Starz’s Outlander season seven episode 10, which rips your heart out in its final 10 minutes, begins with a touching flashback of Jamie and Ian’s childhood in 1729. As they practice fighting, they’re reminded they’ll never lose if they fight as brothers. Ian’s dad, John (Adam McNamara), tells Ian that he must stand on Jamie’s left to protect his chief’s weaker side and never leave it.
The scene switches to Ian (Steven Cree) laughing about Claire being 207 years older than Jamie (Sam Heughan). Ian’s getting a real kick out of this turn of events, and it’s wonderful to see the friends enjoying what time they have left together. Ian describes his illness as feeling like a knife in his chest, and the slowness of it is driving him crazy. He has a hearty laugh that dissolves into coughing when he thinks about what might be waiting for him in paradise, given the miracle of Claire’s time-traveling.
They reminisce about their lengthy relationship and how they love each other as brothers by choice, not by birth.
Later, Jamie gently places Ian in bed. Jenny (Kristin Atherton) helps and then holds her husband’s hand, aware that it won’t be long before he passes. Jamie holds his other hand, and as Ian is slipping away, he reminds Jamie he’s got his left side. Jamie switches position so that Ian is on his left as his lifelong friend passes away.
Ian’s last word is “Jenny.”
Jamie digs a grave in the family cemetery and assures his sister he’ll stay as long as she needs him. Michael will go with Joan to the convent in Paris, and Jamie will head there first before traveling to Philadelphia. He suggests that Jenny should come with him, but Jenny declines. She may go to America someday, but not today.
Jamie’s certain that Ian is still with them, right beside them where he’s always been.
After “The Skye Boat Song,” the setting switches to Philadelphia. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Young Ian (John Bell) travel by coach, and Ian asks if she thinks his father’s gone. Claire doesn’t know, and Ian wonders about her parents’ death. She explains they died when she was five. Ian regrets not staying with his father, and Claire reminds him Ian wanted him to find Rachel. He’ll tell her all about his dad when he catches up with her at Valley Forge.
Claire warns him to be careful. After all, there’s still a war going on. That’s evident when she notices carriages stopped and searched now that Philadelphia is under British occupation. Claire and Ian are let through because she possesses a letter signed by General Burgoyne guaranteeing them safe passage.
Mercy Woodcock (Gloria Obianyo) greets Claire and ushers her in to see Henry Grey (Harry Jarvis). Claire’s pleased to see Lord John Grey (David Berry), and he’s ecstatic that she made it so quickly. John’s still wearing his uniform even though he resigned his commission. “I do so for intimidation,” he explains. Claire wonders who he could be intimidating, and Mrs. Woodcock says he’s protecting her. Henry was brought to her home before the British took over the city. John believes it’s best that Henry remains there, even after the change in circumstances.
Claire needs to visit the apothecary for vitriol to make ether, but John’s one step ahead of her. He remembered she needed it and already stocked up. John was certain she’d come, even though she never wrote that she was on her way.
Claire examines Henry, and he’s nothing but skin and bones and racked with pain. He was shot twice and has already undergone three surgeries, with one musket ball remaining in his body. Claire surprised Dr. Denzell Hunter performed the most recent surgery; she was unaware he’s in Philadelphia. Lord John says William is staying with Denzell and suggested the doctor try to help Henry.
Claire and Denzell (Joey Phillips) meet, and he describes the operation he performed. He couldn’t find the second musket ball, and Claire confirms he did what he could without opening Henry up. Denzell’s shocked she would even suggest that, and Claire assures him it’s possible with ether. She asks for his help building a still, and Denzell breaks out in a huge smile, happy to be back together. He also thinks Rachel will be happy to see her and Ian.
Speaking of Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small), William impatiently waits as she shops in the market with Rollo at her side. William confesses he doesn’t want to return to Boston and would rather stay here and be of use to General Howell. He’d also rather stay here with her, even though she’s not a loyalist.
Rollo runs off as they’re talking, and Rachel quickly realizes he must have seen Ian! She races after him but loses sight of the dog. Rollo has, in fact, found his Ian, and Ian’s shocked Rachel isn’t around. Unbeknownst to either, Arch Bug (Hugh Ross) is watching their happy reunion.
Mercy administers the ether and watches over Henry’s breathing as Claire makes an incision. Denzell’s overcome with emotion seeing the abdomen open, the patient not reacting, and the organs thriving. Claire feels the musket ball inside Henry’s intestine and believes it was so hot when it entered that it cauterized the entry hole.
Claire cuts out the damaged tissue and stitches up Henry’s intestine and chest. William and Rachel anxiously await news, with Rachel holding onto her faith in Claire’s skills. William assures her they’ll look for Rollo once the operation’s over. She was right that Ian returned, but if Ian had already left for Valley Forge, that means Rollo was chasing something else.
Lord John Grey joins them and reports that Henry survived.
Claire and Mercy step outside, and Claire compliments her work. Mercy admits she had almost lost hope and that she and Henry have grown close. Mercy wonders if Claire knows what happened to her husband, Walter, after Dr. Hunter amputated his leg at Ticonderoga and the fort was evacuated. Claire breaks the news that Walter had a blood clot and that she was with him when he died. “He died thinking of you,” says Claire. Walter also told her he regretted fighting with Mercy before he left home and that he truly loved her.
Rachel’s alone in the stables when Arch Bug grabs her. He’s going to kill her, but not until Ian’s around to see it. He says he’s doing this because Ian killed his wife. At that exact moment, Ian’s trying to find her. Denzell says she’s attending to their horses.
Rachel tries to reason with Arch, but he’s dead set on killing her in front of Ian. He doesn’t care if they hang him afterward. Ian steps into the barn and tells Arch to let Rachel go. Arch refuses and confesses he’s been stalking Ian for a while. Ian rushes Arch and Rachel gets away. Arch slices Ian’s arm with an ax and they fight. Arch gets the upper hand and is about to kill Ian when William fires a fatal shot. He instructs Rachel to take Ian to Claire while he disposes of the body.
Later that evening, Rachel tells Ian she’s figured him out. Arch warned he’d get revenge, and Rachel now knows Ian was afraid she’d die because they love each other. Ian finally tells Rachel he loves her (in English)! With Rollo at his feet, he admits he can never become a Quaker. She understands, and he wonders what will happen next. Rachel says that, like Rollo, Ian is a wolf and a creature of “rare courage and affection, and altogether a worthy being.”
Claire goes shopping for fruits, vegetables, and herbs and when she returns, she’s received a letter from Jamie. She’s with Ian when she reads that his father has passed away. Young Ian knew it was going to happen and says he’s at peace. Jamie’s letter also states that he visited Joan in France and met with friends of Benjamin Franklin. He included a postscript revealing he’s sailing in two weeks. That means he left six weeks ago and could arrive any day now.
Mercy confesses she’s a spy and has been passing letters and information. She tells Claire that the man she gets the letters from has been caught and that she’s in danger now. She has a letter that must be delivered to General Washington, but she was followed today and can’t deliver it. Claire offers to deliver it since they don’t search her when she goes out of town to purchase herbs.
Unfortunately, she’s questioned when she tries to leave but claims she needs arrowroot from the garden to help her patients with diarrhea and explosive bowels. She offers to let the captain of the guards accompany her and he turns her down.
Claire places the letter where Mercy indicated. When she returns home, Lord John Grey is forced to deliver the devastating news that Jamie’s ship, the HMS Euterpe, was lost at sea! The captain of the HMS Roberts claims everyone on board died. Claire insists it wasn’t lost, refusing to believe Jamie is gone. The captain shows her the Euterpe manifest with Jamie’s name in it. Lord John confirms the search for survivors was unsuccessful.
Claire continues to insist they are wrong. “I would feel it in my heart if his had stopped! Do you understand? Mine would stop, too,” says Claire. John believes it’s possible her heart has stopped. (This is one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the entire seven-season run.)
Claire lies in bed, sobbing and remembering their time together. (We’re treated to flashbacks of memorable scenes from throughout the seven seasons.) She refuses to get out of bed, and John knocks on her door, asking her to at least confirm she’s alive. She does and then sends him away.
Captain Richardson arrives at Lord John Grey’s home to inform him he is going to arrest Claire as a spy. He is certain she’s been delivering messages to the rebels, and out of respect for Lord John, he wanted to make sure they weren’t in a relationship. John says Claire’s currently at church in mourning, and Richardson will allow John one day before he takes her in.
Once Richardson’s gone, John rushes upstairs into Claire’s bedroom and tells her she must marry him. It must happen immediately, or else she’ll be arrested and hanged as a spy. Lord John Grey explains he’ll do this as the last service he can render Jamie. The British won’t touch her if she’s his wife. Claire considers just letting them hang her, and he reminds her that she’s putting Ian, Rachel, Denzell, and Mercy’s lives in danger. They will all be suspected of being spies.
Lord John begs her to let him protect her. Episode 10 ends before Claire replies.
Roger and Buck’s Adventures Continue in Scotland, 1739
Roger (Richard Rankin) can’t stop staring at Geillis (Lotte Verbeek) and claims it’s only because she’s younger than he expected for someone so wise in the old ways. Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) is having difficulties breathing, and as she listens to his chest, she wonders if she knows him. (A voiceover reveals Roger’s thinking she should since Buck is her son.) When she steps out to collect herbs, Roger tells Buck that her real name is Gillian Edgars, and he and Bree met her in Inverness in 1968. She’s a time traveler.
Buck recalls that Roger wrote about her believing in blood sacrifice and that she killed her husband before coming to this time period. Roger tells Buck that Gillian killed (or will kill) five husbands, and she’ll try to kill Bree. Buck wonders if Gillian knows Rob Cameron since he’s from her time and town, which stumps Roger. Why would Rob bring Jemmy to this year if the gold won’t even be hidden for another 40 years? Roger believes it’s just a coincidence that Gillian is here, too, but Buck doesn’t.
Geillis returns and tells Roger he looks familiar. She strokes his chest, and Roger reminds her he’s married. When Geillis asks what troubles him, Roger’s inner dialogue notes that she’s his many times great grandmother and a murderess. Out loud, he says Jemmy’s been kidnapped by a man some call a fairy man. Geillis wonders if he believes in fairies, and Roger says he’s looking at one now. He drops Robert Cameron’s name and she doesn’t react. She knows a lot of Camerons but not a Robert.
Roger believes her and tells Buck she’s not part of it. Maybe her only role in their story is to get Buck well. They’re getting ready to leave when Dougal MacKenzie (welcome back, Graham McTavish!) walks in, announcing he has something to show Roger. Dougal is Roger’s sixth great-grandfather and Buck’s father, and Roger thinks, “Oh, Christ!” when Dougal introduces himself.
One of Dougal’s men won something unusual with J.W. MacKenzie engraved on it. No one’s seen anything like it, so it must have come from the fairy man. Roger asks to keep it, although Geillis perks up when it’s called a charm. Roger thanks Geillis for her help, and when Roger says her name, Dougal takes her hand and kisses it. Sparks fly between them as they step out of the room.
Roger and Buck have witnessed the first meeting of Buck’s parents. After they leave the room, Roger confirms the item isn’t a charm; it’s military identification tags given out 200 years from now. They belonged to Roger’s dad who flew for the Royal Air Force and went missing in action in the middle of the war. His dad matches the description of the fairy man wearing a short coat and long trousers. “My god, the fairy man isn’t Rob Cameron. It’s my father!” exclaims Roger.
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- Outlander Season 7 Episode 1 “A Life Well Lost” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 2 “The Happiest Place on Earth” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 3 “Death Be Not Proud” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 4 “A Most Uncomfortable Woman” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 5 “Singapore” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 6 “Where the Waters Meet” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 7 “A Practical Guide for Time-Travelers” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 8 “Turning Points” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 11 “A Hundredweight of Stones” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 12 “Carnal Knowledge” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 13 “Hello, Goodbye” Recap
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- Outlander Season 7 Episode 15 “Written in My Heart’s Own Blood” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 16 “A Hundred Thousand Angels” Recap
