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In the second episode of Outlander Season 8, Jamie and Claire are trying to adjust to life back on the Ridge. However, the ominous prediction of Jamie’s death continues to loom over Sam Heughan’s character. He isn’t the only one pondering the moment of his demise in the episode aptly titled “Prophecies.”
The storyline kicks off with a flashback where William gives his cousin, Benjamin Grey, a toy soldier before Benjamin heads off to war. William’s quest in this episode revolves around uncovering the truth behind his cousin’s mysterious death.
Meanwhile, at the Ridge, Claire finds herself in the surgery with Fanny, her secret granddaughter. Notably, this marks Caitríona Balfe’s debut in the director’s chair. While Claire encourages Fanny to open up about her past with their immediate family, she advises caution when discussing the brothel with others at the Ridge.
Elsewhere in the woods, Roger shares the story of his encounter with his ancestor, Dougal’s son Buck, with Jamie. As they discuss the theme of forgiveness, Roger subtly alludes to forgiving Jamie for abandoning him back in Season 4. However, Jamie is preoccupied with Frank’s book and doesn’t catch the hint. He queries Roger, his historian son-in-law, about recognizing any names of the men he’s supposedly destined to fight alongside in the upcoming Battle of King’s Mountain. Roger draws a blank, and Jamie omits the detail that he’s predicted to die in the battle. He refuses Roger’s offer to read the book and questions Frank Randall’s intentions in writing about him.
Captain Cunningham makes an appearance, and Jamie and Roger correctly deduce that he shares their Freemason affiliation. Jamie is in the process of establishing a Lodge on the Ridge and extends an invitation to the former British captain to join.
William is in Philadelphia for the wedding of his cousin Henry to Mercy Woodcock. (Mercy says she hopes Mr. Bryan’s bill passes the assembly to end the ban on interracial marriages. She’s most likely speaking of Governor George Bryan, who authored what would become the Gradual Abolition Act.) William supports their marriage, but he’s also there because he’s making his way to New Jersey to investigate Ben’s death. He breaks the news to Henry that his brother is dead and left behind a wife and son in Amaranthus and Trevor.
The women of the Ridge are enjoying some leisurely blueberry picking… until tragedy strikes. (And if you read the ninth Outlander book by Diana Gabaldon, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, you knew this was coming.) Just after Amy McCallum discusses her happiness at finding love on the Ridge, she gets attacked by a bear. They rush Amy to Claire’s surgery, but it’s too late. Claire can’t save her. Her husband, Evan, and sons, Orrie and Aidan, arrive in time to say goodbye.
Brianna struggles with the fact that she didn’t help (plus, your friend getting mauled by a bear is a pretty brutal reentry to 18th century life). She goes on the hunt for the bear, though Jamie tells Aidan that the kill can belong to him to avenge his mom. But someone beats them to it — Captain Cunningham. He has killed the bear singlehandedly, and when young Aidan marvels that he could have died, the British captain confidently replies, “There was no danger of that, I assure you.”
The captain’s mom, Mrs. Cunningham, also displays quite the nerve when she returns to the Ridge to help Claire with Amy’s body. Claire’s a bit taken aback, but the all-business, child-slapping Elspeth shows a softer side to Claire, encouraging her to mend Amy’s face as much as possible so that her loved ones can see it one more time during her wake.
In New Jersey, William isn’t getting many answers about Ben’s death, except that he died from “jail fever.” He meets the army surgeon’s assistant, who reveals that Ben was much better before he reportedly died. Hm, suspicious. William sees Benjamin’s sadly-marked grave and gets his belongings, which notably don’t include his toy soldier.
At the Ridge, Claire’s medical duties are not done as Rachel goes into labor. Rachel and Ian welcome a healthy boy, whose name is Oggy for now. Uncle Jamie has a heart-to-heart with Young Ian about being envious that Ian will have the chance to raise this son, something Jamie never got to experience with any of his children, and affirms that Ian will make a great father.
Jamie doesn’t have too long to be sentimental because a sign of his imminent death approaches in the form of Benjamin Cleveland, one of the men mentioned in Frank’s book. Cleveland wants Jamie to join his rebel militia and proudly admits he’s responsible for hanging the “Loyalist pigs” that Jamie and Brianna found in the woods. He’s pretty despicable, and it’s clear Jamie’s concerned about what will happen that could make him join forces with him.
Claire later asserts that Jamie is not going to die in that battle, but she does wonder why Frank went searching for Jamie in the past and never told her. Jamie points out, “Maybe he wasn’t searching for me, Claire. Maybe he was searching for you, to see if you’d leave him.”
Cleveland had also offered to help Jamie get rid of the Torry Captain Cunningham from his land. Though Jamie didn’t accept Cleveland’s offer, Cunningham gave Jamie more reason to distrust him at the first meeting of the Freemasons. Cunningham shares how his son Simon died during the Battle of Saratoga two years ago, but came back to life to deliver the message, “I’ll see you again in seven years.” Cunningham truly believes he will not die until then, which explains his fearlessness in taking down the bear by himself. His invincibility assertion concerns Jamie.
Speaking of cheating death, William, unsatisfied with what he’s learned about Benjamin, decides to dig up his cousin’s grave to see for himself that he’s really dead. And what he discovers is that there’s another man buried in Ben’s grave. Is Ben really dead?! And if not, who the hell is Amaranthus?!
Jamie’s own death looms large as he continues to agonize over Soul of a Rebel. He hears Frank in his head, antagonizing him about the day of his death. Even making love to Claire doesn’t quiet the voice as Frank’s voice says, “You’re going to die. Who will hold her once you’re gone?” Damn, those Randalls are always so brutal to Jamie.
With lots of questions about who has died and who will die and when, only one person truly died in “Prophecies” — poor Amy. In the meantime, Jamie will be left to put together the puzzle pieces that Frank left him and see if he has time to change his fate.
Caitlin Gallagher is a New Jersey-raised, NYC-based entertainment writer. When not writing about or watching TV, she can be found planning her next Halloween costume, crying over rescue animals, or praising Season 2 of The Leftovers.