Spoiler Alerts! Book Talk!

We hope to see a character that has been missing in Outlander for a few episodes in Episode 409 The Birds and the Bees, return. Our young, gangly man is starting to fill out and become a somewhat less lanky lad. We have not seen Young Ian Faser Murray (Played by John Bell) in a few episodes, and in episode 408 Wilmington, we learned he was still off with his Indian friends. For those of you that are book readers and have read both Drums of Autumn and The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, you know what actions Ian will take over the next months. That is, if they keep some of Ian’s storyline intact or develop it further like they have with other characters. Let us hope so, there is so much for the writers to work with here.

As I have written before, Ian is one of my favorite characters. He’s the lad who can find the biggest messes to get into, forget getting Rollo skunked, and somehow come out the other side with barely a scratch. But not all things come out easy in the end. Ian will soon learn to make a sacrifice and leave his family behind, to begin a new phase of his life.

A Bit of Book Logic

I am really keen to see if they kept the following the book in the script, because it is great character development for young Ian, and will give John Bell a lot to play with. While we saw no indications in the previews this week, Book Ian returns to Fraser’s Ridge in time to meet his cousin Brianna for the first time. They bond as cousins do. And when Roger finally locates Frasers Ridge, Lizzie, who has also become a fast friend with Ian, sees him coming up the hill and tells Ian that a MacKenzie is coming up the hill. She then tells Ian that the man assaulted Brianna in Wilmington. Ian finds Jamie and the two decide to head Roger off before he finds Brianna. They then beat Roger soundly, not knowing of course that it was Bonnet that really violated Brianna. Ian is then told to get Roger off to his Indian friends who will then sell Roger down the river to the Iroquois tribe. This later leads to a great sacrifice that Ian must make.

Series Logic

This scene may be adapted several ways, keeping the key elements of it and making Bonnet dispatch with Roger in a way where he is sold or indentured. Or Roger could escape and manage to make it to Fraser’s Ridge, and then meet his other fate. Hopefully they will involve Ian in the book storyline as it goes so well with the next stage of the young frontiersman’s life. For Ian grows on and with you in each book to come.

Please let our lad come back soon. We have missed him.

What do you think will happen when Ian turns back up? Will he join the Regulators, as Fergus may do?