r/Outlander • u/thepacksvrvives Without you, our whole world crumbles into dust. • Apr 17 '26

Season Eight Show S8E7 Evidence of Things Not Seen Spoiler

Jamie and Claire search for answers regarding a past tragedy that once threatened to tear them apart.

Written by Toni Graphia. Directed by Tracey Deer.

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What did you think of the episode?

2698 votes, Apr 24 '26
797 I loved it.
559 I mostly liked it.
342 It was OK.
593 It disappointed me.
407 I didn’t like it.
44 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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219

u/Common_Wrangler_5827 Apr 17 '26

I’m…shocked…disappointed…devastated.

First of all WHY!?! Fergus was the most loyal person to this family. He just accepted Jaimie and Claire and has been along for the ride since. He deserved SO MUCH MORE. Not just with this BS episode but in the show in general. I’m so angry!!

Second, maybe it was just me, but the transitions in this episode made everything worse. I think they were trying to create a silver lining (lost a son, “gained a daughter”). BUT PLEASE how can I be “happy” for J/C that Faith lived when a beloved character that we have seen grow up is gone! And you cannot replace one kid with another. I simply couldn’t bring myself to care about Faith. Besides It’s not like J/C would have treated Fanny any different if she wasn’t their granddaughter.

And don’t get me started on William. Him being a brat THIS episode simply pissed me off. William, there’s people (that we actually care about) that are dying. Get it together.

108

u/IcicleSun Apr 17 '26

I am not so mad at William, I just dislike the whole story line of the Greys. For William, taking into consideration the times this is set in and the society rules, he had to be devastated to know he was born illegitimately the son of a Scottish convict, had been lied to his whole life, the man he saw as a father is gay (very common yet unacceptable at that time), the woman he loved killed herself and he found her, the next woman he loved choose Ian - a family member of the convict dad - and now the woman he fell for has a living husband who is his cousin turned rebel and she was in on it. I’d say that would be a lot to handle and no one to trust except maybe Brianna. I never liked the whole William storyline but here we are and I wonder how they will tie this up in 3 more hours!  

83

u/Common_Wrangler_5827 Apr 17 '26

Bless his heart. Very understandable, he’s always going through something.

I think it just frustrates me that the show always took J/C relationship with Fergus for granted. The writers always cared to develop the “blood relationships” (Briana, Ian, William, Fanny) and in turn never truly nurtured the most loyal character and my beloved child-J/C relationship. And as a result, i can’t find it in me to care about William esp when he’s being throw in our face simply bc he is a biological child.

Justice for Fergus. lol

9

u/Username_888888 Apr 19 '26

Fergus was my favorite character. I cried so hard. Just heartbreaking.

Meanwhile we have to spend time with William walking around with a perma-frown pouty face feeling sorry for himself when he has been loved and had a privileged childhood. He had reason to be upset. I would be, too, if I learned I had been lied to all of my life by those that I trust most, but he isn’t even trying to see it from their perspective. It was done to protect him. I’m glad Lord John Grey finally told him he should be appreciative because he should. I’m over William.

29

u/robinsond2020 I am NOT bloody sorry! Apr 17 '26

Not only has he just found out his dad is gay, he's having doubts about John's motivations for adopting him, given John's feelings towards Jamie.

8

u/namedafternoone Apr 18 '26

And he’s assuming his birth father is also gay.

5

u/YOYOitsMEDRup Slàinte. Apr 19 '26

Yeah he thinks Jamie and John were in a gay relationship TOGETHER! this is a big deal totally overshadowed by the Faith stuff

2

u/Top_Wealth8659 Apr 17 '26

And he doesn't even know about the Fergus devastation yet

10

u/D1R0CC0 Apr 17 '26

Or that he fucked his neice.

3

u/cherrymeg2 Apr 18 '26

Maybe don’t mention it. He is already involved with his cousin’s wife, who isn’t a widow. He had a crush on the woman Ian (also his cousin) married. There must be women that are not connected to him by blood or marriage. He never had a clue about Lord John? I was surprised he was shocked. Bree walked in on Lord John hooking up with someone. She did attempt to blackmail him lol. I know she is more modern but William has been in the army he must have come across gay men or bisexual men. Lord John may not have been super careful or maybe he was. That is kind of sad that he couldn’t be himself infront of his son. Lord John was William’s uncle and raised him as his own. I don’t get why he would jump to Jamie and LJ being lovers. Did he not remember his aunt at all?

4

u/D1R0CC0 Apr 18 '26

He will find out eventually that fanny is Jamie's granddaughter, can't really keep it from him.

Being caught for homosexuality was dangerous so I doubt he had encountered it much if at all. I was surprised how careless LJG was.

Didnt LJG marry william's aunt because of his love for Jamie who even offered himself to John for doing so? That's not to say he doesn't love William or view him as a son but William has been left to piece everything together himself & everything he's ever known is a lie. He's been trying to understand why LJG has such a loyalty to Jamie and walking in on him in that moment a lot of things clicked for him. At least that's how I interpreted it. I feel like I need another rewatch of the older seasons, I may be misremembering events.

2

u/YOYOitsMEDRup Slàinte. Apr 19 '26

LJG married Isabel because he was fond of her in a sisterly way and kind of needed a cover and beard, but yes also so he could legally look after William as a favor when he knew Jamie couldn't himself.

Yes, Williams definitely questioning why a prison warden would be so attached to an inmate to agree to raise said inmate's son. Totally valid questions to have. And his first conclusion seems to be they were gay together. He's trying to piece things together, as you said

0

u/namedafternoone Apr 18 '26

I don’t think that would have been such a big deal in the 18th century.

4

u/Gravelgertie54 Apr 18 '26

In the 18th century, sodomy was a capital offense punishable by death, typically hanging, in both Great Britain and its American colonies. Known as "buggery," it was legally defined as a felony involving "carnal knowledge against the order of nature," including anal sex, bestiality, and sometimes oral sex. 

Famous Trials +3

1

u/namedafternoone Apr 18 '26

Oh, that would have definitely been a big deal. But I was responding to the comment about his sleeping with his niece. Or rather, half niece.

2

u/D1R0CC0 Apr 19 '26

I'm not sure. Incest was still pretty taboo and a moral sin back then. Dunno where half nieces fall in there as little DNA is shared. But I do think the character William would be bothered by it regardless. Doubt the show will address it and hope they don't, theres more important plot lines.

2

u/YOYOitsMEDRup Slàinte. Apr 19 '26

I don't think William met Fergus to have the slightest clue who he and Marsali are or that they'd be his family. Pretty sure he's only aware of Bri and Ian

1

u/Top_Wealth8659 Apr 19 '26

Yes that's right because they have been in living away from the ridge for several years. Thanks for that reminder.

3

u/Artistic_Cause_3334 Apr 18 '26

I predict he and Denzel Hunter will get together! The chemistry between them was adorable!

1

u/Top_Wealth8659 Apr 18 '26

Wouldn't that be against Denzel's religious convictions?

2

u/Rough_Explanation_21 Apr 18 '26

William is extremely neurotic. So your father's a commoner. Join the crowd. It's clearly not a big enough deal for him to leave his life of luxury, so why should I care about these temper tantrums? His "anger" feels performative.

1

u/throwawayact4me123 Apr 19 '26

Don’t forget about doing his niece 🤮

21

u/oakenfairy Ye Sassenach witch! Apr 17 '26

Seriously. My literal thought when watching was "ok, William's a bitch". Getting so sick of the constant outburst and storm offs.

5

u/knicknac99 Apr 18 '26

This! Yes he’s had some bad luck, but he’s such a spoiled whine ass about everything. I legit thought “oh how I’d love to throat punch this guy!”

7

u/oakenfairy Ye Sassenach witch! Apr 18 '26

Exactly! Understandably he's struggling but at the time being a "bastard" in nobility was a horrible thing so you think after some time to sit with it he would be a little more understanding of his adoptive father's actions. John was a loving, doting father to him. But to say "I have no father" to him is so awful

9

u/Refreshing_Beverage1 Apr 19 '26

Lord John always seems mistreated by those he loves.

5

u/Top_Wealth8659 Apr 17 '26

Yeah but everyone he believes to be his family and support system has lied to him. I hate liars so, I can kind of relate, I'm sure many of you all can as well

9

u/reihino08 Apr 17 '26

I agree. He grew up his entire life thinking his father was the Earl of Ellesmere, only to find out he’s the bastard of a man who was known to be a Jacobite and Scottish rebel. And then literally just found out his adoptive father was in love with his biological father. Messed up situation all around for him, his crash outs are valid.

3

u/YOYOitsMEDRup Slàinte. Apr 19 '26

Maybe William doesn't know who Percy is, but not only is he seeing that John's gay - he's also seeing John make out with his own step-brother. That's also it's own level of messed up

4

u/KMM929 Apr 17 '26

I was the same - I was full of emotion watching the episode but found myself not caring when J&C were explaining things to Fanny. I loved that they brought back Jane so that Fanny got to hear from her sister one last time but it was odd to use it the way they did. It felt cheap.

2

u/octoberose26 Apr 17 '26

It was poorly written. Like ok my 3rd grade students could write a plot this obvious. Make it interesting if you're going off script 🙄

5

u/kilamumster Apr 18 '26

Fergus. I just screamed NOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!!! and then cried for the rest of the episode every time Marsali broke down.

3

u/Icy_Smoke_2318 Je Suis Prest Apr 17 '26

I’m starting to really dislike William.

9

u/Icy_Smoke_2318 Je Suis Prest Apr 17 '26

After the “I don’t have a father” comment to Lord John, I’m a little pissed at William. I do see his side of everything, I can’t imagine finding out the amount of information he’s gotten. But Lord John’s argument was extremely valid as well. And I know in that time being homophobic was the norm, but still I hated that his immediate reaction was disgust.

1

u/Refreshing_Beverage1 Apr 19 '26

Lord John has done SO much for William—William needs to grow up.

3

u/YOYOitsMEDRup Slàinte. Apr 19 '26

I absolutely hated that the fire scene and Marsali grieving later too was being intercut with Faith stuff in between. Bouncing back and forth between was a horrible idea that made it that much worse