Outlander author Diana Gabaldon called out a weird moment in season 7’s finale, and her criticism could bode ill for some big upcoming moments. Though there will always be differences between a book and an on-screen adaptation, Outlander season 7 took this to a different level with the massive Faith twist. After the finale premiered, Gabaldon said in an interview that she had considered bringing Faith back but ultimately decided against it. Outlander showrunners liked the idea, however, so this turned out to be the primary twist of the show’s most recent season.
Of course, the big Faith twist will likely be a focus of Outlander season 8, which means the coming episodes will continue diverting from Gabaldon’s stories. The author has worked closely with the TV show writers and has shared that season 8 will contain moments from her book Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone and the not-yet-published tenth Outlander book. Still, the bulk of the story and ending will be different from Gabaldon’s book ending. In addition to this, Gabaldon shared her least favorite aspect of Outlander season 7’s finale, and I have to say, I completely agree with her.
Author Diana Gabaldon Thought Outlander Season 7’s Master Raymond Moment Was “Flat-Out Weird”
The Show Went Light On The Special Effects For This Scene
In the finale of Outlander season 7, Claire was visited in a dream by Master Raymond, who hasn’t appeared in the series since back in season 2. The man appeared by Claire’s bedside and apologized to her for something he had done that she would soon learn all about. When Claire woke up, Raymond was gone, and Jamie claimed that no one had visited the hospital all night. Claire was left unsure whether Master Raymond had actually been there or not, but his words are what ultimately tipped her off to the idea that Faith Fraser might have somehow lived.
Gabaldon shared that she found the Master Raymond scene in Outlander season 7 “flat-out weird,” primarily due to the lack of special effects in the scene. “They could have made a more convincing visitation by Master Raymond with blurry special effects rather than having him just walk through the door and stand there,” the Outlander author said. Gabaldon went on to say that the overly simple scene likely came down to budget constraints, theorizing that they had exhausted funds for season 7. If this is true, it could be a frustrating problem for a big supernatural moment in Outlander season 8.
Outlander’s Budget Problems Could Mean More Trouble For A Big Season 8 Moment
Season 8 Should Be Full Of Magic (& This Gets Expensive)
Gabaldon has said that Outlander season 8 will contain moments from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, and given the big Faith reveal, this likely means that Jamie’s death will play out in the coming episodes. In the ninth Outlander book, Jamie is killed (or at least came as close to death as he could) in battle, and Claire hunts down his body and uses her healing powers to bring her husband back. This is sure to be part of season 8’s climax, but this supernatural display of Claire’s magical abilities will have to be pulled off better than Master Raymond’s visit.
Gabaldon is right that this wasn’t enough for Master Raymond’s magical appearance in Outlander season 7, and it most certainly won’t be enough for when Claire finally uses her magical healing powers to bring Jamie back in season 8.
Though Outlander is a fantasy series, it doesn’t require the same level of special effects as projects like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power or Game of Thrones. There are no massive beasts or overt displays of magic. Instead, the supernatural elements tend to be more covert, allowing Outlander to get away from practical effects more often than not. Gabaldon is right that this wasn’t enough for Master Raymond’s magical appearance in Outlander season 7, and it most certainly won’t be enough for when Claire finally uses her magical healing powers to bring Jamie back in season 8.
Starz Could Be Saving Its Budget For Outlander’s Final Season
Outlander May Have Prepared For A Magical Season 8
We can hope that Starz’s budget for season 7 was exhausted because of the unusual circumstances of this installment. Between the pandemic and the writer and actor strikes, Outlander had no choice but to split season 7 into pieces, and this may have made pulling off the finale a bit more difficult. Now, Outlander is going into its final season. As this is the big hurrah of the overarching series, Starz may have allowed season 8 a sizeable budget that will make it possible to effectively bring these final supernatural elements to the screen.
Unfortunately, there would be a downside to this as well. Claire’s exploration of her powers has been a key feature of several Outlander books, but the TV show has largely ignored this. In fact, the Starz series has leaned far more into the historical fiction aspect of Outlander than the fantasy side of things. The reveal that Faith might have lived seems to be an effort to revitalize the magic, but Claire’s suddenly being a sort of powerful witch would still feel disjointed in Outlander season 8. Even if the special effects are improved in the coming episodes, it might not be enough for Gabaldon to take back the “weird” criticism.