Outlander season 4 character questions: What’s next for John Bell as Young Ian Murray?

John Bell as Young Ian Murray was one of the more entertaining parts of Outlander season 4. The character was ambitious, high-energy, funny, and brought a wide array of different dynamics to the show. His friendship with Fergus was priceless, and there is the potential for so much more fun with him during some of the episodes that are coming up.

With all of this said, though, there are also some other questions worth wondering when it comes to where his future goes. While Young Ian managed to survive being captured by Geillis Duncan, you have to wonder how that experience influences and changes him. This is someone who has effectively been through three different traumatic experiences as of late. First, there was the one where he was captured and brought all the way to Jamaica, separate from his friends and family. Then, he was tormented by the Bakra; following that, he found himself shipwrecked. He has an opportunity for a fresh start in Outlander season 4, but will this go even remotely how he would like for it to? Is Young Ian as lighthearted as he once was?

Below, we’ve got our list of four things that can happen in Outlander season 4 (the latest chapter of our Outlander character questions series) that would certainly make us happy as someone who has rather enjoyed his arc to date. (Don’t worry: There are no book spoilers ahead! This is simply speculation.)

1. A proper introduction to Rollo – It’s already been well-reported that one of the biggest things to be excited about in season 4 is the arrival of Young Ian’s trusty dog. While we know that this is a show with a lot of intensity, we’re rather looking forward to the different energy that will come with a dog more prominently featured. Regardless of what the dog is up to, there is a touch of sweetness and loyalty that accompanies their presence.

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2. A chance to see more of Jamie and Ian – Despite the two developing some sort of working relationship during their time together in Edinburgh, we actually did not get all too many opportunities to see these characters together during season 3. We would like to explore more of this relationship with Jamie acting in the role of surrogate father.

3. What is Young Ian looking for with romance? – Why not explore this more in the fourth season? It brings us back to that super-amusing scene with him and Fergus talking about romantic preferences back after we met the character in Edinburgh. Given that there are plenty of possible suitors in America it seems like the right time to explore some of this.

4. Homesickness – We do want to see Young Ian struggle at times, given that this is a young man who spent almost the entirety of his life centered in one place. He’s been through a lot, and on the other side of some of that trauma it makes some sense that he would want something familiar. While Jamie and Claire are well-suited for travel, Young Ian never really had a choice. We’d love to give more into that.

What do you want to see for Young Ian on Outlander season 4, and are you excited about everything based on what we saw for John Bell in season 3? Share below!

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