Warning: Spoilers for Outlander season 7, episode 9 ahead!
Outlander season 7 sees the return of Laoghaire as her history with Jamie Fraser comes to light. This character was first introduced in Outlander first season, when she became a huge pain for Jamie and Claire. Since then, they have hardly been able to get rid of Laoghaire, which, for better or worse, has left a huge impact on history in Outlander, even off-screen. Laoghaire has been absent since season 4, but the big return to Scotland in Outlander season 7 part 2 meant it was finally time for Jamie to work things out with her for good.
After returning to Lallybroch in Outlander season 7, episode 9, Jamie tells Claire he wants to visit Laoghaire to discuss his past problems. He did his best to atone for his mistakes, and Claire was kind enough to leave her anger toward Laoghaire behind so her husband could mend his guilty conscience. During Jamie and Laoghaire’s subsequent conversation, they mentioned almost every phase of their Outlander story together, making an update all the more necessary.
Jamie was publicly beaten by Laoghaire when she was a teenager
Jamie allowed Laoghaire to believe he was hers
Laoghaire was first introduced in Outlander Season 1, when she was supposed to be publicly beaten at Castle Leoch at her father’s request. This was standard procedure and was intended to humiliate young people who got into trouble rather than actually hurt them. However, it was precisely for this reason that Jamie volunteered to take the beating for Laoghaire. He had already been flogged twice before and understood that public shame was what really stuck with a person. He spared Laoghaire this in Outlanderwhich marked the beginning of his crush on Jamie.
Laoghaire already had a crush on Jamie, but the fact that he took a beating for her confirmed in his mind that he felt the same in return. Jamie didn’t help much by kissing Laoghaire later – that was all, but in the young girl’s mind, it made Jamie as good as her own. Laoghaire sought Claire’s help, creating a love spell for Jamie to seal the deal, and Claire good-naturedly pretended to do something together. However, when Claire later married Jamie to keep herself out of Jonathan Randall’s hands, Laoghaire took it as a personal slight.
Laoghaire believed that Jamie was forced to marry Claire against his will
Laoghaire did her best to get Claire out of the way
In Outlander In the first season, Claire and Jamie had no choice but to get married, as it was the only thing that would stop Black Jack Randall from taking Claire. Although this was done out of necessity, the two had already begun to fall in love. Jamie later admitted that he fell in love with Claire soon after they met, and Claire’s attraction to Jamie was impossible for her to ignore. Their marriage solidified things, and by the time the two returned to Castle Leoch, they were husband and wife, both legally and emotionally.. Of course, not everyone was happy with this deal.
Laoghaire seemed to have convinced herself that she was doing Jamie a favor when she began her wiles and manipulations to get Claire arrested and tried as a witch.
When Laoghaire learned that Jamie had married Claire, she was devastated. She thought her crush had fallen victim to Claire’s witchcraft and that he had been forced into a loveless marriage against his will. Laoghaire seemed to have convinced herself that she was doing Jamie a favor when she began her wiles and manipulations to get Claire arrested and tried as a witch. Of course, this all caught up with Laoghaire in the end. Claire managed to escape execution and she and Jamie left Leoch. The Frasers did not see Laighaire again for many years after thatalthough the girl remained steadfast in her”love.”
Jamie married Laoghaire after the battle of Culloden (but the marriage was annulled)
Jamie again made Laoghaire’s crush even worse
Years after Laoghaire almost killed Claire, Jamie once again made the girl’s crush on him even worse. This was after Claire returned to the 20th century, believing that Jamie would not survive the Battle of Culloden. Of course, Jamie didn’t expect to survive either, and the life he returned to was one of loneliness and depression. Hoping to improve his brother’s prospects OutlanderJenny Murray encouraged Jamie to marry Laoghaire, who was a widower with two children. Jamie finally agreed and although he became close to Marsali and Joan his relationship with Laoghaire was never exactly that of husband and wife.
After Claire returned to the 18th century, Jamie’s marriage to Laoghaire was annulled, as he would technically already be married when he married a second time. However, after Laoghaire turned up in Lallybroch and shot Jamie in the arm, it was decided that she would receive child support. This continued when Jamie and Claire moved to the Americas (with Laoghaire’s daughter Marsali). However, if Laoghaire remarried, Jamie’s payments would endwhich is where Outlander season 7, episode 9 arrives.
Jamie and Laoghaire leave their story behind in Outlander season 7
They reached a mutually beneficial agreement
When Jamie returned to Scotland in Outlander Season 7, Episode 9, he wanted to pay Laoghaire a visit to put all his complicated history behind him. Over the years, he has acknowledged the role he played in Laoghaire’s grief. Jamie had deceived her when she was a girl because of his own complicated feelings for Claire and married Laoghaire at a time when he really had no heart to give her. Jamie was never completely honest with the girl and hoped to patch things up during his visit. Of course, Laoghaire wasn’t too interested in hearing this. It wasn’t until Joan asked Jamie for help that things really worked out.
Instead of getting married, little Joanie decided to become a nun. However, she explained in Outlander Season 7 that she couldn’t begin this process while her mother lived in sin. Laoghaire began a love affair with her farmhand, but could not marry him because there was no way to keep her household running and financially support her daughters without Jamie’s child support. At Joana’s request, Jamie agreed to transfer ownership of Laoghaire (which Jamie technically owned) into her name. He would also pay the woman a lump sum to ensure her and Joanie’s financial security. All Laoghaire had to do was legally marry her lover.
There were a series of bad decisions on everyone’s part, but this agreement ensured that everyone could move forward happily and stay out of each other’s way.
Laoghaire agreed to Outlander Season 7, and although the relationship here is still strained, it was a sign that all the problems between her and Jamie (and Claire, of course) were coming to an end.. There were a series of bad decisions on everyone’s part, but this agreement ensured that everyone could move forward happily and stay out of each other’s way. It’s difficult to say whether Laoghaire will appear again in feature film seasons Outlanderbut as it stands, the overall story has come to a happy ending – sort of.