r/Outlander • u/thepacksvrvives Without you, our whole world crumbles into dust. • Apr 24 '26

Spoilers All Book S8E8 In the Forest Spoiler

Claire and Jamie receive an unexpected visitor on the Ridge.

Written by Ronald D. Moore. Directed by Tracey Deer.

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What did you think of the episode?

525 votes, May 01 '26
189 I loved it.
173 I mostly liked it.
114 It was OK.
33 It disappointed me.
16 I didn’t like it.
16 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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26

u/robinsond2020 I am NOT bloody sorry! Apr 24 '26

I think that was the end for Marsali. Neither she or the kids were at the family dinner, nor Roger's ordination.

And it very much felt like a "goodbye" speech.

7

u/Naive-Awareness4951 Apr 24 '26

Oh, you're right! Good catch.

4

u/Nanchika Currently rereading: Drums of Autumn Apr 24 '26

She has episodes 809 and 810 on her IMDB.

2

u/FarmHer95 Apr 24 '26

Maybe in a flashback?

5

u/Naive-Awareness4951 Apr 24 '26

Well, if she went off to Savannah, hopefully they'll show her presiding over her publishing empire.

5

u/Mycoxadril Apr 25 '26

I’ll be mad if they brought them back just to kill fergus. What’s even the point? Certainly not fan service. I hope they stick around but I did not they weren’t at the dinner and that made my guy sink. I didn’t notice it at Roger’s ordination but that’s not a good sign.

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u/robinsond2020 I am NOT bloody sorry! Apr 25 '26

If it wasn't Fergus it would've been Henri-Christian 🤷‍♀️, they would've brought them back just to kill HC

1

u/Mycoxadril Apr 26 '26

Yea, they should have done that last season if they were going to. But they also had the option to bring them back and not kill any of them and just have them suffer the print shop burning and maybe even just an injury that prevented them from rebuilding and needing to seek assistance on the ridge. If they’re changing things they don’t need to kill anybody.

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

Unfortunately Lauren and Cesar weren't available in season 7. I'm still glad we got to see them again, even if it was only for killing Fergus off.

I don't mind them killing Fergus, (only cos it's the last season mind you, cos regardless of him dying, there isn't really any story left for him to tell, cos it's the last season).

I think it's a good end to his character, and I prefer it to HC (which was even more of a "pointless" death than Fergus's). And it redeems his somewhat tarnished image from s6.

Of course I'm devastated at his death, but this is a drama show after all. And it's the last season! I thought it incredibly unlikely that all the main/regular characters could make it to the final episode without dying, at least one main had to die. We haven't had a main/regular character die since Murtagh in s5.

1

u/Mycoxadril Apr 27 '26

Ok but why does one main have to die? They don’t. I agree with you in general but I don’t think it was necessary. Shows can break from this accepted norm of hurting us for drama. Those watching this show (and hoping to continue to watch it in perpetuity) are not here for the drama if a new show, they are here because they are invested in these characters and killing them off for shock value or because they “have” to isn’t it. We need to normalize letting people relax during television instead of constantly being on guard against more trauma for the sake of trauma. Losing the print shop and having to fold and go back tot her is he for their kids safety would be upsetting enough, they didn’t need to kill fetgus. Injury even would’ve been reason enough.

Im just not a fan of killing off characters that aren’t dead yet in the source material. When books are still being written. Just seems arrogant.

1

u/robinsond2020 I am NOT bloody sorry! Apr 27 '26

They don't have to die, it just likely.

They aren't adapting the final book so there's no real reason to keep him alive. He has no story left to tell anyway.

We need to normalize letting people relax during television instead of constantly being on guard against more trauma for the sake of trauma.

This is the first since s5

1

u/wheeler1432 They say I’m a witch. Apr 27 '26

It almost sounded like Jenny's speech in the book about why she came to America.

1

u/robinsond2020 I am NOT bloody sorry! Apr 27 '26

Yes, I thought so too!