Outlander 6×07 “Stick and Stones,” the penultimate episode of the season, is the episode I’d been dreading, particularly after the cliffhanger we left off at the end of episode 6. It is, however, not what I expected, in a good way. Sure, the show cannot escape the logical progression of some storylines, but the way the show handles it, and what the progression of those storylines reveals about the characters is handled about as well as it’s possible to.
Plus, Jamie and Claire. When other things in this show haven’t worked, Jamie and Claire have, and when everything else is clicking, they still very much do. They are the reason we started watching, the reason we’ve been here for eight years, and the reason we stay. Their love story. Their journey. And yes, their family.
So, here are some teases about Outlander 6×07 “Sticks and Stones”:
- Jamie Fraser is a very attractive man. Jamie Fraser is, somehow, even more attractive when he’s standing up for his wife.
- Caitriona Balfe carries this episode with the kind of performance that should not be surprising, she’s given plenty of such performances before, but that is still illuminating because, in this case she isn’t hitting the same beats. This is a different, vulnerable, relatable, and yes, a little broken version of Claire. And we love her.
- The relationship between Jamie and Claire takes center stage in this hour, and it is incredibly rewarding to see.
- We know their love is the basis for everything. They know their love is the basis for everything. And since we know and they know, the show doesn’t always have to prove it. They do this hour.
- Roger and Brianna have gotten some really great moments this season, and this hour gives them another moment of understanding, laughter and happiness.
- As good as the ships are in this episode, the Jamie and Roger moments feel almost as important, particularly because the show hasn’t given us as many of them before.
- Roger, in particular, has found his footing in the world of Outlander, and I can only hope the show doesn’t regress with his character. They’ve found a place for him, a role that works, dynamics that feel real and emotional. All he needs is more of that, and some screen time.
- Look, the women of Outlander are just smarter than the men, okay? Okay.
- Outlander can be super modern in some things, and super backwards in others. In this case, however, I guess the time period does explain a lot of it.
- But why end in a way that will let us sleep at night when we can end on a cliffhanger, right? Right?
Outlander airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz and is available to stream on Starz on Sundays.
