Season 8

Complete listed story — includes the ending

1. Soul of a Rebel

Claire kills Sebastian Vasquez, who brags about killing Captain Pocock and his wife Faith and selling their daughters Jane and Frances into prostitution. In Savannah, Georgia 1779, at Fergus Fraser & Sons, Jamie warns about printing seditious pamphlets, and travels with Claire and Fanny back to Fraser's Ridge, where Ian has rebuilt their house. William hears that his cousin Benjamin has died. Lord John Grey vows justice against the turncoat Richardson, encouraging William (whether he calls himself Ransom, Fraser or Grey) to neither wallow in alcohol, nor renounce his earldom. Trader Hiram Crombie introduces his partner Captain Charles Cunningham, who claims he no longer fights for the British, but Jamie is suspicious. Roger, Brianna and their children reunite with Jamie and Claire. William assures Ben's widow, Amaranthus Cowden Grey, of her son Trevor's future. Jamie determines to move the gold so that Rob cannot find it. Jamie and Brianna find branded and hanged loyalists. After slapping Mandy for calling her a witch, Cunningham's mother Elspeth declares they "are all undoubtedly going to hell". From Frank Randall's book, The Soul of a Rebel: The Scottish Roots of the American Revolution, Jamie's reads of his impending death at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

2. Prophecies

Jamie invites Cunningham to Freemasonry meetings. Henry Grey marries Mercy Woodcock, despite the ban on interracial marriages. William determines to find out how Ben died while held prisoner by the Continental Army. While berry picking, a bear mauls Amy McCallum-Lindsay, but Claire is unable to help as Amy's husband Evan and Aidan McCallum watch her die. Elspeth bonds with Claire while preparing Amy's corpse for viewing and burial. Jamie leads a bear hunt, but Cunningham had already killed it. Claire helps Rachel through labour to bear a son, Oggy. Benjamin Cleveland tries in vain to enlist Jamie into the Overmountain militia to protect against Tories, and admits to hanging loyalists. Cleveland is also after the ex-Tory Cunningham, who speaks at the Lodge about his wife's death during childbirth. Cunningham prophecies that he has "seven years from Saratoga " to live after his son Simon died in the battle. Jamie doubts Cunningham's "God-given" purpose, but " hears " Frank saying, Cunningham has five more years to live. Meanwhile, William travels to the Continental Army camp, discovering the tin soldier he had given Ben in 1775 is missing. He exhumes Ben's body, but finds someone else buried in Ben's grave.

3. Abies Fraseri

Jamie argues with Claire after John invites Brianna to paint Amaranthus's and Trevor's portrait. Binta and Agnes ask Claire to deliver Susannah Whitaker's twins, despite her husband Aaron's reluctance. Recalling Master Raymond's words when Faith was stillborn, Susannah's stillborn girl begins breathing. To Jamie, Claire describes "a pale blue light" flowing from her fingertips into the baby. A strand of her hair changes to "the color of moonlight" just as the Indian woman had predicted. Meanwhile, Major General Alexander Leslie tells William about John's governance of Ardsmuir prison twenty-five years earlier. Percival Beauchamp pressures John to meet printer Claudel Fraser, in return for locating Captain Richardson. After showing Ben's tin soldier to William, Amaranthus kisses him. Cleveland claims smuggled guns after killing two officers, one of whom lewdly propositioned Fanny. Jamie retrieves a letter about back country Abies fraseri, and from Cunningham's cipher, unmasks him as a British spy sent by General Charles Cornwallis and Major Patrick Ferguson to exploit "the loyal Southerner" by recruiting a militia on Fraser's land. Cunningham tries enlisting Fraser, promising he can keep his ridge after the King's victory, bringing him, in Frank’s words, "closer to Kings Mountain and closer to your history".

4. Muskets, Liberty, and Sauerkraut

Jamie provides gold for guns, instructing Roger and Brianna to keep safe during the Siege of Savannah with Marsali MacKimmie and Fergus Fraser, who toasts, "To muskets, liberty and sauerkraut". While recruiting men with Josiah and Ian, William Buccleigh MacKenzie assures Jamie that Rob Cameron "won't be bothering them again". After Claire relocates Elspeth's shoulder, Fanny comments on brothel-living. Brianna and William talk about their father, Jamie. Wanting to establish a French colony in the Old Northwest, Percival reveals Fergus's parentage, born Claudel from Amélie LeVigne Beauchamp and the Comte St Germain, whose Paris estate is held in trust for him. Amaranthus proposes William abdicate his earldom to their firstborn. Cunningham makes a pass at Claire. At Crombie's Emporium, Rachel reads about the Patriot Army's Susquehanna River massacre, retaliating for Joseph Brant 's raids. She accompanies Ian northward to rescue his former wife Wahionhaweh (aka Emily) and son, Swiftest of Lizards. Jamie tasks Ian to learn more about Jane's family from the brothel girls in Philadelphia. Lieutenant Colonel Francis Marion angrily rejects Roger's request for guns because Jamie "abandoned his troops at Monmouth to tend his wife". Prevented from leaving, Roger decides to fight alongside Marion's Patriots.

5. Send for the Devil

Aaron warns that Cunningham is coming to take Fraser's Ridge and hang Jamie. Brianna encourages William to get to know Jamie as she did. Threatened by Partland's militia from the settlement of Ninety Six, Jamie resigns to "deal with the devil". After praying while Dr Denzell Hunter treats drummerboy Christophe's neck wound, Roger survives artillery fire. Jamie sends for his Ardsmuir men to defend against Cunningham's loyalists. Claire and Elspeth pray together, waiting to see who survives. Since Cunningham speaks politics at Lodge, urging loyalty to King and Country, Jamie rebuts from the Declaration of Arbroath, "never will we...be brought under English rule....we are fighting...for freedom". After noting loyalists, Jamie escapes during the closing prayer. Elspeth tells Claire, Jamie's hanging would be a just execution for a traitor. Jamie knocks out Crombie, and tells Cunningham to leave "my land. On foot or in a box". Believing himself impervious, Cunningham attacks Jamie. To save Jamie, Buck shoots Cunningham, paralysing his legs; Claire treats him. Amaranthus initiates premarital sex with William, who later finds Ben alive as a Continental Army officer. Josiah returns with Cleveland's militiamen. Claire remarks, "Send for the devil, the devil appears".

6. Blessed Are the Merciful

For defeating Ninety-Six 's militiamen, Jamie realises he owes Cleveland. Roger tells Brianna he wants to be ordained. Benjamin, now General Ralph Bleeker, tells William about Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and that it was Amaranthus's idea to fake his death. Realising how William "comforted" Amaranthus, Ben confines William in the guardhouse after fighting. Ahroniaronwateh warns Ian away from Shadow Lake, referring him to Thayendanegea, whose wife Ahdohwahgeseon confirms Wahionhaweh still lives, but Thayendanegea prohibits Ian from seeing her. After Jamie evicts his betrayers, Mrs Crombie begs mercy for their wives and children, despite their husbands' forbiddance. Doctor Hunter plans William's escape from Private Chesley. For his battle actions, Marion grants Roger the guns he requested. Despite her jealousy, Rachel petitions for Ian to see Wahionhaweh and her son, whom Thayendanegea did not know was his. Insisting their husbands relinquish weapons and swear fealty, Jamie revokes his banishment letter, and writes new tenancy contracts for their wives, quoting scripture, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Recounting her dream that soldiers captured their son, forcing him to die in battle, Wahionhaweh grants Ian custody of Ian James, and renames Oggy, Hunter. Claire declares friendship as Elspeth takes Charles to England.

7. Evidence of Things Not Seen

Jamie climbs Kings Mountain to survey it. William confronts Amaranthus, and informs John that Ben turned coat. A rough looking man throws produce at Marsali. Fanny is distraught for losing her grandmère's lace square. Percy informs John that Richardson is sailing for Savannah. William catches them kissing, and confronts John about "knowing" Jamie at Ardsmuir, but John has had enough of William's ingratitude and disrespect. Ian discovers a pamphlet, Jane Eleanora Pocock: The Life of a Whore and Murderess, confirming Jane's mother was Faith, who sailed to North Carolina to find her mother. Alerted of fire by Joanie, Marsali evacuates. Roger catches Henri-Christian. Fergus lowers Germain before falling through the burning roof. Brianna reveals she is pregnant. Marsali tells her about threatening poems, one about fire. Jamie and Claire reveal to Fanny that Faith was their daughter, upsetting Fanny, who has lost everyone. They reassure her, "that faith is the evidence of things not seen", and asks her to have faith in them. It is revealed that in 1744 Paris, Master Raymond had given baby Faith to Mrs Jeanne Louvière, teaching her to sing " I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside " that he learned from Claire.

8. In the Forest

After burying Fergus on Fraser's Ridge, Marsali decides to sign papers to receive St Germain's estate to rebuild the print shop and support the Rebels, her family, and her unborn child. From Frank's nickname for Brianna, Jamie thinks his book, dedicated to "Deadeye", might be meant more as a warning to her than him. He studies it, preparing for the coming battle. Buck tells Roger how he went to 1980 and killed Rob, who bought a gemstone to travel through the stones. Brianna builds a Hall rifle to counter the Ferguson rifles they will face. William confides with Brianna regarding Amaranthus. He goes fishing and calls John a sodomite, asking if Jamie was his lover, resentful towards both for withholding the truth. Claire admonishes him that Jamie may soon die in battle. Jamie trains men to skirmish; Aaron and his men join Jamie's militia. William proposes they go hunting together, "in the forest", and Jamie explains why he left William as a boy at Helwater; embracing, they reconcile. After praying at Jane's memorial cairn, Fanny finds a raw gemstone that cracks as she hears the stones buzzing like bees. At Tannahill's solicitor office, Richardson knocks John unconscious while Percy watches.

9. Pharos

John wakes, chained, and confronted by carnal acts with Neil Patrick Stapleton. Percy (aka Perseverance Wainwright) contributes his own testimony, including incest. John "does not submit to blackmail". Richardson wants John's brother Hal to convince the House of Lords to continue funding the war. John scratches "pharos" (Greek for lighthouse) inside his ring, trusting Percy to deliver it to William. Seven weeks later, Amaranthus enlists Claire, Jamie, and William, who beat Percy to reveal John's captor. Given the ring, William surmises, " Tybee ". Jamie and William infiltrate Richardson's boathouse, killing two guards, freeing John. At gunpoint, Claire captures Richardson, who reasons, victorious British abolitionists could free 800,000+ slaves across the realm. Otherwise, American slavery continues "85 more years" starting "another bloody war". Claire deduces, " The Civil War...You're a time traveller". After changing Culloden and Alamance history failed, Claire concludes Richardson cannot succeed, releasing him, but John kills him. John and Jamie finally reconcile. Learning Jamie's fate at Kings Mountain, Brianna urges him to stay, but to protect Brianna, he needs to fight. John forces Percy to sign an affidavit confessing his crimes, or die. Faced with prison, Percy shoots himself. Cleveland arrives to gather men against Ferguson, "You owe me Fraser".

10. And the World Was All Around Us

Jamie writes his last will and testament, and spends time with Claire and Brianna before leaving with Roger, Ian and others. Claire imparts advice to a tearful Fanny before joining Jamie. Roger and Claire hang back to treat wounded, as their militia meets Col. Campbell, but hearing the battle, Claire approaches their lines. Meanwhile, Brianna, Rachel and Lizzie quietly shuck corn while Fanny relays Claire's advice. Patriots advance uphill towards Ferguson's lines. Against Roger's warning, Claire, frantic to find Jamie alive, joins them, shooting a Redcoat and avoiding musket fire, before Ferguson's troops surrender. Claire spots Jamie, shouting "No!" as Ferguson attacks from horseback. Jamie breaks his sword, declaring, "It's over, Sassenach." Jamie asks Ferguson to surrender, but he shouts "never" and shoots Jamie. Buck, Ian and others kill Ferguson. Jamie dies in Claire's arms. After a night of mourning, Claire concedes, "He's home", exhaling. Series epilogue: Outside in the rain, Jamie watches Claire inside combing her hair. Frank Randall asks, "can I help you", but Jamie departs. The rain ends, night turns to day, and he touches the centre standing stone. Blue flowers appear as he walks away. A flashback montage ends back on Kings Mountain with Jamie and Claire, her hair now completely white. They both open their eyes, inhaling.