Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Outlander season 6, episode 1.
Claire and Jamie’s love scene in the Claire and Jamie’s sex scene in Outlander season 6, episode 1 seems to confirm that the couple is as united as ever.
Outlander’s Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is a World War II nurse, transported to 1743 through magical stones while on holiday with her husband, Frank, in 1945. Arriving in the 18th century, Claire meets Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and the pair are drawn together, marry, and begin a heated romance. Though Claire returns to her time to protect the couple’s unborn child, she travels back through the stones to reunite with Jamie after raising their daughter Brianna. Brianna and her boyfriend Roger travel through the stones as well in Outlander season 4, and the family settles in North Carolina, on a large acreage they christen Fraser’s Ridge.
Though Claire has survived her fair share of obstacles throughout the series, season 5 brings the worst, with a neighboring clan kidnapping Claire in the season finale and brutalizing her in body and spirit. Claire is rescued by Jamie and other of the settlement and returned to Fraser’s Ridge. Considering this, Outlander season 6’s love scene speaks to Claire’s resilience and fortitude as a survivor but also projects the unbreakable nature of Claire and Jamie’s bond.
This is not the first time this type of brutal attack has been seen in Outlander. Season 1’s storyline involving Jamie and Black Jack Randall saw Jamie traumatized in unspeakable ways, however, his recovery involved alienating Claire, with the pair’s intimacy long avoided. In an interesting reversal of that, Claire’s recovery in Outlander season 6 seems furthered by the couple’s physical union, with her initiating intimacy immediately following the attack in Outlander season 5.
This is a clear example of how distinguishes itself in its portrayal of sex. In 2016, showrunner Ronald D. Moore explained (via Variety) that, in Outlander, every sex scene leads to story and character—it furthers the narrative by asking “why are we going to do this? What’s the story reason? What’s the character reason?” In the case of Claire and Jamie’s sex scene in Outlander season 6, episode 1, the scene is notably gentle between Jamie and Claire—in stark contrast to the events of the season 5 finale—and, most importantly, Claire initiates it. These elements reestablish her safety with Jamie and her trust in their relationship.
Claire and Jamie’s sex scene in Outlander season 6 is a testament to the couple’s connection and a return to the ion of previous seasons, however, Claire’s recovery is likely far from over. season 6 has already shown Claire’s character’s underlying struggle, evidenced by her sleep issues and her newly-formed reliance on ether. So, while Claire and Jamie’s sex scene signals the survival of the bond that Outlander was built upon, Claire’s journey to peace will likely be a long road.
New episodes of Outlander air Sundays on Starz.