It's not as if season 8 is nothing like Gabaldon's books. This final season of Outlander is based on Gabaldon's ninth book (out of ten planned), Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, and while there are several unique storylines on screen (including the entire Faith arc), the vast majority has been book faithful. Still, the events of Outlander season 8, episode 7, seem to mark the big moment of divergence. From Fergus' death on, all bets are off.
How Fergus' Death Suggests Outlander Will Have A Happier Ending Than The Books
Fergus' death was even more of a shock for book fans, since this character is alive and healthy in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. In Gabaldon's version of the story, when little Henri-Christian fell from the rope while trying to escape the flames, Roger wasn't there to catch him. The little boy tragically perished while Fergus walked away from the inferno unharmed.
Since Fergus is such a fan favorite character, and he has only just returned to Outlander, it's hard to see his death as a good thing. However, it can hardly be denied that a father giving his life to save his sons is a more positive story than a small child falling to his death. It seems that the writers for season 8 couldn't quite stomach the story, which is interesting considering all the other terrible events that have been brought over from Gabaldon's books and put on the screen.
It has always been a very real possibility that Gabaldon's Outlander books won't have a traditionally happy ending. After all, Jaime and Claire are archetypal star-crossed lovers. These are two characters who never should have met, existing on borrowed time and passion. Gabaldon is also not a writer of traditionally happy tales. Outlander is stuffed full of trauma and tragedy, Henri-Christian's death being a prime example. If, at this point in the game, Starz's Outlander is choosing to avoid the more terrible moments from the books, it's a sign that tragedy isn't the destination.
Outlander Season 8 May Have A Difficult Time Dishing Out More Surprises
Outlander has been going on long enough now that there are really only two possible types of endings. Either they all live happily ever after, or destiny pulls Jamie and Claire apart one last time. Season 8 has already set up either possibility. Jamie is destined to die in the upcoming Battle of King's Mountain, but Claire also just revealed that she has this miraculous healing power. Between these revelations in the show and the established events of Gabaldon's books, it seems pretty likely that Outlander season 8 will end with Claire bringing Jamie back from the dead.
At this point, such an ending wouldn't be too much of a shock. A more tragic resolution—one that ties in Jamie's ghost longing after Claire in the 20th century—would be a better twist. Still, given what Outlander season 8 has changed from canon so far, that doesn't look to be the road ahead. Fergus' death was a pretty big surprise, but it's difficult to see now how this final chapter of Outlander could surprise us again.
Release Date
2014 - 2026-00-00
Showrunner
Matthew B. Roberts
Directors
John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand
Writers
Toni Graphia, Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Luke Schelhaas, Anne Kenney, Karen Campbell, Shannon Goss, Joy Blake, Richard Kahan, Jennifer Yale, Megan Ferrell Burke, Ira Steven Behr, Diana Gabaldon
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Jack Tarlton
Kenny Lindsay
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John Sessions
Arthur Duncan
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English (US) ·