Outlander’s season seven finale aired over the weekend, and the reaction from fans certainly has been a mixed bag.
It was unveiled that Jamie and Claire’s first daughter Faith Fraser, who died in the second series, actually may have lived and went on to have two daughters, Jane and Frances Pocock.
Claire gave birth to Faith whilst they were residing in Paris but she sadly didn’t survive and Master Raymond took her away to be buried.
Then jump back to season seven, Claire is having a fever dream after being shot and is visited by fellow time traveller and apothecary Master Raymond who asks her for forgiveness – something she is unsure about.
Later in the episode discovers Frances (Fanny) singing ‘I do like to be beside the seaside’, which is a song from the future which Claire sang to Faith as she held her for the last time.
Claire wells up and adds all the signs that perhaps, Faith lived after all.
However, fans flocked to the comments of Outlander’s official Instagram page to complain that this scene didn’t happen in the books.
One disgruntled fan wrote: “absolutely not. This is a horrendous story change by the writers.”
While one said: “this was not in the books. Total departure for TV.”
Another suggested: “the faith locket is in the book. I think it’s possible this is something that will come up in book ten.”
Another added: “I’m a huge Outlander fan, & I hate to say this but that was the worst season finale out of all 7 seasons. Such a disappointment.”
Another wrote: “It’s not the first time they would’ve do it. Remember what they did with Murtagh (and I liked much better in the series then in the books).”
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon is currently working on her tenth book, which is at present untitled, and reports suggest she will conclude the Outlander series with it.
The Starz-made show is generally a faithful adaptation of the novels but has known to deviate from the source material in the past.
Gabaldon, 73, said in a recent interview about the season seven finale: “No part of the ending is from the books, save that Frances’s mother’s name was Faith.”
She went on to confirm to Parade how the producers “totally made up the [use of the song]” both in season two and then again in season seven.
The American writer added: “I agree that the ending of 716 is flat-out weird, partly owing to their (evidently) having exhausted their budget.”
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