Outlander Season 7 Episode 1 Review: A Life Well Lost

Outlander Season 7 Episode 1, “A Life Well Lost,” emerges from Droughtlander swinging — from the gallows, that is!

The Season 7 premiere may be one of Outlander‘s best, if not ambitious, outings. It takes off on a clear trajectory course and with more urgency than its slower, methodical storytelling typically indulges in.

“A Life Well Lost” is a live wire of entertaining character performances as it barrels through the loose ends of Season 6.

Claire Fraser Fan Club

In offering the closure Season 6 could not afford us, Outlander once again puts Claire Fraser at the forefront of its series.

What I love most about Caitriona Balfe slipping back into Claire’s shoes is how dependable she is as the plot’s driving force. Her phenomenal acting chops are the last thing we must worry about as the prison cells give way to a floating boat full of red coats.

And as much as Claire should feel the residual effect of her PTSD, I’m glad Outlander is reintroducing her as the headstrong soldier because that combination of strength, unfiltered intelligence, and vulnerability is unmatched.

This episode is designed to show off Claire’s best tributes as she reckons with her cheeky cellmate, letting her dry wit penetrate the murderess allegations.

Then Claire is asked to roll up her sleeves and put her healer skills to use, and there’s nowhere this character is more in her element than tending to the care of others.

It is a bold move to change the scenery so quickly and whisk Claire away to another location, but it pays off in Outlander‘s favor. It also makes for a rather dramatic entrance as Jamie heroically appears through the harbor fog.

This episode rolls with the punches, allowing Claire’s imprisonment not to confine her to a drab prison cell. Instead, she finds herself on the front lines of a war, her abilities and powerhouse persona on full display as she singlehandedly talks herself out of a murder charge.

When Jamie and Tom come to her aid, it doesn’t feel like a damsel being rescued as much as a relief to see Claire won’t have to carry the bulk of this fight alone. But if she had to, there’s no doubt she would.

It is a comfort to know Claire’s confidence will always be the anchor to steady this ship when things get rocky.

Farewell Tom Christie

Tom Christie, wow! Despite his strict religious regalia and uncomfortable crush on Claire, Christie became a likable, if not a dynamic, presence within the Fraser clan.

He will be missed, his growing warmth towards Claire and her intelligence a wholesome reprieve for the more uncomfortable ridge interactions. Even as a side player in this quest, his cunning plan is not lost in the conflict.

When he reveals he will take the fall for Malva’s murder, the emotion is palpable. Mark Lewis Jones and Balfe pounce on that potential, driving home the bizarre connection these two characters share with a devastating goodbye. 

A round of applause to everyone involved in the execution of this storyline which has had a subtle trajectory since the beginning of Season 6 as it blossomed from an unlikely allyship to a fascinating friendship.

When the moment is right, Outlander cashes in on Christie’s fate, bringing his confession home with one last heartbreaking, character-driven performance.

Christie finds himself falling in love with the woman who stood for everything he should hate, but his confession is purposely made bitter with talk of witches and seduction to push Claire away, and that’s almost worse.

Remember when this show was about how much Claire and Jamie could hurt us? Who does this man think he is, dammit.

A brilliant element of this Tom Christie storyline is the premiere’s opening scene.

Jamie dreams of Claire dying at the gallows as Brown mocks her. That shot surprisingly pays off when Claire sends Christie a coded message, and he doesn’t hesitate to share it with Jamie — showing just how far he has come as a selfless ally to the Frasers.

As Jamie goes after his wife, the camera pans back to Christie, smiling in the spot Brown stands during Claire’s hanging. However, Christie is not mocking Claire’s demise like Brown. It stresses the juxtaposition of the two antagonists. Christie has found his purpose alongside the Frasers rather than against them.

Antagonists Everywhere

Brianna and Roger keep the good times rolling back home, cracking godly puns and perfecting their effortless banter.

However, the reintroduction of Wendigo Donner, our sneaky time traveler, does dampen Roger’s development as he slips back into his insufferable ways. I like a good Bonnet callback, but Roger has no right to use the baby incident to delegate how Brianna should feel about her mother’s rape.

The lackluster impact of their meeting makes this storyline stick out like a sore thumb.

Also, as badass as that delivery is from Sam Heughan when Jamie corners Richard Brown in the safety of his lodging and reveals he will die for his crimes, the plan to conquer the Browns is entirely lost in the conflict of this episode. There is little build-up to this epic moment.

Hints at Jamie’s greater scheme would have taken this storyline to the next level. But that look in his eyes, as he steps toward Brown, will certainly do.

It’s exciting to see this war force Outlander to venture outside the ridge for conflict.

As solid as Season 6 was, it could be suffocating within the confines of Fraser’s compound. By stepping outside the ridge, this show steps outside its comfort zone just in time to welcome its most ambitious conflict since the Battle of Culloden.

With Jamie and Claire reunited and ready to fight, here’s hoping the momentum of this premiere propels the next seven episodes into thrilling chaos.

And given Christie’s confession is left open to interpretation, Claire likely has a killer loose on Fraser’s Ridge to reckon with when she returns.

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Outlander airs Fridays at 8/9c on Starz.

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