‘Inside Outlander’ Aftershow: The Stars Break Down Claire’s Magic Moment, Jamie’s Cunningham Cliffhanger & More (VIDEO)
Outlander‘s final season continues to take viewers on a rollercoaster ride in the latest episode, “Abies Fraseri,” which delivers a major cliffhanger for Jamie (Sam Heughan) and a revelation for Claire (Caitriona Balfe).
In the latest installment of our Inside Outlander aftershow, Heughan, Balfe, Richard Rankin, and executive producers Matthew B. Roberts and Maril Davis are breaking down the biggest moments from the pivotal installment. Fair warning that there are spoilers for the Outlander Season 8 Episode 3 ahead!
As viewers see, life continues at Fraser’s Ridge, but as Jamie attempts to understand the pull that Captain Cunningham (Kieran Bew) has on his community, the episode’s final moments expose the fact that this newcomer has been building a loyalist militia amid Jamie’s recent absence on the Ridge. “Cunningham is a worthy adversary,” Heughan tells TV Insider, “And it’s interesting that the rot or the enemy or the illness comes from the inside the Ridge.”
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“There’s a real power play here,” Heughan teases of what’s to come following the reveal. “When Jamie tries to extend an olive branch or extend a friendship and create the Masonic Lodge, we see Cunningham really try to use people and gain their trust and their support. So yeah, he definitely becomes a worthy adversary.”
The issue mainly stems from the fact that Jamie has an understanding of how the American Revolution will unfold, due to Claire, Brianna (Sophie Skelton), and Roger’s (Rankin) knowledge from the future. “Jamie knows how this ends ultimately,” showrunner Roberts says. “So there’s a guy that comes stepping in, it’s going to put his community on the opposite side of the winning side. So he’s looking at his whole community getting wiped out, and the retribution that could come from that.”
In other words, Robert adds, “Jamie has way more weight on his shoulders than just how it affects him. And I think that’s the bigger thing.” Adding to the pressures of the Fraser family woes is Fanny’s (Florrie May Wilkinson) belief that the Frasers might turn her away when there’s contention with William (Charles Vandervaart), who left her in Jamie and Claire’s care.
Meanwhile, Claire experienced a twist herself while delivering a baby that appeared to be stillborn. Miraculously, she managed to revive the child in a mystical kind of way that is rather inexplicable. Regarding the inclusion of that magic, Balfe tells us, “I was really excited about that part of the show and that part of Claire’s journey.”
As she points out in the series, there was a prophecy that Claire would reach her full powers when her hair turned white, and it seems as though that status has been reached. “It’s the way it transpires. I don’t know that she’s so in control of it,” Balfe continues. “It just sort of happens, but it’s part of this bigger mystery at the center of the show. And… I love the fact that she is part of this powerful lineage.”
See what else the cast and creatives are sharing surrounding Episode 3’s biggest plot points in our full aftershow above, and stay tuned for more from Jamie, Claire, and the Fraser family as Outlander‘s final season unfolds.
Outlander, Season 8, Fridays, 8/7c, Starz
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