Stock up on your water, as we’re entering another Droughtlander. The Starz hit series Outlander has wrapped up its seventh season, which saw the death of two characters, a family’s reunion across time, and hints of a resurrection. To understand this season’s finale, let’s travel back to a crucial moment from May 2016 during the second season.

Longtime viewers will recall the episode where Claire (Caitriona Balfe) wakes in a French hospital only to discover that her baby, named Faith, was stillborn. This tragedy began unfolding as she watched Jamie (Sam Heughan) duel with Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies). Early in that episode, a fever-ridden Claire is visited by Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon), a time-traveling apothecary and shaman. He performs a life-saving procedure on Claire, asking her to describe her visions, which include the blue wings of a heron—a symbol of healing. Her fever breaks soon after this intervention, and Raymond mysteriously promises they will meet again.

Fast forward to the closing moments of season seven, where Claire is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained at the Battle of Monmouth. Jamie has resigned his military post in dramatic fashion to be by her side. However, one evening, it’s not Jamie she finds at her bedside but Master Raymond, who half-jokingly chides her for her repeated brushes with death. He seeks her forgiveness for something she’s yet to learn about, connecting this visit with the previous one through the imagery of the blue-winged bird.

The final episode quickly moves forward as William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart) enlists Jamie’s help to rescue his girlfriend Jane (Silvia Presente), a sex worker imprisoned for defending her sister from a British officer. Tragically, they arrive too late; Jane has taken her own life in despair. Distraught, William requests that Jamie and Claire look after her sister, Fanny (Florrie May Wilkinson), as they return to Fraser’s Ridge.

At Jane’s grave, a poignant moment unfolds when Fanny shows Claire a locket with their mother’s name—Faith. This discovery comes just as Claire wonders if she’ll ever reunite with her stillborn daughter. Adding to the mystery, Fanny sings a 20th-century song that Claire once sang to Faith, claiming she learned it from her mother. The episode leaves us wondering if somehow Fanny’s mother, presumed to be Claire’s daughter Faith, survived or was revived by Master Raymond.

With this cliffhanger, Outlander pushes its narrative further, tying back to its earlier seasons and setting up its final season. The eighth season, which will adapt Diana Gabaldon’s ninth book Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, will be its last. This setup places book readers and show viewers on the same suspenseful page for the first time.

If Fanny is indeed Claire and Jamie’s granddaughter, and Master Raymond’s apology pertains to a long-held secret, then Outlander is poised to explore new emotional territories in its concluding episodes—a remarkable feat for a show that has already traversed three centuries and witnessed massive historical upheavals.

Additional Thoughts

• • Beyond the main drama involving Fanny and Faith, the episode mourns the loss of Rollo, Ian’s (John Bell) loyal wolf-dog companion. Rollo’s passing marks the end of an era for Ian, who believes Rollo waited to ensure his owner’s happiness before passing on. Rollo’s presence will be sorely missed as the series approaches its finale.
• • Jamie’s ability to resign from his military position, granted by none other than George Washington, and simply return home raises questions about the realism of such a move, considering the formal conscription into the Continental Army.
• • Despite the tender moments, Jamie’s lingering resentment towards Lord John Grey (David Berry) for marrying Claire to protect her during his absence remains a point of contention. The harsh looks Jamie gives John, even as Claire extends her gratitude, detract from his otherwise romantic hero persona.
• • Brianna (Sophie Skelton), Roger (Richard Rankin), and their children find themselves safely back in 1739, settling old scores and pondering their next moves between timelines. Their ability to time travel with such flexibility, seemingly without dire consequences, is both a plot convenience and a testament to the show’s romantic spirit.