We’re back! Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest,’ tries to fix some of the mess that was the previous episode, but nothing feels quite the same—that’s the reality. Nevertheless, this episode felt like our favorite show again, making us cry nonstop as we finally saw William and Jamie together and some beautiful family moments. It also left us speechless with a few surprising twists. Ready?
Here we go!
Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 Feels Like the Show We Love Again—But Something Is Broken
Like we said, Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest,’ attempts to fix the mess that was the previous episode. Or, rather, to sweep it under the rug so we forget it. Does it succeed? Not exactly. The episode is very good. In this episode, we recognize the show we love once more. It made us cry, it made us scream, it got us emotional, it gave us thousands of theories…and we saw scenes we’ve been waiting for years, literally. But there’s a kind of shadow hanging over it all. A shadow that won’t go away.
Something is broken.
The previous episode broke something in this series forever. And there’s no going back. Nothing will ever be the same. So, yeah, we loved the scenes we had in this episode—with a few exceptions we’ll discuss later—but in each and every one, the same phrase kept repeating in the back of our minds: “This would be perfect if Fergus were here.” And that, inevitably, casts a shadow over a scene we love. It prevents us from fully enjoying it.
So we’re happy…but the happiness isn’t as complete as it should be.
The most representative moment of this is the family dinner—actually, all the family scenes—that we saw in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest.’ It’s our dream scene, the entire Fraser family gathered around a table. Except someone is missing.
Fergus, Marsali, and the children are missing. The family isn’t complete without them. So yes, we loved this scene, and we got emotional watching it, but it left us with a bittersweet feeling. Like something was off, like a puzzle missing a crucial piece.
And this, more than anything, is definitive proof that killing Fergus was one of the worst decisions this show ever made. Plain and simple. And everything that comes with it is just as bad. For example, why isn’t Claire at the funeral with Jamie and Marsali? Why didn’t we see her react at all? Fergus was as much her son as Jamie’s.
MORE: Outlander Season 8, Episode 7 Review: ‘Evidence of Things Not Seen’
Fergus’ Absence Casts a Shadow Over the Fraser Family
And she wasn’t the only one who didn’t react in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest.’ Ian has nothing to say about his brother’s death? What about Brianna and Roger? Not to mention the fact that Marsali accepts an inheritance she doesn’t need and that Fergus made it clear he didn’t want. Fergus had his reasons, of course; he was a Fraser and wasn’t going to call anyone else “father.” But the point is, Fergus made his wishes clear. And Marsali would never have gone against that. Accepting the inheritance is out of character for her.
And yeah, we really like that she wants to continue Fergus’s legacy and turn her pen into her sword, fighting for a cause she believes in, but did she really need the Comte’s money for that? The answer is no. Just as she didn’t need to leave the Ridge to do it. She could have built a printing press on the Ridge and started distributing pamphlets from there. What place is safer than her home? Because the Ridge is her home. And in that case, it’s clear everyone would have helped build the printing press, without needing the Comte’s money.
So we don’t understand why Marsali goes alone with her children—and another on the way—to Savannah, far from her family and home in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest.’ In the midst of her grief, it’s inexplicable. We hope this isn’t the last we see of Marsali—although we fear it will be because it felt like a goodbye—because otherwise it would be too disappointing.
So, just as we thought, the show didn’t have time to do justice to Fergus’s loss or his family’s grief, and they included a couple of good—but insufficient—scenes and moved on as if nothing had happened. But we haven’t forgotten Fergus or the damage they did to the series by killing him off.
However, does this mean there’s nothing good about Fergus’s grief in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest’? Well, not exactly. We loved the scene with Marsali and Jamie, the way Jamie spoke about Fergus… for him, Jamie is his father, and he was proud to have a father like him. He would never have let anyone else take his place, even in name.
But the pride Fergus felt in calling Jamie “father” doesn’t compare to the pride Jamie feels in calling him “son.” He is his son in every way that matters. He always was, and he always will be. And yeah, we shed more than a few tears in this scene. And a part of us felt that searing anger again, the same anger we felt last week about how they made this found family, this father-son bond, end.
MORE: Outlander Season 8, Episode 6 Review: ‘Blessed Are the Merciful’
Outlander Still Struggles With Frank’s Legacy
Although we loved Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest,’ there are some things, aside from the grief over Fergus’s death, that bothered us. And one of those things is the way the show always tries to soften Frank’s character, making him seem kinder than he was. Yeah, he loved Brianna, and we understand that he knew she—and Claire—would travel back in time, which is why he taught her things that would help her survive.
But to say he wrote that book as a warning to Jamie and Claire out of love for Brianna is a huge leap. We don’t think Frank tracked Jamie through history because of Brianna. He simply wasn’t that kind-hearted. We think he did it for himself, to find out what happened to the man who stole Claire’s heart. And, because of it, he discovered that Claire and Brianna would travel back in time, with Jamie.
From that point on, we have no doubt that Frank specifically included the date of Jamie’s supposed death more as a message for Brianna—because he knows it would hurt her to lose Jamie—than anything else. But a warning? Nope. We think he simply let them know what would happen so they could do what they thought best with that information, not so Jamie could prepare to avoid dying or because Frank intended for Claire to save Jamie—although we’re certain that’s what will happen.
We have to remember that this Frank is the same one who was hypocritical and selfish enough to cheat on Claire repeatedly, try to take Brianna away from her, emotionally blackmail Claire with Bree, not let her go, force her to relegate Jamie and their love story to the deepest recesses of her mind and heart…not to mention the fact that he knew all along that Jamie was alive and never said a word. And those are just a few examples.
So no, we don’t buy into this guardian angel role that Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest’ tries to give Frank. And it’s not even the first time. The series has always had this tendency to make us believe that Frank is much kinder and more compassionate than he actually is. Making the character considerably flatter than he is and stripping him of the moral gray area in which he truly operates, which is much more realistic.
MORE: Outlander Season 8, Episode 5 Review: ‘Send for the Devil’
Jamie and William Finally Face Each Other in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8
That said, the best thing about Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest’ is undoubtedly Jamie and William. They are finally face to face. William may try to deceive himself about wanting to see Brianna, but the truth is that he wants to see Jamie. And yeah, part of him does want to talk to Brianna because he feels that she is the only one who can understand what he is going through and will speak the truth to him. She is the only one he trusts. But the reality is that he wants to meet Jamie and give him a chance, as Brianna told him.
But when he’s actually face to face with him, all the anger he feels prevents him from getting close. There’s a distance of miles between them. William can’t even look at him, much less be near him. And it hurts Jamie. It hurts like h**ll. He tries to approach him, but William puts up a wall between them. However, William is there, and that’s important. That’s progress.
And, at first, everything is going well in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest.’ They find common ground, a safe place to understand each other, a fragile bond that allows them to pretend there aren’t a million things left unsaid between them. But that fantasy soon shatters when William realizes that, once again, he’s the last to know everything.
And he hates it.
William hates that everyone lies to him, that there are nothing but secrets. So he gets all the doubts that are eating him up off his chest…and goes back to behaving like a spoiled brat, to be honest. However, it’s something Jamie can’t allow. Currently, he has many problems with John, but that man is the most honest, the most honorable he knows. That’s why he’s leaving him in William’s care and trusting him with someone so important.
John being gay doesn’t change anything. He’s still the same person. The father who gave everything for William… only for him to come and despise him like this now. But in OutlanderSeason 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest,’ William is still in that phase of his tantrum where he doesn’t want to be told the truth, but rather to be agreed with in everything. That’s why he yells those horrible things at Jamie. He knows it will hurt him, and deep down, William wants Jamie to feel as miserable as he does.
The worst part is that William hits the nail on the head. Every word is a dagger to Jamie’s heart. And part of us wonders why Jamie doesn’t fight harder to get closer to William. He gives up too easily. But, playing devil’s advocate here, we understand that Jamie doesn’t think he deserves a chance with him and wants to respect William’s decision, even though it devastates him.
MORE: Outlander Season 8, Episode 4 Review: ‘Muskets, Liberty, and Sauerkraut’
Jamie and William’s Reunion Changes Everything
Just when all seemed lost in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest,’ Claire saves the day. She makes William think. Like it or not, war is coming, and the future is uncertain. She knows William will regret it if that’s the last thing he says to his father. William tries to lash out at Claire and push her away, just like he did with Jamie, but that doesn’t work on her. She’s immune to the Frasers.
Fortunately, William realizes he went too far and that he’s taking out all his anger and pain on Claire. So he listens to her, and when he finds Jamie… he respects what he sees. He realizes Claire wasn’t playing games, but beyond that, for the first time, he understands everything he was told about Jamie. For the first time, he understands what others see in him. The way he leads, the way he speaks to his men, as equals… he can respects this man, he can admires him.
In Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest,’ for the first time, William doesn’t see a rebel and a traitor when he looks at him, but a leader who fights for what he believes in. And he’s ashamed of what he said to him. He wants to bridge the gap between them, but he doesn’t know how. He doesn’t even know if Jamie will want to after how he treated him and everything he said. But there’s nothing Jamie wants more.
The hunt and the forest bring back the camaraderie they found by the river before everything went wrong in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8, ‘In the Forest.’ And William’s memories do the rest. He remembers this man, remembers how he treated him, remembers how much he came to love him…and how he abandoned him. And therein lies the crux of the matter.
Beyond the lies and the secrets, this man abandoned him. And he didn’t even look back when he did. William can’t help but think that he didn’t love him, not enough. And why? Why wasn’t he enough for Jamie to stay?
But it’s the complete opposite. Jamie loves him so much that he gave him up, just as he had to give up Brianna. And he didn’t look back because it was too hard, and if he did, he would never have left. When William finally understands this, when he finally knows that his father loves him so unconditionally, a deep void inside him, a gaping wound, finally closes.
And he embraces him. William finally understands what Brianna told him about Jamie. And he finally knows who he is and everything he’s capable of sacrificing for the people he loves. Jamie doesn’t know how to react at first. He can hardly believe it’s happening. But when he does, he hugs William back as tightly as he can.
Honestly, this hug is all we’ve wanted to see for ages. And we’ll always be grateful that Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest’ finally gave it to us. We’re in tears. And we can’t stop crying. And we love every second of it. This really works. This is the show we love. The one that gets us emotional with a hug and a few words.
We need more of this!
MORE: Outlander Season 8, Episode 3 Review: ‘Abies Fraseri’
Other Stuff in Outlander Season 8 Episode 8 ‘In the Forest’
- We hate that William talks about Lord John like that.
- And what’s with the way he lashes out at Jamie and Claire!
- The way Jamie talks about Lord John. That man is still his best friend, and he still loves him, despite his jealousy and anger. We need them to reconcile!
- William is so embarrassed talking to Jamie. So cute!
- That hug between father and son…
- The way Jamie looks up at the sky, giving thanks for having William in his arms again and feeling his acceptance. His love.
- William is finally at peace with Ian and Rachel. It’s about time!
- William and Brianna are everything that’s right in this world!
- Percy, you son of a b**ch! How could you betray Lord John like that?!
- Fanny can travel through time! Will she ever do it? We have a few ideas…
- Claire is in way too little screen time for only being two episodes away from the finale…
- That little moment between Jamie and Claire is EVERYTHING.
- We’ll never forgive them for leaving Fergus and his family out of that scene.
- Does Amaranthus really like William? It seems so. She definitely doesn’t love him, but she doesn’t want anything to happen to him.
- Jamie and that proud look he gives Brianna. The way he values her…we want more moments like that!
- Buck ki**ed Cameron! The threat is over.
- Roger is finally ordained a priest.
- Poor Fanny, there are too many cruel people. At least Roger was able to comfort her.
- William doesn’t believe in magic. You have no idea what you’re in for with this family, kid.
- Claire has been putting the Frasers in their place since time immemorial. Queen!
- Jamie’s farewell to Fergus. It made us cry…
Outlander Season 8 air at midnight on Thursday on the STARZ app and Fridays at 8 PM ET on linear.
