Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Outlander Season 7 Episode 12.This week's episode of Outlander breaks the show's typical formula in more ways than one, and not just because of who we don’t keep track of this time around. It might be for the best that we're not checking in with Roger (Richard Rankin) or Bree (Sophie Skelton), because there’s enough drama going down in Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire's (Caitriona Balfe) own timeline to fill way more than just a single episode. If there's anyone who steps into the spotlight this week, it's William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart), especially now that he's just overheard the shocking confirmation that Jamie is actually his birth father.
"Carnal Knowledge," written by Toni Graphia and directed by Lisa Clarke, ends up having a double meaning — in both the literal sense, through Lord John Grey's (David Berry) blurted-out confession to Jamie about his between-the-sheets encounter with Claire, and William's own awareness of the true circumstances behind his birth. It’s impossible for these characters to unknow anything they've learned, and well, some of them end up taking the news a little better than others.
William Is Spiraling After That Major Revelation in 'Outlander' Season 7 Episode 12
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In the wake of Jamie fleeing with John at mock gunpoint, a move designed to give him just enough time to stay one step ahead of the Redcoats, Claire is left behind at the Grey house with William, who is not handling the truth about actually being a Scotsman all that well. After questioning Claire about the exact circumstances of his conception — details she is only so qualified to answer, given that she wasn't physically present for the act and can only explain based on what Jamie shared with her — William reveals that the apple apparently doesn't fall far from the tree in terms of hot-bloodedness, smashing vases, mirrors, and at least one chandelier as he storms out of the house. It's the first of many things he'll do in a momentary swell of anger, and while it's nice to see Vandervaart finally get a chance to display some level of personality for William, this ain’t it, man.
After that initial property damage, William at least seems like he's making an attempt to walk off his feelings when his furious rantings — mostly just referring to himself as a "bastard" over and over — catch the attention of a brothel worker, Arabella (Silvia Presents) who happens to be standing on the sidewalk. When she invites William inside for a glass of wine and a chance to cool off, the situation doesn't go all that smoothly. William is a maelstrom of emotions at this point, and unpredictable to boot, knocking a glass of wine out of Arabella's hand when she attempts to put a hand on his shoulder and ultimately earning a bite from her in the tussle that follows. Suffice it to say, he hasn't made the best first impression, and departs from the room with his metaphorical tail tucked between his legs.
The next day doesn’t dawn any easier, if only because William is already feeling sour about everything and everyone around him — and then gets the news broken to him that Ian (John Bell) and Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small) intend to get married as soon as they can find someone to officiate the ceremony. It's the cherry on top of a terrible sundae for William, who punches Ian in the face seemingly out of nowhere and then incites further retaliation when he confronts Ian about whether he knew the truth about Jamie. Ian, who believes anyone would be lucky to call his uncle their father, doesn't take much convincing to throw a punch of his own in Jamie's defense. Soon, the two are squaring off and trading blows, but when Redcoats intervene, William orders them to apprehend Ian — a cowardly choice that earns him a slap across the face from none other than Rachel, as she scolds him for forcing her to break her vow of non-violence as a Quaker. At least later on, William's reluctantly willing to use his power of authority to have Ian set free from custody, but it's a gesture that Rachel isn't willing to acknowledge as she fixes William with a steely expression.
Later that night, William's back in the brothel he fled from only hours before, as Captain Harkness (Adam Jackson-Smith) and his men hold court in the sitting room, boasting openly — and disgustingly — about their own bedroom proclivities. Sensing that Harkness's intentions would amount to the equivalent of assault if he gets his hands on Arabella, William coughs up his own silver gorget to pay for a night with her before Harkness can stake his claim. Judging by the look on the captain's face, though, my guess is this threat might be lingering beyond this week's episode. Once in the room, William insists he only has gentlemanly intentions — and his vow is to let his company sleep — but Arabella, who reveals her real name to be Jane, takes matters into her own hands by inviting William into bed with her and then initiating sex between them, despite his protestations. Of all the weeks for William to have his first time, this one feels especially heavy.
Jamie and Claire's Reunion Is Complicated in 'Outlander' Season 7 Episode 12
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Meanwhile, Jamie has his hands full — he's got John as his pretend hostage, and the two men make it all the way out to the woods on horseback before the truth comes out (and the episode title gets dropped). At first, it seems like Jamie might be reacting well to the reveal that his wife and his longtime friend slept together, having believed him to be dead at the time, but when John explicitly states that both he and Claire were imagining Jamie the whole time, it results in Jamie delivering the first punch of the episode. As they say in Outlander, John gets a strong thrashing by the time the opening credits finish, and has definitely looked better when he and Jamie's fight is broken up by a group of patrolling rebels. Jamie, likely still feeling sour about John and Claire's entanglement, is more than happy to turn John over into their custody under the assumption he'll merely be kept as a prisoner — but there's a complication that emerges.
More on that later, though; Jamie not only has a delightful moment when he and Ian cross paths while the latter is in the custody of Redcoats, but he also gets a new job courtesy of George Washington (Gary Fannin) himself! Turns out the general is very impressed by Jamie's efforts for the rebellion, so he offers Colonel Fraser his very own battalion to command, with an accompanying promotion to Brigadier General (provided Congress approves). After that, Jamie moves to put the smackdown on William for retaliating against Ian, and threatens to blackmail his son by revealing his true origins to his fellow officers if he doesn't set his nephew free. Probably not the best start to these two attempting to have a genuine relationship, but their conversation pales in comparison to the one that Jamie needs to have with Claire as soon as he circles back to the Grey house.
The scene that unfolds feels almost like the equivalent of a play, 10 uninterrupted minutes between husband and wife as they move throughout the house — first upstairs to Claire's room, where Jamie asks to hear all the dirty details about what happened between her and John that night, and then back down to the sitting room, where Jamie confesses to the jealousy he'll always have where his wife is concerned. It’s not an easy conversation, and Jamie steps in it a few times while trying to understand why Claire and John may have reached for each other in his absence, but it’s a testament to Heughan and Balfe’s strengths with these characters that they can make this critical scene as compelling, heartbreaking, and romantic as it ultimately ends up becoming. It’s no wonder, then, that by the end of it all, Claire and Jamie just want to make up in the best way they know how: by making love on top of the dining room table.
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John Makes a Great Escape in 'Outlander' Season 7 Episode 12
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Remember when Jamie delivered John into the hands of the rebels? It was probably meant as a form of light retaliation, what with Jamie still feeling salty about John sleeping with Claire and all, but what neither of them is aware of in the moment is exactly what John has in his jacket pocket: a letter from the British army, reinstating his military commission. With all the chaos around Jamie's surprise return, John hadn't had time to read all of his mail that day. It looks pretty bad for him when the rebels go through his pockets and read a commission he hasn't even had time to consider, much less accept. More damning is the fact that John is also related to a General Grey who carried out a pretty big massacre on behalf of the Loyalists.
With all the evidence stacked against him, it becomes increasingly clear that John is worth more dead than alive, but he ends up finding unexpected help when he's brought to the rebels' camp. Denzell Hunter (Joey Phillips), Rachel's brother, is currently serving as the camp's doctor, and not only tends to John's injuries from the beating Jamie gave him — chief among them a pretty messed-up eye — butalso smuggles John a knife that he can use to cut through his own bindings and escape in the middle of the night. It's this escape that gets interspersed with Jamie and Claire's, ahem, vigorous reunion, as John slips into the woods with his captors hot on his heels — and all we hear is a gunshot before the episode cuts to black.
New episodes of Outlander Season 7 premiere Fridays on the Starz app and at 8 PM ET on Starz.
Outlander Season 7 Episode 12 sees William spiraling after discovering his true parentage, while Jamie and Claire have it out and John ends up in the company of the enemy.
Pros
Jamie and Claire's reunion scene, and tough conversation about John, is a masterclass from Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, and honestly makes the entire episode better.
Charles Vandervaart finally gets to deliver a bigger performance as William, but oof, my guy.
This episode is the best showcase for how a Lord John Grey spin-off could work.
Move over, Black Jack; this week may just be setting up a new villain in Captain Harkness.
Claire Beauchamp Randall, a nurse in World War II, mysteriously goes back in time to Scotland in 1743. There, she meets a dashing Highland warrior and gets drawn into an epic rebellion.
Release Date August 9, 2014
CastCaitriona Balfe , Sam Heughan , Sophie Skelton , Richard Rankin , John Bell , Duncan Lacroix , Tobias Menzies , César Domboy , Caitlin O'Ryan , Lauren Lyle , Grant O'Rourke , Graham McTavish , Paul Gorman , Charles Vandervaart , Stephen Walters , David Berry , Sarah Collier
Image via Starz
Image via Starz 
Image via Starz 
Image via Starz 
English (US) ·