There’s a particular quality of Claire’s character that Outlander has largely ignored, and that’s going to be a significant problem for season 8. Over the last seven seasons, audiences have gotten to know this protagonist rather well. She is passionate, brave, and more than willing to put everything on the line for love. Claire and Jamie should be on their way to a satisfying ending in Outlander season 8, but the differences from book to screen may make this challenging. This is especially true since a key aspect of Claire’s character is sure to be important for the books’ resolution.
The events of Outlander season 7 brought the series to just about the end of Diana Gabaldon’s eighth Outlander book, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood. This means there is still one published book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, to be adapted to the screen in season 8. However, Gabaldon has a tenth book in the works that is meant to be the end of her series. Starz’s Outlander TV show will never have a chance to adapt this book, so significant changes are a must. This will be made all the more complicated since Claire’s magical abilities have been largely ignored thus far.
Claire Possesses Several Magical Qualities In The Outlander Books
Claire Can Magically Heal & Has Some Psychic Abilities
In the Outlander books, Claire has magical abilities that go far beyond time traveling. The TV show has included some of this with a few references to Claire’s ability to heal. Like Master Raymond, our Outlander protagonist can save a person’s life by touching them (rather than depending on her practical medical knowledge). However, this is only the beginning. Characters who can time travel in Gabaldon’s Outlander series often possess other magical abilities. In addition to healing, Claire has powerful intuition. She has subtle psychic skills, and can often sense things about people and objects by touching them.
Claire’s abilities are closely related to her blue aura in the Outlander books. Once again, this is something that was briefly mentioned in Starz’s TV show, but it was quickly forgotten and never mentioned again. It’s revealed in the Outlander spinoff The Space Between that people with a blue aura are descendants of Master Raymond himself, whose aura signifies his powers of healing, time travel, and intuition. Raymond can see these auras, and, at times, Claire can as well. Throughout the books, she has noticed a glowing blue light around some people, and this mysterious energy has aided her power.
The Outlander TV Show Has Ignored Claire’s Magical Abilities
Aside From Time Travel, Magic Is Often Ignored
Like many TV show adaptations of fantasy book series, the supernatural aspects of Outlander have been significantly watered down for the screen. It’s clear that Claire has the ability to travel in time in the Outlander show. However, aside from this, any existence of the supernatural is often ignored—especially by the skeptical Claire. Some of the exceptions of this are Master Raymond miraculously healing Claire in Outlander season 2, Geillis’ 200-year-old-baby prophecy in season 3, and Nayawenne’s accurate predictions in season 4. However, even these were quickly forgotten.
Outlander season 8 suddenly being stuffed full of the supernatural would almost feel like a genre change at this point.
This is a bit frustrating since Claire’s magical abilities are sure to be key in Gabaldon’s Outlander book ending. The story has been building up to Claire fully realizing her powers, as well as some turn of fate that ultimately reveals that it was destiny that brought Claire through the stones to begin with. Since the Outlander TV show has largely ignored the more nuanced magical features of the overarching series, this will be much harder to pull off. Outlander season 8 suddenly being stuffed full of the supernatural would almost feel like a genre change at this point—but it seems this is Starz’s plan.
Outlander Season 7 Hints That Claire’s Powers Will Be Important In Season 8
Season 7 Seemed To Guide Claire’s Character Toward Her Book Story
The ending of Outlander season 7 came with a major revelation for Claire that never happened in the books. Master Raymond visited Claire in a dream and dropped a few hints that there had been more to his season 2 story than had been initially implied. The implication here is that Master Raymond brought back Jamie and Claire’s stillborn baby, Faith, using his healing powers. This will almost certainly inspire Claire to look a little deeper into her magical abilities, and it seems as if this could lead Claire to perform some of her healing miracles from he books in Outlander season 8.
In the ninth Outlander book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Claire brings two characters back from the brink of death—a baby, and Jamie Fraser. Both had been deemed dead following tragic circumstances, but Claire was able to use her magical abilities to find the subtlest, weakest sparks of life within them. She then used her healing powers and the loving energy of those around her to force those weak sparks to grow, bringing them back to life. Claire learning about Faith in season 7 implies that this will all happen in Outlander season 8. However, it won’t be the same.
The Outlander TV Show’s Faith Solution Might Not Be Enough In Season 8
Outlander Is Using The Faith Mystery To Quickly Change Gears
Claire healing the baby and Jamie in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone came after several books of Claire slowly familiarizing herself with her power. Her magical ability has always been a feature, so, though exciting and dramatic, it was no great shock that Claire magically healed anyone in Gabaldon’s ninth book. However, since the Outlander TV show has largely ignored Claire’s supernatural abilities, such a shift in season 8 would be more jolting. The big Faith mystery of season 7 seems to be the show’s solution to this grander problem, but it may not be enough.
It appears that Outlander’s showrunners wanted a way to inspire Claire to further explore her powers, since it would have been strange to have her suddenly heal Jamie without precedent.
The big reveal that Master Raymond may have brought back Faith never happened in the Outlander books. Gabaldon has revealed that this is something she considered, but ultimately decided against it. It appears that Outlander’s showrunners wanted a way to inspire Claire to further explore her powers, since it would have been strange to have her suddenly heal Jamie without precedent. However, the big Faith reveal in Outlander season 7 is just as random. Outlander season 8 will have to work hard to make these supernatural elements feel like they belong, and only time will tell if it succeeds.