For several seasons now, Outlander has looked quite different from the TV show's beginning, but the first three episodes of season 7, part 2 still have a few tricks. For audiences who have stuck with Outlander from the start, the slow transformation into a family-oriented series has had its ups and downs. However, the second half of this extra-long season delivers some of the action that the series needs. While Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire and Jamie Fraser will always be the show's beating heart, there's plenty to explore with the other characters.

Already, Outlander has answered questions leading into season 8, with Roger (Richard Rankin) and Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) heading back in time, Jamie and Claire arriving back at Lallybroch, and the Revolutionary War marching on whether the characters like it or not. Questions of fatherhood and what a parent owes to their child are large overarching themes in the first three episodes of the season. The men are grappling with their scattered children and are ready to own up to their responsibilities as caretakers and providers, even if they usually leave the continent soon after.

Outlander Sets Itself Up For A Fast-Paced Lead-Up To Season 8

The Series Knows It Has A Lot Of Ground To Cover & Wastes No Time Getting Started

The first episode, "Unfinished Business," does exactly what the name suggests, as the story immediately starts tying up its loose ends. Many promised character returns in Outlander season 7 occur almost immediately, allowing Jamie, Claire, and their extended family to settle affairs and grapple with unanswered questions in time to let the series move on from unfinished storylines and propel the story forward. While this will be good for Outlander in the long run, it ultimately presents the central issue the rest of seasons 7 and 8 will face.

There is so much story left to adapt from the books that Outlander must move quickly or risk leaving characters underdeveloped and forgotten about. So far, Outlander has successfully balanced the references to past seasons and the nostalgia factor well, as even when figures from the past appear, the show doesn't linger on them for too long. This is necessary if Outlander is going to keep pace with the source material. Conversely, it does mean that the reappearance of characters from the past feels more like checking off a box rather than a satisfying farewell to their arc.

Claire and Jamie remain the most compelling characters in the show, and this is one way that Outlander will never change.

As usual, the performances are solid, if slightly melodramatic at times, with the Fraser family taking center stage. However, Sophie Skelton is virtually nowhere to be found throughout the first three episodes of the season. This is hardly a complaint, though, as Skelton's portrayal of Brianna has long been a source of contention for the series. Despite this, there are hints that Bree will be getting a quest of her own as the narrative progresses since Outlander isn't taking the predictable route with any of the characters' storylines. The series' ability to still surprise us is irable.

So far, Ian (John Bell) and Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small) show the most promise for ionate tension and romance in the season. However, Claire and Jamie still find plenty of opportunities to be tortured over their destined romance, even though it seems Outlander will continue its trend of keeping their relationship on the sexless side. Balfe and Heughan each get moments to showcase their acting chops in the most emotional scenes of the episodes. Claire and Jamie remain the most compelling characters in the show, and this is one way Outlander will never change.

For Outlander's Conclusion To Work, The Series Must Play To Its Strengths

Amid Its Overlapping Storylines, Outlander Must Return To What Makes It Great

It's difficult not to feel as if season 7, part 2, is primed to clean up as many loose ends as possible in preparation for the explosive final season. There are plenty more episodes to come in part 2 and already it seems as if lifetimes have ed. Episode 11, "A Hundredweight of Stones," leaves off on a compelling cliffhanger while providing some hope that the remainder of the series will keep Jamie and Claire together. Though Outlander has been separating them since season 2, the last installments must keep them together.

Outlander works best when Claire and Jamie are side by side, fighting for their cause and doing whatever it takes to keep their love and family alive. The Revolutionary War is heating up, and the series is carefully priming its interweaving storylines to meet somewhere down the line. While the characters' screen time and storylines aren't given equal weight and treatment, season 7, part 2, holds lots of promise. Outlander may be preparing to say goodbye but it isn't done fighting yet.

Outlander season 7, part 2 premieres November 22 on Starz, with new episodes airing weekly each Friday at 8pm ET.