Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Outlander Season 7 Episode 11.

Just when we thought Outlander couldn’t surprise us any more in its penultimate season, it got out the big guns. With Jamie (Sam Heughan) believed to be lost at sea after last week’s episode, several of our beloved characters have been thrown into a state of grief and chaos — though none, perhaps, more so than Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Lord John Grey (David Berry), who now find themselves in the very awkward position of having to marry each other. It’s the third time Claire has exchanged wedding vows with someone over the course of this show, but arguably the first instance that she’s done so while visibly numb to the whole proceeding.

“A Hundredweight of Stones,” written by Sarah H. Haught and directed by Lisa Clarke, is one of the best showcases of Balfe’s acting range in the back half of this season, as Claire navigates through the darkest nights of her very soul while forced into a marriage of inconvenience with someone who arguably loved her husband as much as she did. The camera moves back and forth between the newlyweds with unflinching closeness, as William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart) stands in witness to two people joining their houses in resigned sorrow. Seeing Jamie’s son at the moment when she nearly falters in her vows, it turns out, is what gives Claire the strength to finish them. John slides a gold ring on her finger, alongside Jamie’s, and it’s official: Claire is now Lady John Grey, even if she doesn’t waste any time before taking said ring off and crawling right back into bed.

Ian Has a Confession To Make in ‘Outlander’ Season 7 Episode 11
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She’s not the only one grieving Jamie’s loss, as Ian (John Bell) says a prayer for his uncle’s soul out in the woods with Rachel Hunter (Izzy Meikle-Small) and Rollo by his side. The two briefly ponder the potential of a life after this one — Quakers consider their time on earth to be a sacrament in itself, Rachel says, but not all of them necessarily believe in a heaven. It’s still a comfort for Ian to think of Jamie there, though, keeping his father (Steven Cree) company. Rachel remarks on how much Ian has lost over the course of his young life, but something’s got to give soon, right? Let’s cut these characters a break eventually.

On their walk back into town, Ian feels compelled to reveal more of his past to Rachel — including the fact that he was married before. Rachel’s less-than-thrilled to learn that said wife is still alive, but she’s at least willing to hear Ian out in terms of recounting what led to their separation. Once she has all of that past trauma spelled out for her, Rachel’s also willing to confess to her own love for Ian, initiating a kiss between them. Later, when Ian meets with Claire, revealing that he intends to leave with Rachel for Valley Forge, he admits that he isn’t sure if his aunt plans to go back through the stones to her own time. But Claire realizes that home, for her, is in the past now, as is the fight she needs to continue to see through for Jamie’s sake — as well as the rest of their family.

Roger Might Be Barking Up the Wrong Tree in ‘Outlander’ Season 7 Episode 11
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Meanwhile, back in 1739 Scotland, Roger (Richard Rankin) is beginning to think there’s a reason why he and Buck (Diarmuid Murtagh) were brought back to this time; maybe, in tracking down his own father, who may very well have disappeared through the stones rather than gone missing in action, the trail will also lead Roger to his son. He’s following every possible breadcrumb, including an old RAF jacket, but its new owner threatens Roger and Buck into leaving empty-handed. Buck rightly points out that finding Roger’s father may not actually lead them to Jeremiah, but Roger can’t shake the feeling that all of this is somehow connected — as if he was meant to find his father by winding up in the wrong time.

Still, it’s hard not to consider the possibility that this might all be a wild goose chase — and our worst fears are somewhat confirmed when, back in the ’80s at Lallybroch, Brianna (Sophie Skelton) finds herself facing off against none other than Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton). She quickly deduces that Rob had left Jeremiah’s scarf at the stones to trick Roger into going back into the past; their son has been right under their noses all along. But Jeremiah is proving less than helpful in giving Rob the answers he wants, so he’s here for Brianna, to ensure she gets her son to cooperate. They’ll fly to America, Rob will find the gold, and they can all go their separate ways. But Brianna doesn’t let it get that far, grabbing the nearest pot on the kitchen counter and knocking Rob out with it.

Related Is ‘Outlander’ Season 7, Part 2 Streaming? When Can You Watch Jamie and Claire’s Epic Return to Scotland The beloved pair is heading back to Lallybroch soon.

Claire Reaches a Breaking Point in ‘Outlander’ Season 7 Episode 11
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While Claire’s marriage to John could certainly be seen as impulsive, William is the first one to point out that it might also do damage to Lord Grey’s reputation, what with Claire being a heavily rumored rebel and all. He’s speaking from about as well-informed a place as he can — which is to say, not very informed at all, at least not about the truth pertaining to Jamie, or John’s true feelings for him, or the fact that he’s actually William’s real father. To give the kid some credit, he’s just trying to look out for John, and what’s more, he doesn’t understand why John owes Jamie so much after all these years. Protecting Jamie’s wife, as well as his son, with the power of his name and title seems to be the least that John can do at this point. But there’s only so much protection that John can offer when Claire is considering making a decision that she can’t come back from.

Alone in her room, Claire’s despair reaches such a low that she goes as far as to take a scalpel to her arm, intent on cutting herself deep enough to bleed out — thereby joining Jamie in death. But whose voice should she hear in her head but his, holding her back from the brink? Screaming in rage and grief, she reaches for the nearest bottle of strong liquor instead, to drown her sorrows. From the floor beneath, John sits before a chessboard in front of the fireplace, downing his own glasses of wine and trying not to consider the empty seat across from his own, one that Jamie himself would have occupied.

As Claire wails, John stumbles upstairs, letting himself into her room and joining her on the floor. A messy, somewhat violent thing that passes between them, with Claire lashing out at him and John taking her into his arms as they weep together. One thing leads to another, and when morning dawns, well… they’re both naked under the covers, feeling equally awkward about what transpired. John apologizes for being somewhat ungentlemanly over the pillow talk that plays out, but Claire points out that each of them had been picturing someone else the previous night. The conversation that plays out is sweet and understanding, and even if the event that preceded it is somewhat controversial, it feels like the two go their separate ways with a better, warmer understanding of each other from that point on. It also means that Claire is willing to call him out for putting his foot down about his nephew Henry’s (Harry Jarvis) desire to marry Mercy Woodcock (Gloria Obianyo) — yet, as John puts it, he’s only forbidden them to spare his nephew from imprisonment or worse, as their marriage would not be widely recognized by law.

William Learns the Truth in ‘Outlander’ Season 7 Episode 11
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This week, Claire’s role as the new Lady John Grey unfortunately involves having to put on a happy face and attend the fundraiser that her husband is hosting to benefit the Loyalists. At first, it seems as though Claire might put her foot down about showing up, despite John’s desperate insistence that they rely on each other to survive — thereby honoring Jamie’s memory in the process. But on the night of, Claire appears, wearing both the blue gown John picked out for her and his ring nestled on her finger next to Jamie’s. Over the course of the supper, she’s also put in a position to discover one major secret — Captain Richardson (Ben Lambert) might have threatened to arrest her as a rebel spy before, but that’s because he’s a double agent himself, outwardly a Redcoat while secretly feeding information to the patriots. Now, he wants to recruit Claire to spy on John and his Loyalist connections, but Claire refuses to go as far as to open her new family up to threats.

The next morning, as Claire and John review the new party invitations that have arrived in the mail, who should stride through the door but Jamie himself? Turns out it was a manifest error that had him listed on that ill-fated ship; the only thing on board just so happened to be Jamie’s luggage. Breaking up our favorite couple’s joyous reunion, however, is the fact that William is standing in the hallway — and has just overheard John referring to him as Jamie’s son. As if things couldn’t get more dramatic, several Redcoats are also in hot pursuit of Mr. Fraser, and closing in fast. With some quick (and admittedly reckless) thinking, Jamie puts a pistol to John’s head, pretending to hold him hostage to make his escape — and amidst all the madness that only Outlander can deliver, Claire can’t help but smile with sheer and utter happiness that her husband has just come back from the dead.

New episodes of Outlander Season 7 premiere Fridays on the Starz app and at 8 PM ET on Starz.

In Outlander Season 7 Episode 11, Claire and John try to adjust to a new normal, while Brianna receives shocking news.ProsDavid Berry and Caitriona Balfe are behind some of the episode’s best moments this week, and the two make for excellent scene partners.Brianna finally gets something to do!That ending was WILD. ConsCan it even be called a twist when the show brought Jamie back after just one episode?Roger’s voiceover was sorely missed this week.

Your changes have been saved 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 Cast Caitriona 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 Main Genre Sci-Fi Seasons 7 Studio Story By Ronald D. Moore Directors Metin Hüseyin , Jamie Payne Showrunner Matthew B. Roberts Expand

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