Devotees of the historical fantasy drama Outlander have identified a significant plot inconsistency.
The seventh series of the Starz programme saw Claire Fraser, portrayed by Caitriona Balfe, walking down the aisle for the third time.
On this occasion, her rushed wedding was to Lord John Grey, played by David Berry, following the apparent tragic demise of her husband Jamie Fraser, enacted by Sam Heughan, on his return journey from Scotland to the New World.
With Jamie no longer able to protect her, Claire found herself facing execution over allegations of espionage for the Continental Army.
A heartbroken Claire agreed to Lord John’s marriage proposal, with the couple swiftly exchanging vows in Philadelphia, reports the Express.
The official Outlander Instagram account recently shared a snippet from each of Claire’s three weddings, captioned: “Three husbands for Claire was NOT on my bingo card. #Outlander.”
Fans were quick to point out a crucial plot hole in the comments section.
One viewer noted: “The woman who read palms spoke of 2 marriages for Claire,” to which the Outlander account humorously replied: “Mrs. Graham is SHOOK.”
Another fan remarked: “And “forked” for what was yet to come.”
A third added: “I think it’s because Jamie and Lord John are in the same time so since Jamie was still alive, Claire’s “marriage” to LJ didn’t actually count as a legally (or spiritually) binding marriage. I did think that was comical though poor Mrs. Graham [sic].”
The reference was to the first episode where Claire had her palm read and Mrs Graham (Tracey Wilkinson) noted that her marriage line forked in two directions, indicating two future weddings.
However, this didn’t account for Claire’s third marriage to Lord John, with one viewer querying: “I’m on S6 , what 3rd husband? Lord John? [sic].”
Another viewer humorously referred to her as: “My favorite bigamist [sic].”
Other fans picked up on another significant detail in the wedding scenes. One commented: “Don’t get me wrong…Claire and Jamie is my favorite, but this just further kills me the way she treated Frank the only wedding she was truly happy for [sic].”
Another viewer noted: “And ironically she didn’t look happy except at Fronk’s wedding [sic].”
A third fan expressed their love for her marriage to Jamie: “That scene when they meet outside the church is one of my very favourites for so many reasons.
“The look on his face when he sees his bride, the words he says when he greets her, the way he embraces her hand when he tells her his full name – all so beautifully done [sic].”
Another observer noted: “Different woman in every marriage,a young girl with Frank …an strong ,fierce with Jamie a perfect match of course and finally a grieving widow completely lost an rather delusional with Lord Jonh Grey…Claire was really lucky [sic].”
In a similar vein to her rushed marriage to Lord John, Claire was regrettably forced into matrimony with Jamie as he provided her with protection through their union, with the pair only falling in love later on.
On the other hand, Claire and Frank Randall’s (Tobias Menzies) nuptials were a cause for celebration following a traditional courtship and proposal.
Despite this, Jamie and Claire’s romantic tale would become legendary as the couple weathered both war and a two-decade separation.
Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now