Fans of the hit series Outlander have been revisiting past episodes in anticipation of the eighth and final season, expected to air in 2026. While no official date has been confirmed, the upcoming season is set to diverge significantly from Diana Gabaldon’s original novels, as the author continues to write her book series.
A particularly notable deviation in the television adaptation involves the twist concerning Faith Fraser in the season seven finale, which follows an alternate timeline. Over the years, the show has made numerous adjustments to better suit the screen adaptation, according to a report from the Scottish Daily Express.
One such change occurred in season two, affecting the characters Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) and Fergus Fraser (Romann Berrux). In Gabaldon’s second novel, Dragonfly in Amber, Fergus meets Jamie while the latter is escaping attackers and eventually ends up in the brothel where Fergus was raised. Jamie then hires the boy to pickpocket for him.
However, in the Outlander television series produced by Starz, Fergus is portrayed as a Parisian street urchin who steals from the Frasers, specifically taking Sawny the snake, a keepsake from Jamie’s late brother, William. William, originally set to inherit the Lallybroch estate, tragically passed away. He used to affectionately call Jamie ‘Sawny,’ a reference to his middle name, Alexander. William had crafted a wooden snake with the nickname carved into it, making it a deeply sentimental object for Jamie.
Sawny the snake traveled with Jamie and Claire across the English Channel as they ventured to Paris, seeking to infiltrate the Royal court and alter history’s course. This particular change was addressed by Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and Executive Producer and writer Anne Kenney on the official Outlander podcast for the episode Useful Occupations and Deceptions.
Kenney explained: “Sawny is one of those things that sometimes we take from different books, and people will say, ‘Oh, I missed this or I missed that,’ and I would say to them, ‘Well, don’t give up hope because we pull things from all over the place’.” She further elaborated that Sawny was not originally in this part of the book series but was instead brought back for the adaptation.
Moore shared insights into the writers’ decision-making process, stating: “We were just looking for something for Fergus to steal. Wouldn’t it be good if he stole something from Jamie too? What could he steal from Jamie?” He revealed that someone in the writers’ room jokingly suggested Sawny the snake, and the idea eventually made it into the script.
Sawny holds immense sentimental value for Jamie, as it remains his only memento from his older brother. This backstory might be further explored in the Outlander prequel series, Blood of My Blood, which focuses on the parents of both Jamie and Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe).