Outlander murderer storyline: Was changing this part of the books the right thing to do?
Outlander season 3 wrapped last night with the whole Edinburgh/Governor’s Ball murderer storyline being avoided. This was the right thing to do for the TV show storyline.
Not everything that happens in a book can be translated to the TV. Outlander fans are seeing that, especially throughout season 3. Some major storylines have been avoided, one of those being the Edinburgh/Governor’s Ball murderer storyline.
In the books, Archibald Campbell is more than just an abusive brother to Margaret. He holds a dark secret that Yi Tien Cho helps to uncover, as he saves Claire from the man. However, the storyline was ignored entirely. While Archibald, Margaret, and Yi Tien Cho still had roles to play, they weren’t on the same level. But the changes worked for the TV show and were among some of the best changes in the season.
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Too much for a short season
Outlander season 3 was just 13 episodes long. Regardless of who chose that, there were just 13 hours of TV footage to tell the whole “Voyager” storyline. Taking out lesser needed storylines was essential and the murderer storyline was one of those elements. If it had been included, as a show-first fan it probably would have been harder to follow. There would have been too much for the show.
With a book, there’s the ability to tell a larger story; go into more detail and add little clues here and there. People have the ability to quickly go back and check if they’ve missed something or be reminded to an element. That doesn’t happen with TV.
Everything needs to flow for the week-by-week storyline. Including the murderer storyline wouldn’t have helped with that.
Margaret and Yi Tien Cho were able to find love
More importantly, by getting rid of the murderer storyline and change Yi Tien Cho’s character slightly, the show managed to give Margaret and Yi Tien Cho a happy ending. They found love together and were able to tell Jamie and Claire their next plans. We can assume that they will remain on Jamaica, where both will be accepted for their differences much more than in Scotland.
Archibald was still dealt with. There was still the dark, abusive side to him and Margaret was still able to escape his clutches. Instead of being left without anyone, she had someone who loved and cared for her by her side. After being almost babied throughout her life because of her visions and illness, she would need someone like Yi Tien Cho beside her.
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The focus remained on Margaret’s visions
Whether she was a seer or not, the Campbell storyline remained focused on Margaret’s abilities. It was all about her telling the prophecy from the stones. The show focused on her channelling Brianna’s spirit. There was the focus on Margaret being welcomed into the tribe in Jamaica. The focus remained exactly where it should have for the sake of the TV storyline.
Did you like that the murderer storyline was avoided in Outlander season 3? Were you happy with how the storyline with Margaret and Yi Tien Cho eventually played out? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Outlander returns sometime in 2018 with season 4. Until then, follow Claire and Jamie on Twitter for all the latest news and updates.