Want a minute-by-minute recap of the Outlander Season 3 finale episode? We detail all the magic from the “Eye of the Storm.”
Do you find yourself gabbing obsessively about Outlander to your friends and family? Wishing your Sunday nights included a living room full of people with whom to watch, discuss, comment, cheers, jeers and well, experience alllllll the feels? Dinna fash, Obsessenach—you are not alone.
Good news—we can get new family and friends pour ourselves a dram and, through the magic of technology, enjoy it together! As we brought to you during Season 2, we’ll be LIVE blogging all the episodes in Season 3. Like the Outlander Cast podcast, it will be SPOILER FREE for non-book readers.
Not into distractions during your visit to the World of Outlander? That’s okay! Our LIVE blogs double as episodic recaps to serve as a trusty viewing companion on your second, third and umpteenth re-watches (hey, we get it).
So get all your post-18th Century gadgets ready and settle in, because the best things in life should be shared with a buddy. Hi, buddy.
Now let the show begin…
[8:01 p.m.] The finale? Really. How did we get here already?! Why does real-life time drag, but 13 episodes of Outlander felt like a quickie?[8:02 p.m.] Since we’ll soon enter an enormously long dry spell of sorts, we both appreciate this final gift of strong sexual content. Thank you, Matt and Toni.
[8:03 p.m.] This box once contained three sapphires… and the penises of three virile young men.
[8:04 p.m.] Any episode that kicks in with the “Faith” track and an “I was dead” is bound to be an emotional doozy. Someone go ahead and hold me, please.
[8:05 p.m.] I thought I had cried all my tears for this season, but that image of Claire sinking got me.
[8:06 p.m.] Claire got herself a ticket on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride toward the House of Horrors Whooooores. Actually, whore. Just one.
[8:07 p.m.] Frasers 2.0 are on the case. Fergus, you’ve basically just married blond Claire so when Marsali says she’s coming with you, don’t argue.
[8:08 p.m.] He’s not answering because you’re not saying YOUNG IAN. He’s genuinely confused. Also, Claire is a lot of things, but stealthy is not one of them.
[8:09 p.m.] The return of the billboard forehead. Are we sure she’s not kin to Jenny Murray? Also, Ian definitely has his momma’s lack of verbal filter. Give her hell, Young Ian!
[8:10 p.m.] “Ye’re welcome anytime. We’re friends.” That’s what we’d call an invite on a string. The words were there, but Geillis’ hospitality behind it was about as thinly veiled as that yellowing hair of hers.
[8:11 p.m.] Someone’s accused Jamie of murder. Anyone have a count of how many times that’s happened?
[8:12 p.m.] Lord John Grey’s familiarity with the intricacies of bureaucracy makes my administrator heart feel all warm and fuzzy. He can sign your paperwork today, or he can sign it three months from now. It all depends on how he’s feeling at this moment.
[8:13 p.m.] I thought all debts had been paid in episode 3, but it feels like with LJG’s intervention we might have one more before this season ends. Let’s hope this nets out better than the last time a British officer pardoned James Fraser from the executioner’s block and into their charge instead (*cough BJR cough*)
[8:14 p.m.] Blah, blah, blah, rules, borders, authority…look into my gorgeous blue eyes and then bugger off back to your ship.
[8:15 p.m.] LJG’s looking at Jamie all, I think we’re alone nowwww, there doesn’t seem to be anyone arounnnnnd.
[8:16 p.m.] This tiki-lit veranda feels better suited for a rum runner or mojito, Claire. Let us put this more directly, PUT DOWN THE GEILLIS TEA, girl. You’re not that thirsty.
[8:17 p.m.] Do you think Claire gets tired of being reminded about all the bonds that she and Jamie can’t share? (Side note: Nikki, did Geillis just say Claire knows full well about the brassiere? She must have heard about the legend that is the bat suit.)
[8:18 p.m.] I haven’t even been in this time for the last 20 years ago. I feel ya, Claire. This is our new favorite Outlander go-to phrase at work. Think of the looks that you’ll get from your boss when you tell her why you couldn’t meet that deadline.
[8:19 p.m.] Oh my god, she must have drunk the Geillis tea because girl’s opening up the vault and spilling allll the goods. Claire, THIS IS NO TIME FOR SHOW AND TELL.
[8:20 p.m.] Geilis is doing the math in her head. If there are two things that don’t mix well, it’s batshit crazy and math. This can lead nowhere good.
[8:21 p.m.] “I shall retire now.” Either all that talk of time travel and her dead husband’s lovely cock have left her weary, or she’s just given us our new classy gal exit from all lengthy conference calls.
[8:22 p.m.] These Frasers are becoming such seasoned pros at this whole parted-periled-reunited thing that they just managed to sum up 3 episodes in 7 seconds flat.
[8:23 p.m.] That way, towards the drumming. It sounds like they’re headed to a luau. Mmm…pig on a spit…mmm drinks in a coconut shell.
[8:24 p.m.] Jamie and Claire hiding in the bushes watching the dancers with torches reminds me of Frank and Claire hiding…oh wait…I guess that was intentional.
Side note: This scene is stunning. We see two different cultures, oceans apart engaged in a spiritual ceremony that shares more likenesses than differences. Bear McCreary’s music weaves them both together beautifully; bonus points for amazing writing and musical composition.
[8:25 p.m.] Willoughby finally gets his happily ever after and Jamie can’t fit in a little “good on ye” or congrats to toss his way? Poor form, Fraser. And as for Margaret, when you find someone who not only sees your particular brand of crazy, but loves you for it and suggests that you live out your days in Martinique, you know that you can finally stop the dating game. Margaret Campbell is officially off the market, boys!
[8:26 p.m.] I think I prefer Yi Tien Cho’s zen-like method of artistic seeing with nice drawings and calm tones to Margaret’s crazy-eye, toothy muttering. That pointer finger and Dora the Explorer like blink, though.
[8:27 p.m.] This is starting to feel like an episode of Scooby Doo. I’m just waiting for the farmer to rip off his mask and say he would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids and your dog.
[8:28 p.m.] When your party ends with a murder and the sacrifice of a chicken you may be at the wrong party, or not. Hey, I’m not judging.
[8:29 p.m.] Please god, help us Abandon-a-way out of this scene. Swiftly.
[8:30 p.m.] If James Earl Jones comes walking out of the cornfield muttering about how if the Frasers build it, people will come, I’m out.
[8:31 p.m.] Of all the voice options available on GPS, never choose the Outlander theme. With directions like “that way toward the drums”, “that way, it’s a bad place” and “I hear the humming” you’ll probably reach a final destination but it might be truly final if you catch my drift.
[8:32 p.m.] “We lost Faith. We will not lose Brianna.” I love the look that Frasers 1.0 give each other when they’ve made up their mind to do something. I would not want to be the person standing between a determined James and Claire Fraser.
[8:33 p.m.] If Geillis mutters one more breathy threat about Hercules, I’m going to need her to issue a command to “bring out The Gimp.”
[8:34 p.m.] Every time Jamie has to battle a body guard twice his size, I think of Andre the Giant trying to strangle Wesley in The Princess Bride.
[8:35 p.m.] Well, it wouldn’t be the end of an Outlander season without a severed body part.
[8:36 p.m.] “There’s no reason to be afraid, lad.” Jamie’s killed so many out of necessity, he’s likely unfamiliar with the clinical shock others might experience from having to do the same. But I’m willing to bank money that a strong Fraser hug is a start in the way of an antidote.
[8:37 p.m.] This moment of tenderness between two people who Jamie love more than himself. Yes, hold them both Jamie. Hold them both.
[8:38 p.m.] Maybe it’s because she’s been wearing a bat suit all season but Claire’s reminding me a lot of Cat Girl lounging in the window.
[8:40 p.m.] Real-time whispering from the corner…
Nikki to Ashley: Are we supposed to be typing something here?
Ashley to Nikki: Maybe? But I can’t look away.
…
Ashley to Nikki: Curious though, is it okay if I make squeaking noises?
Nikki to Ashley: Depends. Dog toy squeaking or Claire squeaking?
[8:41 p.m.] If you’re going to fondle my buttocks be sure that you do so properly. Please?
[8:42 p.m.] I think I might need to watch this sequence a couple more times—just to make sure I didn’t miss a James Fraser step. I do love a good bulleted step-by-step outline for easy compliance.
[8:44 p.m.] My god, he loved her into a completely different weather pattern. Now THAT’S impressive.
[8:45 p.m.] That damn oath. Again. I’m having a hard time understanding what kind of surgery might be required on deck in those conditions. But I do hear saline is a good sterilizing agent.
[8:47 p.m.] We’re losing her. While there have been a few moments of exaggeration this season, this is not one of them.
[8:48 p.m.] I saw The Perfect Storm and this did not end well for George Clooney, Marky Mark and the Gloucester bunch. Please let this go better for our Scottish friends. But kudos—again—to the CGI and SFX team for pulling this off so realistically.
[8:49 p.m.] It took this long, but we finally found a look that’s not the best for Claire. Please don’t let it last long. Incredibly unsettling, all of this. And here it comes again…the Faith music…the tears… Can you hear us allll the way in Providence, Rhode Island, sitting in a corner and sobbing?
[8:50 p.m.] They’ve always breathed life into each other and now, most literally. Thank you, Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, for all that wrinkled and waterlogged time you spent in that tank making this memorable scene come to life.
[8:51 p.m.] How very Titanic. It’s so cold, Sassenach. So cold. At least Jamie made room on the damn “headboard” for her.
[8:52 p.m.] And since we haven’t had any Hamilton references and we’re into the 1760s, I’d just like to say that “in the eye of a hurricane there is quiet…for a moment…a yellow sky…”
[8:53 p.m.] That looks like an Atlantic beach if I’ve ever seen one… and I’ve seen a lot of them.
[8:54 p.m.] Jamie grieved Claire’s absence for 20 years never knowing her fate and it’s heartbreaking to see him face-to-face with her in a moment when he believes that she is truly gone.
[8:55 p.m.] Of all the looks these two have ever donned, this one of them on the beach staring into each other’s eyes with sheer relief and complete love might be their best look yet.
[8:56 p.m.] Georgia! My people! Bless your hearts, Frasers—you’re gonna be just fine. I see a good cream of mushroom casserole headed your way and some good conversation on a sturdy porch.
[8:57 p.m.] The look of hope in their faces when they realize what a Georgia landfall means to them and their lives. Chills!
[8:58 p.m.] Ashley’s people are known for their hospitality, so why are these folks just walking back home to let these poor beached humans fend for themselves? Maybe they’re going to get the casseroles?
[8:59 p.m.] They’re moving to Dawson’s Creek? But seriously, that drum and fife! We’re headed for a whole new world, Obsessenachs, and we cannae wait! … well I suppose we can because of that whole Droughtlander thing.
Ashley’s Closing Thoughts:
Dear Outlander, I’m sorry I ever doubted you and your ability to pull off the finale of this epic voyage, dense book and so many dangling plot points in less than 60 minutes. What a ride! This is why you do you and all that showstopping production magic you do and I do me and all that… wait, what is it I bring to the table? I digress.
As it turns out, it was us on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride—one brimming with emotions I didn’t even know were churning around in there. Uncertainty, despair, well-placed laughter, anxiety, swooning, relief, hope, uncertainty and anxiety again, lust, lust some more, a little more lust, oh hey there’s anxiety again, relief, love, hope, anticipation. They were ALL there, and then some. And all scored to more gorgeous Bear McCreary music. Just rinse and repeat. Watch and re-watch.
Thank you, Matt Roberts and Toni Graphia, for re-taking the helm and playing a little game of “I’m the Captain now” right when it counted the most. You outdid yourselves. While I’m not ready to say goodbye to Outlander—is anyone, ever?—what a completely satisfying end to a season that, while it had its ups and downs (though the ups far outweighed the downs, and what TV show doesn’t have both?), you’ve left me 50 shades of giddy to head to the Colonies come fall 2018 (fingers crossed).
And thank you to you, dear readers, for your generous patronage of our humble little spot in this great big Outlander interwebs world. This season brought me great joy as a viewer, and as an Outlander Cast blogger—between Janet and I working the red carpet of the Entertainment Weekly premiere event with Sam and Caitriona to being able to watch 3 episodes in the company of my fellow Outlander Cast pals and meeting many of our Outlander Cast Clan Gathering members, and more. And all of that was possible largely in part to you and your readership of my oft-twisted ramblings.
But don’t go away now. Because while Outlander goes dark, we at Outlander Cast will be sure to keep the lights on for you throughout the dreary days of Outlander.
Nikki’s Closing Thoughts:
I thought I had shed all my tears for this season, but I was so wrong. From the opening sequence scored to Faith’s theme to the final sweeping shots of the Georgia coast scored to a revolutionary war march, I found myself alternately sobbing, gasping for breath, and then sobbing again. The dialogue, the score, and the return of the many looks of love shared between the Frasers were so fabulous that I still have goosebumps. I promise I’ll seek medical attention if they persist for more than four hours. It could just be the magical atmosphere of the room where I watched or the warm, fuzzy feelings I got with those final Jamie and Claire embraces on the beach but, at this moment, this is my favorite episode of the season. I had so many worries about how the writers would tie up all the loose ends in 57 minutes and, to be honest, I was still a little angry at them for unnecessarily separating Jamie and Claire last week. Tony Graphia and Matthew Roberts not only tied up those ends but they gave us a few bonus moments with Lord John Grey. It’s all I could have asked for and more.
This was the first season that I’ve watched week-to-week and it’s also my first season with Outlander Cast. In that time, I’ve made many new Outlander friends. Writing for the blog has brought me a great deal of joy and drawn me closer to the amazing podcast and blog staff. It’s sad to close out this season but it somehow feels appropriate to do so surrounded by the people who love this thing as much as I do. So, thank you Sam, Caitriona, Tony, Matt, Ron, and all of the amazing cast and crew for bringing this amazing adventure to the screen. You done good, folks. On to Season 4, the colonies, and more Fraser love. Sláinte!
If you’ve missed any of our episode recaps, you can catch up with them here:
Episode 3.01: “The Battle Joined”
Episode 3.02: “Surrender”
Episode 3.03: “All Debts Paid”
Episode 3.04: “Of Lost Things”
Episode 3.05: “Freedom & Whisky”
Episode 3.06: “A. Malcolm”
Episode 3.07: “Crème De Menthe”
Episode 3.08: “First Wife”
Episode 3.09: “The Doldrums”
Episode 3.10: “Heaven and Earth”
Episode 3.11: “Uncharted”
Episode 12: “The Bakra”
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