Starz’s Outlander season eight, episode one welcomes us back with an opening that deserves a trigger warning. The final season’s first episode begins with Claire and Jamie trying to find out more details about their daughter Faith’s life.
(The following is a recap of season eight, episode one, “Soul of a Rebel,” and there are spoilers.)
Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) anxiously await Sebastian Vasquez, a smuggler who thinks they’ve got 30 barrels of whiskey to sell in the north. The smuggler calls Jamie “Mr. Roy,” and Jamie explains that Mrs. Abbott gave him his name. Jamie and Claire’s actual plan is to find out about his connection to Faith’s daughters, Jane and Frances. Vasquez explains his crew boarded Captain Pocock’s ship and Pocock had his wife and two girls with him. He slit Pocock’s throat and took his daughters, one of whom was too young to sell for sex. However, he believed she’d grow into a beauty. The older daughter was mature enough to put to work, so he raped her before forcing her into a life of prostitution.
Pocock’s wife, Faith, tried to protect her daughters, so he tossed her overboard.
Claire’s been standing behind Vasquez, pretending to be a servant, and she can only take so much of this despicable man. She stabs him repeatedly in the back. Jamie kills Vasquez’s man before he can react.
Later, Claire’s enraged and frustrated with herself for killing Vasquez too quickly. She should have tortured him. Jamie insists the devil will take care of him for what he did to Jane, Frances, and Faith. Claire blames everything on Pocock, but Jamie demands to know how their stillborn babe turned out to be alive and with two daughters of her own. Claire believes Mother Hildegarde did something, but then she realizes it was likely Master Raymond since he asked for her forgiveness. The question is, why would they steal their baby?
Jamie and Claire have an incredibly difficult time accepting that their daughter lives without their knowledge. They try to picture her life, her smile, and even who helped her when she cried.
“What if she went through her whole life thinking that nobody wanted her when all we wanted more than anything in the world was her?” wonders Claire, distraught.
Jamie reminds her that she lost her parents as a child but then they found each other. “I am the true home of your heart,” says Jamie. He thinks it’s possible it was the same for their daughter. He’s sure she was loved.
Jamie and Claire Reunite with Fergus and Marsali
Savannah, Georgia, 1779 – Claire wakes to find Jamie’s already up after enduring a sleepless night. He couldn’t stop thinking about Faith. Fanny doesn’t remember much about her mother; she was only five when her mom was murdered. Claire doesn’t think they should tell her they’re her grandparents… at least not yet.
Jamie and Claire hear giggling outside their door and it’s their adorable grandkids. Welcome back Fergus (Cesar Domboy) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle)! Jamie’s eager to check out Fergus’s Fergus Fraser & Sons Printing & Books workshop and help with the printing press. Fergus confesses he’s been trying to keep on the good side of the British in his newspaper. Jamie thinks that’s a wise decision.
Jamie walks around the workshop, knocking on the walls until he finds a hidden compartment. Fergus has been secretly printing papers in support of a rebellion. Jamie reminds him how dangerous this is, especially since his family lives there too. Fergus understands the danger but is willing to die for something that matters. He promises to be careful.
The dining room table is crowded at breakfast, and Jamie explains that Ian wishes he was there, but Rachel’s pregnant so they headed back to Fraser’s Ridge. The talk is lighthearted, and it’s obvious the kids enjoy having their grandparents around.
After the kids head out to deliver papers, Marsali calls Fanny sweet, and Fergus points out that growing up in a brothel didn’t affect her. Jamie believes that’s because her sister protected her.
Jamie and Claire can’t stay because they promised Fanny they’d go home to Fraser’s Ridge. They’ll miss each other but promise it won’t be the last time they’re together.
Days later, Fanny (Florrie May Wilkinson) beams with joy as they arrive at Fraser’s Ridge.
Jamie and Claire show Fanny around where their home used to stand before the fire destroyed it. Ian (John Bell) runs up, a huge smile on his face, and pulls Claire in for a hug. Rachel hasn’t given birth yet, and Ian’s relieved that Claire’s back to help.
Ian leads Jamie, Claire, and Fanny to their new home that he built specifically for them, using the plans they made before they left. The Beardsleys, Lindsays, and other Ardsmuir men pitched in, and people from the Ridge donated furnishings. Claire’s compliments Ian on the beautiful home he built for them, and Ian’s pleased to announce he also staked out a garden for her.
Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small) is positively glowing as she shows them around their new home. Wood from the stables was used, and there’s even a large office for Claire’s surgery with excellent lighting. Ian thought of everything!
Jamie takes Fanny upstairs and shows her an unfinished room that will be hers. He’s already thinking about the furniture he’ll build to fill her room, while Fanny’s just trying to wrap her head around having a room all to herself.
Jamie and Claire have their first quiet night in their new home, and Jamie insists that seeing her in the moonlight through the window reminds him of the night their Faith was conceived. He’s sure it was the night she first said she loved him at Lallybroch. Jamie recalls thinking at that moment that a piece of him would be inside her forever.
(It’s a beautiful, gentle, and sensual moment between our favorite couple, which makes it even more difficult to accept this is the final season.)
The following day Jamie and Claire are stunned to see how Fraser’s Ridge has grown in their absence. Amy McCallum (Joanne Thomson) and her young boys greet the Frasers, and she reveals she’s now married to Evan Lindsay (Gary Lamont). Jamie and Claire thank Evan for his help with the house, and Hiram Crombie (Antony Byrne) leaves his trading post to also welcome the Frasers back.
Crombie shows them around his store, which even has supplies Claire will need for her patients. Captain Charles Cunningham (Kieran Bew) is also in the store and Crombie introduces him as his business partner. Charles thanks them for Fraser’s Ridge, a place he and his mother now call home.
Jamie and Charles have a private chat, and Jamie advises his new acquaintance that he goes by mister now. (Charles had called him General Fraser.) Charles claims he still goes by Captain because he doesn’t like his given name, which earns a chuckle from Jamie. But the friendly chat turns a bit icy when Charles reveals he served 30 years in His Majesty’s Army. Jamie realizes he and Charles were on opposite sides at the Battle of Bemis Heights.
“War is a terrible thing. I am most happy to be done with it,” declares Charles. Jamie smiles and the tension subsides.
As they ride back home, Claire and Jamie agree they should try and get to know Charles better. Jamie knows he’s done with the war but worries the war might not be done with Charles.
Lizzie (Caitlin O’Ryan) delivers bees as a homecoming gift, and Jamie promises that when they have honey, they’ll bring some to her and Josiah and Kezzie. Claire holds Lizzie’s daughter, thrilled to meet her little namesake.
Claire and Jamie are still discussing bees when Roger (Richard Rankin) calls out, “Hello, the house!” Claire can barely contain herself as Bree (Sophie Skelton) runs into her arms. She pulls her daughter in close as Jamie grabs up Jemmy while Roger tells his youngest, Mandy, that Jamie and Claire are her grandparents. It’s Jamie’s turn to hug Bree and she confesses they’re back because they couldn’t wait to come home.
As they cook a meal, Jamie assures Bree they can stay there until she and Roger build their own house. However, Jamie doesn’t reveal Fanny’s true identity. Instead, he says she’s an orphan that William entrusted them to take care of. Bree realizes William must know Jamie’s his father.
Jemmy asks Jamie to read from the book Roger brought with them, and it’s full of illustrations—something Fanny finds incredible. Jamie doesn’t stick to what’s written, adding his own touches to the story. Jamie realizes he knows this story and Claire reminds him she told him about it years ago.
Roger suggests the kids read in another room so the adults can catch up. Bree gives Claire a medical book she brought with her, and Claire can’t wait to learn about new medical discoveries. Bree also brought Jamie The Lord of the Rings because it’s one of Jem and Roger’s favorites.
Later that evening, Jamie and Roger have a heart-to-heart, and Roger confesses he’s no longer a minister. Jamie hopes Roger will introduce himself around town and tell him what he thinks about Cunningham. Claire and Bree join them, and Jamie still can’t get over the fact they’re all together again. Bree reveals she also brought back a book titled Soul of a Rebel: The Scottish Roots of the American Revolution by Frank Randall, which includes the research Frank was doing before he died. Bree hasn’t read it because she’d feel his loss all over again. Roger admits they felt the same about Jamie and Claire’s letters and had to space them out. There are still unopened letters because as long as they stayed that way, Jamie and Claire would still be alive.
Jamie understands something drastic must have happened to make them come back during a war. And Claire finally reveals the truth about Fanny and about Bree’s sister, Faith.
Jamie and Bree go out hunting and Bree fills her dad in on Robert Cameron. Bree doesn’t think Robert can time-travel, but she and Roger decided if no time is completely safe, they’d rather be with Jamie and Claire. Jamie decides he’ll move the gold so Cameron will never find it.
As they’re walking, they come upon two men strung up with GR carved into their foreheads. (It’s a reference to George Rex—King George.)
The Frasers have their first encounter with Captain Cunningham’s mom, an incredibly rude elderly woman who slaps Mandy and tells them they’re all going to hell. Mandy decides she’s the wicked witch of the west.
That night in front of the fire, Jamie opens Frank’s book and looks at his photo. He’s stunned that he looks just like Black Jack Randall. Claire never told him they looked alike, and she thinks that’s because once she got over the resemblance, she realized they were nothing alike. Claire thinks Jamie would have been upset to learn about Frank, and Jamie realizes it’s not important. He asks if Frank was honest, and Claire confirms he was for the most part. Claire is shocked when Jamie reveals that Frank brought him up at least 14 times in his book.
Frank wrote that a battle is coming to a place called King’s Mountain in a year. Jamie will die in it!
Lord John Grey’s Family Expands
Lord John Grey (David Berry) holds a fussy baby while he tries to explain to Lt. Graves (Paddy Duff) that the hungover man he’s taken into custody is in fact the ninth Earl of Ellesmere and a former captain in His Majesty’s Army. After Lt. Graves leaves, Lord John introduces the baby—Trevor Wattiswade Grey—to William (Charles Vandervaart). Trevor is William’s cousin Benjamin’s son.
A short while later, William’s in good enough shape to explain he was drinking with the rebels because he heard Ezekial Richardson might have been with them. William finally realizes who the baby is and can’t wait to see Ben. Lord John breaks the news that Ben died after being taken prisoner by rebels, and William’s devastated.
William demands to know how Ben was captured, but Lord John doesn’t have those details. Lord John hasn’t told his brother that his eldest and favorite son is dead yet because he fears the news will kill him. William doesn’t believe Ben was married or that he had a baby. He finds it strange a wife and child only showed up and introduced themselves after Lord John found out Ben had died.
Henry never mentioned to William that Ben was married, but Lord John thinks the bundle of love letters from Benjamin in her possession proves she was Ben’s wife. Also, Wattiswade is a family name that few others would know about.
Just then Ben’s widow pops in and Lord John introduces her as Amaranthus, Viscountess Grey (Carla Woodcock). Amaranthus overheard their conversation and dismisses William, calling him a drunkard and a fool. (She’s not wrong.)
Lord John helps William with his hangover and invites him to join him for a meal with General Prevost. He refers to the general as a decent soldier, and William realizes he’s trying to get him to rejoin the army. Lord John hopes he understands the British army isn’t to blame for Jane Pocock’s death. Both men want Richardson to pay for what he did, but becoming a drunkard isn’t how to go about it. And if William doesn’t want to rejoin the army, Lord John suggests he should head back to England.
William has no interest in returning to England and taking care of his estate. He’d rather renounce his title now that he knows he’s a bastard, but Lord John insists that’s not possible. Only rebelling against the crown would cause the king to strip him of his title.
Lord John is done with William’s pouting and rude behavior. He doesn’t care if William calls himself Ransom, Fraser, or Grey, he will not tolerate William being rude to Ben’s widow.
William actually does the right thing and apologizes to Lady Grey. She accepts and confesses she has a sharp tongue when she’s angry. William thinks the baby looks like Benjamin and Lady Grey’s happy to hear it. She hopes when Trevor grows up, William can tell him about Ben.
“I promise I shall do all I can for Trevor, and for you, Lady Grey,” says William.
New episodes of Outlander’s final stream on the Starz app on Fridays at 12am ET and linear on Starz at 8pm ET/PT.
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 1 “A Life Well Lost” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 2 “The Happiest Place on Earth” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 3 “Death Be Not Proud” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 4 “A Most Uncomfortable Woman” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 5 “Singapore” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 6 “Where the Waters Meet” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 7 “A Practical Guide for Time-Travelers” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 8 “Turning Points” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 10 “Brotherly Love” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 11 “A Hundredweight of Stones” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 12 “Carnal Knowledge” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 13 “Hello, Goodbye” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 14 “Ye Dinna Get Used to It” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Episode 15 “Written in My Heart’s Own Blood” Recap
- Outlander Season 7 Finale Recap
The post Outlander Season 8 Episode 1 Recap: Dark Secrets and Family Reunions appeared first on ShowbizJunkies.
0 Comments