Outlander Season 8 Episode 3 Review: Abies Fraseri

Outlander Season 8 Episode 3, “Abies Fraseri,” is one of the show’s boldest chapters to date as the final season picks up the pace.

From outing an antagonist working in the shadows to revealing a shocking new piece to the show’s time-travelling lore, Outlander throws caution to the wind as it embraces a fearless, albeit brazen, new swagger.

Claire “Would you care to rephrase that?” Fraser reminds us why we love her dearly, and why we love the Jamie and Claire dynamic as well.

The battle for dominance over their relationship is no longer a prominent component of the couple. However, it is fun to see Jamie still testing the established authority in their relationship — and quickly having Claire shut down his tomfoolery for speaking out of turn.

We also meet Susannah and Aaron Whitaker, whose own dynamic is fascinating to watch, even if it is a fleeting introduction.

The charged nature of a Black family coming to a white healer for help lends itself to a powerful speech from Aaron as he comes to rescue his wife. But it’s Susannah’s ability to shut him down with a single look of defiance that suggests Claire isn’t the only one running the show in these parts.

This episode is all about showcasing the strong women at the center of this story, and we love to see that.

The showdown between Jamie and Captain Cunningham throughout this episode is a fantastic through-line.

It’s a rivalry unlike anything Outlander has introduced in recent seasons, and Cunningham’s gentleman guise, even when Jamie bests him, is quite unnerving.

Despite no one coming to blows physically, the slow march towards the reveal that Cunningham is recruiting soldiers under Jamie’s nose is action-packed. Jamie’s Benoit Blanc detective moment as he works out the plan in real time is as entertaining as it is an excellent showcase of Jamie Fraser’s intellectual talents.

The showdown highlights the Scotman’s complexities in ways the Claire/Lord John conflict never has.

Listen, I crave an explanation of how the show’s fantasy elements work as much as the next viewer. However, the way Claire’s magical healing powers are acknowledged feels discombobulating.

Outlander has always wielded its fantastical Scottish mythos with an admirable tongue-in-cheek charm.

It goes about the impossible, twirling those plaid kilts like a mychievious child, as the show offers us enough context to understand that the unexplained happens. Yet its vague laws can rarely be studied or manipulated. The closest the Frasers have come is establishing a system of travel with gems. That itself required seasons of meticulous build-up.

For eight seasons, this series has never looked its magical undertones directly in the eye. Yet, this episode decides to stare down the barrel of that loaded gun without so much as a heads-up.

It’s a bold move to blow all subcontext out of the water and declare Claire’s healing abilities are rooted in a blue mystical magic that runs through her veins. Whether it pays off will be up to the whims of each viewer.

On one hand, Claire’s magical connection to the very power that transports her through the stones is exciting to uncover. And there are clever clues planted throughout the series, teasing that this book storyline would one day be foretold onscreen.

However, Outlander’s adaptation hasn’t teased these abilities since Season 4. It’s been a long, practical hiatus from those notions, and additional nods to Claire’s otherworldly healing would have made this feel more like a conquest than a swift kick to the knees.

Applying the uncertainty that has worked so well for this Historical Fantasy pairing would shroud Claire’s miracle performance in an air of tantalizing mystery. Instead, we throw back the curtains to ensure Baby Faith’s survival stands.

However, has that departure from the source material proven it is worth the sacrifice?

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Outlander airs Fridays at 8/7c on STARZ.

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