Outlander Season 7 review: Bordering on Repetitive
By Sioph LealThe long awaited return of Outlander picks off where season six left off. As the penultimate season begins, fans will see that Claire is facing the consequences of a false allegation of killing Malva while Jamie does all that he can to save his wife. Based on the seventh novel in the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone, the Frasers are dealing with the difficulties of life in colonial America and fighting to save those they love. The first four episodes deal with what Pandemic cut from the previous season, and these episodes include the rest of Breaths of Snow and Ash and the beginning of the book Echoes in Bone, on which the series is based.It does make for rocky start but picks up when the last season is resolved.
Outlander season seven lacks significant stakes or any adventure. There are conflicts that arise, but as soon as they are discovered, they are resolved or not acted upon by the characters. It can come off very rushed, not allowing the conflicts to have their time and quickly resolving them which is a shame given the impact that exploration would have on the characters.
Following the events of the previous season, Claire (Caitrona Balfe) is accused of killing Malva Christie (Jessica Reynolds) and her unborn child, despite the fact that she did not. She appears to be saved from being hanged when she is moved to a prison alongside other women who are all charged with different crimes, and she is once more saved when officials arrive looking for a healer and inquire about her crime. Another prisoner stands up for Claire, lies, and accuses her of fraud, and then Claire is hurried away to assist a pregnant woman. Two separate characters come forward to confess to the murder, one to save Claire from her fate, but only one person was involved. Each gives reasons that make sense to the story but with only one telling the truth, the liar confesses they risked their life to save Claire by falsely confessing to the murder. Why? They are in love with Claire. Although a plot point in the books, it comes off as rushed and lazy on the screen with no build up and seems to be a quick fix to save Claire’s life and conclude the sad story of Malva.
Despite the character's demise, there is a rape flashback shown of Malva while being told what happened to her. Fans have strongly criticised the show for its fixation with rape. It's extremely startling to show that, and it seems unneeded. Even though it is only a brief moment, it is not handled with the complexity and care that they did in some of the earlier seasons. Also, since rape is now a common plot device, it was superfluous to portray that sequence this season. It is a lesson from past seasons that Outlander has not learned from.
The second episode is where the season finally starts to pick up and is strong enough to be, as we can guess, the previous season's intended final episode. New life is brought into the series, which changes the direction for each of the characters, and we get to see some familiar faces return. From there, the season picks up, but it follows the familiar pattern that we have seen in previous seasons. The second episode feels like a long awaited goodbye, with a dramatic ending that feels a little misplaced in the placement of the series.
Outlander knows what it is, and so do its fans. It is a slow series mainly focused on the relationships rather than the plot, and that is not a bad thing. The relationships between each character save the series from becoming stagnant and tired. One of the more interesting bonds is seen between Jamie’s secret son, William (Charles Vandervaart) and Young Ian (John Bell), who have an instant bond and easy friendship chemistry that takes center stage in episode four. Bringing in William adds a new complexity to the show. For the majority of the series, the redcoats have been the villains. Now, Jamie’s own blood is on England’s side, fighting on the losing side of the historic war. William’s character is a breath of fresh air to the show, and without his arc, the show could quickly fall into a repetitive show.
While the first four episodes are slow, they leave a promise for more action in upcoming episodes. Allowing this time to build will likely prove well for the season after many were left dissatisfied with season six. The start of the season is slow, repetitive and solves conflict or action faster than they are created but it seems to do that to get to the next part of the story, rushing through to make up for what was lost. Some plots rush forward and many of the obstacles faced can be explained away by people loving Claire suddenly. It could work but it does come off as rushed in an otherwise okay start to the season.
The first four episodes of Outlander were screened for review.