Outlander season 3 episode 2 reaction: The power in the Romann Berrux – Fergus hand scene

Even though Outlander season 3 episode 2 did not kill anyone off on Sunday night’s new episode, we did still have a powerful moment that took place courtesy of Romann Berrux and the character of Fergus. Thanks to one swift swing from the British, his life is forever changed. He lost a hand while out in the forest with the soldiers chasing Red Jamie, and everything that happened both before and after this moment is a testament to the relationship that he has with Jamie Fraser.

For most people, especially children, they could easily look at Jamie with a sense of disdain after this moment. He was the one in hiding, and over the hour Sam Heughan’s character saw in so many forms the aftereffects of his decision to stay at Lallybroch. It made things such a challenge that he eventually decided to turn himself in just for the sake of ensuring all the more that Jenny, Ian, and everyone else would have a better life.

But how does this decision impact Fergus? Jamie promised to take care of him for the rest of his life after such a showing of devotion and loyalty, but how can he demonstrate that while being captured and potentially dead? Jamie still knows that he has his ancestral home, and he also has resources that come with that. He’s asking Fergus to trust him, and even though Fergus has become a victim to a horrible set of circumstances, that loyalty is still there. You just have to go back to season 2 in order to understand why with how Jamie worked to change him and save his life.

Those season 2 scenes are significant now beyond measure, given that they inform the person that Fergus is and, in turn, the man that he is going to become. With only one hand, Fergus is not going to become a powerhouse or some significant force to be reckoned with in a physical sense. Yet, we’ve already seen the Romann Berrux iteration of the character demonstrate an incredible craftiness, and that’s something that should exist for this character for a rather long time still. We definitely hope that it’s still there when we get around to seeing the iteration played by Cesar Domboy later this season after jumping forward in time. He can be a trader of information and a strategist in Jamie’s moves to come.

We do want to give Berrux a ton of credit for making the moment with Fergus’ hands one of the most garish and visceral of the episode tonight. Finding the right actors to play children is not always easy, but Fergus works because he’s wise beyond his years. He’s well-written, fully formed, and he’s not some typical child surrounded by men. He’s a capable player and a key cog in the story both now and later.

Were you shocked by the scene with Fergus’ hand, and what do you think about how this moment is going to shape the Outlander season 3 story to come? Share in the comments below!

Meanwhile, be sure to visit the link here in the event you do want to read our full review right now for this weekend’s latest Outlander episode. (Photo: Starz.)