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I\u2019ve had incredibly mixed feelings about the final season of Outlander on Starz. It\u2019s crazy to think that this show has been airing for twelve years now (the series premiere dropped on September 20, 2014) for a total of 8 seasons. <\/p>\n
This week\u2019s penultimate episode was quite good<\/a>, finally giving us some closure with Lord John Grey and Jamie and William. Jaime and William largely mended their relationship in the previous episode, but we got this great moment with Jamie riding away and, at the last moment, turning back. This, of course, is a direct parallel to the first time Jamie left William, when the lad was just a boy, and purposefully not turning back.<\/p>\n ForbesWhat To Watch This Weekend: New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And MoreBy Erik Kain<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s all very poetic and beautiful and clearly this will be the last time Jamie ever sees William or Lord John, at least in the show. Which is as sad as it is fitting. (Though judging by the preview for next week\u2019s episode, this might not be the case. It just feels that way).<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Jamie and Lord John finally have the talk they\u2019ve been putting off for apparently two whole years (I wasn\u2019t aware so much time had passed) and Jamie finally, finally sets aside his pride and apologizes. He also explains why he was so offended, and Lord John gets to really tell him what\u2019s what in the process. <\/p>\n Jamie and Lord John<\/p>\n Credit: Starz<\/p>\n When Lord John then begins to roll up his sleeves, Jamie prepares for a beating (which he certainly deserves) only to have Lord John challenge him to a game of chess instead, the game they\u2019ve been playing with one another for decades now. Again, a very poetic and fitting reconciliation. Bittersweet, too, knowing this is likely their last time together. At least they end things on good terms.<\/p>\n Oh, and the scene of Jamie and William coming out of the water in the boathouse was very Rambo, very spec ops and badass. <\/p>\n Recently, I wrote about how Claire was really been given the short end of the stick this season<\/a>. Thankfully, this latest episode gave us a bit more of the show\u2019s protagonist. She finally got out of the house and joined Jamie and William on the Lord John rescue. This led to her having a really terrific scene with the man who kidnapped Lord John, Ezekiel Richardson, and a pretty massive revelation: Richardson isn\u2019t a madman, he\u2019s a time traveler trying to put an end to slavery. He thinks that if he can tilt the war in the Crown\u2019s favor and put a stop to the revolution, that the king will end slavery by royal decree. It\u2019s a sensible enough plan, though his methods leave much to be desired, and he ultimately sways Claire into freeing him.<\/p>\n Then he makes a very poor choice and walks directly out the front door, where three men who have no reason to keep him alive are waiting. Lord John shoots him in the forehead, thus proving Claire\u2019s point that you really can\u2019t change history, only be part of it as it unfolds. <\/p>\n In my piece about Claire<\/a>, I argued that having so many time travelers really makes her less unique as a character, but I actually found this scene quite fascinating and I wish this season was longer so that these stories had a bit more room to breathe (though, again, adding yet more new storylines to the final season isn\u2019t great<\/a>). The rushed feeling this season extends to smaller details. For instance, we never get a conversation between Claire and Jamie about Ezekiel being a time-traveler. We just move on to the next thing, rush toward the end.<\/p>\n What\u2019s Missing From Outlander\u2019s Final Season<\/p>\n