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

Alexandria Ingham
Alexandria Ingham

Claire and Jamie

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room

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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Watch Outlander with a FREE 7-day trial of Amazon Channels!

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.

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.

Alexandria Ingham

Alexandria Ingham

Alexandria Ingham is the Site Expert at Claire and Jamie, Precinct TV, and Last Night On within the FanSided network. She is also a contributor at many other sites, including Show Snob, GeekSided, and Winter Is Coming, and has been with FanSided since 2016, writing about Game of Thrones, Outlander, Grey's Anatomy, The Boys, Supernatural, and much more. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a good book or an intriguing dystopian or fantasy TV series. She is also a freelance writer for hire in niches such as lifestyle, entertainment, parenting, budgeting, and more.