Claire’s beekeeping and Jamie’s busy eating as Starz’s Outlander season eight, episode five opens. Buck’s keeping the kids busy, and Jamie confesses he told him about Frank’s book and Buck pledged to fight alongside him. Jamie confirms he didn’t tell him they killed his dad or that Claire killed his mom.
(The following is a recap of season eight, episode five – “Send for the Devil” – and there are spoilers.)
Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) hears a noise in the woods and sends the children into the house. Aaron Whitaker (Tomisin Ajani), husband of the pregnant woman Claire recently saved, emerges from the woods and asks if Jamie (Sam Heughan) knows Captain Cunningham. He warns Jamie that Cunningham’s coming for him.
Whitaker reveals Cunningham’s men spoke to some Cherokee and invited them to join the loyalist militia. They let it be known that Cunningham would soon be in charge of Fraser’s Ridge. Whitaker overheard them discuss a redcoat named Ferguson who’s been arresting rebels and is putting together loyalist militias. Cunningham will attack Jamie in a few days, capture him, and turn him over to Ferguson for a public hanging. But this won’t happen until Partland and his militia from ninety-six arrive.
Jamie’s incredibly grateful for the warning.
Jamie, Buck, and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) try to figure out where Cunningham will launch his attack. It won’t be at their home since Jamie has the upper hand. Jamie believes it will be outside the lodge after a meeting. Right now, Jamie’s own militia isn’t trained to fight off an attack. He realizes they need to cut off the ninety-six before they arrive. To do that, he has to make a deal with “the devil.”
Jamie sends Josiah (Paul Gorman) off with a letter for Benjamin Cleveland (Turlough Convery), aka the “devil.”
Jamie doesn’t think she or the kids are in danger, but Claire wants to play it safe so she sends them to Lizzie’s. It’s worrying that they haven’t heard from Josiah, and Jamie’s forced to prepare without knowing if he’ll have backup. He reminds Claire they have a plan and that Cunningham doesn’t know that he knows what’s going on. His Ardsmuir men will be at the lodge, and Buck and Kezzie will be on the lookout for the ninety-six. But if it all goes bad, he’ll fight like mad to return to her.
Claire prepares her instruments in case there are wounded to treat.
The lodge meeting begins and Jamie and Cunningham (Kieran Bew) are civil toward each other. Jamie keeps an eye on Cunningham while the meeting is underway. He watches a few of Cunningham’s men leave the meeting but doesn’t react.
While this is happening, Elspeth Cunningham visits Claire, and Claire admits she knows what’s about to take place. Elspeth suggests they pray together.
Cunningham speaks about loyalty and announces they all must be loyal to king and country. Even though they aren’t supposed to talk about politics, Cunningham and Jamie speak their minds, with Jamie declaring, as long as 100 are alive “never shall we, on any conditions, be brought under English rule.”
Jamie reminds them they’re fighting for freedom, and if they need to lay down their lives, they will. Jamie quietly leaves during the closing prayer. When Cunningham finally looks up, he’s stunned that Jamie’s no longer there.
Cunningham and his men hurry outside and search for Jamie, who’s grabbed a pistol that Lizzie hid for him. (Guns aren’t allowed inside the lodge.) Buck and Kezzie join them and report that they haven’t spotted either Josiah or the ninety-six. More men join Jamie as they prepare for a fight. Jamie instructs them not to shoot to kill and to keep track of names so he’ll know who wants him dead after the fight.
Night falls and a storm threatens as Mrs. Cunningham and Claire can only wait to learn the outcome. Elspeth Cunningham believes her son will survive and that Jamie has earned his death.
Jamie knocks out Hiram Crombie and looks around the trading post. Cunningham walks in, places his gun on the floor, and asks to talk. Jamie orders him to leave Fraser’s Ridge and if he has to kill him, he will. Cunningham believes he’s still got five years left, according to what his dying son said, so he’s not worried about Jamie’s threats. He attacks Jamie with a knife and manages to stab him (not deeply) in the chest. Jamie continues to fight and gets the upper hand when Cunningham tries to choke him with a rope.
The fight continues and Jamie kicks Cunningham out the front door. Unfortunately, Cunningham still has a pistol while Jamie only has a knife. Jamie reveals he knows Cunningham was supposed to deliver him alive to Ferguson. Cunningham thinks killing Jamie will be easier at this point.
Buck ends the standoff with a gunshot to Cunningham’s back.
Jamie returns home with an injured Cunningham who can move his fingers but not his feet. Claire works on him while Fanny works on Jamie’s chest wound. Cunningham might live, but he won’t be able to walk.
The next morning, the men have breakfast at Jamie’s as Claire tends to her hubby’s wound. Jamie admits he thought he was dead but then realized Buck shot Cunningham. Cunningham’s men were stripped of their weapons and sent home. Jamie recites a list of names of men who fought against him, and if he dies, Claire needs to get rid of them all.
Suddenly, a group of men ride up and Jamie’s men take up positions to fight them off. Claire stands next to Jamie on the porch, rifle cocked, and only relaxes once they see Josiah riding in front. Josiah brought the Overmountain Men led by Benjamin Cleveland, who admits he can’t resist a fight against the Tories.
His men stand down as Jamie invites Cleveland in for a whiskey.
Roger Fights and William Has a Surprise Reunion
Bree (Sophie Skelton) paints Amaranthus (Carla Woodcock) and the baby, and William (Charles Vandervaart) compliments Bree’s work. Cannon fire can be heard in the distance, and Bree confesses she’s worried about Roger. Amaranthus takes a break, giving Bree and William time to talk about Jamie. William had no idea that Bree didn’t learn Jamie was her father until she was 19. Bree admits she even told Claire that she should have died, not Frank, after being lied to for years. She only overcame it after getting to know Jamie.
Roger (Richard Rankin) writes a letter to Bree explaining he can’t just watch younger men take part in a battle without him. He hopes he’ll see her and the children soon and ends the letter, “For now and always, I am your husband, Roger.”
He practices with a sword and assures the young drummer boy that God is with them as the men prepare to march to battle.
Bree realizes a battle is underway as dishes rattle and the sound of cannons and gunfire move closer. William joins her and explains the rebels are attacking from the south through the marshes. Bree confesses Roger went to the Continental Army’s camp but claims he was there just as a minister.
Lord John needs to stay at headquarters, but he gave William a union flag to hang in the window if the Continental Army makes it into the city. It should keep Bree safe.
Roger is in the thick of the battle but takes time to hear a dying soldier, Private Winslow Carver (Christy O’Donnell), pass on a request to tell Mary he loves her. Men are falling around Roger, but he refuses to leave Winslow’s side until he passes.
Roger spots the young drummer boy (Lemuel Ariel Adou) unconscious and races through the trees carrying him to the makeshift hospital. The doctor happens to be Denzell Hunter (Joey Phillips) and Roger begs him not to let the child die. (Roger and Denzell have never met before, and don’t know their shared connections.)
Roger heads back into the thick of the battle and is about to help another injured soldier when a cannon ball explodes in front of him.
William informs Bree that Lord John wrote to the continental camp for news about Roger. But Bree refuses to wait and William volunteers to go with her in the morning.
William sits outside with Amaranthus and confesses his feelings. He thinks they should get married and if they have a son, they can give him his title. Amaranthus agrees that they should have a child but not necessarily get married so soon. She believes they can enjoy trying to have children, for now. William wants to get married and Amaranthus accepts.
Morning arrives and Roger says prayers over the dead soldiers’ bodies. Bree arrives and Roger rushes to embrace her, slightly injured but alive. Bree shoves him, angry because he scared her so much. Roger apologizes and holds her close.
Denzell walks up and Roger introduces him to Bree, now aware that he’s Rachel’s brother. Denzell’s happy to meet her and says he knows Claire and Jamie well. William joins them and Denzell gives him a hug.
William’s going to stay at the camp a while with Denzell, and Bree jokes, “You know, for a loyalist, you sure have a lot of rebel friends.”
Denzell informs William that Rachel and Ian had a baby, and William claims he’s glad for them. Denzell takes a minute to hand over a book of casualties to an officer and William is shocked when Ben emerges from the tent, wearing a rebel uniform. William punches him in the face.
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This post was last modified on April 10, 2026 11:50 am