Outlander: Roger’s character was a necessary accident
Roger turned out to be a great accident in the Outlander books
Every now and then, we learn a surprising fact. It’s been 20+ years since the first Outlander book was published, and we’re only just now learning a secret about Roger.
He was an accident!
Diana Gabaldon shared the fact during the virtual PaleyFest 2020 panel. When talking about Roger, she shared that he was an accident. It may be surprising to hear considering the character was initially introduced as a young boy in the first book. How could a character introduced early on be an accident?
Claire needed someone to research for her
It turns out Diana Gabaldon needed someone who could do some research for Claire. That part of the story she knew had to play out that way, especially with how Frank had wanted to put everything behind him. Now Diana needed to figure out who that person could be.
She never went into the details of how Roger then came about. All we know is she needed someone to do research for Claire and Roger grew into that character.
One thing we do know is that Diana Gabaldon’s characters pop up in her head. She regularly says about starting the franchise involved the voice of a woman who was definitely not from the 18th century and Diana then needed to figure out how and why that woman was there.
It makes sense that after realizing she needed someone to do research for Claire, Roger’s voice popped up. As he was introduced, there’s a chance that he then continued to share his story and his connection to Brianna.
A happy accident for Outlander
While Roger’s character may have been an accident, I have to say that it was a happy accident. Roger quickly became an integral part of the story. He wasn’t just someone to offer research but someone who would help to tell some of Brianna’s story. Then there was his own backstory and connection to Geillis and Dougal.
Roger is now certainly an integral part of the story. So, I guess we can say thank you for being the voice when Diana Gabaldon needed someone to do research for Claire.
Next. 15 best Roger moments from Outlander Season 5. dark
What did you learn while watching the PaleyFest panel? What did you want to learn from the Outlander panel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.