Outlander: Why is Murtagh called ‘Mr. Fitzgibbons’ when his last name is Fraser?

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room /
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Did you ever wonder during the last episode of Outlander why Lord John Grey was calling Murtagh ‘Mr. Fitzgibbons’ when his last name is Fraser? Me too.

The last episode of Outlander was all about Jamie and Willie, and Claire and Lord John Grey. So you might have overlooked the fact Lord John Grey called Murtagh “Mr. Fitzgibbons” when his last name is Fraser. Which you have to admit is weird, right? Why did he do that?

Well, don’t worry. A lot of people were wondering the same thing. Some people even asked Diana Gabaldon directly and even she wasn’t too sure.

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Thankfully, the Outlander fandom is so awesome that it didn’t take long before the answers to why Lord John Grey called Murtagh “Mr. Fitzgibbons” and not Fraser. And it goes all the way back to when both Jamie and Murtagh were in Ardsmuir prison, with Lord John Grey the warden of said prison.

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It was Jamie that first introduced Murtagh as “Mr. Fitzgibbons” in the Ardsmuir episode. Jamie was in need of medical help for Murtagh but in order to not out him as a Scottish rebel, he introduced him as a good English gentleman by the name of “Fitzgibbons.” Lord John Grey has known him as such ever since.

However, there is a slight issue with this, as Jamie also introduced Murtagh as his “kinsman,” so it was clear he was a rebel. Maybe it’s just the fact that the showrunners didn’t want to confuse people with two “Mr. Frasers” around. At least, Fitzgibbons is one of Murtagh’s names and the show didn’t pull a leaf from The Tudors‘ books and completely rewrite history to avoid confusion!

This isn’t the only questions that have surfaced since Murtagh returned in the Outlander series. The big questions have been the return itself. Book fans obviously know that the story of Murtagh has played out very differently compared to the TV series. There is also the big debate about why Murtagh never got any word out as well, a question we have discussed as well.

Next. A spotlight on Murtagh's transformation throughout the series. dark

Did you remember why Murtagh was called “Mr. Fitzgibbons” when he met Lord John Grey? What have you thought about the return of the character? Drop a comment just below sharing your thoughts.

Outlander Season 4 continues on Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.