Should Murtagh make it to Outlander season 4? A debate

By the end of Sunday night’s new episode we will be only five episodes from the conclusion of Outlander season 3. CarterMatt is sorry to remind you of that, but it’s true — the next Droughtlander is almost upon us, and there will likely be many questions to ponder over that time.

Before we even get to some of those (there’s be plenty of time for discussion there), we have another key question at present and it’s related to Murtagh. While there have definitely been many changes from the source material it’s been the past week or two that has drawn the ire of some fans, but it seems as though keeping this character (played by Duncan Lacroix) alive is one of the book changes most people seem to be getting behind — and for good reason. He’s such a dynamic character and Lacroix plays him with so much passion — he’s also a nice bit of connective tissue to the earlier days of the show. While there are other characters such as Jenny and Ian still around from the first couple of seasons, they weren’t out in the throws of adventure like Jamie and Claire were. Murtagh has a unique perspective and a unique relationship with both Jamie and Claire.

So what could be done with Murtagh moving forward? One possibility is that there is a new storyline carved out for him, whether it be this season or the next, that either fills a narrative void or is a substitute for introducing a new character who there wouldn’t be much time to develop. This is something that we’ve seen Game of Thrones do in the past and it could work here. Obviously some book purists may not like it, but we’re one for mostly sticking to the spirit of the source material since sometimes you do need to take liberties to make it work in the established format.

Obviously, Murtagh was kept alive for a reason — we don’t think that this reason has been 100% fulfilled as of yet.

The issue of course with any question of Murtagh’s future at present is just that so many years have passed since we last saw him. We’d like to assume (for the reason we just mentioned) that he is still alive — yet, is he the same man? Could he already be in America? Does he hold strong feelings for Jamie and Claire anymore? One of the things that is somewhat exciting about the character is that he is one of the first true Outlander mysteries that we have — the show isn’t anywhere close to getting ahead of the Diana Gabaldon source material, so his path forward is one of the few things that both readers and non-readers alike can speculate on.

Should we see Murtagh on Outlander season 4?

Let us know one way or another below! Meanwhile, check out this link to preview more of what is coming Sunday night, or like us on Facebook to get even more insight related to the show. (Photo: Starz.)