Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of miscarriage and infant loss.
Outlanderseason 7 ended with a pretty fantastic twist, but I can’t help but hope that this won’t amount to much in season 8. The romantacy series is going into its final season, which means that the big reveal that Faith Fraser might have lived with will beOutlander’s last finale twist. Of course, I don’t want this to be for nothing. A cliffhanger like this should absolutely be paid off in the coming episodes. However, the massive shift in Jamie and Claire’s story thatOutlanderseason 7’s big twist suggests may not be what’s best for the series overall.
Faith Fraser was stillborn inOutlanderseason 2, and we had no real reason to think this might not have been true. However, the finale of season 7 saw Claire face a handful of clues that all might not have been what it seemed. First, she saw Master Raymond in a dream, and the man apologized for something he had done that Claire would soon discover. Then, Claire learned that Fanny Pocock’s mother’s name had been Faith. Everything came together when Claire heardFanny singing the 20th-century song"I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside."
Claire sang " I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside" to Faith when she was a baby, so Faith’s knowing the song is a clue that there is a connection here.
Outlander’s Season 7 Faith Twist May Not Amount To Much In Season 8
We May Not Get The Reunion Or Answers We Are Looking For
Outlanderseason 7 didn’t all out confirm that Faith Fraser had lived, but the finale ended with Claire sharing her theory with Jamie after confirming that Fanny had learned her 20th-century song from her mother. It’s certainly implied that Master Raymond had brought Faith back to life without Claire’s knowledge, butwhat would this actually mean for season 8?Could Claire actually be reunited with Faith? Will we get episodes of flashbacks that detail who this character had been and precisely what happened to her?
It would be better if Outlander season 8 used the season 7 twist to bridge the gap between the TV show and Claire’s next book story.
While the sky is the limit forOutlanderseason 8, I can’t help but hope that none of this will be the case in the coming episodes. Author Diana Gabaldon has shared that she decided against bringing Faith Fraser back from the dead, so the Starz TV show has officially pivoted from canon with this story. While this is okay (especially given the books' unfinished status),I would hate to see season 8 head so wildly away from Claire’s book storyby reuniting her with Faith. Instead, it would be better ifOutlanderseason 8 used the season 7 twist to bridge the gap between the TV show and Claire’s next book story.
Why Outlander Would Reveal That Faith Lived (But Not Actually Bring Her Back)
A Big Faith Story Might Not Be The Point
It would be a bit anticlimactic ifOutlanderseason 7 revealed that Faith had survived infancy, but season 8 didn’t bring her character back. It would ultimately feel as if this story didn’t come to much in the end. However, this would be preferred, sinceClaire even suspecting that Faith had been brought back to life after she was stillborn could inspire her to explore her healing powersfurther.
Book Claire has experimented with her blue-light abilities here and there, but her TV show counterpart has all but forgotten that Master Raymond once told her she could magically heal. TheOutlanderbooksdictate that Claire will need more mastery of her abilities as the Revolutionary War arrives at Fraser’s Ridge. If the Starz series takes a similar route in season 8,Claire will need inspiration to explore her powers before the fighting begins and her loved ones are in danger. So, whileOutlanderseason 7’s twist might not reunite Claire with her daughter or detail Faith’s life, it could still serve an important purpose.
