Sumith Prasad
The seventh season finale of Starz’s period drama series ‘Outlander,’ titled ‘A Hundred Thousand Angels,’ follows the aftermath of Claire Fraser’s confrontation with death at a short distance after getting shot by the British soldiers. Thanks to Denzell Hunter, she remains alive despite the severity of her injury. Jamie Fraser stays with his beloved better half after relinquishing his position in the Continental Army until an unexpected guest shows up, seeking his help. Brianna “Bree” Fraser MacKenzie travels back in time and reaches someplace close to her heart. As his aunt and uncle decide to open a new chapter of their lives, Young Ian also dreams of a fresh beginning! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Outlander Season 7 Episode 16 Recap
‘A Hundred Thousand Angels’ begins with a flashback sequence of two sisters spending time with their mother. The sequence cuts to Jane Pocock, who is under the custody of the British Army after killing a high-ranking official who set out to hurt her sibling, Frances “Fanny” Pocock. She is interviewed by a journalist who tries to take advantage of her crime to sell his broadsheet. Meanwhile, Claire Fraser slowly recovers from her life-threatening injury. Jamie Fraser remains with her day and night to care for his wife. He doesn’t leave her bedside even when she asks him to. They comfort each other with their love and consider returning to Fraser’s Ridge, North Carolina.
William Ransom meets his adoptive father, Lord John Grey, and asks for the latter’s help to save Jane from the gallows. The aristocrat makes inquiries and learns that there is nothing he can do since she has already signed a confession. Because of the same document, the British Army can rewrite her fate however they want. Lord John meets Claire to check in on her. She expresses her gratitude to him for saving her life multiple times. However, Jamie still hasn’t completely forgiven his friend for marrying and sleeping with his wife. Still, Claire intervenes and ensures that the two men won’t start quarreling again.
While recuperating, Claire sees a strange dream in which Master Raymond appears before her. Her ancestor asks for her forgiveness without revealing what he did to her. The dream ends before she can figure out the meaning of the physician’s words. When Lord John informs William that there is nothing he can do to help him, the young man goes to Jamie. After learning about Jane’s predicament, the father and son try to save her, but she has already killed herself using a glass bottle. Following the unbearable tragedy, William adds to his own misery by confronting Jamie to learn all about the circumstances that paved the way for his birth. After listening to the same, the soldier proclaims that he won’t see the Scotsman as his father.
Outlander Season 7 Ending: Did Faith Really Live? What is the Significance of Frances’ Song?
After Jane’s death, William brings Frances to Jamie and Claire, who decide to look after the young girl as her foster parents. They plan to return to Fraser’s Ridge with her, and as they prepare, she sings a song that moves Claire immensely. It is the same song she once sang to her stillborn baby, Faith. When she asks Frances about the song, the latter replies that it was something sung by her late mother. The revelation convinces Claire that Faith didn’t really die as she believed for years. She starts to assume that her daughter survived and lived enough to give birth and raise two children.
As a mother, Claire can’t be blamed for believing that Faith lived beyond the day she was born. The apparent demise of her baby is one of the most painful occurrences in her life, and she has never completely moved on from the same. What makes this belief interesting is the song Claire sang to Faith and Frances learned from her mother, which is “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside.” The particular British music hall song was written in 1907 by John H. Glover-Kind, which raises the question of how the young girl’s mother sang it in the 18th century. If her mother is really Faith, as Claire believes, she might have been a time-traveler like her sister, Bree, and learned the same from the future.
However, the song alone does not clarify that Frances’ mother is Faith since the late woman could have learned it from another time traveler. Furthermore, a baby forming a connection with a song that was sung to her on the day of her birth is, more or less, unreasonable. Beyond all these factors, there remains the question of how Faith was resurrected. In Diana Gabaldon’s ‘Outlander’ novel series, Claire considers the possibility of Master Raymond retrieving her from her grave and reviving her back to life. The physician asking for Claire’s forgiveness can be paralleled with this possibility. Having said that, it is important to note that the old man seeks forgiveness only in Claire’s dream rather than in reality.
If Raymond had resurrected Faith, he would have had no reason to keep the latter from Claire as a secret. He is one of the few individuals who witnessed her immense suffering after the baby was born dead. After seeing the same, the chances of her ancestor adding to her misery are significantly low. The possibility of Frances being Claire’s granddaughter can be a plot point conceived to bring the two characters closer and justify their burgeoning relationship as a foster mother and daughter. Since she sees the traces of her child in the young girl, the protagonist may look after her wholeheartedly without even considering the fact that they can be two strangers with no familial ties.
Will the MacKenzies Reunite With Claire and Jamie?
Bree’s journey through the stones with her two children, Jeremiah “Jemmy” MacKenzie and Amanda “Mandy” MacKenzie, takes her to her husband, Roger. They reunite at Lallybroch, where her grandfather, Brian Fraser, lives, unaware of his guests’ blood relationship with him. Bree reunites with her man after dealing with immense distress. The kidnapping of Jemmy and her separation from Roger have troubled her considerably. These experiences as a mother also make her yearn to reunite with her parents. Even though the seventh season of the show concludes before revealing whether they will meet again anytime soon, we know the answer from the ‘Outlander’ novel series.
The eighth novel in the book series, ‘Written in My Own Heart’s Blood,’ ends with the MacKenzies arriving in the eighteenth century to reunite with Jamie and Claire. The next installment, ‘Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone,’ reveals that Bree and Roger even set up a new home in Fraser’s Ridge to live with their loved ones nearby. After a long period of separation, mainly caused by the Revolutionary War, the Fraser patriarch and matriarch are surrounded by their beloved daughter and two grandchildren, who bring joy and comfort to their lives. Considering their storyline in the source texts, the upcoming eighth season may start with the MacKenzies’ arrival in Fraser’s Ridge.
Even though the Frasers and the MacKenzies will most likely reunite, their togetherness may not last forever. Bree and Roger are well aware that their children, Jemmy and Mandy, are safer in the 20th century rather than in the 1700s. This understanding may make them choose between Claire and Jamie and the security of their kids. Even the protagonists won’t stand in the way of the betterment of their grandchildren. Therefore, the MacKenzies’ separation from the Frasers is possible, especially since Jamie is not a time traveler.
Is Rachel Pregnant? Where Will She and Young Ian Go?
While Jamie and Claire plan to return to Fraser’s Ridge, Young Ian also thinks about his future. He asks his wife, Rachel Hunter, whether they should rejoin the Continental Army or join their uncle and aunty to leave for North Carolina. Since he has a piece of land to his name in the place, he considers settling down. Even though the move to Fraser’s Ridge means bidding adieu to her brother, Rachel agrees to the same, especially since she believes that North Carolina will be a perfect place to raise a family. Her words reveal that the couple has formed a family with an unborn baby.
Rachel’s pregnancy convinces her and Young Ian to leave for Fraser’s Ridge. The move ensures that they will be far away from the threats and challenges associated with the Revolutionary War, which are not ideal for a mother-to-be and an unborn baby. After what happened to Claire, the last thing the couple may want is to put their lives on the line. Settling down in North Carolina will guarantee peace and comfort for them, which are integral to nurturing a child. The joyous occasion, however, becomes gloomy when Young Ian loses his companion.
Rollo, Young Ian’s beloved dog, dies in his sleep, severely affecting the latter. In a way, he waits to bid adieu to his master until the Scotsman has a wife and child to comfort him. Rollo passes away after ensuring Ian won’t be alone in this world, which deeply moves him. Furthermore, the fact that his canine companion has died peacefully makes the tragedy a bit bearable for him, who is supported by Rachel, who lets him know that she married both of them by tying the knot with one.
Read More: Were Jamie Fraser and Lord John Grey Lovers? Did They Sleep Together in Outlander?
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