Blacklanderz®Convos!
Outlander S8 Epi10 – And The World Was All Around Us
Written by Matthew B. Roberts | Directed by Emer Conroy
This conversation is between Blacklanderz® Olivia, Andrea, and Margot. Arranged, edited, and interrupted by Vida.
[V: I was wondering why they started with the night sky.]
O: The burning cross. I always have an icky feeling when I see a cross burning. This is a Celtic cross, but still…
M: Ah! We see another fiery cross. Throwback!
A: Loved the cinematography of this showing the sparks against the night sky but seeing that fiery cross. Chills!
Je suis Prest (I am ready.).
O: Yes, I am ready, but really I’m not.
M: LET’S GOOOO. Battle time!
A: He may be ready. I am certainly not.
Tùlach àrd!
M: I’m assuming each of these chants has to do with their own respective clans.
O: I agree with you, Margot.
[V: Margot, yes, they do.]
Air adhart le sealbh agus
lion an langaid!
A: I loved this but also cracked up. Poor Black men were looking around like what!? Wish we had seen theirs.
Fulaing le treuntachd!
O: All right, now. Whitaker and his men are ready.
M: They gathered up EVERYONE
A: Love it!
Caisteal Dhunaidh!
M: I’m dancing in my room to this!
O: I loved hearing Raya Yarbrough’s voice, the first singer we heard singing the Skye Boat song in S1. Her voice is simply beautiful, and to hear her sing it is bittersweet, though. You know the writers/producers were closing the loop on the series.
A: And cue the tears.
M: It’s like the bookend to the whole series! This was the first title card, right?
O: Yep.
A: Yes.
[Jamie VO]
I, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie
Fraser, being of sound mind, do hereby
declare that this is my Last Will and Testament.
I leave to my wife,
M: Jamie is taking care of business before he dies. Making sure Claire is all settled.
Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp Fraser,
all property and goods of which
I die possessed, absolutely.
O: Oh my. That was sobering. This is what you call putting your affairs in order. You know Jamie is always thinking of his family, his clan. He’s getting things in order for them to carry on without him.
With the exception of certain individual
bequests as listed here beneath:
A: Putting his affairs in order. Whew! More and more tears.
To my daughter,
Brianna Ellen Fraser MacKenzie,
M: Bree is an engineering queen! Two thousand acres? Damn, what are they going to do with all that space?
I leave two thousand acres of land
from the land grant known as Fraser’s Ridge.
O: I know, right? Two thousand acres is a boatload of land.
A: That is A LOT of land. Bree knows what she’s doing. So smart.
To my grandchildren,
Jeremiah, Amanda, David, Germaine,
Joan, Felicite, Henri-Christian and Frances,
I leave each a sum of one hundred pounds.
M: I always knew Jamie had money.
O: Remember, he’s got the Spaniard’s gold hidden in the woods somewhere.
A: A life fulfilled. Yes, I believe he does still have gold hidden somewhere.
I also leave my books,
to be divided among them,
under the supervision of Roger MacKenzie…
M: Aww, he’s really not leaving anything out.
O: No, he’s not.
To my beloved sister, Janet Flora
Arabella Fraser Murray,
I leave our mother’s silver stag brooch.
A: Oh my! Jenny. Ugh, this is making me so sad!
To my dear nephew, Ian James
Fitzgibbons Fraser Murray,
who has been like a son to me,
I leave my tools and weapons.
M: It’s kind of like a ‘look what I did for everyone before I depart from this earth.’
To Marsali Jane MacKimmie Fraser,
I leave my fine quills, inks and stationery.
O: I would say it’s more of Jamie thinking what can I leave each individual who is important to me that suits their needs and expertise. Ian with weapons makes perfect sense, as does Marsali getting the ink and stationery for her newspaper and printing business.
A: Everyone gets something that is useful to them. I think that is just… my heart.
To my son,
my natural son, William James
Fraser, also known as William Clarence
Henry George Ransom, ninth Earl of Ellesmere,
the three casks of my special whisky marked
with JFS and my Bible.
May he find succor and
wisdom in its pages.
M: He’s an earl, he doesn’t need money. I interpret this as, ‘Loosen up and find God Willie.’ Hahahaha!
O: Ha-ha, Margot. I’m curious as to why Jamie is leaving William the Bible. Is it because he thinks William needs to read it more? Hmm.
A: That is such a gift for someone who has and can have everything. Ha! Maybe he thinks if he reads it, it’ll provide him comfort?
M: Signed, sealed, and delivered!
O: Indeed. What must that feel like, I wonder.
It didn’t really hit me ever when I was playing anything until our very last day. The last scene that Sam and I filmed together in Jamie and Claire’s bedroom was a seven-page dialogue scene, and the stuff that we were saying to each other as we were saying it had all of these double meanings for our lives and the whole experience, saying goodbye to Claire and the whole thing.
M: So… this battle really has to happen? Can’t we just cancel the whole thing?
O: This is getting serious. And I’m not ready for this to happen.
A: Yeah, I’m not ready. My stomach hurts. I agree, Margot. Let’s just cancel.
M: I’m kind of afraid of bees because I don’t want to get stung. But I’m sure it was cute to see two bees in a flower, asleep and holding each other’s feet.
It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, because I couldn’t keep it together. I was so emotional. It hit me like a train—what a massive journey it had been, and the enormity of saying goodbye.
O: This reminds me of when earlier years when Claire tells Jamie about an archeological dig she went on with Uncle Lam, and there were skeletal remains of a couple at Mount Vesuvius or something, who had been buried together, their bodies were intertwined. Waiting for death, they simply held each other. And I’m not sure if this was in the TV show, but maybe it was only in the books.
[V: No, it wasn’t on the show.]
A: This made me smile. A warm fuzzy.
M: Aww, the bees are just chilling before going out to work.
O: No, not dead.
A: That has to be the sweetest thing. Sleeping and waiting for the sun.
M: They really weren’t meant for a quiet like in eight seasons. I don’t think the Frasers have ever had a break.
A: I agree. My first thought and every season thus far. Can they catch ONE break and nope, they have not.
As the scene went on, people started to gather to watch and we really felt the weight of the moment. Caitriona’s eye was just buzzing. It was sort of flickering in her closeup, but I was trying desperately just to maintain some sort of state of decorum.
I was surprised the scene worked. I actually honestly thought it was not going to work because we were both so kind of tense with emotion. And then of course the release and the sort of bittersweet goodbye when they called the final wrap.
O: Man, Jamie. Talk about a man facing death head-on!
M: That’s true. That’s a gift in itself.
A: I don’t want it to happen. But if it does, at least he HAS lived long enough to see his grand kids.
M: This is too morbid . . . talking about being a ghost would be interesting.
O: I mean, he’s trying to make light of his death. And he’s preparing Claire for it, but this is getting to me.
A: This is clenching my stomach up.
M: I don’t know how Claire is taking this so calmly. I would have started becoming hysterical. Jamie has a real chance of dying.
O: I think she’s trying not to lose it and become hysterical. She’s trying to stay strong,
A: She is trying to be so strong but viewing this, I am not.
O: Matt Roberts is really bringing things full circle. The blue vase is in the very first episode, I believe, showing how unconventional Claire’s life has been. One that was not rooted in the ordinary.
M: True callback to the very first episode.
A: Lovely callback.
M: I wonder if she had told Jamie about her first trip to Scotland before. That she went looking for flowers and then all this happened.
O: I don’t know, Margot. But we certainly do!
A: I hadn’t thought about that. Did she tell him? I don’t remember.
[V: I don’t think she did.]
O: Of course she doesn’t regret finding the flowers and touching the stone, Jamie.
Do you ever wish you hadna seen that flower,
touched that stone?
M: How could she! Look at the life she has now! More than she could have done with Frank!
Never.
A: Jamie, I love you. No, she 100% does not regret it at all. Agree Margot, FAR more than with Frank.
I still don’t have the blue vase.
But I have everything I never knew I wanted.
O: You better believe it! Living with a man like him, even with all the dangers. This whole interaction brought tears to my eyes.
M: THAT’S RIGHT! That and more!
A: Just crying.
I hope you’ve had everything you wanted.
No.
I should like to sleep in a
flower with you, Sassenach.
Holding your feet.
O: Oh my goodness.
M: Aww.
A: Adorable.
Brianna’s at peace, and that makes me very happy.
O: So what will this young couple make of it all?
M: Look Bree! Everything the light touches is yours! HA-HA.
A: I wish I knew what was in store for them. I want to see more of their family and lives.
O: I’m sure Roger will do what he has to.
M: To be honest, that’s all Roger was meant to do. Sing and pray and that’s okay.
A: Yes, do that Roger. Sing and pray!
O: Roger isn’t a fighter, but I believe he’ll meet his moment. Remember, he’s been through it too, nearly getting hanged to death, but he held onto a fierce determination to live and held on until Jamie and Claire arrived to cut him down.
M: Bree is letting Roger know he’s not allowed to die. The opposite of what Claire is doing because she is taking this all way too calmly.
A: One thing about Claire and Bree they gonna make sure their men understand they are absolutely not allowed to die.
Just please be careful.
And please, bring my Da home.
O: Amen.
M: Please, Roger.
A: I beg you, Roger.
O: The sad truth of it, Fanny, is life holds no guarantees. No matter if we want those we love to stay around forever, it just won’t happen. But we must live on, and hopefully as well and joyfully as possible, as our departed loved ones would want.
M: I’d feel jilted too. She just got their family and now look at what’s happening.
A: This is understandable with every single thing she has been through. Why is this the end of this show? I digress.
O: No, Fanny. Claire is right.
M: I’m sorry, Fanny, this must be so traumatizing.
A: Poor thing. Claire is right, Fanny, it is too dangerous for you to go with them.
O: Oh Fanny, I’m sorry for you.
M: I am saying, Claire is taking this all too calmly…
A: Whew, Claire.
M: Honestly, I would have been PISSED at Bree bringing me this book and taking away my peace. Jamie Fraser is a different type of person.
O: You’ve got a point, Margot. But you can also look at it as Frank was giving Jamie a warning, making Jamie prepare himself and his family for the possibility of his death.
A: I am so annoyed, but also, I guess a little grateful for Frank giving a warning.
The final season, shooting it, I think the whole thing was a process. You know, there was just this theme to it, which was goodbyes. Every day felt like a goodbye in some way, whether it was with a location or character or a crew member or actor. So yeah, there were a lot of goodbyes.
O: What a poetic man.
On a count of how much you
look like your mother there.
M: That’s so sweet.
What?
Come on, nobody ever says
I look like Mama.
You look like your mother often.
It’s not a matter of
your hair or your eyes.
A: My heart. The tears look very real. This is not acting.
It’s- It’s the look on your face
when you touch Jem, Mandy, Wee Davy.
Or when you’re talking with
Roger Mac, even here on this porch.
Ye look like your mother in love,
is all I mean.
M: I love their relationship. This is why we should cancel the battle.
I love you Da.
O: If only. I’m so on edge watching this.
And I you. Thanks.
A: This is too much.
O: This coming battle is tough on everybody. It’s the not knowing whether your loved one will be injured or, God forbid, killed. They know what’s about to happen is pivotal. And so do we.
It’s been one of the most dramatic shifts, I think, of any of the characters, certainly, from the young, slightly naive, joyful, little guy that popped his head in that window one day and then to this warrior father. Yes, it’s been crazy and such a blessing, I would say, of a character.
M: I guess Rachel can’t bear to say anything else to Ian.
A: Battle throughout time the same thing from wives and families everywhere. Will their loved ones return?
This is far enough.
O: I wonder why she doesn’t want to go any farther?
M: Ian has to come back. I won’t accept anything else.
A: I need all of them coming back. Side note: I need a movie.
O: Ian’s walk is telling me he is getting in battle mode. He’s squaring his shoulders and taking that climb up to the Big House resolutely.
M: Is this where everyone is gathering? Also, I like the Big House. I just preferred the old one more. The staircase in that one was fabulous.
A: Whew… every step takes them closer and closer.
It’s been a really, really wonderful experience that I’m just super-grateful to have had and Rachel’s arc has been great. We kind of had her coming-of-age story. Then, Season 8 is kind of now she’s become a woman, seeing what those next steps are for her — being a wife, being a mother. And I feel very happy for where Rachel and Ian end up.
O: You can see how pensive Claire is as she absent-mindlessly pets the horse.
M: How is everyone taking this so calmly.
A: Way too calm, Margot. But it is what they say, the “calm before the storm.”
O: What more is there to say? You know Claire is following Jamie into battle. There’s no way she would stay behind. Bree knows this.
M: Guess there’s no convincing Claire to stay, huh? Not even Bree can change her mind.
A: Bree should know by now, where Da is going, Mama is going too. I hate it.
That was probably one of my favorite scenes [with the bees], I think, of the whole season, because it was just a real moment of him saying goodbye to the things he loves and knowing that it will live on without him.
O: Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone is literally what Jamie is doing.
M: Is this what they did in the book too?
[V: Yes, for the most part. Though the show made Claire the beekeeper, it was Jamie in the books. And, yes, he asked them to take care of Claire.]
A: Ah yes, the book title. I’ve not read the books. I guess I should do that.
I wanted to ask you…
If she comes to you… tells you I’m gone, ye’ll feed her?
Take heed for her? I trust ye wi’ her.
I, uh…
Remember a bit more of that poem now…
O: I’m telling you, this finale is an emotional ringer already, between Jamie talking to Claire in bed, and now this.
M: Let’s just cancel the whole thing.
A: I am tired of crying.
“And I shall have some peace…
For peace comes… dropping slow.”
O: Jamie is a man who accepts his role, which is to fight for his family and to fight for freedom, knowing full well it could mean his death. He accepts it. He’s ready for it. And he will do it. But damn, man!
M: One last word to the bees.
A: I understand Jamie accepts what he is supposed to do, but let’s cancel all this.
O: Jamie, the general, is preparing his troops.
M: Their Laird has arrived! Time for battle.
A: The time has come.
O: What must that be like, heading to battle? Not knowing whether you’ll make it out alive.
M: One last time, huh?
A: It’s so quiet.
O: Ian with the tomahawk, Roger with the Bible: The spear and the Lord together, so to speak.
A: One right after the other, marching on, in silence for what is to come.
M: Wait this guy is coming too?
O: I was wondering about Crombie’s presence, too, Margot. I guess Jamie needs all the men he can get, even a backstabber.
A: I wouldn’t trust him. We’ll see.
O: We know Buck is a fighting man, for sure.
M: Josiah! My guy! WHERE IS YOUR TWIN?
A: Ha Margot! That is hilarious.
[V: Margot, you have me hollering. You are so crazy. But remember, Kizzie is hearing impaired and that would be dangerous on a battlefield. So, he stays at the Ridge with Lizzie and the kids. Josiah is stronger and is the hunter and fighter.]
O: We know Black men have a role in this Revolution as well. After all Crispus Attucks, a Black man, was the first felled in Boston, or so history says. And Black people have a pivotal role in the development of this country. Period. Full Stop!
M: I do appreciate how Outlander tried to incorporate this!
A: Amen, Olivia. Amen.
[V: Olivia, you’re exactly right. And the hypocrisy is after Blacks fought for others to get their freedom from England, some of these same people turned around and enslaved Black people.]
O: Yes, look at what you’ve achieved, Jamie.
M: One last look at your home, Jamie? We could all just turn back now.
A: Yes, please. I second, Margot. It can’t happen if they don’t show up.
M: So that’s how the flag looked then?
O: Yes, that’s the colonial flag. I’m a New Yorker now for the past 30-plus years, but I grew up in the Philly suburbs. I was driving to Niagara Falls several years ago, and I saw lot of these flags in the small towns in upstate New York, as I passed through.
[V: And yet, people want us to forget about slavery.]
A: It’s crazy to see how that flag looked. Wow!
O: I can’t stand Cleveland. But he and his men will fight, so…That’s the only pass I give him.
M: Wonder how many men are gathered.
A: I don’t like that man at all. And by the way Cleveland, Claire is there, ’cause she is there.
M: Cleveland really gathered EVERYONE up. He was such an annoying character.
O: He is.
[Jamie]
There it is, Kings Mountain.
A: I concur. He is annoying as hell.
I wish we were back at the Ridge.
O: From your mouth to God’s ear, Claire.
Part of me wishes we were too.
I’m not afraid of dying,
I’m afraid of not seeing my home again.
M: We could just fix that and turn back now. But Jamie and Claire aren’t like that, unfortunately.
We will see the Ridge again.
A: I need them to see their home again, okay.
O: You can see it in Jamie’s eyes that he doesn’t trust that scoundrel, Cleveland, but he needs to discuss strategy with him.
M: Jamie must be so freaked out. Sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A: My nerves are SHOT.
O: Well, that sounds foreboding.
M: What if they just cut them off before coming to the mountain?
A: I am absolutely dreading this.
O: If you say so, but I don’t like it.
M: They could stop this King’s Mountain battle before it even happens!
A: The prayers I am praying right now.
O: Ok. So that sounds like they’re fairly equal.
[Frank]
The forces were nearly equal,
Ferguson’s troops numbered
a little over a thousand
as compared with the nine
hundred Patriots attacking him.
M: This is so creepy. Jamie is verifying everything Cleveland says with Frank’s words.
A: The voice over is unnerving. Also, those odds seem good.
O: I’m on edge. Get this battle going already!
M: A little too late asking for this now!
A: My nerves are really shot to hell.
M: They never really dove deeper into Mandy’s abilities.
O: No, they haven’t. But I found this part interesting.
A: They didn’t and I wish we had more of that.
M: Water has no color… so she just can’t see him?
O: But she does see him, Margot, as shimmering in water. But she can’t hear him.
A: I am confused by this as well. I don’t know why it would bother me that she can’t see him, regardless of hearing him.
O: Jamie will not let her forget he might not be coming back.
M: Again… they are taking this way too calmly.
A: I wish he would stop this. Damn!
O: He won’t let up.
M: WAYYYY too calmly. I would be inconsolable.
A: Okay, please Jamie for the love of all that is holy, I need you to stop.
If I die tomorrow, I’ll ask three things of ye, a nighean.
Three things I want.
Will you give them to me?
If it’s within my power, you know I will.
When you can, find a priest,
have a mass said for my soul.
Done. Though it may take some time.
Think the nearest priest is in Maryland.
O: Yeah, I remember his purgatory stint, after the battle at Culloden. We know Jamie can wait. After all, he waited for Claire for 20 years. And she waited for him.
M: MARYLAND??? Priests were hard to come by I guess.
A: See Olivia, I need to go back and re-watch from the beginning and really take detailed notes.
Second thing?
Our Wee Davy.
Mandy says he’s like me, the color of water.
He’s not like she and Jem are. I think maybe it
means he canna pass through the stones.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it now again,
and I mean it. If I’m dead,
you should all go back.
If it’s true Davy canna travel, then give him to
Rachel and Young Ian, they’ll love him with
all their hearts and keep him safe.
O: You can forget about that, Jamie.
M: Jamie… that isn’t the best idea. I don’t see anyone leaving the baby.
A: Nope, let’s get serious. No one is leaving the baby.
I love you with all my heart,
and I can’t keep you safe.
And I’m sorry Jamie, but I-I can’t promise that
Brianna would never leave her son.
O: Claire’s right about that.
M: Exactly.
A: Exactamundo!
And as for me, this is my home.
And if… God forbid, you are gone…
well then I’d want to stay here.
Where I can feel you all around me,
in the life that we built.
And the third thing?
Remember me.
O: Jamie, there is no way Claire would forget you, and nobody who’s ever met you, for that matter. You stay on people’s minds, including mine.
M: Obviously … he must have run out of things to ask for.
A: Duh, Jamie. This woman is never ever, ever, going to forget you.
We’ve been through so much together as actors. We approached those scenes from the beginning with trepidation and had to work our way through it together. And this was the same.
We were there for each other, and I think it couldn’t be with anyone else. Caitriona and I have a shorthand. We have a trust in each other. It was really beautiful. At the end, they brought us a glass of champagne. They were like, ‘It’s your last ever intimate scene.’ We celebrated that.
O: One more time.
M: I can’t get the song, “One Last Time,” from Hamilton out of my head.
A: Ha, Margot. But also, whew.
O: The tenderness between the two of them is really beautiful.
M: Outlander has had so many love scenes. This is really the last one.
A: I love the gentleness and care they share with each other.
O: The love and respect shows, between characters and actors.
M: The love scenes have changed so much over the seasons, too. Getting an intimacy coordinator was a big change!
A: The intimacy coordinator is intimacing. (I know it’s not a word). 😀
O: The depiction of a middle-aged couple loving each other is welcomed and beautiful as well. It’s not lustful, but genuine regard for each other.
M: Like a bookend to the whole series!
A: The bookends to the series.
O: They saved the best for last. Remember, less knowledgeable critics would simply refer to Outlander as a bodice ripper series. When in truth, it is way more than that. Yes, the love scenes were hot in the beginning. Still, throughout the series, the audience was treated to historical information, huge battle scenes, and the development of characters and their interior lives. You learn from these people how to interact with others through kindness, love, and how to strategize, and what it means to be resolute. Okay, I’ll stop preaching.
M: ONE FOR THE BOOKS, HUH!?
A: Everything you said, Olivia.
O: That’s right, savor being with your man.
M: WAY TOO CALMLY!
A: My heart is racing.
O: That’s right, bring it Ian!
M: Ian stays ready, so he doesn’t have to get ready.
A: I was about to type the same thing. Ian STAYS ready.
O: I’m not sure that’ll be enough.
M: Just sing and pray, Roger Mac!
A: I don’t know why this tickles me but yeah, that’s not gonna do it Roger.
O: Well, Claire isn’t known for following orders.
M: The lead-up to this battle is different from the others. Has a big feel of finality about it.
A: I’m going to bet that isn’t going to happen, Jamie.
O: Yes, as always the music is appropriate and enhances scenes.
M: Bear had really put in all the stops with the music in this episode.
A: I love everything Bear does.
O: Jamie is rallying the troops, giving them the inspiration to fight.
M: WAY TOO CALMLY!
[V: Margot, I hear ya. But these men have probably never been in a fight, let alone a battle. Jamie has to be the calm one to lead them through what they must do.]
A: My stomach is in my throat.
O: This is it. It’s about to happen, so the emotions are beginning to come to the fore.
M: Yes, Claire! Finally, show the appropriate emotions. I would be hysterical!
A: She has done remarkably well holding in her emotions.
[V: I certainly can feel her pain and can’t imagine being in that situation.]
M: I thought the prayer would be longer than that, but we got a battle to get to.
Dear Lord, protect us, we pray.
O: That was kind of short, Roger. I was looking for more sage words.
O Lord, be with us this day in battle.
A: That was short. Lol!
Grant us the grace to show mercy where we can.
Amen.
To Colonel Campbell!
Look after her, Roger Mac.
Pray for me.
O: Of course.
M: I mean what else is there to say?
A: Exactly, why would he not.
Tha gradh agam ort, mo chridhe
(I love you, my heart).
Tha gradh agam ort.
(I love you.)
O: I’m glad Vida translated this. And I loved Jamie’s bow. For me, it’s a callback to how he bowed before her right before they went into the church to get married.
[V: My pleasure.]
M: THAT IS SOO SWEET! And she got the pronunciation right too!!
A: I love that you translated it, Vida, because I really didn’t know what they were saying.
[V: You’re welcome.]
Feel like the Lady of Shalott.
Forbidden to leave her tower.
Cursed.
Unable to see what’s happening
except through a mirror.
O: Oh, okay. I never read that.
M: Now, I gotta educate myself on the Lady of Shalott.
A: Who? I may have to look into her as well.
[V: It’s a narrative poem, The Lady of Shalott, by Alfred Tennyson. In the poem, the Lady of Shalott is shut away in a tower, able only to watch Camelot from a distance while knights ride to and from battle, never knowing their fate. Claire compares herself to the Lady because Jamie has gone to fight, and she’s left behind, unable to follow him or see whether he survives, trapped in the same helpless waiting.]
Aye. Well…
Let’s try not to break
the curse just yet…
M: Why not?
O: I’m with you, Margot.
A: Excuse me. Why would you not want to?
[V: Because if Roger agrees, let’s her go and something happens to her, Jamie would kill him.]
O: I’m on the edge of my seat!
M: This is intense!
A: So full disclosure, I may or may not be rocking back and forth.
O: I would have thought the soldiers on the high ground would have the advantage and that the Patriots would be sitting ducks running up toward them. Reload, Jamie!
M: Wonder how much training they had to do to film this. This incline is nuts!
A: I will never understand this way of fighting; but yeah, that’s a crazy incline.
O: Just going up that climb with not much cover. I don’t know.
M: Yea, sure! With the core strength of a bodybuilder, I could maybe do that.
A: This isn’t smart.
O: I don’t have a problem with Crombie going down. That’s how it goes, buddy.
M: I ain’t about Crombie dying. I always thought he was a b*tch.
A: Well, sorry, those tears are reserved, Crombie.
[V: I just ‘luvbs’ how Josiah and Ian were in sync.]
O: Again, I would think the Redcoats having the high ground would be to their advantage. But Jamie did do reconnaissance of that mountain, so maybe he figured out a plan of attack that is working.
M: This is a crazy battle. There’s no way the Patriots have an advantage.
O: Something’s up.
M: Again, Claire… I WOULD BE HYSTERICAL!
A: Claire, just go on up there.
O: You know Claire was going out there to see if Jamie’s all right.
M: There is nothing else to say to her at this point, just follow her lead.
A: He should have known better. LoL.
Claire.
Don’t you try and fucking stop me.
O: Staying behind means you are worried sick and don’t have the ability to know how things are going.
M: Is this their last scene? Shucking corn?
A: I’m not impressed with this scene at all. Sorry.
O: Well said, young lady.
M: That is very wise for little Fanny to say.
Grandda and Grandma said that we’re in their hearts.
If that’s true, then we’re there with them
on the battlefield, too.
A: I’m glad to see Fanny is being so wise.
O: Here’s hoping they all come back.
M: Yes! They need to come back!
A: I need ALL of them, minus Crombie, to come back.
[V: I do too. But did we need this scene?]
O: That was good intel, Frank.
M: I would look for Ferguson and crush that dumb whistle.
A: Okay, I guess I am appreciative of this intel.
[Frank]
Patrick Ferguson
hadn’t enough voice to call
above the roar of battle,
so he used a silver whistle
to manage his troops.
Like callin’ a pack of dogs.
O: Get Ferguson, Jamie! Follow that whistle.
M: Exactly! It’s kind of degrading.
A: Go get ’em!
O: Jamie is a fightin’ man, that’s for sure. Look at the intensity in his face.
M: LET’S GOOO!!!
A: Okay, okay, okay!
O: I’m telling you, Claire is being reckless here.
M: I must say… I get why she went after him, but this is kind of silly.
A: So, she is just going right into gunfire. Okay, this isn’t smart.
O: That opens things up!
M: EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!
O: All right, let’s end this thing!
M: LET’S GOO!!
A: Let’s do it!
Dinna wait for my command now!
Be your own officer!
Caisteal Dhunaidh!
O: You know she’s only looking for Jamie.
[V: I know she is, but also glad she saw karma got Crombie.
Just think how he was just beholden to Cunningham, waiting to capture Jamie and hand him over to Ferguson.]
A: She’s only worried about one person.
O: I guess he can’t waste time reloading. He’s taking up the sword and swinging for all he’s worth!
M: Did he use the gun that Brianna made for him?
[V: Yes, that was the gun he was using and reloading. Guess, he got tired of it.]
A: Where’d the gun go?
[V: Probably by the last tree where he told the men to be their own officer.]
[V: I was wondering when they were going to show Cleveland fighting. He’s like a bull in a China shop.]
O: I love how Ian wields the tomahawk.
M: Ian for the win! He’s gonna take this home for us.
A: Ian is such a badass!
O: Claire is trying to do her duty, but she is preoccupied with thoughts of Jamie and how he’s faring.
M: What is Claire doing? She’s the middle of a battle.
A: She is too preoccupied and not focused and that’s not a good combination in the thick of the battle.
O: Oh no. But thank goodness it’s not Jamie.
M: BRUH! That would have ended me! I thought it was Jamie too.
A: I almost had a heart attack.
O: Not happening.
Claire!
Claire, wait!
M: Why would she wait??
A: She is laser focused, Roger.
O: Like I said earlier, she’s being reckless. But we know why. She’s determined to get to Jamie and see about his welfare.
M: I would have gone back for the bag, sis.
A: Didn’t the bag have a gun? She needs to go get her bag.
O: Okay, Jamie is still in the fight.
M: Red Jamie is still in this! How old is Jamie in this episode?
A: I’ve been wondering how old he is now too?
[V: He’s about 58.]
O: I’m glad they’ve got each other’s back.
M: Josiah! My GUY!
[V: That’s why he is there and not Kizzie. LOL.]
A: Love me some Josiah.
O: That’s right, follow that whistle to your nemesis.
M: The leg and core strength this man needs.
A: Go Jamie!
O: Fight on, men.
M: Random thought. I’m so happy Buck joined us!
A: I’ve really enjoyed Buck.
O: Goodness, woman. I want to slap her for being so reckless.
M: Same! She does dumb things right to the very end.
A: Stubborn then, stubborn now.
O: The woman’s a fighter, that’s for sure.
[V: You know she will kill anyone to get to Jamie.]
M: At least she can defend herself.
A: Quick on her feet and able to defend herself.
O: Get him, Jamie!
M: Get him and smash that damn whistle.
A: I am sick of this man! I want to see Ferguson GONE!
O: And what is that get-up Ferguson is wearing? I remember Cleveland saying Ferguson was in some kind of red checked shirt, but what is Ferguson trying to convey with that outfit?
[V: Olivia, I think he wore civilian riding clothes to be less noticeable on the horse, less of a target. But having a whistle defeats that purpose.]
M: He’s trying to convey that he’s dumb!
A: I hate this man!
O: Yeah, they got each other’s back.
M: They sure do!
A: They do!
O: That’s it. Keep going! Don’t let up!
M: I want him to smash Ferguson’s whistle.
A: His whistle is pissing me off.
O: I’m scared Claire’s going to get shot!
M: She really did something dumb going up that mountain.
A: I get it, but I don’t. Like at some point, Claire needs to realize this is not happening.
O: Let’s hope she finds Jamie unharmed.
M: Surrender? Is it done?
A: I worry about these things.
O: Yes! I was wondering will he yell at her for being so reckless?
M: I’d be shocked too! But to be honest, Jamie and Claire are so reckless for each other, he’d probs understand.
A: The relief instead of anger.
O: I mean, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. And it ain’t over!
M: Exactly!
A: Please, someone, get this man!
No!
O: My heart is beating a mile a minute, as I watch this!
M: IS THIS IT??
A: No… no… no… no!
O: Yes!
M: WHERE IS THE WHISTLE?!
A: THANK YOU!
O: Okay, good.
It’s over, Sassenach!
M: Is it just me? I feel like I haven’t heard him call her Sassenach in a while.
A: My heart rate has slowed down, a little.
O: Good. Can we end things here?
Frank was wrong.
M: WAS HE WRONG?
The battlefield is ours.
A: Okay, the end. Let’s go!
O: I can’t believe it ended this well.
M: It can’t be that easy.
A: Happy.
O: Well done.
M: I would be EXTRA CAUTIOUS from this point on.
A: Margot, yes!
Victory is our!
O: I don’t like that look in Ferguson’s eye.
M: They should kill him.
A: Ferguson is arrogant, I don’t trust him.
Do I have your surrender?
I will never surrender.
O: I instinctively knew it was too soon to celebrate.
M: They didn’t search him for weapons?
A: Why didn’t they search him immediately? Why?!
O: I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.
M: OMG! And the shit hit him in a very vulnerable place.
A: And I can’t breathe.
I knew it was coming. I think Jamie knew. He’s always known that since he met Claire, his fate is sealed. He’s going to die for this woman that he loves. So, it’s not a surprise, but yeah, I think the whole season was really hard because you just knew it was coming, not only the end of the show, but the end of Jamie. So, there was this sort of duality or parallel journey for myself and the character. [It was] really hard, but also a release. As the gunshot comes out — we shot that quite a lot, quite a few times because obviously we shot it in slow-mo and Steadicam and it was quite hard to get it right. But then lying on the mountain top was kind of quite peaceful, to be honest.
It’s a callback to when, in season 7, Claire said, “I would feel it. I would know if he died.” They’re so connected that she can feel it. I love that moment, because it is that thing of, she knew the last time—she knew she didn’t feel it, and that was part of the anger and the frustration. She knew that it didn’t feel like she felt it would, and this she felt instantaneously.
O: It’s like Claire always said, she would know it in her heart if Jamie died. That she would feel it.
M: WOW, she really felt it when he got hit.
A: They share a heart. She really felt that.
For me, you know, it was such a huge build-up. You know, Jamie knows from the beginning of the season that he’s going to die, quite possibly. And I think for him, you know, it’s all about him coming to terms with that. He knows that changing history is never really successful. So he is approaching his mortality and come to terms with it. He says his goodbyes. And I think the moment on the mountain when he has survived the battle and they won and he’s still alive, he thinks just for a moment, you know, he’s done it. He’s dodged fate. And then, of course, the gunshot rings out.
O: Everybody is shocked. It’s like they’re paralyzed. They can’t believe the King of Men, their leader, could go down.
M: Their LAIRD!
A: I am as shocked as they are.
O: I’m telling you, these scenes were gut-wrenching.
M: FAM! He needs medical attention! BUT CLAIRE DROPPED HER BAG!
A: This is critical.
[V: Amazingly, she is reacting with her hand and knows he is throwing up something, possibly blood.]
O: Now you’ve really got to go back to Jamie, Claire.
A: Go to him, Claire!
O: Yeah, Ferguson should’ve known he was a dead man.
M: Yo, they locked in and killed him so quickly! I couldn’t help but laugh.
A: Reminds me of a scene in Homicide (IYK,YK).
[V: I wish Jamie had given the order to do this when they initially captured him.]
O: Jamie might not be afraid of death, but the rest of us are afraid of him dying.
M: This is HORRIBLE!
A: I am a wreck!
[V: O-M-G . . . I keep holding my breath.]
M: That’s disrespectful. He’s leaving her.
Dinna fash.
A: I’m crying and typing.
It’s almost like ah there it is. There’s the death. And I think it’s the death that he’s been expecting since he met Claire back in season one. He’s always had these moments where he dreams of the afterlife or, you know, he’s almost passed over many times from the snake bite to um to Colluden. And I think it’s given him this almost um I don’t know supernatural, but it’s given an insight into death. Um and he’s not scared of it. Um which I think is really beautiful. I’m not afraid.
Forgive me. Sassenach.
No, don’t go!
Don’t go!
Don’t you leave me.
O: How would she live without him?
M: I don’t know if she can.
A: She can’t live without him. I can’t take this.
O: We’re all distraught, Ian.
M: I would be so HYSTERICAL.
A: I am in tears right now, you guys.
O: A battlefield tribute to their fallen leader.
M: So we just give up on him?
A: I’m not ready for this and why are we giving up so easily?
O: Yep. All that heartbreak!
M: Their Laird is gone!
A: My heart is breaking now.
No! No! No!
O: As always, the cinematography on this show is outstanding.
M: I just… is he really dead??
A: So, I need something to happen for him not to be dead.
It’s a victory lap, 100%. It’s been a year-and-a-half since we wrapped, so, there’s been plenty of time to reminisce and process. What are the five stages [of grief] again? We’re fully at acceptance now. I feel very satisfied with my ending. It’s hard to sum up 10 years of this character development.
Auntie,
he’s gone.
No.
O: Jamie tried to prepare her, but she’s not willing to accept it. It’s like when her first child, Faith, was stillborn, she kept holding her and singing to her dead infant she’d just given birth to.
M: I thought the same thing, too, about Faith. We all handle grief differently, and I guess this is how Claire handles it.
A: There is nothing they can do or say to make her leave his side.
O: She needs solace from you now, Roger, though I think she’s inconsolable.
A: Nothing done or said right now is going to help. It’s like she died with him, a part of her at least.
M: Definitely. That kind of loss changes a person.
Claire.
It breaks my heart to say it,
but we’ve lost him.
O: Can you imagine? I’m tearing up just writing about it now.
M: Roger, trying to talk some reality into Claire. Leave her be for now, Roger. I don’t think she is absorbing the reality of what just happened.
A: And I am crying yet again.
He just needs to rest.
Needs his strength.
Just needs to rest.
Just rest.
O: She needs to rest herself, to take this all in.
M: It must not feel real to her. She is in shock.
A: This is ripping me up.
You just need to rest.
No.
Where are you?
O: It looks like she’s going to cry all night long.
M: For real. When someone dies, all you can think is ‘where did you go?’
A: I’m heartsick for her. I am distraught.
O: I don’t know about y’all, but I’m gutted. I didn’t want this ending.
A: I definitely did not want this ending, Olivia. I have been saying it forever.
M: I mean, of course, she’s doing this. It’s the last time she’ll be able to.
O: Of course.
M: This is insane. My heart is breaking for her.
A: Was expected.
O: Can you imagine having to tell her that?
A: It’s not. I don’t want it to be. That is way too final.
It’s time to bury him, Claire.
M: This is all happening too fast. WHAT?
O: Roger is telling the truth here, and in just the right tone.
[Roger]
I won’t tell you I know how you feel.
M: He’s trying to be as sensitive as he can. Her world just shifted off its axis and I don’t think she’ll get her feet under her for quite some time.
Pretend there’s anything I can
say to make it better. That’s impossible.
But there are some things
that must happen now, Claire.
Let’s take him home.
O: Give her a bit more time, Roger.
M: Yup, I would just leave her.
A: Never enough time, but this is needed time.
O: Yes, he’s in the air, in the trees, in the breeze all around her.
He is home.
O: Yes, he’s in the air, in the trees, in the breeze all around her.
M: I love how this line can be taken two ways. ‘He is home’ as in Claire is Jamie’s home or Claire is calling Jamie her home. Such a beautiful line.
A: I am fully crying right now. Just typing this.
[Original Skye Boat Song – Feat. Raya Yarbrough]
“Give me again all that was fair.”
O: Claire and Jamie are each other’s home, each other’s suns.
M: They are!
“Give me the sun that shone.”
“Give me the eyes.”
O: How long will she stay?
M: What is happening?
A: She will stay as long as she is able.
“Give me the soul.”
O: Really. I didn’t think it was her last breath.
M: Hold up…
A: So she is dying with him?
I suggested that Claire might — as she does in the book — refuse to be separated from Jamie, and (per book) lie on top of his body, as Matt did. But let her blue light grow stronger and stronger, engulfing both of them…and fade out on that.
“Give me the life that’s gone.”
O: Oh no.
M: Wow. They really did mate for life. Jamie and Claire have this codependency. Ride or die ’til the very end. But did she die or just fall asleep?
A: I have no words.
O: That’s quite the scene, the two of them together.
M: Standing stone?
A: It’s a heartbreaking beautiful scene.
O: Here we are, back at the beginning of this incredible journey, of a love that crosses time.
M: We’re finally getting the explanation of what happened here!
A: I wish I understood this and I still don’t.
I mean, it’s funny, it’s been in stages, I guess. We obviously had such a big goodbye when we finished shooting [in September 2024], and I think we all, in our own way, did a thing that was sort of like helping us release it or say goodbye. I went and did this like meditation yoga retreat thing. Sam went to the mountains, Sophie [Skelton] went to Africa, Richard [Rankin] started flying. I don’t know, everyone had their own version. We’ve all sort of been busy with our lives and other work for the last year. It doesn’t feel like it’s been a continuous goodbye, so this feels like a new stage.
O: I think this is Jamie’s ghost.
M: YAASSS, I mean we all knew it was his ghost but the confirmation is amazing!!!
A: The callback from the first episode, yes?
That, for me, was key. I didn’t know how [showrunner] Matt [Roberts] was going to end the show specifically, but it was something that I pushed for. I think I said quite early on that I really wanted to do it. I feel that initially, when I said it to him, he wasn’t going to go there. But I know a lot of people really wanted to do that — not only the fans but ourselves and a lot of other execs and creatives involved. It was just so important.
It was really cool to film — to go back to the Season 1 costume to do that scene, to see a younger Jamie, perhaps, or a ghost of Jamie, and then, maybe, reveal that as a younger version of himself he went to the stones. My interpretation is that he called her, or called for his love or called for something to come into his life, and the rest is history.
O: That finger twitch. We’re getting all the tells.
M: Oh that’s amazing! Such a nice touch.
A: Another thing I am at loss on is the finger twitch. Can someone fill me in.
[V: It’s just a thing Jamie does. It’s a repeated gesture that signals Jamie’s inner tension whenever he’s holding himself back, from fear, longing, contemplation or in this case the instinct to reach for Claire. I think Sam uses it as a way to show Jamie’s body betraying him in moments when he must stay silent or still.]
O: This is the man that will love Claire throughout time, Frank.
A: Makes me think of the Sting song, “A Thousand Years.”
[V: Andrea, you know I ‘luvbs’ me some Sting and that song. The lyrics are so appropriate here.]
M: Damn, poor Frank, he really never stood a chance.
O: You will eventually, Frank.
M: Naaahhhh, he can’t!
A: Not yet, Frank. Not yet.
Excuse me.
Can I help you with something?
O: I told you, this is Jamie’s ghost.
A: But why is it his ghost?
M: That was amazing!
[V: I loved the transition of muted grays and blues to a vibrate color.]
M: He’s walking so confidently too! What is he planning?
O: Jamie is testing the stones to see if he can travel.
A: Yes, I thought this is him trying to see if he can time travel.
[V: He knows he can’t. I think he feels it to see if it’s the right one. Notice, he moved to the correct one after that, where the flowers grew.]
By the end of it, we came to terms with it. You know, there were a lot of tears, but it does feel a bit like itching an old wound now, coming back to it and kind of having to say goodbye again.
O: You’re not going through the stones, Jamie, because Diana won’t let you.
A: LoL. I love that, Olivia.
M: If only!
O: These scenes are priceless.
M: Beautiful! This is a great full-circle moment! I love when shows do stuff like this.
A: The cinematography has been wonderful.
I just saw it the other day, and I’ve only seen it once, so it’s hard to process something like that. I thought the whole battle sequence was all very exciting and dramatic and really cool. It’s so heartbreaking for Claire, obviously, when she feels [Jamie’s] dead. I’m not sure that I fully understand the ending. I don’t really know what happened, but I thought it was really cool that they went and did the Jamie ghost thing again, and that in some way, maybe, he was calling her, or he pulled her into his orbit.
O: So is this meant to suggest that it’s Jamie walking by these stones that compels Claire to go there herself later in search of them? Interesting perspective. I like it.
M: Oh my gosh! He called her to him with the flowers, and he knew to plant them there because she told him that’s why she went to the stone!
O: Was this Epi 2? You could see then that Jamie was interested in Claire.
[V: No, it was the first episode.]
A: Seeing the flashback giving all of the feels.
M: They’re going to take us through the rollercoaster!
O: That’s a beautiful sight.
M: These two have been through WAY too much!
O: Jamie has been through it from a young age.
M: Shocked and confused! I remember thinking ‘who hurt this man?’
O: I believe this was the first publicity shot for Outlander.
M: Was it? That’s awesome.
O: I love that gown that the first costume designer for the show, Terry Dresbach, created for Claire.
M: I saw this dress in person at the Outlander exhibit in Yorktown, VA! It’s GORGEOUS!! Ugh, I also remember visiting Midhope Castle and fangirling so hard.
O: Jamie was smitten with Claire from the very beginning, from when she fixed his shoulder when they first met. So, what do you think he’s thanking the Lord for, Claire?
What are you thanking the Lord for?
V: Isn’t that the truth?! I think he finally told her that, later in the show.
For the sight of you, Sassenach.
O: Of course. No surprise there.
O: I just love the wedding scenes. Smoldering, but also loving and tender.
V: I did too. And that was way before the intimacy coordinator.
O: I’ve forgotten the name of the beggar, Jamie’s friend, who gave Claire the dragonfly in amber. As I recall, he’d had his tongue cut out so he couldn’t speak. But Jamie liked him and Claire didn’t flinch and was very gracious toward him.
V: Yes, his name was Hugh Munroe. I remember, Claire gave it to Jamie before she went back to her time. Later, while at the Battle of Culloden Museum in the 1960s, she saw the stone in a collection of artifacts found at the battlefield and thought Jamie had died.
O: Save your woman from Black Jack. But I remember thinking, at the time in this early season, there was too much of the Perils of Pauline quality. But things settle in.
V: Yeah, you’re right about that. And Claire was stubborn as hell and kept doing crazy shit that she shouldn’t have been doing in that time.
I’ll thank you to take your hands off my wife.
O: If I’m remembering correctly, this was a cliffhanger ending. And it turned out Jamie didn’t have any bullets in his gun. A masterful bluffer, our Jamie.
V: That is correct and it was. That was an epic episode for me. But I was growing tired of Black Jack.
O: Claire made it clear she wasn’t going to be the submissive type to acquiesce to brutality from her husband. You go, girl!
V: Granted, she was still acting and thinking in terms of the 20th century. But she could have gotten herself and others killed for her antics.
O: The cinematography on Outlander has always been stunning, like this shot.
V: It really has. That was one of the attractions, for me, of watching the show and seeing how Scotland became a character.
I’m pregnant.
O: That was wonderful news, as Jamie was healing from his trauma.
M: It was! A bright spot in the darkness.
O: As Jamie’s sister Jenny put it, Jamie was always captivated by Claire. Better yet, she said he was bewitched by her.
I think you’re an angel, Claire.
M: The Paris fashion was iconic!
V: Terry and team did an outstanding job with the costumes in S2.
O: That was so sad.
M: Devastating.
V: Now, it seems like a waste with that added Faith story in S8.
O: They do kiss well together.
M: Perfect casting, I don’t think this will ever be recreated.
V: His one tear drop always got me.
You are always wi’ me.
O: And he with her.
M: They will always be together.
V: That was a hard episode to watch. I teared up when they show this.
O: I loved the reunion.
[Jamie VO]
If it’s a sin that you chose me,
M: His fainting in that episode will never, not be iconic.
then I will go to the devil himself.
O: He’d do anything for Claire, that we know.
M: He always knows the most swoonworthy things to say. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S ENDING!
Bless him for tempting you to it.
O: You’re laying it on thick, Mr. Fraser.
M: He sure is!
O: Together again.
M: Always finding their way back to each other.
O: I’m not a cat person, but I loved that blue/gray cat.
M: I loved Adso! Almost made me want to get one myself.
[Claire VO]
I’d do it all again,
O: So many separations.
M: S6 was rough, man.
and more,
to be with you.
O: We know!
M: Always and forever!
O: I was sorry to see the first Big House razed.
M: Another wild moment.
O: That’s a beautiful sight.
M: These two have been through WAY too much!
O: It’s been a fulfilling journey, for the most part.
A: They never really could catch a break, but their love brought them back again and again and again. Let’s hope this happens now in the present.
M: It’s been a wild ride. I can’t believe it’s all over.
I would have loved for it to have been a bit more mystical, and that Claire had more agency in bringing him back. I think in some way, yes, she does. But then it’s like, are they alive in this time? Are they alive in a different time? I don’t know.
O: OKAY, how’s this going to go?
M: Soooo, has anyone come to get their bodies?
There’s this whole prophecy that Adawehi had in season 4, and originally, that was going to be sort of a thread of this season. Then they decided to take it out. I would try and ask [showrunner] Matt [Roberts], “Well, if she has no involvement in this thing, like, what is it?” And he said, “It just is what it is,” so I guess it just is what it is.
I would have loved for it to have been a bit more mystical, and that Claire had more agency in bringing him back. I think in some way, yes, she does. But then it’s like, are they alive in this time? Are they alive in a different time? I don’t know.
O: Remember when the Indian woman said Claire would come into her full powers when her hair was completely white?
M: Yes I do! But what exactly does this mean?
A: I don’t remember what she said and now I have to start all over again.
O: Got it. Okay, I can live with this TV show ending. Claire’s power has brought Jamie back. Can’t wait for Diana Gabaldon’s next book in the saga to see how she envisions it!
A: So two people have told me. So they did live? He is alive? It will bother me if they aren’t.
M: I don’t think they lived, I think they woke up in the afterlife together. I think their souls will be together forever. There is no way her hair turned all the way white so fast in reality. It has to be in the afterlife.
It felt so right to finish it with Caitríona. We were just so thankful for the great journey we’ve been on together.
O: That was a nice touch, acknowledging the fan’s devotion to this very special series.
M: This was such an amazing show to watch! I’m sad it’s over. I loved the ending song!
A: The fans really were devoted. And hey, I found Blacklanderz because of it.
[V: I’m glad you all did too!]
It’s our love letter and a thank you to all the crew that had been there from day one. Everybody in the bookstore is someone who had been on the show from day one. We also wanted to say thank you to [author] Diana [Gabaldon] for creating the world. It’s really her story. I thought it was fitting to say thank you to her and give her the last image.
O: As I said, this was a nice touch and bow to Diana Gabaldon, who created the series and is still writing it. Is this a real book signing? I like the white-haired, smiling woman carrying the books. She seems friendly.
M: This was cute and such a nice touch!
A: Adorable. Of course, wouldn’t be an ending without the author.
Um, Miss Gabaldon, I, uh-
O: Three copies! I’d say this woman is a devoted fan!
[V: All the people in the bookstore worked on the show. That lady is Margaret Graham, script supervisor.]
M: Peep Maril Davis and Toni Graphia in the back!
A: Never noticed them in the back. Wow!
I noticed this journal at your last signing.
May I ask what it is?
O: That journal looks worn, like it’s traveled through time itself.
M: but how did she get the journal? Did she find it? Or was it passed down?
A: I’m intrigued.
I was thinking about this [the journal at the book signing] the other day, actually, after I saw the episode. Diana is Claire. Diana has a gorgeous, very tall, red-headed husband called Doug. I think Diana’s a time traveler, because she does not age. If you go back to when we first started this series, Diana looks the exact same. My theory is that Diana is Claire. Doug is Jamie. She’s a time traveler. She wrote all these books based on her life story, and she’s just hiding in plain sight.
Uh, well, it’s, uh
just a wee bit of inspiration.
O: Yeah, I caught that. I thought it must be how Diana started writing the story herself in that very journal that we saw Claire writing in the previous episode. It’s Jamie’s and Claire’s story, as she tells Jamie.
M: I really liked how Claire started journaling and the callback to the first words in the series. Made my heart swell. I can’t believe it’s over. I can live with this ending.
Final Notes:
But I mean, I would like to finish out Diana’s books. We don’t have book 10 out yet so I mean, there’s an opportunity to come back, depends on how we leave this S8.
There is a ton of material there and a ton of different stories that we weren’t able to get to and we’d love to do more spin-offs. We’ve been talking about some just very recently. So, knock on wood, hopefully, hopefully we hear more about that.
We gave this episode 5 shots and a kilt [V: I gave the kilt.]. It wasn’t a perfect 5, but we rounded it up. We felt the whole episode was foreshadowing Jamie’s death, and book readers know that Go Tell the Bees doesn’t end with Jamie’s supposed death, which made the emotional depth even stronger.
There was real power in watching Jamie try to prepare Claire for his demise, and the acting from Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe was exceptional. Sam portrays Jamie’s stoicism, while Caitríona shows restraint at the possibility of losing him, followed by the outpouring of devastation when he dies.
Jamie and Claire’s story felt complete, and the show wrapped it up as best it could. What other ending was ever possible for Jamie Fraser than dying on a battlefield? Claire was right. There was no other way for them to love. It made sense that their story would end in the same place it began: with courage, devotion, and a love that refused to bend to anything, even death.
Starting the flashbacks with S1 and Jamie’s ghosts, moving through all the seasons, and ending with “Across the Sea and Sky,” during the credits were amazing touches. They really know how to make the fans swoon.
We did take points off because some storylines weren’t fully fleshed out. The Fanny/Faith discovery arc felt abandoned, and several threads seemed to end abruptly just to wrap the series. Bree and Roger barely had story this season, and honestly, parts of Season 8 felt like filler. We loved this episode, but overall, Season 8 Part 2 felt rushed. We simply wanted more.
Writing
We thought the writing in this episode was incredibly strong. Matthew B. Roberts pulled out all the stops, from the callbacks to earlier seasons to the emotional depth and the acknowledgment in the closing credits of what this show has meant to fans. A true chef’s kiss. We especially loved the dialogue between Jamie and Claire, and the smaller moments between characters that felt like genuine goodbyes to each other and to us. The callbacks and heartfelt farewells landed beautifully.
We also appreciated how the battle was written. The pacing and structure made us feel exactly what the characters were feeling in those moments. One minute our hearts were pounding with the near misses and the chaos around them, and the next we were holding our breath as the emotional stakes kept rising. The writing pulled us directly into the fear, urgency, and desperation of the battlefield, making the outcome hit even harder.
And beyond the action, the script balanced intimacy and inevitability in a way that felt earned. The quiet moments, the layered foreshadowing, and the way the episode kept circling back to the themes of fate, love, and time made the finale feel like a true culmination of Jamie and Claire’s journey. The writing honored the characters, honored the fans, and honored the story that’s been building for over a decade.
Favorite Scene(s)
We had several favorite scenes, each for different reasons. Jamie talking to the bees stood out to us because it showed how resolute he was in his mission and how deeply he wanted to take care of his family. The scenes in bed between Jamie and Claire were also favorites, showing their closeness, their ease with each other, and later the passion that still burns between them. And Claire staying with Jamie all night was heartbreaking and unforgettable.
And yes, it may be morbid, but the moment Claire physically feels Jamie get shot was incredibly powerful. It reminded us how connected they are, how they move as one, and how their bond transcends everything around them. As sad as it was, the final scenes with Jamie and Claire, especially Claire saying “He is home,” hit us hard. We kept replaying it and felt the tears coming every time.
We thought the directing in this episode was incredible. Everything flowed well, starting with the fiery cross burning and gathering the men, and then moving into the first scene of Jamie writing his last will and testament while we saw images of the people he loved. The way those early moments were framed made it clear we were watching a man preparing for the end, and the directing let us sit with that weight. The goodbyes were beautifully handled too, from Jamie and Bree, to Claire with Fanny and Bree, to Ian and Rachel before everyone headed toward war. Each farewell felt intimate and intentional, like the characters were saying goodbye to each other and to us.
Once they reached the battleground, the quiet moments between Claire and Jamie were directed with such tenderness that they felt suspended in time. Then the shift into the battle was seamless. We appreciated how the directing showed the battlefield from multiple points of view, from the Redcoats to the Patriots, giving us a sense of how both sides moved and reacted. The way the camera tracked the soldiers, the sudden bursts of violence, and the frantic shifts in perspective made the battle feel unpredictable and dangerous. It pulled us into the confusion and adrenaline of the moment.
After Jamie was shot, the directing reached another level. The stillness, the shock, and the way the world seemed to narrow around Claire as she ran back to him made the moment feel devastating and intimate. The choice to linger on Claire staying with Jamie through the night, refusing to leave him, allowed the grief to breathe. The transition into the flashbacks through all the previous seasons was beautifully handled. The montage felt like a visual love letter to Jamie and Claire’s journey, reminding us of everything they had survived together and why this moment mattered so deeply.
Standout Acting / Performance(s)
We all agreed that Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe knocked it out of the park in this finale. Their emotional depth, tenderness, and power carried the entire episode, and it felt right that the finale belonged to them. Sam’s portrayal of Jamie trying to be strong for everyone, especially Claire, was heartbreaking. He played a man who knew he might die but refused to let his loved ones fall apart. The quiet moments where he tried to prepare Claire for the inevitable were some of his best work in the entire series.
Caitríona’s performance after Jamie was shot was extraordinary. The guttural cries, the physical collapse, and the way she clung to him as if refusing to let the world take him away felt raw and real. She had to act as if Jamie was truly dead, while Sam lay completely motionless, and she delivered a level of grief that was almost painful to watch. Her stillness through the night, her whispered “Where are you?,” and the way she seemed to break from the inside out showed why she has anchored this show from the beginning.
We also loved the scene between Sam and Sophie. Those were real tears, and the connection between Jamie and Brianna came through beautifully. Their goodbye felt honest and deeply felt, adding another emotional layer to an already heavy episode.
Sam and Caitríona together were, as always, the heart of the show. Their chemistry, their commitment, and their ability to make us believe in Jamie and Claire’s love right to the very end is the reason the series worked as well as it did.
Favorite Costume(s)
We had a few standout costumes this episode. Roger’s black coat was one of our favorites, especially because it fit him so well as a minister. It gave him a grounded, steady presence, and the simplicity of it matched the quiet strength he brings to the family.
Jamie’s costumes were also highlights. We loved his brown waistcoat with the cream shirt underneath. The leather coat he wore over it while talking to the bees and riding to the camp was especially striking and felt instantly iconic. And we cannot forget that he wore his kilt into battle. Seeing him in the kilt again, especially in a moment where he was facing what he believed could be his final fight, added emotional weight and tied his journey all the way back to the beginning.
We thought the cinematography in this episode was stunning from start to finish. That very first shot leading into the fiery cross was a standout. It set the tone immediately, bathing everything in firelight and signaling that this was the beginning of the end. It pulled us straight into the emotional weight of what was coming.
The aerial shots were some of the most beautiful of the entire series, capturing the Ridge in all its sweeping, emotional grandeur. Those wide, soaring views made the world feel vast and alive, and they grounded the finale in a sense of place that has always been central to the story. The long procession of riders and wagons moving across the landscape on the way to war added an epic, cinematic scale, like watching history unfold in real time.
The battle scenes were shot with clarity and tension, using both ground-level and elevated perspectives to show how the Redcoats and the Patriots moved across the terrain. The smoke, the chaos, the sudden bursts of musket fire, and the shifting lines of soldiers all felt immersive and immediate. The cinematography made the battlefield feel unpredictable and dangerous, pulling us directly into the experience.
The overhead shot of Jamie and Claire lying on the standing stone was the perfect visual grace note. It felt intimate and mythic at the same time, like a moment suspended outside of time. As a final image, it captured both the enormity of their journey and the quiet, enduring bond between them.
Score – New Section
“Across the Sea and Sky” by Bear McCreary and Brendan McCreary, featuring vocals by Raya Yarbrough — A Perfect Fit for the Final Scene and the Series
I wanted to say something about the original end‑credit song, sung by Raya Yarbrough. The way Bear McCreary’s and Brendan McCreary’s score and Raya Yarbrough’s vocals elevate the storytelling moved me emotionally in a way I didn’t expect. ~ Vida
Bear McCreary uses the score in this episode with the precision of a storyteller, as he has through the series. But this episode, he shifts between restraint and elevation to guide the emotional arc, letting quiet, slow melodies hold space in moments of fear, uncertainty, or intimacy, and then lifting the music into fuller, more expansive themes when the story reaches its emotional peaks. The score does not just accompany the scenes; it moves the narrative forward, signaling when danger rises, when hope returns, and when love anchors the characters. By the time we reach the final sequence, the music has already prepared us for a moment of profound emotional release.
To that end, the original song “Across the Sea and Sky,” which plays after Jamie survives and Claire refuses to leave his side, mirrors the emotional truth of that moment. Raya Yarbrough’s vocals carry an aching, intimate quality that reflects Claire’s grief and devotion. The lyrics speak directly to what we have just witnessed: devotion, presence, and a love that refuses to die.
Lines like “I’ll stay with you, my dear” echo Claire’s choice to remain by Jamie’s side even when it seemed she might lose him. The repeated promise of “I’ll always be right here” reflects the way she anchors him, pulling him back from the edge through sheer will and love.
References to distance, fields to mountain high, across the sea and sky, speak to everything they have survived across time, war, and separation.
The heart of the song lies in its reassurance that love is constant, steady, and alive. “The time for love is always now” mirrors the urgency of the scene, where life and death sit side by side. And the line about the heart calling someone home captures Jamie’s return to her, his spirit choosing to stay because she would not let go.
The music becomes a final affirmation of their bond. It tells the story of two people who have crossed centuries, oceans, and impossible odds, and who still choose each other. As the screen fades to black, the song becomes their last vow: they stay, they return, they endure.
SEASON ENDING
Olivia: As I’ve said earlier, this series was more than a romance bodice-ripper. And while I didn’t like the departure from the books with the show creating the storyline of Faith being resurrected and Fanny being their granddaughter, the rest of the season was full of emotional death. Oh, I didn’t like them killing off Fergus. And while we don’t know how the story of Jamie and Claire will end, since Diana is in the midst of writing what she has said would be the last entry in the couple’s story, the TV show ending was powerful and yet not an ending. I can live with how they portrayed it. And thank you, Vida, for creating this community to comment on the series. Kudos! Follow Olivia on Bluesky – newsollie.bsky.social.
Margot: I love Outlander so much! I am so grateful for the community it came with, and I have so many fond memories with this series. My sister will never get over how she introduced me to it without knowing what it would become for me. I went to New York comic con and became part of the Blacklanderz community! These blog posts have been so much fun to be a part of. Thank you, Vida, for welcoming me to the group. I started this series before I started medical school and now, I’m finishing my chief residency and Outlander has ended. I can’t believe it. Claire’s medical journey had always been so fascinating to me, and I loved watching it unfold during the show.
I must say this season was good! However, I feel like it introduced some storylines that didn’t get resolved on screen. For example, the Faith/Fanny story, why was that something the writers decided to develop and then take away Fanny’s grandparents at the very end? Also, Fergus dies and then we hear Marsali is pregnant. Did she ever cash out on the Comte’s estate? Bree and Roger didn’t have much of a story either and OMG, I know I keep saying it, there was too much William this season. His story could have been wrapped up in two episodes max and we move on.
However, I feel like Jamie and Claire’s story had run its course, too much has happened to these two and they were destined to be with each other throughout life and death. I’m glad the series finale really focused on their relationship which was honestly the heart of the show and the reason we all keep watching every week when there’s a new season. I’m going to miss it so much and I know this series will be one I re-watch every few years! Follow Margot on X – @margieleev.
Andrea: I did like the season, but I felt like it was rushed. I agree their story has been A LOT, but I wouldn’t mind more. And I am going to be stressed until I find out if they are or aren’t alive. I don’t want them alive in another dimension. I would have liked to see more of Fanny’s story and their mother’s story (maybe that will come later). Overall though it was enjoyable. I will miss the hell out of it. Follow Andrea on IG – @styleepiphanies.
Ayana: What a journey it has been. Thank you, Vida, for the opportunity to write about a show I have loved. This season has been up and down and made some story choices that I felt took up time that needed to be spent elsewhere. However, it ended strong, and that’s all that matters at this show’s conclusion. Follow Ayana on X – @Ayana80Smith and IG –@Ayana80Smith.
Lorinda: I was dreading the final episode. I was convinced they were going to kill Jamie, just as Frank had written in the book, because Frank was a historian and maybe he wanted Bree to know everything about her Da. I didn’t even watch the battle scene closely during my first viewing, because I was so sure Jamie was going to die. I was under the covers asking my husband what was happening. I did watch Claire grieving over Jamie, though, and it broke my heart. I actually thought she died with him.
I appreciated how they replayed their story and confirmed it was Jamie, or the ghost, watching Claire, just as Frank had said. I loved Jamie going to the stone and leaving the forget‑me‑nots for Claire to find. And that ending… Claire’s hair completely white gave me hope, and that little breath of life made me smile on the inside.
As far as this season goes, they left so many loose ends, so maybe, just maybe, a spin‑off could come in the future. I’d love to see them explore those unanswered threads.
It was hard to say goodbye to Outlander, and even harder to say goodbye to my group of friends called @blacklanderz. Thank you, Vida, for forming and pulling together our group. Follow Lorinda on Bluesky: @rinrin65.bsky.social; IG: wmofgod and FB: Lorinda Cockrell.
Evelyn: This episode came way too quickly, and I didn’t want it to happen. I sat on pins and needles the entire episode, knowing that Jamie was going to die but hoping that he would find a way to live. Jamie’s death was heartbreaking. Watching Claire not be able to leave him or let anyone take him had me grabbing for my Kleenex box. When the camera panned back to Claire and I noticed her hair had turned completely white, I knew and hoped Jamie would come back. The writers didn’t disappoint, but I know Outlander is no more, yet I can always think “what if.” Then I had another thought… if anyone sees Jamie alive now, Claire will surely be hanged as a witch. The proof is Jamie walking around like all he had was a nap. I guess Jamie did die up on King’s Mountain because he can never go back to the Ridge.
Overall, I knew this day would come, and I enjoyed every single 50‑minute episode. The writers tried to wrap up all of the loose ends and packed this season full. I loved that the opening credits went back to the original singer and images. It brought me back to the first time I ever watched Outlander. The writers did the best they could with a ton of storylines, excluding the Faith–Fanny storyline, and tried to tie everything together so we, the viewers, feel like we have closure on Outlander. I’m going to miss the show and all of my Blacklanderz members. Follow Evelyn on X – @eloran & Bluesky: loran25.bsky.social.
A Special Thank You to the Blacklanderz® and Outlander Communities
Before I close this final Blacklanderz®Convos!, I want to speak directly from the heart to every single one of you, this inter-generational community of global, intellectually curious, emotionally invested, culturally grounded storytellers, thinkers, creatives, and lovers of craft who made this space what it is.
I also want to honor something essential. Blacklanderz® became a home for Black Outlander fans, who were often left out of other fandom spaces. In places where our voices were ignored or pushed aside, we built a space where our perspectives were centered, welcomed, and valued. We brought our cultural lens, our humor, our questions, our critiques, and our joy into the conversation, and we made space for each other in a way that mattered. That is part of this legacy, too.
I want to thank all of you for the hours you spent watching, re‑watching, pausing, analyzing, laughing, crying, debating, having midnight conversations, and helping build these weekly Blacklanderz®Convos!. Every recap, every comment, every moment you carved out of your day to join in made this space what it is. I started Blacklanderz® eleven years ago, and some of you have been with me since the very beginning, while others joined along the way. But all of you helped shape this community into something extraordinary. Thank you for giving your time so generously and for choosing to share it here with this community. That means more than I could ever fully express.
Thank you to the followers who have been with us from the beginning and to those who joined along the way. Thank you to the Outlander fans/fandoms who supported us, embraced this community and our perspectives, and helped it grow. Your kindness, curiosity, passion, and love helped these Convos travel farther than I ever imagined.
As we close out this season, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the voices that shaped this community, for the connections we built, and for the care and heart you brought to every conversation. Blacklanderz®Convos! has been extraordinary, and that came from you. Thank you for making this space unforgettable.
And at its core, what we built together was a space where we could respond to art with honesty, intelligence, humor, and heart, and that is what made Blacklanderz® special.
Until we strike up another conversation . . .
Slàinte Mhath 😘
~ Vida
See why we love Outlander on Blacklanderz® Speak!
Disclaimer: We hold no rights to any of the pictures. No copyright infringement intended.
I am wondering if Jamie’s request of “Remember me” is a reference to the Forget Me Not flowers at the base of the standing stone. I mean…he had to KNOW she wasn’t going to forget him. I am believing there will be a mini series or a movie at some point in the future. Fingers crossed! – Dawn
I think so. It couldn’t be a coincidence; it was so perfect. It would be nice to get something else afterwards, but I understand if the actors want to move on. It’s been 11-12 years for them. But like you, fingers crossed over here too! ~ Vida