This was the best episode of Outlander and I couldn't lift my eyes off the screen for the whole 1 hour and 28 minutes the episode was on. The story of Jamie and Claire has reached a climax over here with parallels between the 20th century and 18th century. This episode along with its many other beautiful aspects was an ode to the true love Jamie and Claire shared that transcended time, boundaries, war, enemies and everything else in between. The direction, production value, acting of all the actors in this episode even the actress playing Brianna because she easily passes of as an annoying spoilt brat. I am truly an awe of this beautiful show. I don't ever think an episode of Outlander or any show in general (no exaggeration here) can top 'Dragonfly in Amber' for me. A lot of thanks to the creators of this show and specially Dianna Gabbon for this extraordinary story.
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oneir-raza24 July 2018
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Holt34426 December 2018We get to see more flashforwards with an old Claire, something I have wanted to see for a long time and it was perfectly executed, the overall flow of the past and present was nicely done. This was 80 minutes of fine television, high quality drama and high production design made this episode a masterpiece. Cinematography is as always great. The scenes are just beautiful to look at, professional. One of the best season finales I've seen.
The first season was about getting to know the characters and here with the second season we get to see exactly everything a story of time travel should have, superb story telling. Everything feels real and believable; props, costumes, acting and characters. The Paris story arc was great, simply stunning. Same quality as a Hollywood budget historical movie. -
rikkeswanette21 February 2020God this episode was amazing!! Without a doubt the most emotional episode of this show - I cried multiple times throughout. However, the way it keeps jumping back and forth in time was just brilliant; every time I felt like I was about to fall to pieces watching what happened in the 18th century, it would jump forward to the 20th century and thus give the viewer a small (but much needed) break. Some of the best television I've seen in a long time!
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akshatdave4 May 2017I think it was the best episode of outlander..the whole episode started and finished and it felt like few minutes..It was dramatically and emotionally touching episode..Ronald D Moore did a great job with direction and the story was well written..great acting by actriona and heughan...Flashing forward to 1968, Claire travels to Scotland with her twenty-year-old daughter, Brianna, and meets Roger Wakefield. Claire visits Lallybroch and Culloden Moor to make peace with the past, while Brianna and Roger bond over researching Randall family history. Claire finally reveals the truth to Brianna about her time travel through the stones, her life in 1700's Scotland, and Brianna's true parentage. The story is inter-cut with another one back in the 18th century, which happens on the day of the Battle of Culloden. When Jamie's last ditch attempts to deter The Prince fail, he and Claire come up with a dangerous plan - which Dougal overhears, inciting him to a murderous rage. Jamie must do everything he can to save the ones he loves, even if it means saying goodbye to some-or all-of them...
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Zomabur29 June 2020This is the third time I've watched this episode and it still makes me emotional. I've read all of the books and now watching the series for the third time. I love their love story. This episode is fantastic with the glimpses of different times, piecing together the story over the years. I would recommended the series and the books to anyone.
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zzvirgo20 December 2018One of the most powerful episodes so far of Outlander. I love it. Cried a lot.
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shaikhin3 June 2020The story was well articulated with meticulous direction and precise acting. The fast forward and entry of Brianna is yet another twist we shall enjoy in next season. This episode is undoubtedly the best episode of Outlander series!
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carloslora-572414 May 2020This is a perfect episode, from the start yo the end, i enjoyed so much.
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jmansmannstjohnslrev1 March 2021Season 2 was my favorite season of the series because it truly was the sum of all it's parts. Other seasons have had more memorable individual installments, but none of the seasons built upon each episode the way season 2 did, slowly building the drama and tension of the Fraser's fight against history itself in each installments. It made the entire season work so well, even if the individual episodes didn't always reach the heights that some episodes in other seasons have (except maybe for Faith; that was an all-timer). It's only fitting that the finale would work so well because of the sum of all it's parts, not just a few individual moments that make it memorable or stand out. Most of the scenes are just really well done, it's just a rock solid episode that puts a bow on the season.
I think the key to the episode is that it just feels well balanced in so many ways. Contrast the chaos of Culloden, as the heroes scramble to put their affairs in order while the men around them are scrambling to prepare for the battle with the relative calm and contemplative nature of the future scenes. I think this keeps the episode from becoming too frenetic or too slow.
Contrast the idea of chasing ghosts, and chasing the past. On the one hand, you feel like Claire is finally reconciling herself to the past. She's dwelling on it, but looks to be finally prepared to accept it. It's a powerful scene when she says goodbye to Jaime at the Fraser stone on Culloden. A first time where she accepts in her heart that the past is really dead. On the other side, you have Brianna digging up the past, learning about her parents' story. Even though Brianna doesn't accept Claire's story until the end of the episode, it's an interesting mix where both Claire and her daughter are engaged with the past, are engaged with the ghosts, but it's Claire who is saying goodbye and putting them to rest, while Brianna is the one searching for the answers and trying to give them life.
There is even balance between Brianna's refusal to accept Claire's story and Roger Mac's openness, Claire's bitterness over the war compared to Geillis's excitement for the cause, Dougal's patriotic belief in following the Prince to battle compared with Jaime's patriotic belief that the Prince needs to die for Scotland to live. In an hour and a half finale, I think all these contrasts serve to keep the story from being bogged down and keep it interesting even though we know the ending that is coming.
And I think these conflicts allow the emotional moments in the episode to avoid becoming stale. One of the big risks in this episode are that there are so many goodbyes, so many emotional flashpoints, they could become monotonous and lose their impact. But the balance of the episode is what keeps it from happening, and every emotional scene seems to really hit its mark because it doesn't overwhelm the episode. Outlander's best moments are often the ones that are understated, and not overly dramatic and none of the scenes feel that way. Even Jaime and Claire's goodbye is not twenty-five minutes of endless sobbing, but tragic in the character's resignation that it has happen, and that they will likely never see each other again.
Of course, as is seemingly always the case, Outlander ends it's finale with a hint of hope. Jaime has not died at Culloden and a reunion between the star-crossed couple is on the horizon. It's a finale that like the introductory episode is perfect for the season that it is in, a perfect end to the story that it has told but not necessarily a perfect finale. -
patrick_gutmann19 May 2021I rly dont write reviews but THIS episode is outstanding.
I cried and had goosebumps everywhere last 30 minutes .
This is the best thing TV ever seen. -
clairebwfc21 March 2021Possibly my favourite episode ever...that's all I have to say... fantastic!
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alysiadhalla30 September 2020***HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THIS EPISODE***
literally my first review cause I'm mad. WHY ARE PEOPLE NOT TALING ABOUT HOW UNNECESSARY HIS DEATH WAS???? He didn't know, he was angry and still in pain from the death of his brother and how he was cut short. ALL THIS TIME, HE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE GREAT EFFORT FOR THE UPRISING AND HE DIDN'T EVEN GET THE HONOUR OF DYING ON THE BATTLE FLIED?? When Jamie was finally able to overpower him I thought he would throw the knife away and explain the situation but he flipped it AND CLAIRE!!! SHE HELPED HIM! I understand them wanting to kill Prince Charles -"for the greater good" but Dougal?? nahhh, that was cold blooded murder. i never liked him but his death was a shock and a disappointment and just doesn't fit. Jamie could have knocked him out if Dougal wouldn't calm down, taken away his weapons, LITERALLY DONE ANYTHING ELSE. My respect for Jamie and Claire just went downhill. -
Unknownian20 October 2019This will be short, and not too sweet.
My first observation is, I think the creators, cast and crew think this is an episode of epic proportions, and is the favorite of many in the production company. I think it was very good as well, but there were a couple of strange goings on I didn't really get.
First: The men in the 18th century (including the King of France) didn't have much stamina in bed. I believe three thrusts was his blasting point.
Our hero Jim Fraser actually got four accomplished before he sent Claire back through the stones. There must have been a lot of frustrated women in the 1700s. :-)
On a serious note, I must say that the actress playing Brianna (I won't mention her name here, as not to embarrass her), is perhaps the worst actress I've ever seen in this usually flawlessly acted show. It was the first episode I've ever seen her in, and she truly almost made me change the channel. Perhaps she just needs some acting classes, or at worst, a new profession. -
billcronin15 April 2022This entire series has been amazing, but the acting of Claire's daughter is so terrible that it ruins what should have been an amazing season ending. This show, cast, and dialog all season were phenomenal, but this episode was a complete failure.
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bjoernidler6 September 2018To be honest: My girlfriend and our recent visit to Scotland motivated me to see this show. We also visited Culloden Battlefield, took a stroll over the field and were impressed with it all.
I was always a bit sceptical about the whole show but the last couple of episodes captivated me and built the tension toward this critical point in Scottish history nicely. So far so good.
But then we reach the final episode and we see nothing of the actual battle, the loss, the tragedy. I was getting ready to watch the characters we got invested in deal with this situation, to actually see who dies and who makes it. But then it all comes down to Jamie and Claire going: You have to go - Not without you - you have to... I get that the show is mostly about them. But why create and build so many interesting characters if we don't see what becomes of them? I'm sure that in season 3 we'll travel back to the aftermath of the battle but for this episode I was left rather disappointed.
My other concern was the annoying jumping back and forth in time which made the pacing of this episode rather slow and at times even boring. When done well this technique can be used to increase tension and to keep the audience on the edge of their seats but in this case it did the opposite.
So I'll be back for season 3, of course. But imho, this finale could have been much grander, more exciting and in the end more satisfying than it turned out to be. -
imasmith217 April 2020Only giving it 1 star for its ridiculously overrated rating. It's a predictable, slow, mildly entertaining episode at best.