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WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander season 8, episode 1

The eighth series of Outlander and its premiere instalment Soul of a Rebel has sparked considerable debate amongst devotees.

The opening sequence delivered a major disclosure regarding Faith Fraser, implying Jamie (played by Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser's (Caitríona Balfe) stillborn child had in fact lived and been transported to a different era by Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon), reports the Daily Record.

Faith had subsequently enjoyed a full life, wed Captain Pocock and the pair had two daughters Jane Pocock (Silvia Presente) and Francis 'Fanny' Pocock (Florrie May Wilkinson), though disaster befell them whilst aboard a vessel bound for the New World.

A smuggler attempted to seize control of the ship by murdering Captain Pocock, whilst Faith was cast into the sea when she endeavoured to prevent her eldest Jane from being sexually assaulted.

Claire and Jamie were left heartbroken by the disclosure and prayed their daughter had received love and care following her removal from them.

Numerous Outlander enthusiasts have turned to Reddit to examine the Faith storyline and have put forward a widespread theory connected to prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

One individual wrote: "I think Jane and Fanny' s mother is related to Julia and Henry (Claire's parents who time traveled back in BOMB), so their mother might be Claire's niece from her brother William Beauchamp, making Fanny and Jane Claire's great-nieces, but not biologically related to Jamie, and thus William Ransom, at all."

A second chimed in: "There is already crossover with the song. Obviously since it's the same in each series, there will be a connection there. It may not be a true crossover, but something is going to come of it."

A third concurred: "I think the most likely explanation, both in-universe and from a narrative standpoint, is that Fanny is the granddaughter of not Claire, but her brother William. This would mean either that Claire's parents never made it back to their own time, or that they did but their baby didn't."

Another individual stated: "I don't believe the Faith storyline is true. They are taking the word of some sea captain and that baby was (sadly) dead. Unless we are going to get some backstory on who that sea captain guy is I'm not buying it at all."

An additional Redditor contributed: "I think there is more to the Faith storyline than meets the eye so don't freak out yet. I agree the episode was very choppy but most likely they had to setup the remainder of the season and get everyone into place."

Yet another Outlander enthusiast remarked: "I think this is the most likely solution. Their Faith was stillborn, but the shocking conclusion will be that Mrs Pocock was Claire's great niece."

Meanwhile, another viewer on YouTube offered a contrasting perspective: "You know, I think maybe Faith could still be alive. You don't die just by being thrown in the water, maybe she persevered, driven to save her children, and was somehow saved. It might be though that she lost her memory or has been trying to find her little ones for years. Oh, I hope she survived and then they can all meet! ! !".

With nine episodes remaining, there is still opportunity for the Faith storyline to develop further, and viewers can anticipate numerous additional twists and revelations as the series progresses.

Outlander season 8 airs on Starz in the USA on Fridays and on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK on Saturdays

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