Outlander Review: Sticks and Stones (Season 6 Episode 7)

The cliffhanger leading into Outlander Season 6 Episode 7, “Sticks and Stones,” suggests a volatile episode driven by the madness of mob mentality.

But in actuality, the aftermath of Malva’s murder unfolds the way most things on the Ridge do — through tedious gossip.

While this dialogue-heavy episode stays true to the nature of the community that has been its center focus all season, the insanity of Malva’s brutal murder calls for action, and Outlander instead engulfs these strained tensions in sobering inner-struggles.

“Sticks and Stones” toys with the conflict we cannot control. This means mental health struggles for Claire and a churning gossip mill that has reached Jamie’s front doorstep.

The episode’s long winding display of gossiping town folks certainly puts us on edge while making us feel useless to help, just as Jamie loses his authority over his home.

All this talk requires a lesson in discipline with the heart-pounding beats of murder traded in for long lulls. Even though demonstrating how a community turns against good people is imperative to the structure of this episode, it can be dull.

You would think Malva’s death would prompt a deeper look at the Christies as we close in on the finale, but the dysfunctional family stands on the sidelines of their storyline yet again.

This seems like a clear ploy for misdirection going into the finale, with Allan’s motives (and general vibe) left entirely unclear. Tom’s part in this fallout is also unknown, and the tyrant has been a relatively harmless antagonist thus far.

With their involvement only hinted at briefly through clever imagery and Tom’s indifference to his sinful daughter, there’s still so much of these two to reveal. That lack of development could work in Outlander‘s favor or prove a massive misstep.

On the other hand, Lionel Brown is a superb representation of Claire’s internal struggles.

As a physical manifestation of PTSD, he represents the mental health diagnosis Claire’s time had yet to properly humor. We see the doctor admit she is out of her element for the first time, grappling with an inability to treat her illness.

The suggested thread that we are all our worst enemies in place of a clear antagonist is quite poignant, and with a few throwbacks to Outlander‘s greatest villains, it’s practically a home run.

However, this ether storyline has felt polarizing to the rest of the plot, and enduring so much of Lionel works against itself. But his constant presence does allow the arrival of the Browns to be that much more infuriating.

The Unholy Trinity might be the greatest thing Outlander has ever given us!

Lizzy is “live, laugh, loving” her way through life, and if that means falling for identical twins as they apply ointment to her body, then so be it.

I sincerely enjoyed watching Claire and Jamie process the situation. First, there’s the complete confusion from Jamie and the fatherly outrage as he tears apart the Ridge looking for the Beardsleys. Even Claire, a progressive woman of the future, struggles to accept their thropple and that role reversal is so fun.

Lizzie gives off very reckless teenager vibes, talking back, sulking about the house, and running off to have both men handfasted to her. The angry threat Jamie mutters in exasperation when he finds out rounds out this chaotic family dynamic beautifully.

Outlander saved this chaos for a rainy day, and the reveal is more than worth the wait.

Now, the piece de resistance — that Jamie and Claire scene!

This couple has had their fair share of these scenes all season, constantly reminding us how remarkably their relationship has aged and how mesmerizing the chemistry between Heughan and Balfe continues to be.

But there is something about Claire’s confession that hits differently this time. Jamie is so used to giving Claire the space her independence demanded of him all those years ago. So witnessing these two finally close that gap and Jamie telling his wife to let him in if she needs to is brilliantly composed from dialogue to delivery.

Claire is still afraid to have Jamie see her weak, but Jamie admits he survived by letting her into his mind, his heart, and now she must do the same to survive.

This confronting of their time-traveling relationship in all its messy uncertainty is one this series has been building to for years; it acts as an almanac to everything these two have cultivated.

The fact that their dynamic can still shift and grow as they tug at each other with these confessions is a rarity for such an established relationship. We assume their love has limits, yet this heartbreaking confessional proves that Jamie and Claire will never stop surprising us.

Outlander stares down the Season 6 finale with tensions preparing to unravel quickly and violently.

This reserved outing finds its lulls, but it also manages to put the Frasers in a spot to end this season on a high note.

Roger and Brianna have never been stronger together, and they are reaping the benefits of a season catering to their future rather than the strife of their past. Of course, Lizzie is sure to provide us with more of her loveable rom-com too.

So, Outlander may choose neither sticks nor stones, but this installment’s lack of action suggests there is worse than words coming Claire’s way.

Yes, our time-traveling patriarch is facing peril once more, which means it must be time for the season finale.

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Outlander airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.

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