Outlander needs to show that Fergus knows about time travel

There have been many questions over the years about whether Fergus and Marsali know about time travel. Diana Gabaldon has suggested that they do, but it’s never been written into the Outlander story.

When others have learned the truth, we’ve seen it happen on the page. Sure, we don’t need to know all the details of time travel again, but the characters do, and we need to see their reactions as they learn the truth. It’s something missed with Fergus and Marsali if they do know, and it’s led to a lot of confusion with fans.

Nothing happens unless it happens on-page or onscreen

There is a general rule in fiction that for something to happen, it needs to appear on the screen or on the page. This is an important rule to follow, as some things cannot be inferred. For Outlander, we need to see people learn about time travel. It takes away the question from fans—or it at least gives fans a direct answer to their question.

Without seeing something happen, people can miss comments from the author. Those who don’t use social media are left without anyway of knowing what Gabaldon has decided happened at some point in the story. Even those who do have social media won’t necessarily see the comments, and then it can lead to time being taken out of the day to find the answer.

Fans can also be extremely passionate (and sometimes toxic) about Outlander. This leads to debates and arguments all because something is not written in the actual book or shown on the screen.

We need to see Fergus learn the truth about time travel in Outlander

If Fergus knows about time travel, that is a conversation that needs to happen. Maybe Claire doesn’t realize that Fergus overheard conversations between her and Jamie. This can lead to Claire being shocked that Fergus knows something. Maybe Fergus has just put things together based on how Claire was missing for 20 years and then just showed back up. He can explain his theories and get the truth.

There’s also a chance of flashbacks. Maybe we could see Claire telling him the truth. Or maybe we find out that Jamie shared something while he was delirious or because he realized that Fergus needed to know the truth.

If he doesn’t actually know, the 10th book would be a good time to bring it up. That’s especially the case if we learn that Fergus is the son of Comte St. Germain. This brings up the topic of the time traveler gene.

Just let’s stick to the rule of something big like this should happen on-page or onscreen, otherwise, it hasn’t happened.