Is This Character in Outlander Actually Jane & Fanny’s Mother?

Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of miscarriage and infant loss.

Warning! Spoilers for the Outlander Season 7, Episode 16 ahead! In a dramatic conclusion to Outlander Season 7, viewers were left stunned as Claire surmised that the mother of Jane and Fanny Pocock may be a character from earlier in the series. This revelation marks a significant departure from Diana Gabaldon’s original novels. The uncertainty surrounding Claire’s suspicions creates an intriguing cliffhanger, leaving fans to ponder the truth behind Faith Pocock’s lineage and connection to Claire.

Season 7, Episode 16 opens with Claire recuperating from her injuries sustained during the Battle of Monmouth. In a dream sequence, she encounters Master Raymond, who asks for her forgiveness for reasons yet to be revealed. As the episode progresses, Claire hears little Fanny Pocock singing “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside,”which sparks her wild theories about her past.

Claire Suspects Jane & Fanny’s Mother Is Her Daughter Faith

Intuition Backed by Subtle Clues

Sam Heughan in Outlander Season 7 Episode 16

Faith, Jane, and Fanny's mother in Outlander

Caitriona Balfe as Claire in Outlander Season 7 Episode 16

Claire’s heartbreaking experience of losing her daughter Faith to stillbirth in France during Season 2 has left an indelible mark on her life. Alongside the trauma of grief, she faced near-fatal complications after giving birth. Claire’s resilience, aided by Master Raymond, allowed her to survive physically, though emotionally, a part of her remains tethered to that loss. Claire cherished the fleeting moments with her daughter, singing to her and memorizing every detail of Faith’s tiny face before the tragic burial at L’Hôpital des Anges. The narrative has consistently reinforced Faith’s death.

In Season 2, Episode 7, “Faith,”the emotional toll of that loss is poignantly depicted. However, recent events have led Claire to believe that her daughter has miraculously survived. Fanny recently disclosed that she learned the seaside song from her mother, who also bears the name Faith. This revelation, combined with Master Raymond’s cryptic apology, has prompted Claire to propose a shocking theory: if true, this would make Jane and Fanny the grandchildren of Jamie and Claire. Yet, the irrefutable nature of Faith’s death raises profound questions about the plausibility of this assertion.

Hints of Resurrection in Outlander

The Unique Power of Master Raymond

Master Raymond with a potion bottle in Outlander

Previously, Outlander has subtly suggested that Master Raymond possesses nearly boundless healing capabilities through the blue light he wields. His immortality hints at a unique relationship with this healing sorcery, and Claire, too, shares this blue aura. Notably, Native American healer Nayawenne predicted that Claire, upon reaching a certain age, would unlock her full potential, specifically mentioning the ability to stave off death. Consequently, the series has set the stage for possible resurrection—something Master Raymond may have mastered long before Claire’s awakening.

Yet the ambiguity remains: if Master Raymond can resurrect the dead, why hasn’t he returned Faith to her parents? This question is poised to unfold in the forthcoming Season 8, with the landscape of Gabaldon’s books taking a back seat. The possibility of exploring Master Raymond’s motivations and the details surrounding Faith’s perceived resurrection is highly anticipated.

Diana Gabaldon’s Considerations on Faith’s Fate

Inspired Yet Diverging from the Source Material

Within the books, the notion of Faith’s revival has been largely dismissed. Although Claire briefly considered the possibility that her daughter might have lived, no tangible evidence arises to support such a claim. Notably, the song mentioned was never included in the earlier publications, and Master Raymond does not invade Claire’s dreams. However, in an intriguing revelation, Gabaldon admitted to contemplating the scenario of Faith’s revival, although she ultimately decided against it:

“They actually did get the (general) idea from me, though. When chatting with [showrunner] Matt [Roberts] about All Things plot wise, I mentioned that if I had written a second graphic novel (I didn’t, for assorted reasons), I would have shown what actually happened after Faith’s presumed death at the Hopital des Anges, and how/why Master Raymond resuscitated and nurtured the baby secretly, but wasn’t able to come back with her before Claire and Jamie left France. So, they liked that idea and ran with it.”

As Outlander prepares for Season 8, it becomes clear that the series will take a distinct path, diverging further from Gabaldon’s original works. Nonetheless, the author’s admission suggests that Claire’s theory could very well prove to be accurate. Gabaldon did not hint at a scenario in which Claire learns of Faith’s continued existence only to be disillusioned. Rather, her potential outline conveys a story where Master Raymond had his reasons for withholding Faith from her family. This tantalizing prospect leaves ample room for speculation regarding the true identity of Faith Pocock and her connection to Jamie and Claire.

Source & Images