Laoghaire & Jamie's Fully History Explained

Laoghaire returns in Outlander season 7, bringing her past with Jamie Fraser to the fore. When this character initially appeared in Outlander season 1, she was a major annoyance to Jamie and Claire. Since then, they have barely been able to get rid of Laoghaire, who has had a significant influence on Outlander's plot, both positively and negatively, even when he is not on screen. After her significant return to Scotland in Outlander season 7, part 2, Jamie finally had the chance to make amends with Laoghaire, who had been gone since season 4.

In Outlander season 7, episode 9, Jamie informs Claire that he wants to go to Laoghaire to talk about their old problems after returning to Lallybroch. He made an effort to atone for his transgressions, and Claire was kind enough to set aside her resentment of Laoghaire so that her husband might atone for his transgressions. In the chat that followed, Jamie and Laoghaire talked about almost every phase of their Outlander history together, which made a refresher even more important.

Jamie publicly reprimanded Laoghaire during her teenage years

When Laoghaire was initially presented in Outlander season 1, her father had requested that she be publicly beaten at Castle Leoch. This was regular practice and was not intended to cause actual harm to young people who got into trouble, but rather to humiliate them. But it was for this very reason that Jamie offered to face the brunt of the abuse for Laoghaire. Having been flogged twice previously, he realized that the public humiliation was what truly stayed with a person. In Outlander, when she first fell in love with Jamie, he spared Laoghaire from this.

Laoghaire already harbored feelings for Jamie, but his willingness to beat her up proved to her that he reciprocated. Later, Jamie kissed Laoghaire, which didn't help much, but the young girl thought that made Jamie as good as her. That was the extent of their relationship. Claire kindly feigned to put something together when Laoghaire asked her for assistance in crafting a love spell for Jamie to complete the contract. Laoghaire, however, took it personally when Claire later wed Jamie in order to avoid Jonathan Randall's control.

Laoghaire said Jamie was compelled against his will to wed Claire

Since marriage is the only thing that would prevent Black Jack Randall from stealing Claire in Outlander season 1, Claire and Jamie were forced to get married. The two had already started to fall in love, even though this was a necessity. Claire couldn't help but be attracted to Jamie, and Jamie subsequently acknowledged that he fell in love with her soon after they first met. By the time they returned to Castle Leoch, their marriage had been firmly established, and they were legally and emotionally wed. Of course, this agreement did not satisfy everyone.

Laoghaire was horrified to hear that Jamie had wed Claire. She believed that her infatuation had been coerced into a loveless marriage against his will by Claire's own witchcraft. Laoghaire apparently persuaded herself that she was helping Jamie when she started using her cunning and manipulation to get Claire arrested and put on trial for witchcraft. This ultimately bit Laoghaire in the butt, of course. Claire and Jamie departed Leoch after Claire escaped execution. After then, Laighaire was not seen by the Frasers for many years, but she persisted in her "love."

Following the Battle of Culloden, Jamie wed Laoghaire, but their union was dissolved

Years after Laoghaire almost killed Claire, Jamie exacerbated the girl's obsession with him once more. Claire thought Jamie wouldn't make it through the Battle of Culloden, so she reverted to the 20th century. Naturally, Jamie didn't anticipate living either, and his new life was one of isolation and despair. Jenny Murray from Outlander urged Jamie to wed Laoghaire, a widow with two kids, in the hopes of bettering her brother's chances. In the end, Jamie consented, and although he became close to Marsali and Joan, he and Laoghaire never had a husband-wife relationship.

Since Jamie would have technically been married when he married a second time, his marriage to Laoghaire was dissolved after Claire returned to the 18th century. But it was agreed that Laoghaire would get alimony after she arrived at Lallybroch and shot Jamie in the arm. As Jamie and Claire (along with Laoghaire's daughter, Marsali) relocated to the Americas, this continued. But Jamie's payments would stop if Laoghaire ever got married again, which is where Outlander season 7, episode 9 comes in.

Season 7 of Outlander saw Jamie and Laoghaire get past their past

In order to move past their troubled past, Jamie intended to meet Laoghaire when he returned to Scotland in Outlander season 7, episode 9. He had come to acknowledge his role in Laoghaire's suffering over the years. Jamie had married Laoghaire when he truly didn't have the heart to give her, and he had lead her on when she was a girl because of his own complex feelings for Claire. Jamie wanted to make amends with the girl on his visit because he had never been totally honest with her. Naturally, Laoghaire had no interest in listening to it. Things didn't really work out until Joan sought Jamie for assistance.

Little Joanie chose to become a nun instead of marrying. In Outlander season 7, she clarified, however, that she was unable to start this process while her mother was still living in sin. Laoghaire had fallen in love with her farmhand, but she was unable to marry him since she needed Jamie's alimony to maintain her home and provide for her girls. Jamie consented to give Joan ownership of Laoghaire's property, which he technically owned, at her request. In order to guarantee the woman's and Joanie's financial stability, he would also give her a lump sum payment. Laoghaire only needed to legally wed her sweetheart.

Even if their relationship is still tight, Laoghaire's agreement in Outlander season 7 marked the end of all the conflict between her and Jamie (and Claire, of course). Although everyone had made a number of poor choices, this arrangement made sure that everyone could go on and avoid each other. Although it's unclear if Laoghaire will reappear in Outlander's subsequent seasons, the main plot has, for the time being, come to a joyful end—more or less.