I loved it because, at its heart, the finale centered on Claire and Jamie. And with every Outlander season, isn’t that always our hope, prayer, and dream? This finale gave us just enough of them to feel worthy of everything this show has been and everything it has built over the past 12 years.
Ultimately, it has always been - and will always be - Jamie and Claire Forever.
I was holding on to every Jamie and Claire moment. My only real wish was that we had more. More time, more scenes, more quiet moments with them. Give me Jamie and Claire all the time in the episode, please and thank you.
All my other notes below. It took a while but I needed to write this for me to just send my love and gratitude for this finale and show.
Thank you for the last 12 years of my life, Outlander.
What a joy it all has been and always will be.
See you soon in Scotland ❤️
My First Finale Highlights
I came into the finale with little to no expectations. Given yet another rollercoaster of a season, I truly could not predict what MBR, Maril and the writers might do.
But as I’ve said before: regardless of how I feel about the EP / writers, in Sam and Cait I trust. I watch for them, and I was always going to watch until the very end for them.
Some first moments thoughts:
The intro recap was so nostalgic. I may have started tearing up a little bit already.
I loved that they sang and showed what I believe was the original Season 1 intro. That hit me right in the feelings.
Jamie writing his last will and claiming Claire and Bree as Frasers was everything.
The last scene is the first scene?!?! I was not ready for that at all. I absolutely freaked out. I could imagine Sam and Cait trying to describe it before the finale, but nothing could have prepared me for the emotional hit of actually seeing it.
Jamie and Claire’s conversation was so heartfelt. This domestic Fraser life is what we have always wished for them: in bed, early in the morning, talking about life, holding hands. I was melting.
Claire saying they were not meant for a quiet life is the understatement of the century.
Jamie, Bree, and the Fraser Family Moments We Deserved More Of
The Jamie and Bree moment? I’ll take it. But we really should have had more. We needed more.
Honestly, we should have had more Jamie and Bree scenes since Season 4, but for some reason, those moments always seem to get cut. I will never understand why. Aside from Jamie’s relationship with Claire, his relationship with Bree should have been one of the emotional centerpieces of the show.
The Claire and Bree moment was also touching, but they deserved more than a hug. I would have rather had a full Claire and Bree conversation than Claire having one with Franny, if I’m being honest. And if I’m being greedy, I needed a Claire, Jamie, and Bree moment.
Was that too much to give us, writers? Was that too much to write? (I really am asking for myself)
Jamie and the Bees
Maybe it was Sam’s acting. Maybe it was the dialogue. Maybe it was both. But Jamie talking to the bees had me tearing up.
The way he asked them to look after everyone. The way it felt like he was giving a goodbye. I could not handle it.
Jamie and Claire by the River and the Tent
The Jamie and Claire scenes by the river and by the tent were everything.
Truly, e v e r y t h i n g.
Again, the only thing wrong was that there was not more of it. Those are the scenes that make Outlander what it is. Their quiet intimacy. Their history. Their way of speaking to each other without needing to explain everything. Their love that feels both ordinary and mythic at the same time.
Give me all of that. Always.
Claire’s Sadness
Claire’s sadness throughout the episode just pierced my heart.
You could feel her worry, pain, and grief more and more as the episode went on. Catriona Balfe is an amazing actress, and she deserves awards for this finale.
Claire and Jamie saying “I love you” in Scottish had me on the freaking floor. I had to repeat that scene over and over again. It was one of my favorite scenes, if not my favorite scene, in the entire episode.
Jamie and Claire should have been speaking Scottish to each other for a long, long time. We were robbed of those moments.
Claire’s War Flashbacks
Claire’s war flashbacks were painful to watch, in the best and most heartbreaking way.
I felt so much for her. We all know she does not deserve any of that pain. None of them do. And you could feel her clinging to all the love and life she has in her world - and her world is Jamie.
Waiting for “That” Moment
Knowing how Book 9 goes, I was waiting and waiting for that moment to happen.
And when it finally did, my thoughts were all over the place:
Why did they not take away the guns?
Why is no one rushing to Jamie?
Why is everyone just standing there?
But that scene with Claire, with her heart stopping - so, so, so good.
Of course, I remembered the whole shipwreck era, and I loved seeing that deep connectedness between Jamie and Claire again. Their love was all there. The bond, the fear, the pain, the impossible pull between them. It was all and always there.
And again: give Catriona Balfe all the awards.
Her acting in the last 20 to 30 minutes, especially Claire’s heartbreak and grief over Jamie, deserves recognition because I felt that to my core.
The Choice I Did Not Expect
I kept waiting for that other thing to happen, and I really did not expect it to not happen.
I thought they would show Claire’s power. I thought we would see the blue light. But nothing. And I was not expecting that.
I also was not expecting Claire “dying” to be the direction they would take. But honestly? I am not mad at it. It felt like a decision centered on who Claire and Jamie are, and on the depth of their love.
Her last breath was so good. I cannot. And then I felt for Bree, because oh my god.
At that point, my jaw was on the floor. It was the end, and I was feeling all the feelings.
That Final Zoom-In
That zoom-in had me holding my breath.
I had no idea what was going to happen. And then they “wake up,” and the show ends in this almost Inception-esque style.
My take?
They are alive. They are in their own time. That is how I choose to interpret it.
Maybe it was Claire’s blue power at work. Maybe it was Master Raymond flying in. Maybe it was Claire’s last bits of energy and power that pulled them back to life. Whatever it was, I cannot wait for them to shock everyone by being alive.
And hopefully, after all of this, Claire and Jamie can finally live their quiet, peaceful life until the end of their proper days.
Because after everything, that is what they deserve. ❤️
In the end, Outlander has always been about Jamie and Claire choosing each other through every impossible thing and it left me with what mattered most: their love. Jamie and Claire forever.
Did you know that Sam Heughan’s original inspiration for Claire while preparing for his role in Outlander came from a portrait in our own collection?
When Sam first read Cross Stitch, he used a postcard of
Lady Agnew, as a bookmark after visiting the National gallery in Edinburgh. Struck by the portrait’s resemblance to Claire, it became his visual inspiration for the character.
You can see Gertrude Vernon, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1892) for yourself, free to visit at the National, and even pick up your own copy of the book Sam is holding.
Sam recently joined Chair of the Board Catherine Muirden for a conversation about the importance of art, wellbeing, and his childhood visits to the galleries.
Filmed by @sandybcameraEditado · 3 h
I am NOT a shipper. Let's make that crystal clear. Cait is married to Tony and Sam is dating Stephanie. PERIOD.
However, you can't tell me that in the beginning, it didn't EVER happen. I personally find that hard to believe. They are both human beings with red blood that runs hot. They were BOTH SINGLE in the beginning as far as I know and I am willing to wager more then once, Sam had to strap that thing down. Sam was very OBVIOUSLY attracted to Cait as well. He might as well have written it in sharpie on his face for Godsakes.
I believe it happened, once, maybe even twice and then they both mutually decided for the sake of the series best not. Or maybe it happened once while a bit of whiskey was consumed. I know they both said they watched the wedding scene together and whiskey was involved..... I believe there was a lil roll in the hay. If not in am intoxicated state, possibly because feelings can sometimes get confused between real life and characters. I mean they're human beings afterall and you can clearly see in early photo shoots were Cait is caressing Sam's shoulder and playing with his shirt and hair and Sam places his hands in the wrong place more then once.
I do however firmly believe that they do 100% love each other ans would.do anything for the other. You can be someone's soulmate, but on a platonic level. It doesn't have to be romantic. I think that romantically it did not work for them for whatever reasons, but they agreed mutually to ALWAYS care about the other and have each other's backs on set, and I have seen interviews where Sam gets protective of Cait ans I havw seen Cait go Mama Bear over Sam and some inappropriate questions he was asked. They will forever care for each other how could you not?
So do they love each other? 100% Absolutely.
It just doesn't fly romantically. AND THAT SHIPPERS is OK.
some people will be like “I wonder why fanfic writers don’t share their works anymore😔” and then this is them when a writer is kind enough to share something they write — as a hobby, for their own enjoyment — with them for free.
some people really don’t realize how privileged they are that they get fanfics for free. imagine having access to something for free because someone is kind enough to share it with you… and then being rude, entitled and an ungrateful pos to that person who was kind enough to share their creation with you for free
“almost 1 year is a lil too much for me” fuck off. fanfic writers don’t owe you anything. one of my favorite fics was updated after 13 years, and what I did is that I thanked the author for choosing to continue the work, I didn’t act like a spoiled toddler by asking why they didn’t update sooner. and even if a writer chooses to abandon their fic permanently with no explanation, that is their choice, their hobby, their decision. they don’t owe your entitled ass anything.
you people let tiktok rot your brains to the point you see everything as content farm and engagement. not a piece of art created by the artist’s love and passion. it’s dystopian.
‘Outlander’ Stars Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan on Saying Goodbye ‘The Right Way’ After Eight Seasons: This ‘Is Our Legacy’
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for “And the World Was All Around Us,” the series finale of “Outlander,” now streaming on Starz.
While the ending of “Outlander” has closed a chapter in lead stars Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan‘s lives, they’re still debating the fate of their beloved characters, Claire and Jamie, by the end of Season 8.
“Are they in this realm or the next? Jamie is a ghost or another ghost, maybe it’s his younger self calling Claire to him,” Heughan said during Variety‘s In Conversation With series presented by Starz, moderated by Emily Longeretta. “And if you look closely, you’ll see they’re both lying there on the magic stone, so maybe they’re in a different realm.”
“Every single person has their own idea about what, perhaps, should happen,” Balfe said. “And as people who were on the show from the very beginning and lived and breathed these characters, you have your [own] desire.”
Based on Diana Gabaldon’s historical fantasy book series, “Outlander” follows the romance between Jamie (Heughan), a Scottish highlander, and Claire (Balfe), a time-traveling nurse. Season 8 ends with Claire and Jamie lying next to one another with their eyes closed, Claire’s hair having turned grey, before they suddenly gasp for air right as the credits roll.
On the day they were filming that scene, Balfe explains it was extra emotional for her “because it was almost the end of the shoot. I remember [Sam] being really sweet because I had an absolute breakdown on one of the days … I was in bits!”
Another memorable scene for Heughan was the final montage that brings the season together and tells Claire and Jamie’s love story: “We get to see all of the wonderful moments that we’ve had on the show and all the great characters,” he said. “There’s lots of goodbyes to every character, and each character gets their moment. The series as a whole is our legacy.”
“Outlander” almost didn’t go the full eight seasons, though; the pair explain that originally, their show contracts only went through Season 7.
“At the time, it felt like we would have been cheating the story, wrapping it up very quickly,” Balfe said. “We wanted to honor this journey and say goodbye in the right way.”
Heughan added, “When we got to the end of [Season] 7, it just didn’t feel satisfying.”
Two years after wrapping production, Balfe and Heughan have said goodbye to the acclaimed show they were on for eight seasons, and made their peace. Heughan said, “But I think the last goodbye is to the fans, isn’t it?”
Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan talk saying goodbye to their characters in 'Outlander' Season 8 and debate what the ending means.
it’s not weird to find fanfiction from 2021, or 2017, or 2014 that you’ve never read and actually taking your time to read it.
it’s not weird to love it and comment and leave kudos because the author will probably still see it someday and it will make them happy.
it’s not weird to like said author’s work so much that you want to go look for other fics from them.
it’s not weird to go through the authors profile and look for other fics from the ships you like (or maybe some that you’ll give a chance because you liked the author) and maybe bookmark them for later.
it’s not weird to read these other fics and like them too and comment on them because you actually like them and you want to let the author know.
it’s not weird to read fanfiction from 5, or 8, or 10 years ago and actually enjoy and engage with it because it’s perfectly normal to relate to something that’s less than a decade old!
let’s stop treating fanfiction like they’re instagram posts that stop being interesting in 24 hours! fanfiction is NOT social media, fanfiction is art!!! and art doesn’t get old in one day, one year, or even a decade!
read fanfiction! write fanfiction! comment on fanfiction! let’s not let fanculture die people!!!!!
ALSO this frank revisionism needs to be stopped! he was not a good man. he was a misogynistic, petty asshole who treated claire like shit because she didn't stay at home and be a little wife to him. he's playing hopscotch with the devil as we speak.
can they please please please stop wasting the little claire (and jamieclaire) scenes we have left with conversations about frank. istg one more talk about the damn book and frank ISTG
