Two Fan-Favorite ‘Outlander’ Characters Will Return in Season 8
No April Fools’! Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan took to social media on Monday to share some exciting news about the Starz drama. Two fan-favorite characters who were last seen in season 6 will return for the show’s eighth and final season.
Laura Lyle and César Domboy will appear in ‘Outlander’ Season 8
“Guess who’s back for #Outlander Season 8???” the official Outlander Instagram account teased in the April 1 post.
“(NOT April Fool’s, I promise!)” the account clarified in a follow-up comment.
In the accompany video, Balfe and Heughan revealed that Marsali and Fergus would appear in season 8, which is currently in production.
“There’s some old cast,” Balfe said in the behind-the-scenes video. “Should we say hi to them?”
The camera then panned to reveal Laura Lyle and César Domboy in costume as Marsali and Fergus.
“We thought we got rid of you,” Heughan joked.
What happened to Marsali and Fergus on ‘Outlander’?
Fergus, who was born in a brothel in Paris, was taken in by Jamie (Heughan) as a child and essentially became his adopted son. Marsali is the daughter of Jamie’s previous wife Laoghaire (Nell Hudson) and Jamie is her stepfather. The two fell in love and followed Jamie and Claire (Balfe) from Scotland to America, where they went on to marry and have multiple children.
Marsali and Fergus lived on Fraser’s Ridge with Claire and Jamie. But their life there was difficult, especially after one of their children was born with dwarfism. In Outlander Season 6, Fergus became despondent and started abusing alcohol. At one point, he considered taking his own life. Jamie intervened and arranged for the family to move to New Bern, where they got a fresh start.
Because they are living away from Fraser’s Ridge, Marsali and Fergus didn’t appear in Outlander Season 7 Part 1. They also won’t appear in season 7’s second half, which will premiere in November 2024.
“You know, Lauren was busy with a couple of other things as was Cesar so you know that was purposely in talking with those actors and where we decided to take this season, we don’t see their stories unfortunately,” Outlander executive producer Maril Davis told Daily Express in 2023.
Marsali and Fergus have a big storyline in the ‘Outlander’ books
Fans of Diana Gabaldon’s books likely won’t be entirely surprised to learn that Marsali and Fergus will resurface for the show’s final season.
The two characters and their family play and important role in both An Echo in the Bone and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, which have both been adapted for season 7. Season 8 will be based on the ninth Outlander novel, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. But it’s possible the show will shift Fergus and Marsali’s story from the previous books into the final season. Fans will simply have to wait and see what’s next for them.
Outlander is streaming on Starz. Season 7 Part 2 will premiere in November.
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