Would Claire and Frank's marriage have survived in the first place?

When Claire returned to Frank, their marriage suffered. Could things have been different had Claire never fallen through the stones in the first place?

We all know the story of Claire and Frank’s marriage after Claire returned from the past. She couldn’t connect to him or forget her love for Jamie. He just wasn’t the right guy for her and their marriage fell apart. This isn’t about blame but about the “what-ifs.”

Is it possible that things could have been different? If Claire had never fallen through the stones at Craig na Dun in 1946, could her marriage to Frank have been different?

Claire wouldn’t have lived in the past

Something Brianna shares is that her mother never seemed to live in their time. Her mind was always elsewhere; in the past and likely in a “what could have been.” Claire didn’t choose to return to Frank. She did it out of necessity.

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Remember at first she tried to get back to her own time. She was desperate to be with Frank and that was clear in the TV series when she and Frank made it to Craig na Dun on either side of time and could hear each other.

Had Claire never gone to the past, she would have lived in the future. That love she had for Frank would have still been there. The connection they shared wouldn’t have been diminished because of her connection to Jamie. Frank wouldn’t have felt like the third wheel in the relationship.

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Staying together for the sake of a child

The only thing that kept Claire and Frank’s marriage semi-stable when Claire returned as Brianna. Frank chose to raise her as his own. They stayed together for the sake of a child and when Brianna was old enough, Frank finally asked for a divorce.

Without Brianna, would they have had a reason to stay together? There are chances that they would. Things would have been widely different thought. Would they have moved to America? Would Frank have still had affairs? Would Claire have become a doctor without all that experience in the past?

Claire admitted after Frank’s death that she loved him. That love was just never strong enough to break the love that she felt for Jamie. She admitted that there just wasn’t enough time to forget this one man. Without the trip to the past, that man wouldn’t have been in the middle of their relationship. While Frank wasn’t perfect, he never seemed to fall so deeply in love with someone else the way Claire did. There’s certainly a chance their marriage could have worked.

Next: Should Claire had returned to her own time in Outlander

Do you think Claire and Frank’s marriage would have survived without the trip through the stones? What do you think could have happened? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Would Claire and Frank’s marriage have survived without the trip through the stones?

By Alexandria Ingham | May 3, 2018

When Claire returned to Frank, their marriage suffered. Could things have been different had Claire never fallen through the stones in the first place?

Claire wouldn’t have lived in the past

Staying together for the sake of a child