As Outlander Takes A Break Before Season 7’s Finale, I’m Flashing Back To The Scene So Violent The Stars Could Only Attempt It Twice

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In the second half of Season 7 of Outlander, scheduled from 2024 to 2025, there’s been an impressive build-up, but unfortunately, fans must wait an additional week to discover Claire’s destiny. The penultimate episode saw Claire getting shot, eliciting a powerful performance from Sam Heughan. It goes without saying that Jamie faces numerous challenges in the season finale, titled “A Hundred Thousand Angels.

However, I’m eagerly anticipating a specific moment between him and his son that has me reminiscing about Charles Vandervaart’s conversation with TopMob regarding a tense, violent scene including Caitriona Balfe. This scene came after William discovered Jamie’s truth, and apparently, only two attempts were made to film it. Couldn’t Claire’s cliffhanger possibly occupy the entire hour, wouldn’t you think?

Why Outlander Is Taking A Week Off Before The Finale

Starz is not airing a new episode on January 10 because a one-time special program is filling that time instead. Normally, Outlander would be on at this time, but on January 10, the Critics Choice Association’s 7th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television will be broadcast at 8 p.m. ET, taking the place of Outlander’s regular slot. The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards have been postponed due to wildfires in Los Angeles, but this event is still scheduled for January 10.

The final episode of Season 7 is set to broadcast a week from now, specifically on January 17th. Here’s a sneak peek at what we can anticipate, as provided by Starz in their episode summary:

1. Denzell needs to carry out a risky procedure, using abilities he’s honed under Claire’s tutelage. In his quest to rescue Jane, William seeks aid from an unforeseen ally.

or

2. Denzell has to execute a perilous task, having mastered it thanks to Claire. To save Jane, William turns to an unexpected figure for assistance in his endeavor.

It’s unfortunate that Claire must rely on treatments from the 18th century for her survival, but Denzell Hunter seems like her most promising chance for a modern-day miracle. Regarding William, I’m thrilled to hear there will be more of his storyline with Jane, as their dynamic intrigued me in the previous episode. Additionally, it would be delightful to see another scene featuring either William and Jamie or Lord John.

Reflecting on the situation brought back memories of my chat with Charles Vandervaart, our cast member portraying William, when we discussed his character’s intense response upon discovering that Jamie was his real father.

Charles Vandervaart’s Violent Scene

In Season 7B, one particularly tumultuous event unfolded when Jamie seemingly rose from the dead, surprising Claire and Lord John immensely. Unbeknownst to them, William uncovered this secret truth, which they had all worked hard to keep hidden from him. Shortly following Jamie’s violent retaliation against Lord John for his infidelity with Jamie’s wife, it became evident that William carries some of Jamie’s fiery temper, despite being raised by another man.

William became enraged after Claire verified the truth for him, leading to a fit of anger that could be politely called a tantrum but more accurately described as a rampage. He stormed through Lord John’s house, causing chaos by shattering vases, overturning furniture, smashing the chandelier, cracking a mirror, and even damaging a table, which held significant importance in the grand scheme of the episode compared to the other destruction.

In a fortunate turn of events, it was William who channeled his aggression towards inanimate objects instead of what Jamie inflicted upon Lord John. This likely allowed Sam Heughan and David Berry to record numerous fight scenes, unlike Charles Vandervaart who had to film multiple takes of his outburst throughout the house while Caitriona Balfe looked on. During my conversation with the actor regarding the “awful acts” William committed in Episode 12, I was curious to learn about the number of takes required to perfect that particular scene, and he shared:

Twice we shot that intense scene, and as I recall, the prop master cautioned me about an old table, suggesting I avoid a heavy kick. Frankly, I found myself questioning how I could express my character’s fury without causing damage. After all, it’s not like I was going to break everything around me, then gently tap this antique table. So I confessed, “I’m gonna kick it, and if it breaks, I apologize in advance.” He informed me that there was only one of them.

Neither of William’s parents were there when he caused chaos by destroying items around him as he exited the house, making it even more appealing for me to witness a heartfelt interaction between the three of them before Season 7 concludes. However, his destructive rampage ensued immediately after learning from Claire that not only was Jamie indeed his biological father, but Lord John had been aware of this all along. Given this sudden surge of anger, it’s no wonder William couldn’t contain himself in the heat of the moment! Vandervaart continued:

It was with neither parent present that William unleashed his wrath by wrecking everything he could reach upon leaving the house. My anticipation for Season 7 is heightened by the prospect of seeing a heartfelt reunion between the three of them before it ends. Yet, his fury erupted instantly after Claire informed him that Jamie was indeed his biological father, and Lord John had been aware of this fact all along. Consequently, in the heat of his anger, William could not hold back! Vandervaart further explained:

It seems the initial attempt they made was the only one possible, as the table was destroyed beyond repair after that. [laughs] Pieces were everywhere. However, they seemed to have saved it, given its age and lack of reinforcements like nails or screws. So theoretically, it could be put back together again, but let’s keep our fingers crossed. That’s what I was told. In total, there were only two takes, and after that, there wasn’t anything left to destroy, as everything had been destroyed already.

I revisited Episode 12’s specific scene on Hulu Plus (Starz subscription required) and it seems that Charles Vandervaart may have kicked the table hard enough to break it in the take used in the final edit. The camera moved away from the table swiftly, so we didn’t get to see what happened after the kick; however, I hope the prop team was able to fix the table for future use.

In summary, Vandervaart characterized the sequence as “not particularly enjoyable” from his character’s perspective, but he recalled it differently as an actor. He explained this by saying:

In actuality, it wasn’t a particularly delightful experience, but on the flip side, the scene was incredibly enjoyable and borderline one of the best I’ve ever encountered in my career. It felt like I was let loose in a destruction room where I could smash anything I desired as part of my job. Needless to say, it was fantastic! Although you can’t tell from the show, during breaks between takes, I couldn’t stop smiling. I thought to myself, ‘This is the best day of my life!’ After all, who doesn’t love the occasional chance to break things without facing any consequences? It was a unique opportunity that not many people get, especially considering the fact that in real life, we must always behave and can’t just destroy whatever we want.

Charles Vandervaart seemed to enjoy his role more than his character did within that particular episode! In essence, it appears that William’s anger has been channeled incorrectly, with instances such as breaking furniture, forcing a kiss on Rachel, and mistreating Jane during their initial meeting at the brothel.

As a die-hard film enthusiast, I can’t help but express my excitement about a potential scene in Outlander where William, Jamie, and Lord John engage in a heartfelt conversation, unraveling the complexities of their shared past. Given the nature of the Outlander men, such a dialogue would be as profound as it is rare. Unfortunately, with the series nearing its end, such a moment seems unlikely in the near future.

In simpler terms,

The final episode of the seventh season of “Outlander” will be broadcast on Friday, January 17th at 8 p.m., Eastern Time, on Starz. Although there will be an eighth season, it has been confirmed that this will be the last one. Filming for Season 8 wrapped up in September, but we don’t know yet when Starz plans to air it. For now, make sure you tune in on January 17th to find out how Claire manages to survive her gruesome predicament from the previous episode!

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2025-01-11 04:37