We’re back! In Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies,’ troubles escalate at Fraser’s Ridge as Jamie and Claire face Jamie’s possible death, and Ian and Rachel welcome their little one. Ready?
Here we go!
Life Is a B**ch
Tragedy strikes Fraser’s Ridge in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’ when a bear attack takes Amy’s life. And the truth is, her death pierced our hearts. She came to the Ridge early on to start over. And she did. She found a new life and happiness, and she had just gotten married… she didn’t deserve this, and just thinking about Evan and their little one breaks our hearts. Life is unfair and a b**ch more times than we can count.
All Evan and the little one have now is revenge. Being able to kill the animal that took Amy’s life might make them feel that her death wasn’t in vain, that they’re within reach. And we understand Brianna’s reluctance. The little boy is just a child; it seems like too much to put a gun in his hand to face a bear. But Jamie knows that this can help him feel better, to feel in control of the situation, something he didn’t have after his mother’s death.
However, neither Evan nor the little boy get this opportunity in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies.’ Cunningham snatches it away by being the one who catches and kills the bear. And we feel insulted by this on behalf of Evan, the little boy, and Jamie. As Jamie said, Evan and the little boy needed this. Killing the bear will provide the inhabitants of the Ridge with enough meat and hide for a while, but that’s not the point. They are hunting that bear to give Evan and Amy’s son the chance to avenge her death, to feel that the beast that killed her is no longer breathing.
Thus, the bear’s death belonged to them, to no one else. And we hate that Cunningham used everyone else’s work to trap the bear and robbed Evan and the boy of their chance to kill it. Just for his ego, just to be the hero. And this worries us. If Evan and the boy weren’t going to kill the bear, the next in line should have been Jamie, as leader of the Ridge. But Cunningham took that away from him too.
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Maintaining Power in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’
Why? It’s clear that Cunningham earned the trust of the tenants and a leadership position at the Ridge in Jamie and Claire’s absence. And we think he’s not willing to lose it now that Jamie has returned. So his killing that bear in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’ felt a little too close to a challenge for our liking. And for Jamie’s. But it gets worse when we discover that Cunningham firmly believes he won’t die for years to come.
Cunningham was already shaping up to be a dangerous threat to Jamie and the Ridge. But knowing he thinks he can’t die? That makes him infinitely more dangerous. If he thinks he can’t die, he’s not afraid and he thinks he has nothing to lose. And a man who has nothing to lose is unpredictable. Jamie will have to keep a much closer eye on him from now on…
Unfortunately for Jamie, Cunningham isn’t his only problem in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’. Benjamin Cleveland appears before him, and Jamie immediately knows he can’t be trusted. The man is cruel and blinded by hatred. So he doesn’t hesitate for a second to reject his offer to join his militia. Jamie isn’t a thug like them. For the moment, Cleveland is content with Jamie’s refusal, but it’s clear that getting rid of him won’t be so easy.
Cleveland will cause trouble. It’s clear that Jamie’s rejection in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’ didn’t sit well with him, and this guy is willing to do whatever it takes to get his way. Even targeting the Ridge just to make Jamie feel cornered. And Captain Cunningham’s presence at the Ridge might give him the perfect excuse. Cleveland hates the Tories and doesn’t distinguish whether they’ve done something that deserves punishment or not.
MORE: Outlander Season 8, Episode 1 Review: ‘Soul of a Rebel’
Enemies on the Prowl…
And while all of this is alarming, it’s not what worries Jamie most regarding Cleveland. His presence in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’ means that everything Frank wrote in his book is beginning to come true. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place. So Jamie and Claire must confront this. And Claire doesn’t believe for a second that Jamie is going to die. She knows that, in the end, Frank was full of resentment towards her because she couldn’t forget Jamie.
And we love that Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’ explored Claire’s feelings about what Frank did. He forced her to let go of everything related to Jamie, made her promise that she would never trace him back into the story. Frank made sure that Claire had no choice but to suffer for Jamie and love him in silence, that she could only be with him in dreams, having to pretend that everything was alright once she opened her eyes. Every single day.
Meanwhile, Frank tracked Jamie back into history…and found him. Frank knew Jamie was alive and kept it from Claire, preventing her from making the decision to return to him. So we really appreciate that Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’ does what the book didn’t: give Claire the opportunity to acknowledge how despicable Frank was to do this to her and how furious she is with him for it. Now all that’s left is to explore Brianna’s feelings about this (wink, wink).
MORE: INTERVIEW: Sophie Skelton & Richard Rankin on Roger and Brianna’s New Fears in Outlander Season 8
Making a Mark in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’
The point is, knowing what he did, Claire is aware that Frank might be trying to hurt her with Jamie’s supposed death. So she doesn’t think it’s real, at least she can’t believe it because the alternative is unthinkable to her. Jamie, on the other hand, desperately wants to believe Claire’s theory. What she says makes sense. But he can’t shake the voice in his head that warns him it’s all true and that his death is near.
So Jamie needs to feel Claire in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies.’ He needs to connect with her, to feel alive beside her. When he lies with her, when they are one, nothing else exists, only her, only them. And, at the same time, Jamie needs to etch that moment into his mind.
Them together, Claire in ecstasy…if he has to die soon, he will take Claire as many times as he can and store every curve of her body in his memory. He will mark her deeply, as deeply as she marked him. So that when the final moment comes, he can remember her, can conjure her in every detail, so that she is the last thing he sees when death finally claims him.
Yet, when his heart calms and Claire falls asleep in his arms, he can’t help but wonder who will hold her when he is gone. And that haunts him.
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A New Member of the Family
Thankfully, it’s not all bad news in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies.’ Ian and Rachel have a little boy! And he’s so cute it melts our hearts. And the way their whole world changed when they looked at him. Especially Ian’s, who was so afraid of losing this child too, that something might be wrong…but his son is here and, along with Rachel, he’s the center of their world.
We love the moment Ian and Jamie share. Jamie is so proud of Ian. By blood, he’s his nephew. But he’s his son at heart. He’s his son in every way that matters. And for Ian, he’s like a father. So they had to share this moment together. Jamie knows Ian will be a good father. He sees it in his eyes when he looks at the little one, he sees it in the way he seems more mature, more grown-up now.
But Jamie would like to share some advice with Ian in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies,’ he just can’t. He never saw any of his children grow up. Remember when we said life is a b**ch? This is another example of that. Jamie deserved the chance to see his children grow up. But it’s too late for that now. The only thing he can tell Ian is to love his family with all his heart and protect them. He’s all they need. And we think that’s the best advice he could give him.
MORE: Outlander Season 8 Review: A Heartfelt First Step in Its Farewell
Growing Suspicions
On another note, William is determined to find out what really happened to Ben in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies.’ Partly because it gives him a purpose at a time when he feels lost, and partly because he feels he owes it to Amaranthus for how badly he treated her. The point is, William has his father’s instincts and knows there’s something strange about Ben’s death.
He’d suspected it for a while, but discovering that Ben wasn’t wearing the toy soldier he’d given him near his heart, as he’d promised, confirms it. It might seem silly, but William is certain Ben wouldn’t have broken his promise. William knows Ben would always carry that toy soldier with him. It’s too precious not to.
And the fact that everyone seems to want to sweep the matter under the rug so quickly only increases William’s suspicions in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies.’ He knows they’re hiding something, but what? And why? Soldiers die every day from disease and battle. What’s so special about Ben’s death?
Things get even more complicated when William manages to reach Ben’s supposed grave… and discovers he isn’t buried there. Is Ben still alive, or is he buried somewhere else? We need to know!
MORE: Everything We Know About Outlander Season 8
Other Stuff in Outlander Season 8 Episode 2 ‘Prophecies’
- We love all of Brianna and Jamie’s conversations. She finally told him what happened with Cameron, and Jamie’s guilt breaks our hearts.
- Brianna has to tell him that they met his grandfather and Jenny.
- We’ll miss Amy.
- We didn’t expect Elspeth to help Claire and be almost…friendly.
- Thank goodness they kept that intense scene between Jamie and Claire.
- Hearing Frank’s voice is unsettling.
- Cleveland is awful. We wanted to slap him for treating Claire like she was nothing. Disgusting sexist pig.
- Claire telling the bees about Amy…
- William really loved Ben and blames himself for not being there for him…
- We’re happy for Henry and Mercy’s marriage.
- Although Henry didn’t have the best of days when he found out about his brother…
- Ian and Rachel as parents are everything that’s right in this world.
- Roger talking about Buck brought tears to our eyes.
- We love seeing Fanny adjusting to her new life and trusting Jamie and Claire more and more. Talking about Jane and her past life is really helping her with her grief. She feels more confident.
Outlander Season 8 air at midnight on Thursday on the STARZ app and Fridays at 8 PM ET on linear.
