Our hearts broke for Jamie Fraser, played subtly and sensitively by Sam Heughan, in Outlander‘s second episode of Season 7, which often touched on the powerful Scottish Highland warrior’s vulnerable side as he suffered loss after loss. We spoke to the actor about the emotional events in our latest installment of the aftershow, Inside Outlander.
“He’s having to say goodbye to John Grey [David Berry]; to his daughter [Bree, played by Sophie Skelton]; to his grandchildren. He’s losing a lot and I think that cumulatively wounds him. We always thought Jamie has great fortitude and great strength, but it does have a toll,” Heughan tells us.
Check out the video above, where the actor reflects on the farewells; poor Jamie had to endure not one but two goodbyes to Bree, including her and husband Roger’s (Richard Rankin) departure through the stones to get medical treatment for their new baby in the 20th Century.
It’s been established that Jamie can’t century-hop with them but in this episode, we got the major revelation that he does have a window into other eras! Jamie reveals to Claire (Caitriona Balfe) that he has dreams about her in the future, confessing that he never told her before because she might think he was “daft.” “I think that he’s always had this insight into the future in some ways. Looking back to season one the first episode and seeing this ghost that could maybe be Jamie or not, we don’t know,” Heughan reflects on his character’s revelation. “He’s not a time traveler but certainly, maybe his love or whatever it is gives him an ability to transcend his body.”
Surely the confession to Claire lifted a weight off Jamie’s chest. But fate deals him a heavy blow in the episode’s final moments: a fire destroys the Fraser family home. “For Jamie, it is really sad. He’s built this home somewhere he thought he’d be safe and happy for his life and now suddenly he’s lost it again,” Heughan tells us.
But the actor — who’s no stranger to action films like 2021’s SAS: Red Notice — didn’t mind filming the fiery escape that Claire and Jamie make in the episode’s closing moments. “Shooting that stuff was a lot of fun. I’ve never shot anything with that much fire, it was quite impressive the amount of pyrotechnics we used. Both Caitriona and I enjoyed being blown up and jumping out of the building!”
Check out the video for much more from Heughan on the next chapter of Claire and Jamie’s love story; behind-the-scenes details from that touching firefly scene with Skelton; and how the American Revolution will change everything.
Outlander, Fridays, 8/7c, Starz
