Claire Fraser's (Catriona Balfe) life was left hanging in the balance at the end of Outlander Season 7 Episode 15, but the books may reveal the character's fate.
Outlander is Starz's hit time-travel romance starring Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire and Jamie, star-crossed lovers from different periods. The series is based on Diana Gabaldon's successful novels, and the latest season follows the storyline of the eighth book, Written In My Own Heart's Blood.
What Happened to Claire at the End of Outlander Season 7 Episode 15
Season 7 Part 2 of Outlander has followed the Frasers as they get caught up in the American Revolutionary War in the 1700s.
Episode 15 depicted the climactic Battle of Monmouth, which is based on the real battle in which George Washington led the Continental Army against the British in New Jersey.
Throughout the battle, Claire acts as a medic to the injured soldiers of the Continental Army. After the battle is done and the British are retreating they pass close to where Claire is camped with the injured men. Despite warnings to leave them behind, Claire refuses to leave her patients.
This leads to the British and Americans trading blows and a stray bullet ends up in Claire's abdomen. Jamie (who is back in the picture after Claire's surprising marriage to John Grey) rushes to save his wife, but the camp doctors don't know what can be done to remove the bullet from her wound.
Before she passes out, Claire orders Jamie to find Denzell (Joey Phillips) who may be able to assist. When he arrives Claire gives him directions to help her before the episode ends, leaving her life in limbo.
Does Claire Die After the Battle of Monmouth In The Books?
For fans wanting to know whether Claire's fate is sealed in Outlander, it's easy to turn to Gabaldon's books for the answer.
Things in Written in My Own Heart's Blood play out similarly to the way they do in the TV show with Claire being shot and Jamie resigning from the army to care for her.
After Denny performs surgery on Claire to remove the bullet from her she fights for her life for a few chapters. Then in Chapter 87, Claire pulls through and awakens. Jamie and Claire then return to Fraser's Ridge (the piece of land Jamie owns in North Carolina) while she recovers.
The question now is how closely Outlander Season 7 will follow the events of the novel. The series has been known to be quite faithful to its source material but has also made some changes over the years.
The teaser for the next chapter provides some clues although, with Episode 16 set to be the finale of Outlander Season 7, the preview is careful not to reveal too much about the cliffhanger ending.
In one instance Jamie can be seen looking over Claire's unconscious body, where he says "I'm sorry, Sassenach." Another shot shows Jamie doing the mark of the cross, indicating that Claire's life is in dire straits.
All these hints seem to be lending to the narrative that Claire may not make it out alive, but with Outlander Season 8 confirmed and more of Claire's story to explore from the books, it seems unlikely the show would kill her off now.
Outlander's season finale will air on Starz on January 17.
