Outlander Season 3 throwbacks: Was it right to keep Murtagh alive?

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
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Outlander
Outlander — Courtesy of STARZ — Acquired via STARZ Media Center

It’s #ThrowbackThursday and today I’m jumping back to Outlander Season 3. The writers made a decision that would affect the future of the show. Was it right to keep Murtagh alive?

Book fans are torn. Some loved that Murtagh was kept alive in Outlander Season 3, while others wished that the storyline had remained the same as in the books. However, the decision to prevent his death at Culloden has certainly led to some changes moving forward. Was the decision the right one?

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This is something I’m looking at for today’s #ThrowbackThursday post. It’s a chance to delve into the decision made in Outlander Season 3 and look at what it means for the future. I’ll give you both sides and then share my actual opinion based on the view as a show-first fan.

Murtagh should have been killed

Jamie finds out that Murtagh was killed at Culloden in the third book. It’s something that haunts him in the future. This was his godfather, someone who had been with him for the majority of his life and always looked out for him. It was heartbreaking for him to see Murtagh so close to death.

This is something that stays with Jamie. It affects decisions and his personality later on, something that we missed when the show decided to keep Murtagh alive.

With the effect that it had, the show should have stuck to the books more carefully. Now that Murtagh is alive, the storyline has to change slightly. Instead of Duncan Innes marrying Jocasta, it looks like she’s entering a love affair with a man on the run. There is no happy ending for the two of them right now and it could mess a lot of things up.

Book fans tune in to see how their favorite story translates on the screen. Many don’t want elements added in for the surprise factor. They want the story they’ve come to know and love.