[This is not a spoiler-free review of the episode. If you have not seen the episode yet, read it at your own spoiler risk.]
Episode 716: “A Hundred Thousand Angels”
Written by Matthew B. Roberts and Toni Graphia, Directed by Joss Agnew
I can’t quite believe that season seven of Outlander is finally over. It began in June 2023 and ended in January 2025. Sure, there was a break of a year and a half in the middle for some unbeknownst reason, but this sixteen-episode season has come and gone with the finale last Friday.
We start the episode with younger versions of Jane and Fanny frolicking with their dark-haired mother in tall grass, and dragonflies abound around the trio. There’s absolutely no foreshadowing here.
Jane (Silvia Presente) is sentenced to die. Her murdering Captain Harkness to save her sister and herself has caught up with her. Considering martial law is in effect, there will be no trial. A reporter from a paper tries to get all the sordid details from Jane, but Jane mainly uses him teasingly to get him to leave her alone. Only after he mentions that the story might reach her sister does she appear to acquiesce to his writing a more helpful and forgiving version.
“I’ve decided not to die.” Claire (Caitriona Balfe) has made it through the surgery, which we do not see. Jamie (Sam Heughan) helps her through her convalescence, including helping her use the commode. Jamie continues to be a source of strength for Claire. It was relatable to see Claire be shy about asking Jamie to help her urinate. A post-urination cuddle reaffirms their bond, and Claire asks to go home. Jamie promises her they will. Although, if I remember correctly, they do not have a house, but I guess land will do.
In a dream, or at least in a dreamlike state, Claire receives a visit from Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon), who arrives cloaked and mysterious. He asks for her forgiveness, but even Claire is perplexed about what. He vanishes again. Claire awakens and asks Jamie if he saw him. He did not, but it brings the subject of Faith up, their first-born daughter who died when they were in France (see season two).
William (Charles Vandervaart) turns to his father, Lord John (David Berry), for help rescuing or saving Jane. He finds out where she is held and about the death sentence for the confessed crime. Lord John tries to soften the news by saying that Jane saved her sister with her act, and William is valiant for helping them.
Ian (John Bell) makes it back from helping William escape with Lord John. Ian learns of Claire’s injury and recovery. Rachel (Izzy Meilke-Small) tells Ian he will be a father. Unfortunately, Ian wakes from his slumber to discover that Rollo has passed away in his sleep. Of course, he is overcome with grief. Rachel and Ian leave to bury Rollo in a special place. The pair also talks about moving forward with their life at Fraser’s Ridge and building their family. If only that pesky Revolutionary War were not happening at the same time.
Lord John stops by to visit Claire, and it is evident that the air between Jamie and Lord John has not cleared. I love how Jamie takes offense to calling Claire “my dear” and Lord John’s obvious enunciation of the words “Mrs. Fraser” afterward. There is a bit of standoff between the two men in the room, with some exasperated looks from Claire. What seems to impact Jamie is Claire’s heartfelt thanks to John for saving her life, something he may have forgotten or not completely understood.
Denzel (Joey Phillips) bids goodbye to Claire after saving her life. He makes it fairly obvious that he loves her, respectfully. Frankly, being loved by a young man who respects your knowledge and wants to learn from you seems like the highest compliment.
William reluctantly calls on Jamie to help him rescue Jane. He’s at least picked up in his time being around Jamie that he is a strong, resourceful guy, one you would pick to be on your side of the fight. It may be Jane’s last night alive, but it is not very clear if her death is looming. (On my rewatch, I noticed Jane may be humming that same song Fanny sings later on). William and Jamie attempt to rescue her, and William awkwardly finds out Brianna is his sister. Great job, Jamie. Unfortunately, Jane has already taken her life by her own means. They are too late. She died how she wanted to, and in death, she tried to take hold of her own choices when so much of her life was not hers to decide.
William brings Fanny (Florrie May Wilkinson) to the Frasers. Where has Fanny been this whole time? Jamie gives Fanny Jane’s lock of hair. Jamie offers Fanny the opportunity for Fanny to come and live on the Ridge and Jamie’s protection. Before William leaves, he asks Jamie to recount his conception, which he does not agree to and says that he did not love his mother. He does describe her positive, strong attributes to William. “I will never call you father” is not a great ending to their conversation; however, it did move their relationship forward.
Using his connections, Jamie is able to find where Jane is buried and give her belongings to Fanny. In a heartfelt conversation with Claire, Fanny struggles with Jane’s death and the reasons for it, as well as the repercussions to her soul, but thankfully, Claire does a wonderful job at soothing Jane’s heart. She also describes chasing dragonflies and possibly the Northern Lights, although I feel they are too far south to see them. The locket of Fanny’s mother has the name “Faith” carved on the outside.
The family packs up to go back to Fraser’s Ridge. Fanny is overheard by Claire in the church singing a song that Claire sang to Faith when she was in her arms. Claire learns that Fanny’s mother sang it to her. Okie dokie.
In the furthest past, Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) and Roger (Richard Rankin) are leaving Lallybroch when Jemmy (Blake Johnston Miller) appears on the road ahead of them, along with Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and Mandy (Rosa Morris). I have to say that Brian Fraser (Andrew Whipp) has to be one of the kindest people in the Outlander-verse because he has no problem taking in the weary or lost, regardless of their stories. The conversation between Brianna and Brian was touching as Brian reminisced about his wife and how much Brianna reminded him of her. What if Brianna pulled a Roger and decided to clue in some of her relatives about who she is or things that happen? Roger and Brianna both think about how weird it would be if Jamie were home at this point in time, but at least that thought process leads to the conclusion that they should return to Jamie and Claire.
I will own up to being less than complimentary about how the season aired, how Starz promoted it, and how the writers formatted and wrote the episodes. Just because fans love Outlander does not mean they cannot be critical of the adaptation, and they should be. Unfortunately, the finale, “A Hundred Thousand Angels,” displays an egregious diversion from the source material for no reason other than the writers determined they could. But in the week since it aired, Diana Gabaldon reminded her readers that the book is the book and the show is the show.
The show exists because of the books, and it has stayed pretty faithful to the books with some good changes (Murtagh) and bad changes (ether, Faith). It is showrunner Matthew B. Roberts’ prerogative to drive the show to whatever corners of Gabaldon’s books he would like, along with the producers and writers. Gabaldon is only a consultant on the show, and those behind the adaptation have no legal or creative requirement to stay true to the books.
Several concerns are now up for discussion because of the opening of this can of worms. They cannot undo what they started. The final season, season eight, has already been written and filmed. The final season has only ten episodes, and now, at least one or two will deal with this Faith revelation. We still do not know where the show will end in relation to Gabaldon’s books. If they are venturing into the unreleased, unfinished Book 10 or just making up stories as they go, I have a terrifying feeling that the show will pull a Game of Thrones, ending the show on a horrible note that will make us think that the last season should never have existed. Am I being a bit pessimistic and dramatic? Yes.
Outlander grounds itself in historical reality, granted it involves time travel, which muddies the waters with fantastical elements. The addition of Master Raymond having other-worldly powers and hinting at Claire possessing some powers, too, adds to viewers’ need to suspend belief. What the Faith change does is increase our need to just go along with the show because the math in figuring out how all this works does not add up. While I could list many reasons why this Faith change is just malarkey, many fans and writers have also come up with them, so I will not repeat them here. Any knowledgeable viewer, not even a reader, could be scratching their heads figuring this all out.
This storyline also added a cliffhanger to the finale. However, Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan had stated before it aired in an interview that at the time of shooting the finale, they believed this may be the series finale because Starz had not picked up the show for season eight yet. They must have added the Faith story and possibly reshot scenes because there is no way they would end the series on a cliffhanger.
Season seven has a lot of low and high points. Honestly, if the Faith storyline had not happened, the finale of the Frasers packing up to leave for the Ridge and viewers knowing Brianna and Roger were heading their way would have tied up the finale in a pleasing little bow. Unfortunately, we are left with a minor controversy and cliffhanger with no resolution in the near future, considering we have no idea when season eight will air.
