Outlander Season 7 Episode 15 Review: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood

War in the world of Outlander is inevitable. Yet, how it chooses to handle said war is always fascinating.

Even as Claire fears this one will be different, Outlander Season 7 Episode 15, “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood,” steps onto the battlefield with a seasoned confidence that suggests it knows the score.

The circumstances are shockingly different, and the show faces the bloodshed of a familiar and ferocious beast with fresh fineness.

It can be challenging to portray multiple pivotal battles of history in a series run. As different as they are in some ways, entertainment-wise, war can feel a bit like Groundhog Day.

This episode avoids those pitfalls by centering the lens on the human threads of this fight.

It starts by establishing personal connections between Jamie and the soldiers under his command. Given Jamie’s general status is a big promotion, it is great to see the show explore how his role has changed and how his experience of losing a war has prepared him to win this one.

And it is a pleasure to see Claire slip back on her apron and stand ready to save lives on the front lines. There’s no better version of Claire than this one.

Of course, one man always has to have a problem with her practicing. This time, Claire has an entourage backing her expertise. It is an underrated battle, and what a triumph it is to see her win when Captain Leckie acknowledges Claire’s medical credentials.

A woman doctor on the frontlines of the Revolutionary War, we know that’s right!

Everything about Claire’s arc exemplifies what makes this episode exceptional.

The subtle foreshadowing that this time will be different, followed by the choice to have Claire mortally injured by a gun rather than Jamie, is thrilling — because it is different!

We have seen many versions of this scenario play out, so kudos to Outlander for calling on such a devastating moment from the books to refresh their dynamic and usher in Jamie’s chilling written resignation using his wife’s blood.

What is tantalizing about Claire’s wounding on the battlefield is that it plays on the best parts of Jamie and Claire while breaking our hearts.

Even though he is surrounded by power at his command, Jamie is the damsel in distress, and Claire, despite a fatal wound, is the only one who can save herself. It’s a show of strength that Caitriona Balfe knocks out of the park with a masterclass in acting.

Seeing Claire refuse to take a man’s word that she’s too far gone as she lays in a pool of her own blood is truly a highlight of the season. We have the honor of watching the best parts of her character shine every second of this battlefield sequence.

As lovely as this episode is, it sadly demonstrates a negligence that continues to creep into the show as it approaches its end.

Roger and Brianna’s Rob Cameron side quest has been such a resourceful reprieve from the Revolutionary War that it is shocking to see their storyline be the culprit this time.

When the episode cuts to Brianna back at Lallybroch, fussing with a letter at her father’s desk, it’s jarringly clear Outlander has stumbled.

After all, Episode 14 reveals that Rob Cameron has taken up posts at Lallybroch and Fiona’s place. After fleeing the scene and breaking down on the side of the road, Brianna realizes she can’t go home, but she can go back through the stones.

So how is it that the next time we see her, she is sitting unbothered in her study, penning a note to Roger?

The concept of Roger sending a letter through time and it lying untouched in a drawer that Brianna happens to open at the perfect moment isn’t entirely feasible. Still, it is also not difficult to accept.

This is a show about time travel, after all. We are used to suspending belief.

However, this show does not often make continuity mistakes, and it feels like a rather significant oversight to write Brianna back at Lallybroch after she fled the homestead in the previous episode.

No additional scenes explain how she returned to the house or where Rob’s henchmen went.

Outlander desperately needs access to the study desk and their time travel garb. However, its haste costs this episode integrity.

It’s mostly disheartening because we left Brianna at the height of such a thrilling cat-and-mouse game. It’s disappointing to see the episode skip the good parts to get Brianna through the stones and then not even edit the scenes in a way that makes the send-off work.

Despite that hiccup, this episode is bold, thrilling, and heart-wrenching. This is Outlander at its best.

Balfe delivers one of Claire’s best performances of the series. Sam Heughan taps into fascinating sides of Jamie that exemplify melodrama and emotion in ways early episodes have struggled to lend him.

There’s nothing cringe about this meltdown, even as he screams whorish insults. This is a man driven to a feral fury, and as he dips his hands into Claire’s blood to declare his alliance with her, Outlander wins more than this one battle.

As we enter a finale, we have waited over a year to see come to fruition, Season 7 positions itself to win the war.

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Outlander airs Fridays at 8/9c on STARZ. 

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