Outlander Season 8 Can't Fumble It's Chance To Make A Tragic Book Death Far Less Confusing
Outlander season 8 is almost certainly going to feature a big death scene from the books, and it can't fumble the opportunity to clear up all the confusion. Author Diana Gabaldon has revealed that the upcoming Outlander season will include moments from her ninth book in the series, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, as well as some from her unpublished tenth installment. Given the events of Outlander season 7, it seems likely that this means Jamie's big death scene will play out in the coming episodes. However, the TV show will have a significant advantage that it can't waste.
In the Outlander bookGo Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Jamie heads off for battle yet again. However, this time around, his luck has worn off. Jamie falls on the battlefield and is believed to be dead, leading Claire to head out in search of his body. It's a devastating sequence of events, and by the time Claire finds Jamie, she is overcome with desperation and grief—ultimately leading to a miraculous resurrection. This all plays out from Claire's point of view, which means readers get the full benefit of her inner dialogue. This is something Outlander season 8 won't have, but in this case, that may be a good thing.
The Outlander Books Made Claire Bringing Jamie Back From The Dead Confusing
The Scene Wasn't Meant To Be Crystal Clear & Detailed In The Book
When Claire finds Jamie's body on the battlefield in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, she is overwhelmed by her grief. The book's description of her actions becomes vague as Claire's fuzzy inner dialogue takes over. She is vaguely aware of Roger and Young Ian's presence, but her focus is on her grief and the subtlest flicker of life she can sense within Jamie. A variety of mysterious and confusing things happen then, and before we know it, Jamie appears to have been brought back to life. However, precisely how Claire did this, or even whether Jamie was fully dead, is entirely unclear.
The confusion here was most certainly a creative choice on Gabaldon's part. It makes perfect sense that the entire event would feel like a blur to Claire, and the Outlander author included readers in the chaotic desperation and fear that this scene elicited in the protagonist. How Jamie's death and resurrection were described also helped emphasize that Claire's magical healing powers are intuitive and emotional. However, Outlander season 8 must take a clearer approach to the scene. We won't be inside Claire's head, so we will actually get to see how she brings Jamie back to life.
Outlander Is Already Setting Up A Clearer Look At Claire's Healing Powers
The Show Is Building Toward A Big Display Of Claire's Powers
The events of Outlander season 7 imply that the showrunners are aware of the pressures of bringing Claire's healing abilities to the screen. Up to this point in the show, Claire hasn't put much effort into using the powers she learned she possesses back in season 2. For this reason, Claire suddenly healing Jamie would feel somewhat disjointed with the rest of Outlander. The show must lead up to this big miracle, and it seems as if the reveal that Faith Fraser might have lived is how the writers have decided to make this happen.
Outlander season 8 will dive into precisely how Faith lived after she was stillborn in season 2. There will likely be a flashback to the moment Master Raymond (or perhaps someone else) used the blue-light magic to bring the infant back to life. Learning that this happened may inspire Claire to explore her own powers, and the stage will, therefore, be set for the big moment when she brings her husband back from the brink of death. All of this can truly make Outlander season 8 a powerful conclusion for the overarching series. Seeing Claire's powers clear on the screen would be the cherry on top of an excellent story.
Your comment has not been saved