Claire and Jamie were separated again, but it could have been much worse.
Outlander Season 6 Episode 8 isn’t where I would have wanted this season to end, but when you know that you have more time to tell the story, cliffhangers like this one are forgivable.
And then there was that pesky business that kept everyone on their toes for far too long. Whether it worked as a season finale or not is up for debate.
My issue with ‘I Am Not Alone” was that not much happened.
Think of the four main events — the gunfight at the house, Bree and Roger’s journey to Eden, Claire and Jamie’s journey to justice, and sex. None of them really amounted to much.
The fight at the house was expected under the circumstances. Richard Brown was never going to work out as head of the safety committee. The man is just as corrupt as his brother but with a slicker veneer to cover it up.
He’s the kind of man who would have killed Malva just to throw Claire under the bus.
He’s vengeful and self-righteous, and that’s a dangerous combination.
It’s too bad that Tom Christie allowed himself to be taken with the man. But kudos to Tom for agreeing to travel with Jamie and Claire for their safety.
If Tom truly is following God’s commandments, then what he witnessed along the journey puts some serious doubt into his head about Brown.
And since he left Claire with words about the righteous winning if they trust in God sure made it seem like he believed that if Claire is guilt-free, she will be found innocent.
Jamie and Claire took strange comfort in knowing they die in a house fire in the future, even if that future isn’t far off.
They talked at length about how lucky they’ve been many times over, so close to death that anyone else would have met their maker.
I never thought hearing a litany of your near-death experiences would bring me so much peace. Or maybe it’s just the nearness of you.
Claire
Of course, there is going to come a time when they run out of lives. No matter how many times the cat walked into the scene or we heard it meow, they are not cats and life is precious and finite.
If this wasn’t a series of romance books, their ending would have come long ago. Or at least they’d have aged appropriately!
Acknowledging it gives it some weight, though. They aren’t taking life for granted even if they do hold out a little hope that nothing will happen to them until their house fire.
Goodness knows they’ll be put through the wringer many times over until their deaths. Sometimes, they have to wonder if it’s all worth it, especially with the people turning on them, spitting, and throwing rocks.
Everything they’ve worked so hard to accomplish is going up in smoke well before their house does, taking them with it.
And it’s not like they’re entirely alone no matter how hard Brown tried to get them that way.
The people who love and trust them were calling in reinforcements.
Their initial attempt at the house was for naught. Jamie was right. To have escalated things would have resulted in too much carnage.
But when Brown aggravated an already volatile situation, there wasn’t any reason not to accept help a second time around.
When Jamie and Ian delivered weapons to the Cherokee on Outlander Season 6 Episode 4, Chief Twiskwa said he’d fight for Jamie.
The Chief got the opportunity to be good to his word.
Who doesn’t hate stories when people don’t fight fair? That’s one of the worst measures of a human, and everyone Brown gathered for his purposes was at the bottom of the trash heap.
Separating Jamie and Claire after their agreement was foul play. Sending Jamie off on a ship bound for Scotland was on a whole other level.
The sound of the first arrow hitting its target was like music to our ears.
Hearing the rallying cry that followed was even better.
Overall, Outlander goes more graphic for sex than violence, so when we get a shot like the one Chief Kwiskwa used to take down the last man standing, it felt good to see it hit its mark.
I told you I would fight for you, Bear Killer.
Chief Twiskwa
If there was ever a question about how right it was to offer those weapons to the Cherokee, they’re history now.
It would have quenched my thirst for blood if they’d been able to ride to Wilmington and take down Brown and his minions, but we’ll have to wait for another season to see it — if we get to see it at all.
As for Bree and Roger, their trip was the antithesis of what Jamie and Claire were experiencing. They had time as a family to discuss how to share things with Jemmy, such as how they know about the future and about the impending war.
If Claire never thought she’d appreciate recounting all the times Jamie almost died, I bet Roger never imagined Jemmy’s paternity would be confirmed due to a case of head lice.
I do believe I’ve picked up a few lice myself. Like father, like son, eh?
Roger
Who ever said that nothing good could come of head lice?
I did wonder why the lice didn’t infect Roger, his beard, or Bree, but the reality was that from a story standpoint, it was better to show solidarity to the son he loved than to lose it another way.
After you watch Outlander online, please drop below and share your thoughts on the finale.
Was it enough to get you through the next Droughtlander? What a silly question. Of course not!
Until next season, my friends.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.
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