Warning! Stop now if you haven’t watched episodes 7 & 8 of Outlander! The death of Fergus Fraser in episode seven of Outlander came as a “devastating” shock, not just for viewers at home, but for the entire Fraser family.

Episode seven sees Fergus, a revolution-era printer, and his wife, Marsali, receive another threat, this time referencing a fire. They both laugh it off, determined not to let these ominous letters stop them from using their business to further the rebel cause. But sadly, this wasn’t just a threat. In the middle of the night, the print shop goes up in flames, with Fergus’s untimely demise coming when he falls through a burning roof while saving his children from the burning flames — a shift from the books, which saw him survive the fire. While tragic, Fergus ultimately dies a hero, sacrificing himself to ensure that his family escapes safely.

ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender spoke to Sophie Skelton, who plays Brianna Fraser on the beloved Starz series, ahead of episode eight, about Bri’s reaction to Fergus’ death, and the way it stands to impact the rest of the show’s eighth and final season.

Brianna’s Reaction To Fergus’ Death Showcases How She’s Grown

While Fergus’ death shook the Fraser clan, it gave audiences the chance to see just how much Brianna has grown over the years, and the way she’s cemented herself as the “rock” of her family, putting on a brave face to comfort Marsali, all while dealing with the very real pain of losing her brother. The heart-wrenching scene also put her relationship with Roger on display, with Bri finally able to share her feelings — both good and bad — with someone.

Sophie Skelton: I think Bri has always been one of those characters who can be quite stoic when she needs to be, and she definitely puts on a brave face for her family, and often suffers in silence. I think what this gave the opportunity for us to see, was that now she doesn’t have to suffer alone, and we have that scene where she can talk to Roger about her feelings now, and she’s really got a person to go and unload that onto, which just speaks volumes for how much their relationship has grown and changed, and for how much Bri asks for help, a bit more than she used to. But it just shows that she’s really become the rock of the family, I think. And that scene where they both break down, I love that the camera and the audience are seeing something in Brianna that Marsali isn’t, and Bri is just trying to put on a brave face for Marsali, or if the kids wake up, but she’s just lost her brother, and it’s devastating. And I just really love those moments when Brianna does her thing of brave face, but really suffering inside, and how much she can hold that in or not.

When it comes to being the family matriarch, Skelton told ScreenRant, being that symbol of strength is a major theme for Brianna this season, whether she’s dealing with something as awful as Fergus’ death or on the home front waiting for her loved ones to return from the battlefield.

Sophie Skelton: I think one theme that has come out of Brianna’s character this season is that she really is the rock for the family. And so whether that means she’s at the forefront of it, or she’s at home waiting for people to return from danger, as we saw in, I think [episodes] five and six, whichever side of the battlefield she’s on, she has become the rock of the family. And so I think whatever happens, she is going to be the one that people come to, to find kind of peace and some kind of solace.

How Brianna & William’s Relationship Deepens Like Never Before

In episode five, Brianna and William’s bond as brother and sister deepens after a long-awaited conversation, in which they reflect on the shared and shocking discovery that the men who raised them, specifically Frank Randall for Brianna, are not their biological fathers. Through that discovery, Brianna shares her experience navigating her identity, while helping William understand that he can still love his adoptive father, Lord John Grey, and his biological one, Jamie Fraser — a moment that helps William come to terms with his family situation, while also giving Bri comfort about her own.

For Skelton, fleshing out the pair’s relationship was something she called “extremely cathartic” and is another clear example of how much Bri has grown over the course of the series.

Sophie Skelton: It was extremely cathartic, and also very cool, especially coming in the final season, to be able to reflect on old Brianna and just appreciate how far she’s come and how much she’s grown. And it really solidified how proud I am of the woman she’s become this season, and just the person she is. Because when we were watching the scenes and when we read them, I just remember thinking, I was like, “William is so young, Brianna, right now. He is just doing all the wrong things that she did.” But I have so much grace for that because Brianna was also navigating her heritage and teenage years, which is so hard anyway. And I think it’s just made such a beautiful relationship with the two of them. And it’s such a unique dynamic in Outlander, William and Brianna’s relationship. And it was just awesome to see. And Bri’s been waiting for a sibling her whole life. It’s just really special.

Everything Else Skelton Said About Outlander‘s Eighth And Final Season

ScreenRant: You mentioned Roger. I love the scene where she hasn’t promised that she’ll stay in this time period, even if something happens to her. Why do you think they both fit so well in this time period? Why is this home for them?

Sophie Skelton: I think, because without sounding too cheesy, I think home really is where the heart is. And I think at this point there’s been so much loss in all of the time periods, and I think Fergus dying in this one, just really elevates her belief and solidifies that feeling that family is everything. And I think she also knows that Roger would be isolated and without a support system if you went back. And I think she probably knows Roger well enough, too, to know that he could, if something happened to her, he might have a gut reaction and just leave the situation. And I think she’s also protecting him in that moment, and saying, “You know what? I want you to have people around you. I want the kids to have people around them, and I know what you need almost better than you do yourself. So please promise me you’ll…” I think she’s kind of saying, “Promise me you’ll take care of yourself when I’m not here to do it.” And I think in that, she means let family be there for you, and let me live on through my family, with you, kind of thing.

ScreenRant: In episode eight, Jamie realizes Frank dedicated the book to Bri and that he almost knew she would come back to help and gave her the things necessary. And that’s not something that I think even Bri is aware of. I don’t think you know at this moment what’s going to happen to Jamie potentially, but how did it feel for you, as an actress, to see that full circle?

Sophie Skelton: I mean, I think that as soon as Brianna came back in time to find Jamie and realized that Frank had been doing the research, and the article that she found about the fire and all of that kind of stuff, I feel like Brianna then, she’s smart enough to put two and two together, that Frank teaching her how to ride and shoot and all of that stuff was preparing her. And I think that was his biggest gift to her, really, kind of his massive sacrifice of love, saying, “You know what? I’m going to put my stuff aside and know that you are going to want to find your real dad one day, and I’m going to prepare you for that life and make sure you’re safe.” So I think for Bri, I think the fact that she doesn’t know that the book is dedicated to her, I guess, makes sense.

I think maybe, like with Claire and Jamie’s letters, she doesn’t want to finish the book too soon or read it too soon because that’s maybe the last piece of Frank that’s left. And so I think that’s why she’s not even gotten to the first page where it says, “Dead eye,” otherwise, I think she’d have obviously known it was for her, and read the whole thing. But yeah, I think just quite how far his sacrifice went, I think maybe she didn’t know. And I think the fact that Frank is almost, through death and through the book, giving a handshake to Jamie, I think, would mean the world to Bri. I think she’s had to tiptoe around those two relationships and dynamics, and either one feeling insecure about it. And I think it’s lovely that, actually, it just feels like a big forgiveness hug through that book, I think.

And for Bri, I think that’s a big weight off. And we see that even before the book in the scene with Jamie, where we’re taking the guns out of the wagon and Brianna calls Frank, “Father,” and then they have this look that’s kind of like, “It’s okay, you can call him that,” because I feel in previous years that’s always been a bit of a trigger for him. And it just shows how far they’ve all grown up, Jamie included.

Check out more of our Outlander coverage here:

Release Date

2014 – 2026-00-00

Showrunner

Matthew B. Roberts

Directors

John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand

Writers

Toni Graphia, Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Luke Schelhaas, Anne Kenney, Karen Campbell, Shannon Goss, Joy Blake, Richard Kahan, Jennifer Yale, Megan Ferrell Burke, Ira Steven Behr, Diana Gabaldon

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  Jack Tarlton

  Kenny Lindsay

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  John Sessions

  Arthur Duncan