Finally it's #Outlander, Season 8, Episode 1 Recap and we're Back To The Ridge!!

Ladies and some gents, it has been a very long time, I've missed you all so let's get at it!

Jamie and Claire are in a fishing shack and I know they’re doing secret agent stuff because Claire is wearing a bonnet and Jamie tells her not to speak in front of the people who are coming to sell them whisky.  Turns out the slimy Mr. Vasquez and his buddies are pirates who captured a ship, murdered the captain name Pocock, threw his wife overboard and stole the two little girls. Captain Pocock's wife was Jamie and Claire’s daughter Faith, and their daughters Jane and Fanny.  Vasquez raped little Jane and sold them both to a whore house so Claire stabs and kills him and I'm glad she did it because I was about to do it myself.

In Savannah, Jamie and Claire wake up in a cozy bedroom and it's the home of Marsali and Fergus and their many children crammed into the house like the Old Woman In The Shoe.  They won’t tell Fanny she’s their granddaughter, because trauma.  Turns out Fergus is printing seditious materials cuz he’s a badass rebel, but Jamie’s worried and so am I.  Claire has made cookies for breakfast and it’s just so lovely to see them all together as a family. 

Drunken William is brought home by a hunky, ginger soldier, Lord John vouches for his son who pukes into a beautiful footed bowl.  William meets his late cousin Ben’s wife and their baby who has the soap opera name 'Trevor.'  He promptly insults Amaranthus Grey and she insults him right back.  I like her.

Jamie, Claire and Fanny arrive on the site of their homestead and are greeted by Young Ian who tells them Rachel’s baby hasn’t arrived yet and oh btw, I built you a house. It’s a spacious home with wooden walls and floors, sort of looks like something Ye Olde Maine Cabin Masters would’ve built!  He has scavenged the decor and medical supplies from his travels, some neighbors gave other things and he bought the rest from Hiram Crombie’s new store.  Jamie shows Fanny the room that will be hers and I believe my Grinch heart grows two sizes more.

The Frasers go to the little square in front of Nels Oleson’s Emporium, I mean Hiram Crombie’s General Store and it looks like the Saturday Farmer’s Market in our town minus the cheap Chinese merch.  Amy MacCallum is at the store and tells them she married Evan Lindsay and she buys pretty floral fabric that looks like something that would be available at Joanne’s if the finance bros hadn’t shut it down.  They meet his business partner, Captain Charles Cunningham, and I’m trying to remember back when I read the book if he’s a good guy or a bad guy.  I do know his mother is a piece of work but I’m getting ahead of myself. Jamie takes a stroll with Cunningham and discovers he was a redcoat.  

Back at Lord John’s home, he makes what looks like a whiskey and raw egg to fix Willie’s latest hangover.   Lord John has a ‘Come To Jesus’ meeting with William and tells him to grown up and while he’s at it, he needs to apologize to Amaranthus.  

On the Ridge, Lizzie Weymous has come to visit with a bee hive homecoming gift. I’m so happy to see her because she’s my favorite!!  Jamie sends greetings to Lizzie and Kezzie and Josiah, the first throuple on the Ridge. He’s trying so hard to be modern and progressive and it cracks me up.

Jamie and Claire are smooching when a voice calls out “Hello The House!” and Brianna, Roger and the kids have made it home to the Ridge.  When mother and daughter reunite I think I might lose it because my daughter lives on the other side of the country in this actual century and I know how emotional I get every time she gets off the plane.  They bring out books they’ve brought to the ridge and Jamie puts on his sexy Ben Franklin glasses and reads Good Night Moon.  She’s brought The Merck Manual for Claire and Lord of the Rings for Jamie.  It’s a hilarious interaction and we get to see actor Sam Heughan’s comedic side which he’s spectacular at. The final book they’ve brought is “Soul Of A Rebel” about the Scots during the Revolutionary War and it's written by Frank Randall.

William finally sobers up and takes a bath, hopefully brushes his teeth with their equivalent of Crest toothpaste (most dentists recommend) and goes to find Amaranthus to apologize for being a drunken oaf when they met.  She accepts his apology.  As with Captain Cunningham, I’m trying to think back to the books to remember if she is a good person or not. I’ll forgive myself for not remembering because I began reading Diana’s books before my daughter was born and she’s now married with a child.  Now back to the recap!  

Jamie and Brianna go hunting in the woods (Many thanks to Frank for preparing Brianna for the past by teaching her all the skilz) and she tells Jamie about the evil, yet cute Rob Cameron.  He says he will move and hide the gold to keep it safe.  Jamie says ‘no sane man can guess the mind of a mad one’ and I write that down because it sure is relevant now and that meme just wrote itself.  They keep walking and discover the the bodies of two British soldiers hanging from a tree. 

Mandy is playing on the front porch with her weird doll when an old crone dressed in black marches up.  After a brief unpleasant convo she slaps Mandy across the face.  Grandda and Granny haul up on the old crone and discover she’s Mrs. Cunningham who has brought the much needed Jesuit bark.  She is well dressed and her behavior was so rude and loud, I think she’d be a great cast member on Real Housewives of Fraser’s Ridge as soon as TV and electricity are invented.

Jamie is skimming Frank’s book and sees the jacket photo and realizes how much he resembles Black Jack.  He’s rightly upset but when Claire explains why she didn’t tell him, he understands and settles back down.  Jamie Fraser is not only smart and sexy, his most attractive quality is that he’s the most self regulated man I’ve ever encountered in fiction or in life.  That’s the part I wish was cloned into modern men.  Anyone can get muscles, its the personality I’m looking for.  He tells Claire he’s mentioned in the book 14 times, war is coming to the back country and Jamie will die in the Battle of Kings Mountain in one year. #RutRoh

I really, really, REALLY loved this episode although I'm sure there will be professional whiners who didn't. They are sure cramming a lot in to the final season and I don't know how I'll survive week to week! For book purists, I know there are a lot of changes, but I dinna care, I really like where this is going. See you all next week!