Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 6 of Outlander Season 8 in the 2026 TV schedule, called “Blessed Are The Merciful.”
Outlander has officially passed the halfway point of its eighth and final season, and there are still many questions that need answering. Fortunately, “Blessed Are The Merciful” addressed several of them by shining the spotlight on Ian (John Bell) and Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small) after their long journey to find Wahionhaweh, a.k.a. Emily, Ian’s first wife. Luckily, their own love story won out over all the obstacles, and they were able to turn back towards home with a new member of the family: Ian’s firstborn son, Swiftest of Lizards, or Ian James. The two stars spoke with CinemaBlend about their emotional episode.
After Ian and Rachel were missing from the previous episode, they got the biggest storyline outside of Jamie and Claire’s back on Fraser’s Ridge in Episode 6, with Ian determined to learn the fate of Wahionhaweh and his son, while Rachel gamely stayed by his side with their own infant son in her arms. When they finally located the Mohawk mother, they learned that she’d had a terrible dream about her son’s fate, and wanted them to take him back with them to safety. The boy remembered Ian, kissed Rachel on the hands, and introduced them to his dog that just so happened to be Rollo’s grandson.
While it was of course emotional for Ian to reunite with Wahionhaweh and his son, the biggest emotional thread was really between Rachel and Wahionhaweh, with Rachel not even hesitating to agree to take Swiftest of Lizards home with them, and giving Wahionhaweh the reassurance she needed as a mother when the time came to part. She didn’t object when Wahionhaweh stated that she would name their son, and what could have been a disastrous meeting ended in their family growing.
Both John Bell and Izzy Meikle-Small had watched “Blessed Are The Merciful” before we spoke about the storyline, and Bell made sure to compliment Rachel as “very patient and understanding” when he shared his reaction to it. He said:
I think it was just a real lovely dedication of time to their relationship, so that they feel less like this perfect two that have plucked together, the yin and yang. But actually, no, they're two rocks that have to rub together, and I think they've managed to smooth each other out a little bit. I think Rachel's probably smoothed Ian out a little bit more, because I think Ian was a little bit in the wrong at times during this episode. But thankfully... he has a very patient and understanding wife.
While Ian and Rachel got to enjoy a happily-ever-after on Fraser’s Ridge just long enough for her to safely give birth to their son, their journey has definitely hit its share of bumps along the way, including (but not limited to) Arch Bug’s vendetta against Ian and William forcing a kiss on Rachel. Now, they seem stronger than ever, with Swiftest of Lizards coming home with them and Wahionhaweh coming up with the perfect name for their infant: Hunter.
Rachel hearing Wahionhaweh choose her own maiden name for her son deeply moved her, and Izzy Meikle-Small weighed in on the moment:
I don't know that would have occurred to her to name him that, because then in some ways, his name is Hunter Hunter. Obviously she wouldn't take that surname. [laughs] But I think it's a really special moment where it's a great bonding moment for Emily and Rachel.
Among the many ways that Rachel’s life was turned upside down by meeting the extended Fraser family was falling in love with a man whose first wife was still alive and well. But Rachel chose Ian anyway, to marry and build a family with. She just didn’t necessarily expect to go on a journey to find Wahionhaweh and the son she shared with Ian! Meikle-Small went on to describe what that meeting meant for her character:
Obviously, in Rachel's head, Wahionhaweh has taken up a lot of space as somebody who she is scared of because she doesn't really know her and she doesn't know if she poses a threat. She doesn't know if Wahionhaweh still loves Ian and what any of that means. So I think that actually seeing her and meeting her and seeing that she's another woman and mother and they operate in a lot of the same ways really takes her off of the kind of pedestal of fear. And then when they had this amazing moment where Wahionhaweh obviously really sees Rachel, and then somehow knows her so well that she could name her child for her, I think that that's a really special moment.
Personally, seeing Wahionhaweh name the baby 'Hunter' makes me hope that we get to see Rachel reunite with her brother before the end of the series, so he can see how the name is living on with her even though she’s technically Rachel Murray now.
Her reaction to Wahionhaweh choosing that name, with no way of knowing the significance for Rachel, was also one of the sweetest moments of the episode, as far as I’m concerned. Meikle-Small broke down that moment, which felt like another example of Outlander creating love stories written in the stars:
Rachel's been through a lot in the episode, and when she says, 'Oh, you must be led by the Spirit,' I think she really means that, because I think it makes her realize, 'Okay, maybe this was all supposed to happen. This is part of God's plan for us.' And I think it really affirms everything that she's been through, and where her and Ian have gotten to. It’s a very full moment, kind of closure moment. I think it's really special, and like you were saying, kind of written in the stars. There’s a lot of that in this episode, which I think is really nice.
Another sweet moment came when Ian realized that he wasn’t just going to be able to bring Swiftest of Lizards home with him, but another member of the family as well: Rollo’s grandson. According to John Bell, bringing the dog home was the “cherry on top” of everything that happened. He explained:
Written the stars is such a lovely way to put it, because by the end of this episode, all the pieces have kind of fallen into place. So Rollo's grandson, I think, is like the cherry on top of it all for him. That is his kind of final push from the universe, or sign from the universe, that what he's doing is right. And we love puppies! So more puppies, the better.
Rollo’s death arguably one of the saddest of the series to date (although Murtagh’s still might be the saddest death in my book), so the introduction of his puppy descendent was quite sweet. Plus, loving Rollo was one of the earliest things that Ian and Rachel bonded over, so it feels fitting that they get to bring the pup home with them. Take a look at the big moment for the family:
Only four episodes of Outlander are left before the final credits roll on the saga, so be sure to keep tuning into Starz on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET to watch. You can also find the latest and greatest streaming on the Starz app and other on-demand streaming platforms.
