Outlander devotees have been fervently dissecting the astonishing end to season seven, which completely turned the Fraser story on its head.
The most recent instalment of the popular Starz series saw Claire (played by Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) deep in the midst of the American Revolution.
Elevated to Brigadier General, Jamie took a pivotal role at the Battle of Monmouth, while Claire leveraged her medical expertise in crucial ways.
The tension was palpable as Claire nearly lost her life to a severe gunshot wound, but it’s the events during her recuperation that have truly set tongues wagging.
The finale unraveled a bombshell that Claire’s stillborn daughter Faith might have lived, giving birth to sisters Jane (Silvia Presente) and Frances ‘Fanny’ Pocock (Florrie May Wilkinson).
Outlander fans ‘irritated’ as season 7 cliffhanger ‘totally undermines’ Claire (Image: STARZ)
Although Jane’s tale came to a sorrowful halt following the murder of a British officer, Fanny has been embraced by the Frasers and looks set to be central in Outlander’s forthcoming eighth season.
This twist has sent shockwaves through the fandom, particularly due to the implication that Jamie’s illegitimate child William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart) may have unwittingly become intimate with his half-niece.
A frustrated viewer aired their grievances on : “I’m so irritated by this cliffhanger. The idea of Faith secretly being alive could’ve been an interesting story, if only it hadn’t connected to Jane and Fanny.”
The narrative has been called into question by the fanbase, with specific grievances including, “Jamie has yet another biological child he didn’t get to raise (aren’t two enough?)
“If it’s true, this adds so much tragedy to everyone’s lives. If it’s not true, it’s cruel to retraumatize Claire with the stillbirth from decades ago and give her false hope.”
Outlander’s season seven finale featured a jaw-dropping twist (Image: STARZ)
Numerous fans have concurred in the commentary section, pointing out that it’s especially thoughtless to seemingly resurrect a stillborn child an event that so many mothers are forced to painfully accept in reality.
One user emphatically agreed, writing: “All of this-YES,” and added further criticism: “And would just like to add that it totally undermines the depth and meaning of child loss being a part of Claire and Jamie’s storyline. Claire especially.
“That is such a dagger for women who were represented in that story, who also lost their babies. I kinda actually hate it?!”
Some fans highlighted that Diana Gabaldon’s original book series appeared to tease this same plot in its ninth instalment, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.
Is Fanny Pocock really related to Claire and Jamie? (Image: STARZ)
A further comment shared a personal reaction: “I actually DNF’d [did not finish] Bees when it started to hint at Faith having lived for this exact reason.
“Her loss was a HUGE part of Jamie and Claire’s story. It shaped who they’d go on to become.”
“It was rendered so viscerally and painfully, but beautifully. And now it’s gonna be some weird gimmicky ‘she’s alliiiiiiiivvvvvveeeee!’ moment? My friends are trying to convince me this is good. They haven’t succeeded yet.”
Fans of the show are also still reeling from the latest twist, with many clearly left frustrated and upset by the revelation. Will they get some more clarity in season eight?
Outlander is available to watch on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK and on Starz in the US.