Outlander enthusiasts will be on tenterhooks this week as the season seven finale is set to reveal whether Claire Fraser (portrayed by Caitriona Balfe) survives a deadly gunshot wound.
As the American Revolution intensifies and Claire’s spouse Jamie (Sam Heughan) becomes more embroiled in the conflict, the Frasers find themselves in the line of fire in episode 15, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood.
Both faced danger during the Battle of Monmouth, with Jamie spearheading the charge on the battlefield while Claire utilised her healing skills in a church serving as a makeshift hospital.
After clashing with dismissive doctor Captain Leckie (Ben Cora), Claire demonstrates that her expertise far surpasses that of the male doctors when an injured soldier is brought in and she swiftly saves his life using a handy aspiration technique.
However, she soon finds herself on the operating table when a group of fleeing British soldiers pass by the church and exchange insults with the Continental troops, resulting in Claire being shot in the abdomen in the chaos, reports .
Outlander season 7 finale – Claire Fraser’s fate in the books explained (Image: STARZ)
Jamie is left heartbroken, resigning his post while his wife weakly prepares to guide Denzell Hunter (Joey Phillips) through the process of saving her life. But does Claire survive the ordeal in Diana Gabaldon’s novels?
Does Claire die in the books?
Following a brief break, the series will return to conclude the penultimate season with the finale on Friday, January 17, titled A Hundred Thousand Angels.
Fans will have to endure another lengthy ‘Droughtlander’ before the eighth and final season of the popular Starz series, which is anticipated to draw inspiration from Gabaldon’s ninth book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.
Claire was caught in the crossfire in episode 15 (Image: STARZ)
With another season already filmed, it’s almost certain that Claire will return as Balfe has confirmed she has been filming with Heughan. But could the series be planning a surprise twist?
Those who haven’t read the novels can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Claire does indeed survive her injury.
The episode accurately adapted the events of the books, where the time-traveller is shot in the abdomen with a slim chance of survival.
Thankfully, Denzell manages to extract the bullet after an intense surgery. Despite Claire battling for her life for several chapters, she eventually wakes up in chapter 87.
In the books, Claire survives and heads back to Fraser’s Ridge with Jamie (Image: STARZ)
She then returns to Fraser’s Ridge with Jamie to continue her recovery.
It remains uncertain how faithfully the series will portray these events, but it’s expected that such a crucial moment in the Fraser saga will remain 100 percent faithful to Gabaldon’s original story.
Of course, there’s always the possibility the series could throw a curveball but, given Balfe is confirmed to be returning in season eight, expect Claire to be alive and more or less well by the end of the finale.
Outlander season seven, part two concludes Friday, January 17 on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK and on Starz in the US.