Sumith Prasad
The seventh season of Starz’s historical series ‘Outlander’ depicts James “Jamie” MacKenzie Fraser’s decision to leave for Scotland with his wife Claire Fraser and nephew Young Ian. When Jamie gets forced to be a part of the Revolutionary War before he can leave America, Young Ian encounters an injured William Ransom, Jamie’s son. Ian takes the soldier to Denzell and Rachel, two siblings who save him from death. While William recovers from the life-threatening accident, Ian and Rachel make acquaintance and share an endearing time together. Upon witnessing the same, we set out to find out whether they unite as a couple in the series. Well, here’s what we found! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Young Ian and Rachel Likely to Unite
Young Ian meets Rachel in the fourth episode of the seventh season as he brings an injured William Ransom to the Hunter household for the surgeon Denzell to save the soldier from death. Denzell and Rachel team up to save William’s life, without amputating one of his arms after initially considering doing the same. While William recovers, Ian talks to Rachel and they share an appealing time together. However, before they can strengthen their newly formed bond, Ian gets forced to leave Rachel since he has to join Jamie and Claire, who join the Rebels to fight against the Crown.
Regardless of Ian’s departure, we can expect him and Rachel to unite as their paths are expected to cross again. In Diana Gabaldon’s ‘Outlander’ novels, which serve as the source novels of the show, Ian and Rachel meet again at Fort Ticonderoga, only to grow fond of each other. Ian then kisses Rachel, only for her to stop his advances. She gets conflicted about forming a relationship with Ian, despite having strong feelings for him, since she is a Quaker and he is a man of violence. Ian then leaves for Scotland but the trip doesn’t separate him from Rachel for good. Rather than staying in his home country with his mother and father, Ian returns to America with Claire.
Meanwhile, Arch Bug learns about Ian’s feelings for Rachel, which makes him try to hurt her to exact his vengeance on Jamie’s nephew for killing his wife Mrs. Bug. William then comes to their rescue and shoots down Bug. Captivated by his feelings for Rachel, Ian tells her that he would convert to a Quaker for her, even if it is against his nature. Rachel, however, makes it clear that there isn’t any need for the same since he is “her wolf” who will come home to her and they unite as a couple.
In ‘Written in My Own Heart’s Blood,’ the eighth ‘Outlander’ novel, Rachel and Ian meet William, only for her to reveal to the soldier that she and Ian got engaged. William, who has feelings for Rachel, gets devastated upon hearing the news, hits his cousin, and gets the latter arrested for assaulting a soldier. An enraged Rachel expresses her anger towards William and slaps him, only for him to forcefully kiss her. They part ways on bad terms and Rachel eventually meets William’s father Jamie to let him know about what happened to his nephew. Jamie gets involved in the predicament and makes William release Ian.
Ian and Rachel get married in 1778 in Philadelphia. Ian then ends up in Fraser’s Ridge in North Carolina in 1779 with a pregnant Rachel. They both welcome their first son in early June 1779. Since the show is expected to follow the events in the source novels without major deviations, we can expect Ian and Rachel to strengthen their bond in the upcoming episodes of the seventh season.
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