As the eighth and final season of Outlander draws near, longtime fans of the historical fantasy series are voicing concerns over certain plot inconsistencies—particularly involving the characters Jocasta Cameron and Murtagh Fraser.
In an active discussion on Reddit, viewers pointed out major deviations from the original book series, especially the romantic relationship between Jocasta and Murtagh. In the Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon, Murtagh dies at the Battle of Culloden. However, in the TV adaptation, he survives much longer and is later killed at the Battle of Alamance—while also entering into a romantic storyline with Jocasta, the sister of his long-lost love Ellen Fraser.
One fan wrote, “I would give myself a headache if I stopped to consider all of the inconsistencies they never thought about. Bless you for having the stomach for it.” They went on to critique the moment when Murtagh brought Brianna to River Run, calling it baffling. “Murtagh was a Fraser and wouldn’t have been in the habit of hanging out at Leoch, but he attended the Gathering where he tried to court Ellen. Jocasta was already married off and gone by then. They never would have met before.”
Others chimed in with theories to bridge the gap. One suggested, “Maybe Murtagh visited Miss Fitzgibbons,” while another added, “Not impossible, but it wouldn’t explain Jocasta acting like he’s her long lost love.” A fourth commenter noted, “Her remembering his hands sounded as if they grew up together.”
Another fan offered a deeper analysis: “Even once Jocasta was married, I suppose she still could have gone to the Gathering or otherwise visited her sister Ellen. Jamie identifies him as a Fraser by surname, but his aunt by marriage, Mrs. Fitzgibbons, is at Leoch. When we met him, he’s traveling or living with the MacKenzies intermittently. While obviously that’s for Jamie’s benefit, none of the other men behave as though he’s an outsider. Claire has to be told he’s not just another Leoch MacKenzie. I always assumed he had some marginal connection to the Leoch MacKenzies, like a grandparent.”
Despite these lingering questions, the Outlander cast continues to captivate audiences off-screen. Recently, several of the show’s stars teamed up for an unexpected creative project. Steven Cree (Old Ian Murray), Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh Fitzgibbons), and Claire Sermonne (Louise de Rohan) all appear in the music video for “Closer,” the new single from Andrew Gower’s band, Gustaffson. Gower, who portrayed Bonnie Prince Charlie on the show, fronts the band.
The video blends performance footage at Manchester’s Albert Hall with previously unseen audition self-tapes from the Outlander alumni and other well-known actors, including Line of Duty’s Leanne Best, David Gyasi from The Diplomat, and Arty Froushan of Carnival Row.
In an interview with Express UK, Gower shared how the collaboration came together. “The nice thing is some of those Outlander actors haven’t been in scenes together, so they can say they’ve been in scenes together now,” he explained.
He added, “It’s been wonderful. Again, another job—Outlander. That community, that cast—regardless of being in scenes or episodes together—we managed to stay in touch. Duncan and Steven were two of the first people to send their stuff over. It was so wonderful to have them in it, and so nice to see them out of their Outlander costumes as well.”