RECAP: Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 – “Into the Forest”

Outlander fans, the beginning of the end is here. After Outlander Season 8 Episode 8, we have only two episodes left of the entire series! Fear not, Droughtlander—and its relief—lives on, as the prequel Blood of My Blood will return for a new season. But a prequel cannot give us Jamie Fraser on the verge of death (or tears) for the millionth time, can it?

Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 opens with Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle) at the stone cairn made in honor of Fergus (César Domboy), who tragically died in Outlander Season 8 Episode 7. Marsali considers formalizing Fergus’ claim to Le Comte de St. Germain’s (Stanley Weber) fortune. She believes the money can be used to rebuild Fergus’ print shop.

Marsali says that Fergus was beyond honored to be considered Jamie’s son. “Fergus Fraser was my son,” Jamie cries, “Son of my name, of my heart.” (That’s the phrase he used in the “Fiery Cross” scene in Season 5. Anyone else weeping yet?) Jamie leaves Marsali to grieve privately. Marsali, honoring the tradition of speaking aloud to the deceased at the stone cairns, tells Fergus he is a Fraser “forevermore.”

Babies are on trend in Outland Season 8 Episode 8, setting up the future of the franchise.

She also reveals she’s pregnant, which now marks the second new pregnancy in the Fraser family in as many episodes, as Brianna (Sophie Skelton) also announced a pregnancy in the previous episode. Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 should’ve been called “Don’t Worry, We’ve Got the Next Generation Covered.” Is STARZ gearing us up for an Outlander: Next Generation sequel series someday?

In Frank’s (Tobias Menzies) book about the Revolutionary War, he mentions that Major Patrick Ferguson (Charles Aitken) had used specialized rifles throughout the war. Jamie wonders if those specialized guns will be used at the impending Kings Mountain battle. Brianna says Colonial Americans had Hall rifles, a modified dupe of Ferguson’s guns. She’s working hard making Hall rifles of her own. Roger notes that Frank nicknamed Brianna “Deadeye” when she was young, and a lightbulb goes off in Jamie’s head. Frank’s book is dedicated to “My Dearest Deadeye”.

Jamie and Claire (Caitríona Balfe) conclude that Frank’s book was a written warning to save Jamie in case Brianna ever went searching for him. Claire notes that by living in the 20th century with Frank, she became a surgeon and could save Jamie’s life if needed. This is totally not foreshadowing a deeply traumatic surgery scene in the finale where Claire is unable to save Jamie, right? Right?! Outlander writers, blink twice if everything’s going to be fine!

In Savannah, Amaranthus (Carla Woodcock) searches for William (Charles Vandervaart). When Amaranthus blames herself for William’s departure, Lord John (David Berry) admits that he and William had fought. He hopes that William, as a man of dignity and compassion, will forgive Amaranthus one day. Forgiving your fiancée for lying about having a dead husband seems like a tall order! But hey, maybe Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 is the time to do it. Amaranthus and William have been through so much in these 8 episodes; surely 2 episodes are enough time for them to make up (or not).

William’s mysterious whereabouts turn out to be the Ridge! His reunion with Jamie is strained, as he has little interest in a relationship with his father. He’s there to talk to Brianna about Amaranthus’s lies, because Brianna is “the only member of my family who has never broken my trust.”

At a family dinner, Jamie makes a snide comment to Claire about how William is only happy so long as he’s not near Jamie. Claire advises him to be glad William is visiting at all. Roger announces he’ll be ordained as a minister soon, and Jamie leads a toast, noting “joyous arrivals” and nodding at William. Dare we hope this isn’t the last time we see any of these people having a good time?

The Amaranthus and William forgiveness train continues to stall out.

Jamie invites William to join him on a fishing expedition, as they haven’t been fishing since William was a child. William turns down the invitation, but Jamie, Brianna, and Roger quickly claim there’s a rule about guests having to help fetch supplies for dinner.

So, Jamie and William find themselves fishing in the morning. William says he fell out with Lord John after discovering “he’s a sodomite,” but realizes this isn’t news to Jamie. Jamie says Lord John is “one of the best men I know,” and that Lord John has given everything he can to William. “Except the truth,” William huffs, “on that point, at least you’re the exact same.”

William starts to leave the Ridge, but is stopped by Claire, who’s visibly hurt by his abrupt departure. Claire points out that with the war going on, this could be the last time William and Jamie might ever see each other. There’s a sweet, heartbreaking montage of young William and Jamie in Season 3 (remember when Jamie had bangs and this show still took place in the UK?).

Lord John receives word from Percy (Michael Lindall) that he’s found out where Captain Richardson (Ben Lambert) is, and wants to meet with Lord John in three days. In the forest, Jamie trains the Ridge men for battle. William observes, and they greet each other.

Aaron Whitaker (Tomisin Ajani) arrives, offering to join Jamie’s militia after initially distancing himself from Jamie. Major Ferguson burned an entire settlement of free Black families’ land when the men refused to join the British Army. Jamie gladly accepts Aaron’s offer. William asks Jamie if he wants to go hunting, and Jamie suggests they go the next morning.

Fanny seeks Roger’s advice on matters of faith. She’s tormented by the idea that her deceased sister Jane (Silvia Presente) might be in hell. She’s worried Roger will become a different person after being ordained, but Roger likens being a minister to Jamie’s role as a militia leader. Fanny points out that Roger may one day need a sword, whether God likes it or not. Foreshadowing for the finale, perhaps?

Faith and the prospect of hell rears its head, as does the potential for more time travel.

While hunting with Jamie, William apologizes for their argument. He says he had looked up to Jamie when he was young, and that Jamie left with what seemed like no care or thought for him. Jamie points out that he had no money or land and was a Scotsman in England during the Jacobite Revolution, and had nothing to offer William.

In contrast, Lord John had a title, wealth, and property he could pass on to William as his heir. Jamie says he regrets leaving William behind, but feels being raised by Lord John was the right thing for him, and asks to be forgiven. They hug, and William sobs.

After his ordination, Roger and Fanny speak again. Fanny asks him to ask God if Jane is in heaven, but Roger suggests Fanny ask God herself. “You don’t need to be a minister to do that, Fanny,” he says. Fanny’s bolstered by his kindness. A successful first day of Roger’s ministry, then!

Fanny heads for Jane’s stone cairn. She asks Jane for a sign that she’s listening, and looks over some of her trinkets, kept in Jane’s memory. There’s a strange green rock among her trinkets, and Fanny examines it. She gasps as it cuts her, and drops it. When she looks at the rock again, it splits in two, and Fanny’s overwhelmed by a buzzing sound that Outlander viewers know all too well. Welcome, Fanny, to the clan of time-traveling Outlander characters! We don’t know what happens to her beyond this buzzing in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8, but time will tell.

That would’ve been a stellar place to end Outlander Season 8 Episode 8. But wait, there’s more! Lord John goes to Percy’s office to find out more about Captain Richardson, whom Lord John declares is a “black-hearted scoundrel.” Richardson certainly lives up to that title, because he knocks Lord John out with the butt of his rifle, and we close out with Lord John lying motionless on the floor. Now that William and Jamie have made up, can they go rescue Lord John, please?

Outlander’s final season barrels towards its conclusion as Jamie and William mend their rift and the promise of a new time traveler emerges. Outlander Season 8 Episode 8, “Into the Forest,” isn’t as dramatic as the previous episode, but the end feels like it’s creeping along, much like Outlander’s Revolutionary War era has done, with it having taken up half of the show’s seasons.

Outlander Season 8 Episodes 1-8 are now streaming on Starz, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

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