I’ve seen the theory that the reason Claire feels so instinctively at home in the 18th century—more so than in her own time—is because she was actually born there and traveled through the stones as a child. And while I understand why some might find that an appealing idea, the timeline just doesn’t add up. By the time Julia and Henry go through the stones, Claire is already a child living with Uncle Lamb. If she had been born in the 18th century, the sequence would require Julia (and possibly Henry) to go through, have her, return to the 20th century, and then go back again—which clashes with the genuine confusion and disorientation both Julia and Henry show during their first crossing.
It’s also easy to overlook a key point: Claire is already alive when Julia is pregnant. And Julia isn’t pregnant with Claire—she’s pregnant with a second child. That detail alone shifts the entire conversation.
To me, the stronger, more elegant explanation for Claire’s sense of belonging isn’t that she’s “from” the 18th century in a biological sense—it’s that she’s lived it before. Diana Gabaldon herself has described Jamie and Claire’s story as a timeloop. When they die, their story begins again, over and over, a Möbius strip with no true beginning or end. Jamie’s ghost watching her in Season 1, Episode 1 isn’t just a romantic mystery—it’s a quiet vigil. He’s waiting for her to come back to him, to begin their story once more. She’s already lived this life, and stepping through the stones simply placed her back at the start of a path she knows by heart, even if she doesn’t consciously remember it.
(Jamie and Claire’s personality types based on The Enneagram have been rolling around in my brain for a while so I wanted to get you guys’ thoughts. Here are my guesses)
Claire: Enneagram 1— The Reformer
1s are purposeful with a strong sense of right and wrong, and they are always trying to improve the world around them. Show!Claire is led very much by her set of principles— both when it comes to medicine and family. The basic fear of a 1 to is be defective or useless. We see this played out with Claire’s internal conflict in Paris. She feels aimless simply hosting dinner parties, but working at L’Hopital des Anges gives her days meaning because she believes her purpose is to help people. Another example is her insistence on bringing her 20th century medical knowledge into the 18th century, namely with the penicillin in S5. Even though Brianna warns her that it’s dangerous to challenge history, Claire knows it’s what needs to be done, so she has to follow through. Claire’s status as a time traveler cements her as a reformer. Even though she is pressured on all sides by people of the 18th century telling her how to act, she refuses to do anything that goes against her values.
Jamie: Enneagram 2— The Helper
This was a tough one. I was torn between this and a very healthy 8 (which can be pretty similar). For show!Jamie at least, I finally landed on 2. Here’s why: Enneagram 2s are caring, self-sacrificing, and even possessive. Jamie’s drive is almost always for others. In season 4 he talks about how if he were alone, he’d be content to live as an outlaw until he died, but he has others to worry about. Jamie is a Laird first and foremost, and he gives of himself everything that is needed in order to provide and care for them. Unlike an 8, who is a leader and can be people oriented, Jamie does not have a strong concern for his own physical well-being. (He does have some tendencies toward wanting control, such as hating the lost feeling of control in situations with BJR, but I think that’s a pretty normal response to extreme trauma rather than his personality.) When 2s are stressed, they can become aggressive and dominating, which we see in some of Jamie’s fights with Claire— such as in S3 “First Wife” in which he is so worried about losing her (a 2′s basic fear is being alone and unloved) that he becomes aggressive. At their best, 2s are unselfish and altruistic, which I believe we begin to see in Jamie as he settles Fraser’s Ridge and starts to become a Laird again.
—I nearly switched Claire and Jamie several times, because oddly enough, I could also see Claire as a 2 and Jamie as a 1. Claire is deeply giving of herself like a 2, but I felt that the basic fear of unlovability did not apply to her as much as uselessness. Jamie also seemed close to a 1 because he has a strong sense of morality, but in the end I pegged him as a 2 based on his concern for others. Claire is the one that teaches Jamie about 20th century values, and because of his love and respect for her, he adapts.
Hi, hello - Witchie here. Writing of the fanfic-genre seems to be giving me some trouble as of late, so I thought I’d join in some Droughtlander fun prompted by the one and only @sassenachwaffles. This week’s questions, a lovely Friday night spent with a darling friend, and my love of music have brought some focus as to how I intend to participate (not Bernielander - someone’s a diva and won’t cooperate). I’m bringing my love of music and the beautiful soundtrack of Outlander as my inspiration for this year’s journey through Droughtlander.
Without further ado, let’s go Under The Kilt (err cut)
Jamie & Claire’s theme is one of the most beautiful scores I’ve ever heard. The sweeping melody echos the romantic that could only belong to the greatest Russian composers while the solitary echo of a flute perfectly mirrors the hollow ache of twenty long years our beloved couple spent apart. We don’t need sixteen bars to know that this is one iconic piece of music. Haunting. Mysterious. Captivating.
As such an important piece of the score, we all know when the first time occurs... right? It’s the first time Jamie and Claire see each other in the cabin, after Jamie’s dislocated his shoulder and Claire’s journeyed through the Stones...
Nope... okay is it when we first encounter Ghost!Jamie in the 1940s as he gazes upon his one, true love, his Sorcha?
Wrong Again.
Would you believe the first time we hear Jamie and Claire’s theme is before we even have a chance to meet Frank? Would you believe me that we hear this theme within the first three minutes of the first episode?
I was having a Wedding/Reunion rewatch marathon with my dear friend @ecampbellsoup (the queen of analysis - I’m so out of my element here), when she asked me the question:
Do you know when we hear Jamie & Claire’s theme for the first time?
Would you believe that I didn’t know? (Because I didn’t.)
As the lovely @ecampbellsoup pointed out, t’s within the first three minutes of the first episode... when Claire is chugging champagne on VE Day in France.
Now let’s think about this coupled with Claire’s opening monologue. She’s discussing her random disappearance in the middle of her second honeymoon with her first husband... she’s weighing the consequences of her choice against the simple life she might have had... while she’s remembering her time in France...
France... who else spent time in France...
Jamie...
I’ve spent a lot of time pouring over the timelines of this pair (don’t ever try to write a canon divergent fic and play with the time travel element - you will go insane). There are plenty of unique and interesting coincidences that happen to line up perfectly. For example, Claire travels through the Stones on Beltane or May 1st in the books, which just so happens to be Jamie’s birthday. Crazy right? When I looked at the timeline to see when Claire was in France, guess who just happened to be in France at that very same moment in time but ~200 years in the past?
James. Alexander. Malcolm. Mackenzie. Fraser.
That’s right... the first time we hear Jamie & Claire’s theme is when they’re together in France, but separated by the space of two centuries. From the very beginning, Bear McCreary pulls a genius level move in setting up the major theme of our beloved couple - a love that transcends time.
That’s what I noticed on this rewatch... see ya’ll next week when we dive deep into the Scottish Highlands and clan life at Castle Leoch!
Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadourby Maurice Quentin de La Tour between 1748 and 1755, detail.
Costume gown for character Geillis Duncan on Outlander, season 3. Designed by Terry Dresbach.
The same time period, even. It also harkens back to France and the French court. When Jamie and Claire enter the ball, Jamie refers to Versailles and how French their outfits were. In general, a big nod to the French court and the ornate, lavish restoration period. Later when Jamie gets arrested there is a feeling that the Frasiers are paying the piper for trying to affect the future. Hubris all around. We all know it canna be done. They do, however, end Geillis, which sort of draws a line under the whole period in France and Castle Leoch and affords closure for the “New World’, as Bear McCreary's incredible piece is called “Kiss of Life/ A New World. The Frasiers have lived so many lives together and apart, there is a need for closure in order to adapt and move forward without too many ghosts on their trail. Geillis is a vivid reminder of who they were and where they have been. She is also a very real reminder to Claire of who she doesn’t want to be. Geillis is utterly consumed with the stones and her fanatic mission to change the tide of events. Claire knows by now that this is a futile struggle and is focused on what she can have. Brianna is something she can’t have right now, but nothing will stop her protecting Brianna from suffering, especially due to Claire’s choices.
It's kind of unfortunate that they ended s1 of outlander with the Randall plot bc it muddies the fact that all the good guys also want to fuck jamie. Everyone wants to fuck jamie. Frank hates him and has never met him and he wants to fuck jamie
He could literally say 'You want to fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid' to 98% of the characters on the show, except he can't bc he's also stupid. And he doesn't know the word fuck.
I feel like there needs to be a side by side or a general analysis of the teasers that we've had so far for Outlander - what we were given and what was teased.
