Claire and Jamie
Fansided

Why I don’t think Diana Gabaldon took a dig at Outlander EPs for Murtagh

By Alexandria Ingham

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: Diana Gabaldon speaks on stage during Outlander panel at New York Comic Con 2019 Day 3 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for ReedPOP )
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: Diana Gabaldon speaks on stage during Outlander panel at New York Comic Con 2019 Day 3 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for ReedPOP ) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Many fans view Diana Gabaldon’s words about Murtagh staying dead as a dig at the Outlander EPs. I don’t see it that way, and here’s why.

During New York Comic-Con 2019, Diana Gabaldon was asked if there were characters coming back from the dead. She made a remark about Murtagh staying dead, and many Outlander fans have immediately viewed it as a dig against the EPs.

I get that some people are upset about changes that have been made to the story. The thing with adaptations is books from the 90s need to be adapted for the modern-day, elements of the story have to be removed due to timing or filming schedule needs, and the writers like to add their own spin to things.

Then with a TV show, you have characters that become fan favorites. The writers want to find a way to keep those characters in.

More from Opinion

Diana Gabaldon understands all that. She’s not always happy with the changes, but she’s also not as disappointed as many fans because she understands why some of the changes happen. In fact, she made suggestions on how Murtagh could continue to be part of the story and the EPs listened to that. They’ve ran with the idea, making him part of the Regulator storyline.

For Gabaldon, the books and the show are two separate entities. When she talked about Murtagh staying dead, she specifically meant that he wouldn’t be a surprise return later in the books. When she decides to kill a character off, that’s it for her. The characters have served their purpose and there’s no need to keep them around.

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

However, that doesn’t mean she was disrespectful or throwing a dig against Ron D. Moore and Maril Davis. After all, she knows that many fans love that Murtagh has stayed alive in the show. It gives fans a chance to feel some sort of connection to the Regulator storyline, to want to see them succeed despite being against Jamie Fraser.

Sometimes, I think people read too much into statements. Words can be taken out of context or certain sentences listened to over and over again just to hear the tone of the voice or to add a feeling that wasn’t there on the first listening.

While I sat in the audience at New York Comic-Con at the Outlander panel, I never once felt like Diana Gabaldon’s words were a dig towards the show’s EPs. They were just honest for the question about her books.

Next. 25 TV shows on Netflix to watch to get through Droughtlander. dark

What did you think about the Outlander panel at NYCC 2019? Did you learn anything new? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander Season 5 premieres on Feb. 16 on STARZ.

Home/Opinion