Diana Gabaldon and Sam Heughan have both confirmed the ghostly highlander is definitely Jamie. Now fans are curious about how it’s possibly Jamie in the Outlander pilot.
Jamie isn’t able to travel through time. That’s something Caitriona Balfe confirmed during her stint on This Morning earlier this year. So, the big question for fans is how Jamie can possibly be the ghostly highlander in the Outlander pilot. Diana Gabaldon and Sam Heughan have both confirmed it’s Jamie, but never said how.
We won’t find out until the last book. Gabaldon has told fans at conventions and through social media and forums that we won’t learn about Jamie in 1945/46 (depending on the book version) until the final moments in that last book. There are going to be 10 books in the series and she’s currently working on book 9, so there isn’t too long now!
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However, that hasn’t stopped fans from guessing. If he can’t time travel, how is he there?
One of the most popular theories is that he’s a ghost. In the books, the figure appeared on Samhain (Halloween); that time the veil between the living and the dead is at it’s thinnest. Ghosts are able to travel through and Jamie’s ghosts may have traveled through to watch Claire before she even knew she was supposed to travel through the stones.
This doesn’t quite fit for Outlander the series. It wasn’t set at Samhain, so the connection may be slightly off. However, it is Beltane (I believe) in the series, so the writers will have to get creative with how a ghost comes back at this point, but it is likely a similar reason for him to appear at Samhain.
Fans have also noted that there are forget-me-nots at the stones, which catch Claire’s attention. Many wonder whether they were left somehow by ghost Jamie to encourage Claire to travel through the stones and start her journey.
Of course, for Jamie to appear as a ghost, fans worry about what it means for Claire and Jamie in the past. This is something we’ll have to wait and find out about when it comes to that last book of the series.
Next: Why were the initials cut from Outlander Season 3?
Why do you think Jamie appears in the Outlander pilot? How does he come forward in time? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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