Outlander Season 6, Episode 7 recap: Jamie learns a few truths
The Christies find Malva’s body in Outlander Season 6, Episode 7
The episode itself starts with Malva at the meeting house in front of the fisherfolk. She’s telling them that her innocence was stolen by a man who made promises. She certainly puts on a good show, and it looks like this is why those rumors really spread across the Ridge.
We then pick up with the Christies getting to Claire’s garden. Jamie is also there, suggesting that Jamie ended up sending word to the Christies to come up.
Allan is upset and angry, getting as much info from Claire as possible. Jamie wants to know what Allan is implying, but it’s clear that Tom believes Claire did it. After all, Claire is covered in Malva’s blood. Something that Tom wants to know is how long it took for Malva to die, and Claire makes it clear that it didn’t take long at all.
Tom notes that it means Malva didn’t have time to pray for forgiveness. Tom wants Malva buried out in the woods. She can’t be buried in holy ground as a sinner, but Jamie refuses to allow that to happen. If Malva and the baby are to be buried at the Ridge, it will be done right.
Without a minister at the Ridge, Roger is the one to officiate the service. Jamie doesn’t leave that one up for discussion.
Claire finally opens up about the ether
While preparing Malva’s body, Claire suffers from visions of Lionel Brown again. This is more than just a quick glimpse of Lionel, though. She has a full waking nightmare. This time she avoids the ether, though, and reaches for a glass of whisky instead (although later she does reach for ether). This is the Claire that we’re used to, so it’s not that surprising when the full truth finally comes out during the episode.
Jamie had sent everyone he trusts out to look for something to help get to the bottom of the murder. Mrs. Bug makes it clear that she didn’t trust Malva and notes that Claire must have hated Malva’s guts. Jamie makes it clear that the dead can’t defend themselves so he won’t hear anything more against Malva. Instead, he needs to deal with Hiram Crombie.
What Hiram makes clear is that the Ridge is talking. The fisherfolk are starting to believe that Claire did it. She has a sharp tongue and even sharper knives. It doesn’t help that Jamie threatens Hiram at the same time.
Before the full truth comes out about the ether, we do get a look inside Claire’s thoughts through Lionel Brown’s statements. She does believe that she killed Malva, and she does have regret for her marriage to Frank when she shouldn’t have stayed in a loveless marriage.
When Claire does open up about the ether, she brushes it off as just having a “lie down.” It’s later on that she finally opens up more about it. She finally tells Jamie that the ether is the only thing to help get rid of the waking nightmares. Jamie makes it very clear that Claire can lean on him.
One thing the ether plot has all been about is showing that strong people can turn to people for help emotionally and mentally. Asking for help doesn’t make people weak, but I will still stand by saying “Claire is stronger than this” about the ether is still sending a terrible message to those dealing with trauma and PTSD.