Outlander concluded it’s third season this week and let’s just say it was the farthest thing from smooth sailing. The series delivers a monumental season finale as Claire and Jamie rush to save Young Ian from Geillis Duncan in Jamaica. While Jamie and Claire have been in perilous situations before, this is entirely different. Outlander delivers a jam-packed season finale with “Eye of the Storm.”
The season 3 finale picks up right where the last episode left off. With Jamie being taken prisoner, Claire rushes to find Young Ian at Geillis’s house. As Claire looks through the slaves quarters she’s taken and delivered right to Geillis, who just finished grilling Young Ian about what Claire really wants. Geillis is convinced that Claire has come to Jamaica because of the prophecy, whereas Claire has no idea what the heck she’s talking about.
Geillis explains that she’s trying to make sure a Scott sits on the throne and the prophecy dictates that a “200 year old baby’s death” will deliver that. As Geillis screams that Claire has been planning this for the last 20 years, Claire assures Geillis it’s impossible because she returned to the future before Culloden.
Claire shows Geillis the photos of Brianna so she believes her and of course, Geillis remembers Brianna from the university and the night she went through the stones. She believes Claire, but now believes that Brianna is the key and she must die. She steals a photo of Brianna, takes Young Ian and heads to a set of stones that are similar to Craigh Na Dun.
Meanwhile, Jamie is hand delivered to Lord John Grey by Captain Leonard. Little does Leonard know that Lord John and Jamie know each other. Once again, John saves Jamie by pressing Captain Leonard for a warrant and any proof that Jamie needs to be delivered back to England and arrested. So once again, Lord John Grey saves our favorite Scott and we are forever in his debt.
Jamie finds Claire and they race to find Young Ian. They stumble upon a ritual taking place where Mr. Willoughby and Margaret are. Mr. Willoughby announces that he wants to be with Margaret and they will be heading to a new place together. Of course Margaret’s brother, Archibald does not approve and he fight with Willoughby. Eventually, after striking Margaret, Willoughby kills Archibald, which in tern leads to the ritual to only get more heated and bizarre as they beat his dead body.
Meanwhile, Claire and Jamie race to the stones. They refuses to lose Brianna like they lost Faith. They find Geillis getting ready to perform the ritual and kill Young Ian as her sacrifice. Jamie fights with Geillis’s man while Claire tries to convince Geillis to not kill Young Ian and to not go through the stones and kill Brianna.
Once again, Claire makes the ultimate sacrifice for her family and her children. She slices Geillis right in the throat killing her instantly. Young Ian is saved and everything is great, or so we think. As they exit the cave, a visibly shaken Claire thinks back at the body Joe Abernathy showed her back in Boston. The bones of a white female found in a cave in Jamaica with her head almost cleanly taken off. Now we know it’s Geillis and that Claire is the one who killed her.
Afterwards, Jamie takes a moment to hug Young Ian and Claire closely. A well-deserved moment of pause after a journey that has been anything but easy. Of course this is Outlander and there’s no time to waste. Before we know it they are back on the Artemis heading home. Even in the finale, Outlander finds time for one of the sexiest sex scenes between Jamie and Claire. Like, wow! We are still not over it. It was sensual, sexy, and just made us love our OTP even more.
Of course, this isn’t the end of Outlander‘s finale. A massive storm is brewing and the Artemis is headed straight for it. As The Artemis hits the eye of the storm it’s bad and it doesn’t look like it’s getting better. With Fergus, Marsali, Young Ian, and Claire below deck, Jamie helps the crew above. But, Claire can’t sit by while crew members are getting injured above.
Claire ventures above deck just as the worst of the storm hits. With the masts breaking and crew members getting swept out to sea, Jamie warns Claire to go back below. There’s nothing more they can do to save the Artemis. As Claire and Jamie brace for impact, Claire is swept away by the ocean, drowning… dying. It’s a poetic scene ripped straight from the pages of Diana Gabaldon’s novel and is beautifully portrayed on screen.
Jamie dives underwater to save Claire. In a heartbreaking moment, Jamie brings Claire above the water. He pleads with her to live in a moment that is some of Sam Heughan’s best acting all season. While Jamie floats with Claire, who he believes might be dead, they eventually wash-up on an unknown shore.
Jamie pleads with Claire to live. Claire eventually comes to and says she promised him she would never leave him again. As they embrace, a family comes to their aid and says that there are survivors from the Artemis and they have been ship wrecked and are being treated. Claire and Jamie embrace and that’s not even the most emotional part. The family informs them that they have washed up in Georgia. That’s right, our favorite Scottish drama has landed in the United States.
As we pry ourselves from the edge of our seats, Outlander comes to a monumental close. Season 3 was bigger, bolder, and cemented Outlander‘s status as one of the best dramas currently on television. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe bring their a-game in a season filled with uncharted territory for both the actors and characters. Now, as Droughtlander, sets in, we already want to season 4!!
