Finally, a Final Season 3 Outlander Sunday Seven

Finally!  Have you forgotten all about  Outlander?  What’s it been?  A month and a half since Outlander’s season 3 ended?  Longer?  Blame some of it on my goddamn 2-week cable outage!  Well, at least part of it.  Onward!

My Seven Favorite Outlander Season 3 Episodes

It should come as no surprise to you (if you’ve read each episode post) that I have a favorite Outlander character.  Of course, those are going to be my top four.  I have a second favorite character.  Those two episodes follow.  And we’ll round out the list with the appearance of a familial-adjacent character.

Oh, and guess what else.  The episodes are predominately from the first part of the season.  Surprise!  (Not really, since I much preferred the first half of Voyager to the second.)

Should we start with #1 and finish with #7?  Or vice versa?  Let’s go with vice versa.  Save the prettiest of the pretty for last.

It’s All Character Driven

#7.  Episode 301: The Battle Joined

The Battle of Culloden happened.  Black Jack Randall died, so, yay!  Lord Melton saved Jamie’s life, thanks to the foolishness of his young, impetuous brother.  Jenny and Ian Murray welcomed Jamie back to Lallybrock.

Frank and Claire moved to Boston to raise a child with a terrible Boston accent.  Claire decided it was better to stay with Frank and live a loveless marriage than to be on her own.  Bad choices = better drama, I guess?

[Oh my God!  In my post, I called Lord Melton Lord Merton.  Whaaat? I have since corrected that egregious error.]

#6.  First Wife

Any episode that includes the Murrays has to make my favorites list.  Jenny Murray was the poster child adult for passive-aggressive personality, the aggressive part being throwing water on a rutting Claire and Jamie.  And Ian Murray was, as always, the calm voice of reason.

One more reason Jamie Fraser is not my type of hero:  Jamie was all kindness and understanding with his younger step-daughter Joanie.  And then he left her, forever.  Not Father of the Year material there.

#5.  Surrender (302)

Anne Kenney wrote her last Outlander script.  😦  Outlander will be less without her.  (It’s already proving to be so.)  Romann Berrux made his last appearance as Fergus before growing into César Domboy.  Another Outlander loss.  But Laura Donnelly still reigns supreme as Jenny Murray.

And some stuff happened in the 20th century.

#4.  Eye of the Storm (313)

The only reason the season finale is #4 on my list instead of #3 is the amount of airtime given to Lord John Grey.  It’s only about five minutes, but what a glorious five minutes it was.  The scene, Lord John’s beatdown of Captain Lieutenant Leonard was the best of the episode.  And I’m not the only who thought so.  Any number of bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters agreed.

Incidentally, during one of Lord John’s insults, Captain Lieutenant Leonard rolls his eyes.  I didn’t catch it until the second viewing, but every time I’ve watched since then, I’ve laughed out loud.  If it was an actor choice (and it feels like it is), then kudos to Charlie Hiett, the actor who played Captain Lieutenant Leonard.  (Yet another feather in the cap of the Outlander casting department.)

And some other stuff happened in the other 55 minutes.

#3.  The Bakra (312)

Geillis Duncan returned to wreak havoc, mayhem, and murder.  Lord John Grey returned to host a ball, and spar with Claire over Jamie’s affections.  He mentioned his wife Isobel and step-son Willie would be joining him in a few months.  And I’m certain they will all live happily ever after.

#2.  Of Lost Things (304)

I have great taste!  “Of Lost Things” and my #1 choice, “All Debts Paid” are IMDB’s top-rated episodes for this season.  (It was a tie.)

Lord John Grey returned to play chess by a stream and get belittled by his brother Lord Melton.  Lady Isobel Dunsany crushed on Lord John (me, too, Isobel!) and got to marry him.  I’m sure they’ll live happily ever after. 

Jamie was blackmailed into having sex and sired a bastard earl as a result.

Oh, and some stuff happened in the 20th century.

#1.  All Debts Paid (303)

So many reasons why this is my favorite episode.  And yes, all but one of them are John Grey-related.

The episode introduced us to the “superbly gay” Lord John Grey.  (I found the “superbly gay” description on LiveJournal, and it fits so well.  He’s gay and superb.)  And while he’s not precisely how the character is described (too tall, too brunette), David Berry is terrific in the role.  (Let’s hope he gets to do more in the future than just moon over Jamie Fraser.)

And apparently, I’m not the only one who loves Lord John.  Bear McCreary gave him his own theme!  And it features the French horn!!  I love the French horn!!! To me, it’s the most musically rich instrument, and two favorite people play the French horn—my best friend of 35 years and my grand-nephew.  Not to mention it makes a very pretty Christmas ornament.

And (finally!) Frank died.

And that’s a wrap.

See you next year for season 4.  Maybe.