Outlander has a chance to feature a reunion I never knew was possible, and I’ll be so frustrated if season 8 doesn’t commit to it. The romantacy series is coming to a close with this upcoming season, and all bets are off for the ending thanks to the surprise finale of season 7. The big cliffhanger revolved around the idea that Faith Fraser might have lived—an even greater surprise since the Outlander books never included such a twist. It will be up to Outlander season 8 to dredge up all the old details from season 2 and reveal precisely what happened to little Faith after her birth.
Faith Fraser’s death played out in Outlander season 2, episode 7, “Faith,” which aired nine years ago on May 21, 2016. In this episode, Claire goes through the devastating experience of holding her infant daughter’s lifeless body before ultimately handing her over to be buried. Given these details, it seemed the only way Claire and Faith would be reunited was in death, and this almost certainly wouldn’t happen in Outlander. So, I had no hope that such a moment would ever play out anywhere but in my imagination. Now, Outlander has dropped the bomb that Faith somehow lived, but a reunion may still be out of reach.
Outlander Probably Won’t Reunite Claire With Faith
Faith Is Likely Dead (For Real) By The Start Of Outlander Season 8
There had been no hope over the last nine years that Claire would ever be reunited with her first daughter, but the reveal in Outlander season 7 changed everything. If Claire’s theory is correct, Faith somehow lived and grew to adulthood, giving birth to two daughters of her own, Jane and Fanny. Of course, this is a somewhat bittersweet revelation. Jane and Fanny’s mother, Faith Pocock, died several years before the events of season 7. This means Outlander is just as unlikely to reunite Claire and Faith as before this big reveal.
Nothing has been revealed in Outlander about how Faith Pocock died. Jane only told William that she turned to prostitution following her mother’s death to ensure she could care for little Fanny. There may still be hope that the girls’ mother didn’t die after all but instead accidentally slipped through some standing stones to a distant time, just like Claire did. If this is the case, Claire could begin a journey in Outlander season 8 to find Faith. Unfortunately, it feels far more likely that Claire will have learned about Faith’s survival only after it is too late to actually meet her, which is rather cruel.
Why Outlander Season 7 Would Reveal Faith Lived (Just To Keep Her & Claire Separated Anyway)
The Point Of This Reveal Likely Isn’t To Reunite Claire & Faith
One of the biggest questions after the ending of Outlander season 7 is why Master Raymond wouldn’t tell Claire that Faith had lived. The fact that he apologized during his dream visit implies that he had known the whole time but kept the information from Claire for some greater purpose. What’s more, Master Raymond saying sorry to Claire hints that the time for mother and daughter to be reunited has come and gone. This may be something Claire will have to accept in Outlander season 8—but why would the series bother with such a twist only to keep Faith killed off anyway?
If Claire learns that Faith has been brought back, it should inspire her to explore her powers even if she never gets to meet her daughter.
The answer likely comes down to Claire’s healing power. She has yet to spend any time developing them in the Outlander TV show, even though the same is not true for the books. Outlander season 8 will likely include the massive book moment when Claire uses her power to bring Jamie back from the brink of death. Without the years’ worth of setup for this that the books contained, this would feel out of pocket for the TV series. However, if Claire learns that Faith has been brought back, it should inspire her to explore her powers even if she never gets to meet her daughter.
What The Outlander Books Say About Faith’s Survival
Diana Gabaldon Considered A Similar Twist
Another reason that Claire is unlikely to be reunited with her daughter is that this didn’t happen in the books. The same is technically true for the season 7 reveal that Faith might have lived. However, this is at least a twist that Diana Gabaldon considered. She has since revealed that she thought about revealing that Master Raymond had resurrected and raised Faith after the events in France, but she ultimately chose against it. See Gabaldon’s full comment below:
“They actually did get the (general) idea from me, though. When chatting with [showrunner] Matt [Roberts] about All Things plot wise, I mentioned that if I had written a second graphic novel (I didn’t, for assorted reasons), I would have shown what actually happened after Faith’s presumed death at the Hopital des Anges, and how/why Master Raymond resuscitated and nurtured the baby secretly, but wasn’t able to come back with her before Claire and Jamie left France. So, they liked that idea and ran with it.”
In this sense, the big Faith reveal isn’t entirely outside the realm of canon. However, some big adventure during which Claire discovers that Jane and Fanny were mistaken about their mother’s death would be something else entirely. Such a story in Outlander season 8 would officially leave canon in the dust, and Starz may not be willing to journey that far only to bring Claire and her daughter back together. So, while I would love to see this reunion 9 years after I watched Claire say goodbye to little Faith, it seems there is no alternative but to be disappointed.