[Warning: The below and video above contain MAJOR spoilers for Outlander, Season 7, Episode 9, “Unfinished Business.”]
Outlander‘s return has brought with it plenty of exciting time-traveling twists as Roger (Richard Rankin) and Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) found themselves displaced in time to a period at Lallybroch where Brian Fraser (Andrew Whipp) is still Laird, overseeing his family, including a younger Jenny (Kristin Atherton).
As viewers will recall, they traveled through the standing stones at Craigh Na Dun to find Roger’s son Jemmy (Blake Johnston-Miller), who was kidnapped by Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton). Only, their efforts landed them further back in time than Roger believed possible. “I think it’s just shock after shock after shock, and I think all of these things helped to develop a very sort of interesting and refreshing plot line for Buck and Roger,” Rankin tells TV Insider.
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“The stuff with Brian and Jenny is good because I think the fans are going to really like these callbacks because they’re all obviously very familiar with these characters,” Rankin adds. “And I think to see them back in that context… that’ll be quite a delight for the fans to see.” After seeking assistance from Brian, Roger and Buck are directed toward someone who has encountered a wayward wanderer.
Believing it to be Rob Cameron, the men seek out this individual, only to discover it’s Geillis (Lotte Verbeek). While her face may not be recognizable to her actual son, Buck, Roger certainly recognizes the supernaturally inclined woman after witnessing her trip through the stones at the end of Season 2.
Regarding the surprising reveals, Rankin notes, “To have them show up in this little adventure, I think, will be good fun.”
Murtagh especially enjoyed the way Brian Fraser made his entrance, gushing, “I think the way it’s done overall, how the episodes are edited, it’s so much fun. A door will knock and we think we know who’s going to answer it and all of a sudden the axis has spun an entirely different way.”
Part of those character crossover introductions was Roger’s inner monologue, a first for his character on the show. “It’s a bit of a change, isn’t it? It’s definitely a new angle. I liked it. I thought it was good fun. I thought it brought a lot of humor into the scene,” Rankin muses.
But performing for inner dialogue means extended pauses. Still, Murtagh notes, “It didn’t upset the flow of the scene. It was actually really organic.”
Stay tuned to see how Roger and Buck’s adventure continues as they spend time with Geillis in the next episode, and let us know what you think of the time-traveling twist in the comments section, below.
Outlander, Season 7B, Fridays, 8/7c, Starz (Starz app and On Demand)
–Additional reporting by Kelli Boyle