The episode begins with a flashback to a young William and his cousin, Henry, hanging out. Ben arrives with the news of his first military posting in Boston. As a good luck charm, William gives him a miniature of General Rolan. The toy soldier had been a welcome gift from Ben when Lord John had adopted William.
The scene cuts to 1779, North Carolina. Claire teaches Fanny about biology. Fanny is an enthusiastic student and wistfully reveals that Jane shared her curiosity. The brothel madam had hated it, but Claire assures her that she can speak her mind when she is with the Frasers; they’ll keep her safe. However, she needs to keep her brothel past a secret from the tenants as they may take liberties with her.
While cutting wood, Roger tells Jamie about Buck and how he stayed back in 1739. Jamie cannot forgive Buck for hanging Roger. But Roger reminds Jamie of the time he accidentally sold him and how good men can also make mistakes while trying to do the right thing. They also talk about Frank’s book and how Jamie fights alongside Sevier, Cleveland, and Shelby. Roger reasons that there are many James Frasers and wonders if it is the Jamie they know.
In Philadelphia, Henry and Mercy (the Black rebel spy from Season 7) get secretly married. Denzell and William are present. Mercy gives a speech and hopes Mr. Brian’s bill passes, which will end the ban on interracial marriages. William is the only Grey present and he apologizes for his family’s rejection. Henry notices that William is troubled and pushes till the latter tells him of Ben’s death and marriage. Henry is heartbroken and William promises to find out what exactly happened to Ben.
On the Ridge, Rachel, Brianna, Lizzie, and Amy are foraging. Suddenly, a bear shows up and mauls Amy’s face. Brianna shoots at it but she is too late, and Amy dies from blood loss. Rachel is shaken up and believes any one of them could have been the victim. Similarly, Bree is upset and wishes she could have done more.
Mrs. Elspeth Cunningham arrives with Amy's shroud, making herself at home as she assists Claire in preparing the body. Claire is deeply touched by how respectfully Mrs. Cunningham treats Amy's remains. We learn that she has buried three husbands and four children. She advises that Amy's family will want a last glimpse, and Claire does her best to stitch up Amy's face. Bree and the men prepare to hunt down and kill the bear in honor of Amy. Jamie notices that Amy's eldest son, Aidan, is sulking and brings him along, promising that the kill will be his. However, when they head into the woods, they see that Cunningham has already killed the bear.
Meanwhile, William visits the American camp where Ben was imprisoned. He learns that Ben was actually improving, so it was a surprise to hear him die overnight and get immediately buried. William also goes through Ben's uniform and finds the missing toy soldier.
Back on the Ridge, Rachel goes into labor. She gives birth to a healthy baby boy, and everyone rejoices. That night, Jamie and Young Ian celebrate. They wish Ian Sr had been alive and Young Ian promises to ask Jamie for any fatherly advice. Jamie sadly points out that he never got to raise a child, but he is happy that Young Ian will get the chance to be the perfect father.
The next day, a strange, cocky man shows up and is quite rude to Claire. He approaches Jamie and introduces himself as Benjamin Cleveland. He wants Jamie to join him in raising a militia to protect their families from Tories (Loyalists) and Native Americans. These men include John Sevier and Isaac Shelby - yes, the very same men Frank wrote about.
Cleveland proudly asserts that it is this militia that has been hunting down Loyalists. He passes judgment on Jamie for allowing someone as dangerous as Cunningham to remain on his land. Jamie curtly rejects his offer and sends him away. Roger is disheartened that Frank may be right. However, neither Roger nor any of their friends are mentioned in the book, which has Claire reasoning that Frank may still be wrong, as Jamie would never fight without them. But she does agree that Cunningham is dangerous. Roger suggests using the Lodge meetings to keep an eye on him.
Once Roger leaves, Jamie confides in Claire that he has not told Roger that he dies. She is surprised that Frank has been so obsessively looking into Jamie and kept it from her. Jamie wonders if he was actually looking into Claire’s past to see if she would leave him to go back to Jamie.
At the next Lodge meeting, weapons are banned. Everyone is impressed that Cunningham singlehandedly killed the bear. He also gives a speech to honor Amy. He claims that two years ago, he lost his son, Simon, in the Saratoga battle. Simon came back to life for a second and shared that they would be reunited in seven years. Cunningham declares that he will use his remaining five years to honor his son. Jamie and Roger worry about what a man who thinks he is invincible is doing at the Ridge.
That night, William digs up Ben’s grave. He finds a dead body but it is not Ben’s. He is relieved for a second before looking confused. Jamie continues to read Frank’s book. He imagines Frank talking to him, mocking him for knowing of his death. Disturbed, Jamie finds comfort in Claire by sleeping with her. The book shows that the Patriots have lost one senior officer, James Fraser. Jamie again hears Frank asking him who will hold Claire once he is gone.
