Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have shared their thoughts after a major Outlander twist has come under fire
Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have come out in defence of one of the most controversial reveals in the show’s history.
While their beloved heroes Claire and Jamie Fraser faced down the American Revolution in the latest instalment of the hit Starz drama, some startling revelations were made about their family.
Earlier in the season, Jamie’s illegitimate son William Ransom (played by Charles Vandervaart) met up with a young sex worker calling herself Arabella, later revealed to be Jane Pocock (Silvia Presente).
Her story came to a tragic end when she killed a British officer to defend her sister, Fanny Pocock (Florrie May Wilkinson), who later sang a recognisable lullaby which immediately caught Claire’s attention.
It was the same exact song she sang to her stillborn baby, Faith, convincing her she somehow survived and gave birth to Jane and Fanny, who would be Claire’s grandchildren.
Despite the jaw-dropping reveal, this storyline has caught flak from fans for being ‘insensitive’ to mothers who have gone through the same ordeal. Moreover, it makes William’s flirtations with Jane particularly unpleasant in retrospect.
However, Balfe and Heughan had high praise for season seven’s closing reveal and what it could mean for Outlander’s eighth and final outing.
“It’s a huge moment for them to find out that their daughter potentially lived, and now they have this grandchild in their life,” Heughan shared to the Hollywood Reporter.
“It’s a great cliffhanger — one that I think book and non-book fans are going to be surprised by. I think it was beautifully done with the song. It’s interesting because even playing [Faith’s death] way back in season two, we played the truth of it; we had no idea ourselves.”
He then admitted: “So it was a shock for us as actors reading it and learning about it, as it was for the characters. I think the thought process for Jamie is, ‘How is it possible?’
“The elation, the happiness that, actually, it could be possible. And then, who is this young girl in front of us right now?”
Balfe was particularly impressed with her young co-star, Wilkinson, who will undoubtedly play a major role in the drama’s remaining episodes.
“I just love it when you are given a scene and you read it, and it’s like, ‘Ooh, that’s really good’,” she recalled. “But in the playing of it, when the hairs on your arms are standing up, it’s pretty brilliant.
“Florrie is so amazing. Every time we have a scene with her, you’re just so blown away by how brilliant she is. It’s such an interesting cliffhanger because it just opens up this whole other world of questions, which leads us so brilliantly into the next season.
“I think for Claire, it’s like her heart stops, her heart breaks and her heart sings — all at the same time.”
Balfe and Heughan confirmed last year that they had finished their scenes for Outlander season eight so, hopefully, fans shouldn’t have too long to wait before the Fraser saga continues.
Will Claire unearth the truth about Faith and Fanny, or will their real identities remain a secret to the end?
Outlander is available to watch on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK and on Starz in the US.
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English (US) ·