Why would Roger consider going through the stones without Brianna on Outlander?

Outlander -- Courtesy of STARZ -- Acquired via STARZ Media Center
Outlander -- Courtesy of STARZ -- Acquired via STARZ Media Center

Outlander Season 4, Episode 10 brought a slight deviation to the books that has led to many questions. Why would Roger even consider going through the stones without Brianna?

There’s been another slight deviation to the books in Outlander Season 4, Episode 10. While Roger does eventually go through the stones to heal, it’s not at the point he did it in the show. Of course, show-first or show-only fans may not have even known he’d go through the stones at all, which has led to a major question.

Why would Roger do this? While would he consider leaving Brianna behind? Why at this point in the TV show story?

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There is one simple answer: he needs to look out for himself right now. Roger is scared and alone, with little to no idea what happened to him.

We don’t know if Roger ever saw Young Ian. It’s not clear if he knows that he was sold. He definitely won’t know why. It’s possible all he remembers is being about to ask Jamie (who he didn’t know was Jamie) for directions only to be punched and knocked unconscious. Scared and unsure of where he is, Roger will likely think heading through the stones is the best idea for now.

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Roger doesn’t know that Brianna knows he’s still in the past. For all he knows, Brianna believes he abandoned her after the argument. He won’t know that Claire, Jamie, and Young Ian are heading out to find him now and rescue him from the Mohawk. So, what other option would he take?

Outlander
Outlander — Courtesy of STARZ — Acquired via STARZ Media Center

You could tell he didn’t really want to. There’s the thought of leaving Brianna behind, the thought that he can’t get back the woman he loves. Who knows where he’ll even go right now or whether he’ll get stuck! He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to get back because of how dangerous time travel is.

This wasn’t done on a whim just because he found the standing stones. In the book, the timing of Roger going through is slightly different, but for the show, it certainly adds drama. How will Claire, Jamie, and Young Ian find Roger in the wrong time period and where has Roger ended up?

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Roger went through. We left the episode just as his hand was about to touch the stone. Did he really end up going through with it?

What did you think of the slight change to Roger’s storyline in “The Deep Heart’s Core?” Were you expecting Roger to go through the stones? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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