-impact romance in Outlander’s final season, and while the series has typically depended on separation and reunions to achieve this effect, it needs to switch it up this time around.
This could make for an exciting story in Outlander season 7, part 2, and season 8, which could see the pair repair what they believed to be broken. However, as the series’ last hurrah, I worry that this wouldn’t be enough. There needs to be a final moment of high-impact romance in Outlander’s final season, and while the series has typically depended on separation and reunions to achieve this effect, it needs to switch it up this time around. A balanced story will be difficult to accomplish in season 8, regardless, and I’m concerned the story’s ending just won’t pack that punch.
How Outlander Season 8 Can Go Out On A High Note (Despite Its Biggest Story Obstacle)
The Outlander TV Series Has To Go Its Own Route
I am typically a strong advocate for book-faithful adaptations, but Outlander may need to take an entirely different road for its final season. Claire and Jamie being separated and reuniting yet again after this next event in season 7 would just be a disappointment as a finale. Instead, the series needs to come up with a situation that would test their love for one another while keeping them firmly in each other’s arms—or else separated forever by time, space, or death. Whether they live happily together or pass on their legacy to their children, whatever final fate befalls Claire and Jamie in Outlander’s ending, they must be together.