Outlander Season 7 shocked audiences when its central romance took a backseat with Caitríona Balfe's Claire Randall marrying the dastardly Lord John Grey (played by David Berry).
The hit time-traveling romance, in which a World War II nurse is mysteriously transported back in time to fall in love with a Scottish highland warrior, is now in its seventh season, with an eighth and final batch of episodes already on the books.
This latest season has seen Claire and her lover Jamie on the run in the continental United States during the events of the American Revolutionary War, something that came to a head with as longtime character, Lord John Grey came into the picture in a bigger way than ever before.
Outlander's Claire and Lord John Grey Marriage Explained
Fans were wide-eyed to discover that Claire married Lord John Gray in Episode 11 of Outlander Season 7
Serving as one of the season's biggest reveals, it would seem that Caitríona Balfe's time-traveling romantic is now betrothed to the British officer (played by David Berry).
This culminated in one of the show's most complicated romance scenes to date, as the pair consummated their new romantic entanglement with what seemed to be reluctance on both sides.
Why the pair got together remains confusing to many. Claire has been loyal to her lover Jamie Fraser since the very beginning, and it has been made clear that Lord John Gray is a closeted gay man and is harboring feelings for Jamie as well (but hiding it as best he can).
However, the marriage was one born of circumstance. Claire was essentially forced to marry the British diplomat thanks to both her and Jamie's connection to the Continental Army in the ongoing Revolutionary War.
This comes as Jamie is seemingly lost at sea, with (at least for the time being) no hope that John or Claire will ever see him again. However, Claire is taken in due to her connections with the Continental Army and being wanted for espionage.
This is where the marriage comes into play. Knowing this could spell doom for Claire, Lord John steps in offering to marry the series mainstay, to hopefully prove she is loyal to the British cause.
Claire obviously agrees, saving her from being hanged for treason, but putting her in a relationship she does not necessarily want to be in.
Star Caitríona Balfe commented on the marriage in an interview with Variety, saying that her character is "certainly miserable" and that the nuptials are "purely functional:"
"I think Claire appeared equally as miserable for her Jamie wedding, although secretly happy inside. Outwardly very miserable then, and certainly miserable now. I think she is just numb now. She is in the process of shock. It is purely functional — this is to save her. She is at that stage of grief where she doesn’t quite know what to think or feel, and I think she expects to feel something different than she does. And the fact that she doesn’t feel it is a source of betrayal of her own self. It is not a very happy occasion."
Surely, this marriage will not stick though, as it is revealed that Jamie is alive at the end of Episode 11, so something will almost certainly happen to anull the union and send her back into the arms of the man she truly loves.
New episodes of Outlander Season 7, Part 2 continued every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Starz.
