Outlander season 7 episode 2 reveals true identity of Malva's murderer

In what could possibly be one of the most dramatic starting five minutes of any Outlander season so far, episode 2, entitled The Happiest Place on Earth, should all be plain-sailing for Jamie and Claire now that Claire no longer stands accused of murder.

While Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) confessed to being Malva's murderer on account of her showing the same "witch-like" signs he'd seen in her mother, Claire (Caitríona Balfe) had her doubts that he was actually capable of such an act all along.

Well, episode 2 continues some weeks after Tom's surprise admission and kicks off with Claire and Malva's half-brother Allan Christie (Alexander Vlahos) having an intense conversation by her grave.

Now back at the Ridge, you would think that Claire would be removed from the entire dramatic crime but as she approaches Allan, we soon see Allan has a gun by his side. He admits that he's been staying in the woods to be near her and as they get talking, he says that Tom didn't love Malva like he did.

As he starts shouting "She was mine" over her grave angrily, we flashback to a scene of Malva being raped by Allan as he says: "The old man never knew, never guessed what we were to each other."

Claire is visibly disgusted as she whispers: "You killed her."

But then Allan admits that he found out she "lay with" Young Ian (John Bell), Jamie's nephew. He admitted that he beat her because of it but Malva then said she had to have sex with another man after she found out she was pregnant with Allan's child.

Although Malva came up with a plan to marry someone, Allan didn't want that and forced her to say it was Jamie's, which was a major bone of contention in season 6. Allan thought Jamie would give her money and tell her to go away but Malva couldn't go through with it because she didn't want to hurt Claire.

So, following Malva to Claire's house, he tried to change her mind but there, Malva told Allan that she didn't love him and she was going to tell the truth instead. He then slit her throat, killing her and of course – with her body found in Claire's garden and after Jamie had been drawn into the drama of the baby – it was the perfect plan to also implicate Claire in Malva's murder.

Allan then picks up the gun ready to shoot himself after telling Claire the truth but she manages to wrestle it from his hands, saying that Tom sacrificed himself for her and Allan.

But as Allan cries that he "cannot live", he's then shot with an arrow through the chest and the camera pans to Young Ian who looks somewhat triumphant. As he comes closer, he tells Claire that all that time, he thought the baby could have been his.

The pair bury him in the surrounding woods but Mrs Bug (Sarah Collier) interrupts them, saying she knew Allan was no good all along, thinking that "the devil had his hands" on him.

"I don't know what he did but I do the both of you well enough. He must've deserved it," she says. She then helps them with the digging before someone else comes along to see them disposing of Allan's body.

Like we said, that was all in the first five minutes of the episode but the episode only grew more emotional with the surprise goodbye to Briana as she walks through the stones with Roger and the children.

They're now in the future but what will this mean for the Frasers and will they see their daughter again? We'll just have to continue watching to find out.

For information and support about the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Rape Crisis England & Wales.

Outlander is available to stream on Starz in the US and on Lionsgate+ in the UK. You can buy Diana Gabaldon's books on Amazon.

If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.

Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.