Outlander holds nothing back and in the season five finale they really brought their ‘A’ game when showing Claire’s disassociation while being brutalized and raped. Claire escapes inside her mind and conjures everything that would bring her comfort. In doing so Outlander gave us a dazzling array of Easter Eggs. Here are the ones I caught:
1. The Rabbit
For some the rabbit is a is a hard Easter Egg to recognize and for others it was quite literally one of the easiest because, well, it really stuck out; just as it did in The Battle Joined when Jamie was seeing a rabbit while lying on the Culloden battlefield. Then Jamie saw the rabbit right before he saw Claire coming towards him. Somehow the rabbit is a representation of Jamie and Claire. This also ties into Down the Rabbit Hole when Brianna goes through the standing stones into the past. Also, Brianna has a toy rabbit at some point but I can’t remember when we saw that.
2. The Orange
The orange is easily overlooked. I nearly missed it while hunting for all the Easter Eggs. Back in the second season episode Faith, Claire is grieving the loss of their daughter Faith. To make matters worse, Jamie is in the Bastille after being arrested for dueling with Black Jack Randall, damn his eyes. To extract him from the Bastille, Claire must plead her case to King Louis XV of France. Claire is then swept up into a trial where Sandringham and Master Raymond are being accused of witchcraft. She believes this is the price for Jamie’s freedom, but in the end, Louis asks a higher price. Claire let’s Louis have his way with her to ensure Jamie’s freedom. On her way out, she takes one of his oranges.
3. Claire’s Red Dress
Of course, the famous red dress. This one was hard and took me a moment. I don’t tend to think like this. I’m more literal so it wasn’t really until people were talking about her having a red dress on and then associating it with the red dress from Not In Scotland Anymore that it kind of sank in. Duh. So this red dress in Never My Love is referencing that famous red dress.
4. The Dragonfly
Germain is playing with a dragonfly toy which not only is part of the title of the second Outlander book but the very last episode of the second season, Dragonfly in Amber. It also references the dragonfly in amber that Hugo Munro gave to Claire in the episode Both Sides Now in the first season.
5. The Blue Vase
Literally the first thing we ever see in Outlander is Claire peering at a blue vase she wants to purchase for her home with Frank. The blue vase represents home for Claire because before her life was nomadic. Uncle Lamb was a historian and archeologist and they were often on dig sites throughout her childhood. Then England was thrust into World War II. At the very beginning of the show, Claire wants someplace to put down roots and for her buying a vase is a representation of building a life somewhere.
6. The House Painting
Claire sits on the couch taking in the painting of ‘The Big House.’ This is the house Jamie built for her and is a place of safety and love. Claire appears to be conjuring all the things that represent her life with Jamie or a feeling of home.
7. The Actual House
As Claire retreats into her mind, she conjures a place of safety for herself and her family. We see many shots of the inside of the house and it becomes clear this is the house on on the magazine with the article ‘Four Outstanding Family Houses.’ The magazine also references North Carolina meaning Claire has put her mind house in North Carolina just like Frasers Ridge.
8. The Song
The song. Of course. Claire plays the actual song the title of the episode is named after.
”You ask me if there’ll come a time
When I grow tired of you
Never my love
Never my loveYou wonder if this heart of mine
Will lose its desire for you
Never my love
Never my loveWhat makes you think love will end
When you know that my whole life depends
On you (on you)Never my love
Never my loveYou say you fear I’ll change my mind
And I won’t require you
Never my love
Never my loveHow can you think love will end
When I’ve asked you to spend your whole life
With me (with me, with me)”
9. Ian’s Uniform
Ian and his uniform seem to be a couple of Easter Eggs though I counted them as one. Ian being a military man seems to reference Ian being away a lot. He’s made it home for Thanksgiving. However, while much of Ian’s uniform is pretty accurate he has a patch on his arm that shows a silhouette of a Native American which is a clear reference to Ian’s time with the Mohawk.
10. Jamie’s Cloths
I remember thinking the choice of Jamie’s clothing odd. This is why I watch things twice. Jamie’s clothing is what he wore much of the time before Culloden. Jamie is a representation of himself before they were torn apart all those years ago. It seems Claire is creating the perfect life with her love.
11. Quote: “You’re shaking so hard…”
Back at the very beginning of their combined history, Jamie told Claire, “You’re shaking so hard, it’s making my teeth rattle.” He says this to her again in this episode referencing the man she first fell in love with so long ago, again before Culloden.
12. Jocasta & Murtagh
Is Jocasta and Murtagh two Easter Eggs? Jocasta appears to have her sight and Murtagh is alive. This is, after all, Claire’s perfect world.
13. The Plaid Blanket
Jamie’s plaid is something we see a lot of in this series but this moment specifically calls back to Jamie wrapping his plaid around Claire back when the two first met.
14. Claire’s Hair
Claire’s hairstyle is one she’s sported before when we see her in the 1960s with Brianna and Roger. Claire seems to be calling back to that.
15. Blood of My Blood…
Jamie’s Thanksgiving toast to Claire is “blood of my blood, bone of my bone.” This is the iconic line from The Wedding and was part of their vows. They have also said it to one another on many occasions.
16. Fergus’s Hand
Fergus has a hand! In Claire’s dream family, Fergus never lost his hand which I find sweet and loving. Sometimes I wonder how motherly Claire is towards Fergus but in this moment a mother’s perfect dream of him is to have both hands and love.
16. That’s all I’ve got. Some have more. And those over at OutlanderCast have a lot more like the wallpaper and a car accident (I didn’t think of that), to a whole bunch of lines and moments I just didn’t think to jot down.
