Outlander Season 7 Episode 3 Review: Death Be Not Proud

Outlander Season 7 Episode 3, “Death Be Not Proud,” douses the firey start to this season with a subdued installment.

Propelled forward by simmering ridge relations, the slower gambit pays off in crucial ways as it navigates two timeframes and a betrayal three seasons in the making.

Outlander continues to walk the path of least resistance by shaking off the dead weight storylines lingering from Season 6 and jumping headfirst into an invent new adventure. The show is returning to its roots, but everything about this Scottish homecoming feels new and shiny.

An Explosive Rebirth

The opening sequence of “Death Be Not Proud,” is easily the best episode introduction this season.

It throws the audience directly into the chaos of the fire that has overtaken Claire and Jamie’s house. This is where scenes with the ridge’s larger ensemble of background actors pay off because their collective effort to help subdue the fire elevates the scene’s emotions.

There is also something haunting about seeing this set piece lit ablaze that has been a focal point of the show’s North American set for several seasons.

With little dialogue, the cast conveys the mixture of grief, hope, and panic swelling as the fire grows, and it is a powerful moment when Jamie calls out the order to stop as his house begins to cave in on itself.

That inferno that consumes our thoughts for the first few beats of the episode is doused quickly by a silent grief as Claire and Jamie walk the remains of their first home.

That is where this episode truly astounds. This concept doesn’t rely on a ton of dialogue or flashy fallout to convey the aftermath of the house fire. Instead, the installment leans on the imagery of the couple’s belongings to drive home the emotions they are processing.

For that, the sets and costumes are the real MVPs of this episode because they draw attention to the materialistic loss.

If there is one actor whose performance breaks our hearts nearly as much as the charred remains of Claire and Jamie’s belongings, it is Young Ian. John Bell reduces Ian to a scared boy with devastating ease as he grapples with his deadly miscalculation. The more Ian spirals in his grief, the richer the performance becomes.

This Scotland homecoming comes at the perfect time as it serves to crack open his sorrow in ways we surely are not prepared for.

The Bugs

Speaking of Outlander‘s effective use of background characters, you do not get a much better utilization of long-term storytelling than the Bugs.

Mr. and Mrs. Bug have been on the Frasers’ payroll for three seasons, their characters established as crucial background players who keep the homestead in working order. They are the characters to be seen, not heard, which makes them an excellent choice for a reveal like this.

As the audience, we become accustomed to their presence. Even with the knowledge of the books to tip us off, you can appreciate the sudden shift in dynamics as the Bugs are forced into the foreground of the series.

Their thievery is a clever reminder to the Frasers that enemies are closer than their think and on the cusp of a war in their backyard; that timing is excellent.

As far as bringing that blindside to life, Outlander does an excellent job of ensuring the three years spent keeping these two characters off our radar pays off.

That said, it could have prepared more lead-up to the Bug-centric episode to avoid such an abrupt entrance.

In one episode, the Bugs go from a silent presence to ghosts in the wind. Slipping clues into the story early on gives viewers a more enticing trail to follow into this reveal.

We witness how effective small nods can be when Murdina Bug offers to keep Allen’s murder a secret. When she suffers a similar fate, it is her act of kindness that Ian agonizes over, and that allows poignancy to fester around her death.

Several more nods like this to the quiet couple would have helped drive home the impact of their story — if not, build on the groundwork Outlander established all those years ago.

Letters to the Future

There were many ways Outlander could have navigated the need to juggle two timeframes, but few work as well as the letters.

By having the events of Claire and Jamie’s time come to life as Brianna reads their letters, the series can take liberties with its pacing and jump ahead months at a time. It allows this show to reinvent itself with a new form of narration and subsequential storytelling.

These letters and timeframes also prompt the series to make room for time travel once again. This time, however, the spark of intrigue is bright, with Jamie revealing his ability to see across time is a real development that will influence this plot.

But ultimately, the letters give us an excuse to return to Scotland with Claire and Jamie, a concept that quickens the heartbeat of all Outlander fans.

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Outlander airs Fridays at 8/9c on Starz.

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