'Outlander' Season 5 Episode 8 promo sees Brianna get a generous land grant as danger stalks the Fraser clan
After a week's hiatus, the new episode of 'Outlander', titled 'Famous Last Words' is set to air on Sunday. Of course, the big question that fans have been anxious about is Roger Mackenzie's state after being cut down from the tree. Earlier, Richard Rankin, who plays Roger, was called a "pot-stirrer" for insinuating that his character had made an exit for good on Twitter, though the book's writer, Diana Gabaldon, who also consults on the show's scripts, soon put fans' minds at ease, hinting that we haven't seen the last of Rankin on the show.
So, we do know that Roger is definitely alive after being cut down from the tree. But after his brush with near-death (and not the first time since he traveled through the stones), he is probably not in a good state. Advance photos and a brief glimpse in the trailer show that Lord John Grey (David Berry) will be stopping by at Fraser's Ridge.
His business will probably have to do with Governor Tryon's (Tim Downie) parting gift to the Fraser clan before he moves to New York. He makes a gift of 5,000 acres to Brianna (Sophie Skelton), with no strings attached. Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) suggests that this is Tryon's way of buying Brianna's forgiveness for what happened to Roger. Brianna, however, doesn't sound assuaged, as she says, "I don't need land. I need my husband back."
Roger might have finally had enough of the 1700s and will be even more insistent that they and Jemmy travel back to their time once Jemmy is old enough to travel through the stones.
Conveniently, he also knows of a circle of magic stones nearby that act just like the Craigh Na Duh circle and the one in the Caribbean. We can't really blame him. Except for his wedding to Brianna, he has had a sensationally bad time of it since he traveled back in time.
After being starved of substantive storylines for Brianna and Roger, we will probably get to see a lot more of the couple as they both try to overcome their respective traumas -- Brianna will need to process her rape, and Roger, his hanging. Just like Claire and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) had to deal with the trauma inflicted by Jack Randall, this couple too has not had an easy go of it.
The next episode's trailer also shows Jocasta, looking stoic, after Jamie tells her that Murtagh is dead. Even though she says that Murtagh was not her husband, as if to show she doesn't care, Jamie knows better. He tells her, “… it does not make the pain any less", which is true enough.
But besides the stock-taking after the Battle of Alamance, the new episode's trailer also promises two new scary developments. One, Claire discovers that one of her poisonous "water hemlock" root has gone missing and Marsali, the only other person who handles Claire's things, has no idea who has taken it.
Two, the episode synopsis says an "unexpected visitor arrives at the Ridge". This could be Lord John Grey, of course. But in the trailer, we see Jamie holding a knife ready to defend his family as he tells Claire to go hide in the cabin with baby Jemmy. We also see Claire looking shocked and scared as she spots someone. We are betting that this someone is Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speelers) who hasn't finished tormenting the Fraser clan yet.
'Outlander' Season 5 Episode 8 airs on April 12 at 8:00pm ET/PT on STARZ, the STARZ app, and STARZ On Demand.
