"Outlander" fans have been eagerly awaiting Season 3 which premiered on Starz September 10, 2017. Finally, the droughtlander was over but it was only the beginning of a whole new set of feelings fans would be left processing.
Season 2 finished with Jamie rushing back to the Battle of Culloden after watching Claire disappear through the stones at Craig Na Dun. Now, if you've read "Voyager" you know what happens next, but for those who aren't willing to take on the 700+ page novel you were most likely in for a moment in tv history that would leave you heartbroken, shocked and left truly speechless.
Episode 1 of Season 3 left viewers stunned by the imagery and emotions that flood through every piece of the story. As someone who had read the book prior to watching it, what played on the screen wasn't a surprise but the acting and production took to an extra level that left even this "Outlander" at a loss for words and with tears in my eyes.
Saying goodbye to the Highlanders
While we all know that "Outlander" and its characters are fictional, the events, such as the Battle of Culloden, are not. Author Diana Galbadon did what all authors hope to achieve by creating characters fans have fallen in love with and feel a personal connection to. Over the first two seasons of the show, we have come to know the Highlanders and some of them more personally than others.
Even though we know the Scots lost the Battle of Culloden you can't help but root for Jamie and Claire to change history. Suddenly, this bit of history feels like our own and we aren't ready to see it repeated again. Nor are we prepared to see any of the characters we have come to love to die in battle.
Towards the end of Season 2 when Claire visits modern-day Scotland she visits the Battle of Culloden memorial and walks on the battlefield and passes the mass grave sites and markers for the clans that fought.
I'm pretty sure as she passes those grave markers you were imagining some of the Mackenzie men or Frasers that you have become fond of. Your heart seizes in your chest at the thought of them being gone and perishing in battle. I know mine did. It wasn't a reality I was willing to face, even though I knew it was inevitable.
The Battle of Culloden marked the end of the clan way of life in Scotland.
It wasn't just the loss of these brave men that broke our hearts but the loss of their culture and innocence. Their identity and connection to their clans and kilts were taken from them and now the Scots are left to the pick up the pieces of a new future they never wanted.
Season 3 offers no mercy to our hearts and souls as it takes a running start right into the Battle of Culloden. Within minutes we witness the death of characters and Highlanders we have come to love and care about. Every sword swung through the air or bullet fired feels as though it is aiming right for your heart and as we watch the men fall to their tragedic ends we feel shaken and lost. In the moments where Jamie is left to die on the battlefield, we are breathing every labored breath with him.
When he sees Claire (Caitriona Balfe) walking amongst the fallen as if she is his only tether to life, we want more than anything for him to fight to live so that one day they can be together again.
Will all of Season 3 be this heartbreaking?
If you've read the book series than you already know that the main character, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) does not have an easy life following the Battle of Culloden. Episode 2 does continue on with Jamie's life after arriving home to Lallybroch. He spends his days living in a cave just outside his family's property hunting and living without much human contact. He's just about given up on life and become a shell of the man we have come to love. The more his family is harassed by the British Redcoats the more he feels compelled to protect them.
In true Jamie style, he will do anything to protect the ones he loves, which is one of the many reasons we love him so much, even if it means breaking our hearts in the process and worrying about his survival.
Knowing what lies ahead from reading the book I can tell you it won't be an easy start, but it will be worth working through the emotions and moments that Claire and Jamie endure while apart. However, losing our beloved Highlanders and the clans is a moment that will stick with you forever. "Outlander" has always remained true to the story and never shied away from the brutally tough scenes that occur in the books. Their honesty and realness are what set them apart from other television series and captive us even more with every episode we watch.
As viewers, you feel a part of Jamie and Claire's story and when they lost their family and friends on that battlefield, so did we, but we know through the pain and trials, love endures and so will we.
