Warning: SPOILERS forOutlanderSeason ane & two

The kickoff 2 seasons of Outlander have finally come to U.South. Netflix, which means a whole new wave of viewers will watch as Claire Beauchamp makes her trip backwards through time... and exist either terrified of having her fate spoiled, or consumed with a demand to know: does Claire ever get dwelling again? Without ruining anything too important, we're here to help. Simply fair warning: information technology'southward not really the question that audiences should be asking.

Since the entire premise of Outlander (like the novels past Diana Gabaldon upon which they're based) begins when Claire falls through time from 1946 to 1746, the key question is too the most obvious: Does Claire always travel back? Following the rules of a standard time travel Television series or movie, i could debate that question is what the story is nigh, more than whatever other distraction along the way. The skilful news, which those reading this commodity can pass on to their spoiler-free watching partners, is that viewers who accidentally see that question answered will think it ways more than information technology actually does.

As for offering a definitive respond to new Outlander viewers, who really do want to know if Claire's story ends in the modern day, or the past? That answer--similar Claire's story equally a whole--is a lot more than complicated.

Claire's Return Isn't The Spoiler You Think Information technology Is

To put information technology perfectly direct: Yep, Claire does render habitation through the stones at Craigh Na Dun. And if y'all ask the question after the first episode or ii of Outlander'south first flavor, it will appear that past saying that, nosotros've revealed a massive twist, ruined the suspense, or at the very least dampened the surprise. Just Claire is determined to render to her married man Frank in 1946 from the very first moment she realizes what has happened. She even sets her mind to returning to the stones after only a handful of episodes. And different other science fiction stories, at no point does the show create disharmonize out of trying to empathise the fourth dimension travel, or even figuring out how to "activate" the stones for a return trip (the stones work the way they do... And that's pretty much information technology).

The real threats facing Claire are far more than pressing, as she is suspected of lying about her origins and travels, swept up in a building rebellion, and faced with uneducated people need of her gifts--and of course, the red-haired hunk whom she tin can't aid but acknowledge a romantic attraction to. The events of the first season have little to practise with Claire's actual return dwelling, instead observing her putting down ane root after another, until the last thing the audience actually wants is for her to throw it all abroad and return to the present day.

As a result, the starting time flavor really builds towards the best possible twist it could deliver. Claire returns to the 1940s, alright. She just does information technology in the first scene of Season 2. Which makes avoiding whatsoever obvious spoilers beyond that bombshell a lot easier than new fans will think.

The Show Doesn't Finish When Claire Comes Back

Hopefully, those who have sought out this reply to have their anxiety, or marvel eased can stop searching for more (but if you want detailed spoilers, the show is currently finished its fourth season, so you've got options). Because far likewise many fans fell behind on Season 1 or 2 of Outlander earlier learning virtually Claire'due south render domicile, and assumed the entire serial had been spoiled. Later all, if the show is about a adult female sent back in time trying to get home, the entire point of the story is working her mode back. Correct? In today'due south globe of episode-by-episode hooks, mysteries upon mysteries, and an unattainable MacGuffin (the Atomic number 26 Throne, for instance), that is certainly the example.

But for Outlander, that'due south far from the truth. And nothing demonstrates that better than the official promotional photos for Season iii showing Jamie on i side of the magical stone, and Claire on the other, dorsum in wear plumbing fixtures her modern era. Because as important as Claire's return to the modern day may be--which it certainly is--the question of whether or non she returns is soon replaced with the need to know why she ultimately chose to. That'southward the question that every viewer asked in a panic when Season 2 began, just it was also the one that the writers of the testify built the entire season around answering.

Outlander Is More than a Time Travel Mystery

The difference between 'keeping viewers watching to know the respond' and actually 'telling that equally the story of the bear witness' is a subtle 1, nosotros'll admit. Just every bit Netflix viewers will detect upon watching the Flavour 2 premiere episode, the entire narrative construction is dissever: between the returned Claire actualization exactly where she went missing years earlier, and continuing her travels with Jamie in the past, merely as blissful and hopeful as when the first season left them. And within minutes of basically revealing how Claire returns to her time, the differences between Outlander and other 'mystery box' shows made in Lost's image become obvious.

The first season of Outlander is built on the suspense and drama of Claire's possible return home. Flavor ii replaces information technology with the mystery of what happened to cut her Scottish romance short, and transport her back through the stones she had seemingly left backside. Season 3's narrative changes the formula yet again, and Season iv continues the story into equally surprising new territory. But with each new flavour, the 'suspense' of Claire getting dorsum to the 1940s seems less and less important. It was simply the question viewers THOUGHT they should exist request.

Then now that nosotros've answered information technology, hopefully new Outlander viewers can breathe a sigh of relief, and settle in for a show they'll stick with for more than merely the risk to come across the mystery solved.

MORE: The 10 Most Talked About Scenes in Outlander

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Andrew Dyce (3247 Articles Published)

Screen Rant Editor Andrew Dyce was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Despite calling the vast nothingness of the Canadian prairies home (or perhaps considering of it) flick and television have been a passion since nascency. As a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a degree in English language Literature, Andrew has grown to capeesh the story and writing behind everything from blockbuster comic book movies to schlocky B-pic action.

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