After revisiting all the episodes in Outlander Season 3, it’s time to reassess the ranking I initially gave it. Do the episodes still sit where they did at the end of the third season?
At the end of every season of a show, I like to look back at the episodes and rank them. Outlander Season 3 was no different. I took the time to look back at each of the 13 episodes and ranked them from worst to best–well, from least favorite to favorite.
Now that I’ve revisited each of the episodes in recaps, it’s time to look back over at the ranking. Do the episodes still sit where they did more than six months ago?
What’s changed in the space of six months? Well, I’ve not had a chance to look through everything the writers and showrunners have said. I’ve binged the season to see how the episodes fall in line with each other and how they connect.
As a whole, the ranking remains the same. My least favorite remains my least favorite. My favorite remains my favorite. Very few changes have happened in the middle. But there are a few because of a deeper understanding or because I’ve seen the way the storylines fit together better.
So, here’s a look at the new Outlander Season 3 ranking.
Top and bottom three remain the same
Just as a reminder, my original ranking from worst to best was:
- Episode 7: Creme de Menthe
- Episode 9: The Doldrums
- Episode 8: First Wife
- Episode 2: Surrender
- Episode 3: All Debts Paid
- Episode 11: Uncharted
- Episode 13: Eye of the Storm
- Episode 5: Freedom and Whisky
- Episode 12: The Bakra
- Episode 10: Heaven and Earth
- Episode 6: A. Malcolm
- Episode 4: Of Lost Things
- Episode 1: The Battle Joined
My least favorite three and top favorite three remain the same. It’s the middle section that changes very slightly. We’re looking at from “Surrender” to “Heaven and Earth.”
Why do I keep the other six episodes where they are? There is nothing that will tell me Episodes 7-9 deserve to move up. This was a slow point in the story for me. While there was drama, it wasn’t really drama that I was interested in. I just wanted the story to move on already. Actually, I’d have happily lost those three episodes to focus more on what Claire and Jamie did in their 20 years apart.
As for the top three, I don’t think I need to explain too much. “Of Lost Things” is a favorite for many, but “The Battle Joined” will always take that top spot. It was the episode we got to say goodbye to a lot of characters we’d had for the last two seasons. We were also starting this huge shift in seeing Jamie just want to end his life and Claire having no idea what to do moving forward; neither really connecting with the world without each other in their lives.
Moving around the rest of the ranking
Of the episodes that need to move, there’s not too many. “Uncharted” and “Eye of the Storm” I want to move to be ranked lower than “Surrender.” While I still wish that there was more focus on Claire and Jamie’s time apart, there’s the book for that. I can read all about it and I haven’t lost anything.
“Uncharted” still didn’t feel that amazing to me. I loved that we saw Claire as a survivalist, but there were a lot of other bits that irked me about the whole episode. I would have loved to have seen what actually happened to the Artemis!
As for the “Eye of the Storm,” the build-up to dealing with Geillis and saving Young Ian was enough to save it at first. Now, the whole ending just confuses and irritates me every time I watch it.
I also want to switch “Freedom and Whisky” and “The Bakra” around. I’m growing fonder of Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin the more I watch the third season. I want to learn more about Brianna and Roger and can’t wait to see them in Outlander Season 4. They gave a lot to “Freedom and Whisky” and “Bakra” drew me in for Geillis storyline and bringing the realities of history to life. But honestly, a lot of the episode isn’t that memorable until I come to rewatching it.
So, the new ranking is:
- Episode 7: Creme de Menthe
- Episode 9: The Doldrums
- Episode 8: First Wife
- Episode 11: Uncharted
- Episode 13: Eye of the Storm
- Episode 2: Surrender
- Episode 3: All Debts Paid
- Episode 12: The Bakra
- Episode 5: Freedom and Whisky
- Episode 10: Heaven and Earth
- Episode 6: A. Malcolm
- Episode 4: Of Lost Things
- Episode 1: The Battle Joined
What’s your ranking for Outlander Season 3? If you can’t give a full ranking, what about your top three and least favorite three episodes? Share in the comments below.
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