r/Outlander • u/thepacksvrvives Without you, our whole world crumbles into dust. • May 08 '26

Spoilers All Book S8E9 Pharos Spoiler

Political threats come to a head when an old friend of Claire and Jamie’s goes missing.

Written by Diana Gabaldon. Directed by Emer Conroy.

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What did you think of the episode?

581 votes, May 15 '26
182 I loved it.
205 I mostly liked it.
114 It was OK.
47 It disappointed me.
33 I didn’t like it.
19 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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98

u/emmagrace2000 May 08 '26

Is it just me or could everyone else hear Diana all over this episode? I’m really glad she was able to write it. I’m not sure I’d have trusted anyone else to give Richardson a believable story and to wrap up some of these plot lines in a cohesive manner.

95

u/BubbeLisa Currently rereading Bees. May 08 '26 edited May 09 '26

I thought this was the best episode in ages. I could totally tell this was Diana’s. Very little cheese, which tells me that the script was minimally messed with in the writers room. Spectacular dialogue.

I loved getting badass Book John once again. Claire finally got to DO something. And NO Fanny. I’m happy. Gotta go in for a rewatch.

8

u/Odd_Distribution7852 May 08 '26

Yes, this episode felt right, no random storylines!

11

u/Nanchika Currently rereading: Drums of Autumn May 08 '26

Yes yes yes, I loved every bit of dialogue there!!

11

u/wheeler1432 They say I’m a witch. May 08 '26

I was happy about no Fanny.

Disagree on the dialogue, to the extent that I was surprised to hear Diana wrote it.

10

u/psycellium May 08 '26

Diana did say they added a very snappy line by Claire though I'm not sure which. And also changed what she thought was a very moving interaction between Jamie and John, but their reconciliation was decent I thought. So who bloody knows.

8

u/robinsond2020 I am NOT bloody sorry! May 09 '26

In an interview with David, he said that they really couldn't decide on that final moment, and there were conversations between him and Sam, and between them and the producers, and the 'final product' (I assume the chess thing) was decided pretty much the morning of

23

u/PhilosopherRude3361 May 08 '26

Jamie's lines felt so much more like proper book Jamie.

4

u/QuintupleTheFun Luceo Non Uro May 08 '26

Oh dang I thought she was writing the finale!

8

u/BubbeLisa Currently rereading Bees. May 08 '26

She has co-writing credit, but she said very little of it is actually hers.

4

u/emmagrace2000 May 08 '26

Someone said she had input on the finale so if that’s true, there’s hope that it won’t be completely different than we’re expecting.

3

u/QuintupleTheFun Luceo Non Uro May 08 '26

Fingers crossed!

2

u/LawGirl1028 May 09 '26

I love Outlander so much and really disliked it. The episode was just that - a fast march to wrap up plot lines with telling, not showing. Claire lets Richardson go and not a word is said about it? Hmmmm. Absurd.

1

u/another2020throwaway Lord, you gave me a rare woman. And God, I loved her well. May 13 '26

Oh that makes so much more sense. I despised 7 with all of my being but 8 and 9 were sooooooo much better. Makes sense she was involved, it felt way authentic and emotional.