Outlander season 5: Three characters deserving of more screen time

Outlander is the story of the Fraser family first, but there’s no denying that since the massive time jump in season 3, this world has expanded outward in incredible ways. We know have new friends for Jamie and Claire plus also new family, rivals, allies, and people who are somewhere in between. There’s such a rich cast, but unfortunately, only so much time in order to see everyone.

So are there characters still worthy of something more, in a perfect world of course where there is more time to tell some larger stories? Within this feature, we thought we’d have fun and spotlight three people worthy of more attention as we lead into season 5. At the bottom of this article, there is also a video with some recent Outlander thoughts — if you enjoy it, remember to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube and to also take a look at our official playlist.

Lord John Grey – How do you find a way to include him more? That seems to be one of the biggest struggles for this show, given that within this world, Lord John often feels like a nomadic character. He manages to show up almost everywhere that Jamie and Claire are, but then somehow manages to transport himself from one location to the next almost via teleportation. It’s remarkable just how much influence that he has, and we would like to see more of him on a larger level this season and see how he really operates within the larger world of the British noble class.

(Of course, much of this may be saved for a potential Lord John spin-off, which we know there’s at least enthusiasm for from a viewer point of view; we also think that it would be great for Starz to do this, mostly as a means of quenching viewer thirst during what has become an incredibly long Droughtlander.)

Lizzie Wemyss – Lizzie’s role for most of season 4 was to be the catalyst for one of the series’ greatest misunderstandings. Because of her belief that Roger assaulted Brianna, we saw Richard Rankin’s character sold off to the Mohawk and then tormented within an inch of his like. We’d love it for season 5 to be almost the redemption of Lizzie as a character, and to show more of her helpful side without having the burden of something terrible on her. Or, in contrast, we’d actually like to see more of how she’s faring in the wake of what happened during season 4. While we know a great deal about Jamie’s guilt, what about her own? There’s just so much more still to explore with her as a stranger still within this very strange new world.

Phaedre – We could really argue either Phaedre or Ulysses, given that the plight of those at River Run is likely one full of fantastic stories about their past. Phaedre is just an incredibly intriguing character, someone with one of the better stations at the estate but someone who still seems to be acutely aware that no station changes the fact of who she is and the role that slaves play in keeping the estate moving. She’s such a complex character beyond which we have seen; maybe she’s better suited for Outlander Untold scenes given that much of her plight may be disconnected to the larger narrative of Jamie and Claire, but it doesn’t change how well-written she’s been and how curious we are for more of her backstory.

The fact that there are still so many stories to tell with these three is mostly a testament to the great work that the entire Outlander team is doing. They are finding a way to keep you continuously interested within characters beyond just Jamie and Claire, even if these two are the focal point of the series and should remain that way.

Want some more Outlander discussion?

Then head over here for some of our updates from filming and some other feature discussions from this week! You can also share in the comments who you’d like to see get some more screen time through season 5. (Photo: Starz.)