Outlander fans are left in suspense, questioning whether the beloved character Jamie Fraser has met his end after the Starz series hinted at his death.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon and potential show spoilers.
The second part of Outlander’s seventh season has left viewers in a state of shock, as they question if the show’s hero Jamie Fraser (portrayed by Sam Heughan) has died following a letter received by his wife Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe), suggesting he was killed in a tragic shipwreck.
Jamie has had several close calls in the past, including his final duel with Captain ‘Black Jack’ Randall (Tobias Menzies) at the Battle of Culloden and more recently when he was bitten by a rattlesnake at Fraser’s Ridge.
On both occasions, he was on the brink of death and seemed to have an out-of-body experience, but always returned to Claire.
However, this time it appears that Jamie may have finally met his fate, leaving audiences eagerly seeking answers.
The straightforward answer is: in the Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon, both Jamie and Claire are alive and well in the past, with Frank Randall (also played by Menzies) causing confusion by planting a fake gravestone in St Kilda’s churchyard.
The second part of Outlander’s seventh season is based on the eighth novel Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, and much like the show, Claire is informed of Jamie’s supposed death at sea.
Both she and Lord John Grey (David Berry) are left heartbroken, leading them to seek solace in each other and tie the knot for Claire to gain his protection.
Not long after their marriage, a very much alive Jamie makes a surprise appearance, furious at his best mate.
A brawl ensues between the two men over the wedding and Claire and Lord John’s intimate night together.
While this is the storyline of Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, the Starz series has been known to stray from Gabaldon’s original work, leaving fans eager to see what direction showrunner Matt B. Roberts will take with the TV adaptation.
In the end, Jamie is deceased in Outlander’s future timeline but in the past timeline, he is flourishing with his ‘true’ love Claire.
With Outlander season eight having completed filming, as evidenced by lead stars and producers Heughan and Balfe sharing snaps from the set on social media, it’s safe to say Jamie is likely still alive and didn’t meet his end at sea.
Viewers can brace themselves for a whirlwind of major revelations – if the novels are anything to go by,.
Outlander author Gabaldon is currently penning the 10th book in the series, which is expected to be the final instalment.
Fans will also finally get an answer to the ghost Claire saw in the very first episode of Outlander and the significance behind Jamie’s journey to the future.
Outlander fans are puzzled by a mystery as Jamie can’t travel to the future and is perpetually stuck in the past.
Outlander season 7, part 2 is available on Fridays on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK and on Starz in the US.