‘Outlander’ Recap: ‘A Life Well Lost’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in Episode 701 of ‘Outlander’ – ‘A Life Well Lost’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Seven Premiere of ‘Outlander’.
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Ask anyone what they would do in the name of love, and they will fire back the same answer, anything. Which we deem to be a beautiful and noble answer. Because any person willing to do that in the name of love has to have a good heart and is willing to make the necessary sacrifices and changes to their life to ensure they have it in their hands and that it is maintained. But while there is a beauty to knowing that any one of us will go the extra mile to do things in the name of love, we shouldn’t always celebrate that answer. Because love… can sadly be a toxic thing and it can drive us to do wild and ugly things in its name and in its honor. If anything, the ups and the downs of love and the wonderful and ugly things it makes us do in its name are top of mind today, because they were put on display in the season seven premiere of Outlander on STARZ. 
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A feat that ‘A Life Well Lost’ accomplished through several key plotlines. One of which, involved Bree and Roger. Who were out in the world doing the Lord’s work when they came across Wendigo Donner. A traveler that was in link with the horrible assault that happened to Claire and well… he asked for help from Roger and absolution of course, and Roger was ready and willing to give it. But Bree pointed out how problematic and disrespectful that would be, considering the hell her mother had been through and how that would hurt her and because of the love that Bree had for Claire, and because of what it meant to feel a sense of justice in a world and time when that wasn’t always possible, Roger abided. Which served as a fine reminder that love and the respect it commands, sometimes requires it to be nourished with acts of respect as Roger performed here. 

Not to mention, there was nobility to be found in Jamie’s journey in this tale as well. Since he stopped at nothing to traverse the wilds to find his love. Who as it turned out, was sitting in a jail cell for a time before being moved to a government boat where she was expected to serve as a healer, until deemed worthy of release. But Jamie wouldn’t stand for that and found a way onto that boat. Wherein he was tasked with finding 200 men for the war that was underway in exchange for his wife’s pardon and freedom. A move that disgusted Jamie to no end, but he stuck with that plan. For if his involvement in the war meant Claire could be free and be at his side, so be it. Which was… noble to say the least. Because it meant that Jamie would compromise his conflicted feelings regarding the war to see Claire safe and see Claire home, and there was a lot to like about that decision and that he truly let nothing stand in his way to see his beloved and hold her and be near her. 

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Mark Lewis Jones as Tom Christie in Episode 701 of ‘Outlander’ – ‘A Life Well Lost’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

But oddly enough, it was Claire’s incarceration that also brought about the exploration of how love can make us do toxic things and push us into situations that perhaps we would never approach otherwise without maddening, sickening and downright intoxicating love in our heart. Because Claire was eventually set free in this story, by the most unlikely of characters… Tom. Who finally came to realize that all his life, he had been searching for something to ignite his soul and give him some sense of purpose in this life… and he came to realize here… he had found that. By way of what was, a pure and powerful love for Claire. One that burned so hot and so bright, that he felt the only way to properly express it, was to confess to Malva’s murder. Thus, making Claire free to return home and thus ending Tom’s life. A move that Jamie and Claire tried to stop, to no avail. For Tom really believed that this was the ending to his story, and that it would be a noble one because it was in the name of love. Which while there are elements of romanticism to that, it is toxic in nature. Because it claimed Tom, consumed him, and drove him to an end… all because he felt love was the only thing, he was worthy of. 
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Yet while Tom’s decision alone could have closed this story out no problem, this premiere wasn’t done with big and surprising moments. Because while Claire was indeed home and with her love, and while there was a touch of justice out there in the world for her… there was still unfinished business from the past that needed to be handled. Specifically… the Browns. For throughout this story, Jamie kept close watch on a horse that seemed a little too familiar, one that moved about the city with purpose it seemed. That was simply because, Richard Brown was in town and well… it was time to settle that score. Which prompted Jamie to quietly dispatch Ian and others… to handle the rest of the Browns while Jamie handled Richard. A moment that came about via chilling confrontation in Brown’s hotel room where he finally realized that Jamie got the better of him and his family and that his time on this earth and in this life… had come to its end. 

Which seemingly brought an end to that longstanding plot thread, in fact… there was a lot of resolution here. Making it clear that loose ends are being wrapped up for bigger concepts and bigger plot points, the kind that will guide us to the end of the line for this grand and sweeping story. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we must celebrate a solid premiere. One that plunged us back into this world perfectly and handled the lingering cliffhanger from season six in a brilliant and crisp manner. Not to mention, this episode also deserves recognition, for not waving away Claire’s horrific assault, via absolution and forgiveness. Because the show has had a controversial past in dealing with such matters… but pointing out the error in just letting it be is a step in the right direction and hopefully that means that a new chapter is on the horizon regarding such matters. In fact, new horizons really did seem to be the overall theme of this premiere and it will be interesting to see what new frontiers await Jamie and Claire, as the war rages on. Until next time.   

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