The end is nigh. Two long-running shows on my current rotation are heading toward their final two episodes. On Prime Video, The Boys will drop its penultimate episode next week. On Starz, the second-to-last episode of Outlander lands this week.

The adventures of Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) draw to a close in just over a week’s time. I’m tempted to start from the beginning once it’s all over, but I think I’ll pick up the books by Diana Gabaldon instead. As much as I’ve enjoyed this epic TV series, it’s time to go back to the source.

The time-jumping historical romance has had something of a controversial final season. A number of new, and somewhat convoluted, storylines have been added quite late in the game, an odd choice given how many character arcs have yet to be resolved. I’ve also been somewhat baffled by the lack of focus on Claire and Jamie given that this is their story first and foremost. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy this season.

 

Hopefully the final two episodes of Outlander can wrap everything up and please fans and critics alike, though I remain somewhat dubious given how Seasons 7 and 8 have played out so far. Read on for a recap of the season so far, information about the upcoming episodes and this week’s Episode 9 release time.

When Does ‘Outlander’ Season 8, Episode 9 Release?

If you’re watching Outlander on cable, Episode 9 goes live on Friday, May 8 at 8pm ET on Starz. You can watch it much earlier if you’re watching via streaming. The episode goes live at midnight ET on May 8 / 9pm PT on May 7.

The finale drops next week at the same time on May 15 / May 14.

As you can see in the trailer, Jamie is off to war whether or not his loved ones want him to go. “The only way to truly protect you,” he says, “is to fight.” This week’s episode is titled “Pharos” and was written by Diana Gabaldon herself. The author has expressed some dissatisfaction with the current season, so it should be interesting to see an episode she’s written drop so near the end of the series.

The show is not following the books at this point, explicitly distancing itself since Gabaldon’s final novel, A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out, is still being written making a 1:1 adaptation impossible (which reminds me a bit of the Game Of Thrones debacle, though that was much worse).

What will happen over the next two episodes? The season has been hinting strongly at Jamie’s death, but I think that would be much too dark an ending for a romance like this. Fans would riot. My best guess is that Jamie will die and Claire will resurrect him with her juiced up healing powers. Those have been pretty strongly hinted at with the Faith / Master Raymond storyline this season, and with the stillborn baby she miraculously saved a few episodes back.

Some other important questions: What will the fate of Lord John Grey (David Berry) be after his betrayal and kidnapping last week? Will Jamie and his companions save his erstwhile friend? Will William (CHarles Vandervaart) reconcile with his other father, now that he and Jamie have mended things? Will any other main characters die? Will the ghost from the series premiere ever be explained or revisited? Will our heroes stay in the past or go back to the future? Will they stay in America or return to Scotland? So many questions, and just two more episodes to answer them all.

We’ll likely get a pretty major cliffhanger this week, or at least not a full resolution until the final episode, though we’ll also need a good chunk of the finale for denouement.

Let me know your thoughts on Outlander’s final season on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.