Warning! Spoilers for Outlander season 7, part 2 ahead!Outlanderseason 7, part 2, has officially diverted from the books more than ever before. While book-to-screen adaptations are seldom entirely faithful to the source, this installment in the Starz romantasy series has really begun to head in its own direction. This comes down to the fact that there is only one moreOutlanderseason left to go, but author Diana Gabaldon hasn’t yet completed her book series. Starz has no choice but to go off-book, and the finale ofOutlanderseason 7, part 2, seems to be when the road has officially split.
Of course, this isn’t to say that previous episodes ofOutlanderseason 7, part 2, didn’t contain changes from Gabaldon’s novels. Theseepisodes line up with events from the novelsAn Echo in the Bone,Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, andGo Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, though a great deal of the book story has been cut or altered. Jamie and Claire’s respective returns from Scotland, Roger and Brianna’s adventures at different points in time, as well as the circumstances of Lord John and William’s own stories have been significantly changing. Then there isOutlanderseason 7, part 2’s finale—the biggest change of all.
10Outlander Season 7, Part 2’s Timeline Is Condensed
This Outlander Season Sped Through The Details
Outlanderbook readers may have experienced some whiplash while watching season 7, part 2. The events of these 16 episodes aligned, more or less, with plotlines from Gabaldon’s books, butthe timeline over which these stories stretched was significantly shorter. Naturally, the Starz series sped up the time it took for Claire and Jamie to travel to Scotland and sort out their affairs there. Still, things didn’t slow down a bit from that point onward.
Claire’s time working as a spy was reduced to only a few short moments inOutlanderseason 7, part 2. The same is true from the stint during which she believed Jamie to be dead. There was only a single episode between the reveal that the man’s ship was lost at sea and his sudden arrival in Philadelphia. Next thing we knew, the Battle of Monmouth was underway.What took years to play out in theOutlanderbooks seemed to pass by in a handful of weeksat most on screen.
9Claire Returned To America To Save Fergus & Marsali’s Son In The Books
Fergus & Marsali Have Been Sadly Absent
Outlanderseason 7, part 2, kicked off with Jamie, Claire, and Ian’s arrival in Scotland, which is certainly something that happened in the books.Jamie’s conflict with Laoghairehad minor differences, but just as on the screen, a contract was written up that settled everything between them on the page. Once again, the story was accelerated, but the biggest difference here was the reason Claire returned to the Colonies.
In theOutlanderbooks,Claire returned West without Jamie after received a letter from Marsali begging her to return to heal her sick son. There was no question that Claire would return, but she used this as leverage against Laoghaire, ensuring that Jamie’s ex-wife signed the papers and legitimized her marriage. InOutlanderseason 7, part 2, Claire returned to the Americas to save Henry Grey, Lord John’s nephew.Though the replacement story worked, it would have been nice forOutlanderseason 7 to bring Fergus and Marsali back.
8Jenny Came Back To America With Jamie In The Books
Outlander Season 7 Left Jenny In Scotland
Outlanderseason 7, part 2, saw the return of Jenny Murray, whom Jamie and Claire hadn’t seen in many years. The reunion was a warm one, but it was ultimately short-lived. After finally spilling the beans that she is a time traveler, Claire returned to the Colonies and said her goodbyes to Jenny and the rest of the Murrays. Then, when Jamie prepared to set sail for the Colonies,Jenny turned down his invitation to come with him and settle in Fraser’s Ridge.
Jenny’s decision to stay in Scotland was a significant disappointment inOutlanderseason 7, as this isn’t how things played out in the books. On the page, Jenny agreed to sail with Jamie and was, therefore, presumed dead along with her brother. When Jamie turned up in Philadelphia, Jenny was with him. This is meaningful because it meant she could be a part of Ian’s life as he married Rachel and welcomed his new baby.
7Brianna Found An Important Letter From Frank In The Outlander Books
Frank Knew Far More Than Anyone Realized
InOutlanderseason 7, part 2, Brianna found a200-year-old letter from Rogerin Brian Fraser’s desk at Lallybroch (in the 20th century). Just before this, she had been looking at Frank Randall’s book and seemed to be longing for her adoptive father’s guidance. However, the subtle reference to Frank came to nothing in theOutlanderTV show. The character wasn’t mentioned again, and Brianna was quickly distracted by Roger’s letter.
This was a deeply intriguing mystery since it was strange that Frank would know that Brianna would one day live at Lallybroch. Unfortunately, Starz’sOutlandercut it entirely.
Though long dead, Frank played a more significant part in theOutlanderbooks during this storyline. While looking at Frank’s book, Brianna found the draft of a letter her father had written to her, detailing what significant danger she would be in in the 20th century thanks to the ancient Fraser Prophecy. Brianna later discovered thatFrank had hidden the finalized version of this letter in the Lallybroch desk. This was a deeply intriguing mystery since it was strange that Frank would know that Brianna would one day live at Lallybroch. Unfortunately, Starz’sOutlandercut it entirely.
6Claire & Lord John Were Intimate Multiple Times In The Outlander Books
The Outlander TV Show Simplified Their “Connection”
One of the more shocking aspects ofOutlanderseason 7, part 2, was Lord John Gray having “carnal knowledge” of Claire Fraser. This happened after the man valiantly offered his hand to Claire in marriage to ensure she wasn’t hanged as a spy.The pair were in deep mourning for Jamie, and during a particular evening when their grief was too strong, they wound up having sex with one another.
This single night was a significant issue when Jamie turned out to be still alive. He was furious with Claire and Lord John, but it was much worse in theOutlanderbooks.Claire and Lord John had shared more than a single night together in Gabaldon’s version of the tale. Despite Lord John being gay and Claire having no genuine physical interest in him, their intimacy allowed them to maintain some sanity. Still, repeated offenses would have been harder to explain in theOutlanderTV show.
5Buck Discovered That Geillis Was His Mother (& Shared An Intimate Moment With Her)
Outlander Season 7, Part 2, Skipped Over Buck’s Grossest Moment
Outlanderalways gets far more interesting whenever time-travel paradoxes are involved, and Roger and Buck’s adventure in 1739 is a prime example. This duo went through the stones in search of Jemmy inOutlanderseason 7, part 2, but they landed decades before they expected.Their adventure resulted in Geillis Duncan and Dougall MacKenzie meeting one another for the first time—significant since these are Buck’s parents.
In theOutlanderTV series,Roger didn’t tell Buck that Geillis and Dougallwere his biological parents until just before they were reunited with Brianna. In the books, however, Buck learns the truth in time to meet Geillis, knowing full well who she is to him. This didn’t result in a heartwarming reunion, however.Buck took advantage of the moment to kiss and feel up Geillis. In this case, it’s better thatOutlanderseason 7, part 2, made a change.
4William Found Out The Truth About Jamie Very Differently
William Didn’t Just Overhear Lord John In The Books
Outlanderseason 7, part 2, saw William finally discover that Jamie is his biological father. This wasn’t something anyone ever planned for him to learn, but it was something of a relief for Jamie, who finally had a chance to develop a relationship with his son. Of course, this also resulted in some critical character development for William. If he hadn’t learned the truth, he wouldn’t have met Jane Pocock, and the biggest moments ofOutlanderseason 7, part 2, wouldn’t have happened.
Just as in the TV show, William learned the truth about Jamie when he later appeared in Philadelphia after he had been presumed dead. However, rather than William overhearing Lord John calling him Jamie’s son, he learned the truth in theOutlanderbooks far differently. William hadn’t interacted much with Jamie as an adult in the books, so his first time ever really meeting the man was during his dramatic return from the dead. Upon seeing him,William realized a striking resemblence—so much so that the immediately put the truth together.
3Roger Used A Different Method To Send Brianna A Letter In The Outlander Books
Roger’s Letter Just Magically Appeared In The TV Show
Outlanderseason 7, part 2, played a lot with time travel, but this was, at times, a problem.Outlander—especially the books—has demonstrated that events can’t actually be changed. Instead, the series uses a paradoxical time travel model. Anything someone does in the past will only ensure the events that already happened. A prime example of this is Roger causing Geillis and Dougall to meet, thus ensuring that Buck and himself are born.
Who Is Outlander’s Master Raymond? True Identity & Significance Explained
Master Raymond has reappeared in Outlander season 7 and is sure to play a prominent role in the series' ending - so who (or what) is he really?
The books stick to this rule, but a change inOutlanderseason 7 broke it. Earlier on, Roger and Brianna discovereda secret drawer in the Lallybroch desk, which was shown to be empty. In 1739, Roger hid a letter to Brianna in this very drawer, and in the 1980s, Brianna opened it to see that the letter had magically appeared in it. This doesn’t make much sense, and theOutlanderbooks saw Roger send the letter very differently (and without breaking the time travel rules).Gabaldon’s version saw Roger secure the letter to the inside top of the drawer, ensuring it would only be found once the desk was taken apart.
2Claire Doesn’t Have a Dream About Master Raymond In The Outlander Books
Outlander Season 7 Brought Master Raymond Back
Things inOutlanderseason 7, part 2, really began to divert the events of the book after Claire was shot in the Battle of Monmouth. When she lay recovering in the season finale, she had a dream in which Master Raymond appeared to her and apologized for something he had done. When Claire asked what, the man mysteriously said she would soon know. As this all happened,Claire saw the image of those blue wings she had seen back inOutlanderseason 2when Master Raymond healed her following her miscarriage.
This is the first official indication that Outlander’s final season will proceed independently, leaving behind Gabaldon’s original story to establish a new, dramatic ending.
All of this is an invention of Starz’sOutlanderTV series.Master Raymond never appeared to Claire in the books, and his apology for something she would eventually find out was also never a feature. This is the first official indication thatOutlander’s final season will proceed independently, leaving behind Gabaldon’s original story to establish a new, dramatic ending.
1There Is No Serious Indication That Faith Lived In The Outlander Books
Outlander Added In The Foundational Evidence
TheOutlanderseason 7, part 2 finale was certainly impactful and dramatic. The final moments saw Claire overhear little Fanny singing the 20th-century song “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside,” which she could only know if she had some connection to a time traveler. When Fanny explained that she learned the song from her mother, Faith,Claire put the pieces together and concluded that her stillborn daughter fromOutlanderseason 2 had somehow lived.
The fact thatOutlanderseason 7, part 2 ended this way indicates that the series will differ from the books even more going forward.
There was a brief moment in theOutlanderbookswhen Claire wondered whether Faith could have lived, but Jamie gently talked her out of it. While Fanny and Jane’s mother was called Faith,the song “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside” was only featured in theOutlanderTV show. Gabaldon has said that she considered a storyline in which Master Raymond had revived Faith but ultimately never followed through with it. Starz, on the other hand, clearly likes the idea. The fact thatOutlanderseason 7, part 2 ended this way indicates that the series will differ from the books even more going forward.
Filming forOutlanderseason 8 has concluded and should release between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.
Outlander
Cast
Outlander follows Claire Randall, a married nurse from 1945, who is transported back to 1743 Scotland. Amidst political intrigue and danger, she navigates life in the past and becomes torn between loyalty to her husband and the love for a dashing young warrior.
