WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander season 7
Outlander season seven recently wrapped up with fans left with more questions than answers after Claire Fraser (played by Caitríona Balfe) suggested to her husband Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) their first child Faith might not have died as previously thought.
In the season seven finale, titled A Hundred Thousand Angels, Claire was on the verge of death after getting shot in the stomach and ended up having a fever dream where she was visited by fellow time traveller and apothecary Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon).
In her vision, Master Raymond hinted it wasn’t Claire’s time to die to which he suggested she would soon find out with the 20th century doctor believing her child was still alive.
Moreover, there was also the suggestion William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart) was protecting Faith’s children Fanny Pocock (Florrie May Wilkinson) and Jane (Silvia Presente), who had grown up in a brothel after their mother had died.
Fanny was also heard singing I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside – the same song Claire sang as she held her stillborn baby back in season two, creating parallels and hinting this was one and the same Faith.
Adding another layer to the story, William appeared to be attracted to Fanny, who would be his niece if her mother Faith was indeed his half-sister.
While this plot point has been left for fans to mull over during the so-called Droughtlander, those seeking answers can look to Diana Gabaldon’s novel series as well as the author’s own words about this potential twist.
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.”
This would seem to confirm Faith Fraser and Fanny and Jane’s mother as two different women who share the same name.
As fans will remember, the second season of Outlander and its novel counterpart Dragonfly in Amber followed Claire’s first pregnancy. Claire, who initially believed she was infertile after unsuccessful attempts to conceive with her first husband Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies), realised she could have children when she fell pregnant and shared the news with her overjoyed second husband Jamie.
Unfortunately, the pregnancy was fraught with risk for the time traveller, who was trying to alter history and prevent the Jacobite Rising through court intrigue in 18th century Paris. Tragically, Claire lost her child after going into premature labour as she tried to stop Jamie from duelling with Captain Jack Randall (also Menzies).
Claire was rushed to the L’Hopital des Anges where her baby was stillborn, leaving her heartbroken. She named the baby girl Faith and the infant was buried by the nuns in the hospital’s cemetery, reports the Express.
Despite their heartache over the loss of their first daughter Faith, Jamie and Claire never let her memory fade, often acknowledging her in conversation.
Moving on from their loss, the couple were blessed with another daughter, Brianna Fraser (Sophie Skelton), who defied time by travelling through the stones to reunite with her birth parents.
In a particularly heartfelt moment during season three, after showing Jamie photographs of Brianna, he observed that she shared the same red hair as their late daughter Faith, a poignant detail not missed by fans of the show.
During an interview with TV Line, Balfe shared her thoughts on this subtle nod to Faith: “I was like, ‘Can we please put in just even the tiniest thing about Faith? ‘.”
She expressed her belief that losing a child is an indelible tragedy, one that becomes part of a family’s narrative and is never forgotten.
At a previous New York Comic-Con panel, queries emerged regarding the possibility of Faith appearing in future episodes or book iterations.
However, author Gabaldon set the record straight for the shows and book enthusiasts, saying: “As far as anybody knows, Faith died in Dragonfly In Amber and we haven’t seen any trace of her since. So I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
This revelation suggested it’s unlikely Faith will return in another timeline, underscoring that her loss is an eternal part of Claire and Jamies lives.
Reflecting on the emotional weight of portraying such profound grief, Balfe discussed filming the stillbirth scenes with Variety in 2016: “So when I first got the script, I mean, I cried.”
She revealed: “I emailed [writer] Toni [Graphia] straight away, and I was just like, ‘This is so beautiful. You’ve made me cry like a baby.'”.
She continued: “I loved how Toni handled it. It was in such a respectful way, and such a beautiful way, and I think it’s such a defining moment in Claire’s life and for her character, that in a way, you just relish these moments as an actor to be able to go through this journey with the character.”
Outlander is streaming on MGM+ on Prime Video now