Outlander Season 5 Episode 2 could introduce a deadly twist from the books
Will history finally catch up to Murtagh?
The Season 5 premiere of Outlander proved to be the calm before the storm. While Brianna and Roger’s wedding united the Fraser family and the settlers on Fraser’s Ridge, Governor Tryon crashed the festivities to sternly remind Jamie of his mission to hunt and capture Murtagh Fitzgibbons. It’s a mission Jamie has clearly been putting off for a while now, allowing his godfather to hide out on his land. Now that the hunt is officially on, it may force Jamie to take drastic action against Murtagh to prove his fealty to Tryon.
Warning! Speculative spoilers ahead of Outlander Season 5 Episode 2.
In the final moments of Outlander’s Season 5 premiere, Jamie told Murtagh that Fraser’s Ridge was no longer safe for him to hide out from Tryon and his men. Tensions escalated when Governor Tryon assigned a lieutenant to ensure Jamie kept to his promise to capture Murtagh, and, knowing he was being watched, Jamie was forced to choose a side.
Now, it's only a matter of time before the redcoats find Murtagh. In an emotional farewell, Jamie told his godfather to run and hide well enough so that he and his militia wouldn't find him so easily. But will he take that advice?
Jamie and Murtagh say goodbye.
In the trailer for Outlander Season 5 Episode 2, aptly titled “Between Two Fires,” Murtagh doesn’t seem keen on hiding out at all. Rather, he pledges his loyalty to the Regulators — a group of North Carolina farmers rebelling against Governor Tryon. As the Regulator’s leader, Murtagh is evidently taking up arms against Tryon, unafraid of being out in the open despite being a wanted man.
Considering that Jamie has been tasked with finding Murtagh, being out in the open makes things harder on the Fraser patriarch. After all, there’s no way Jamie can prolong the capture of his godfather if Murtagh is unabashedly engaging with Tryon’s men. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Jamie might have to take more drastic measures against Murtagh.
Could Jamie kill his own godfather?
If Tryon decides that capturing Murtagh isn’t enough, it’s possible that Jamie will be forced to kill his godfather to prove his loyalty and ensure his family's safety. Jamie murdering Murtagh outright would be devastating and dramatic, no matter the events leading up to it. It's a grim outcome, but Outlander hasn't shied away from exploring such things. However, it’s important to keep in mind that Murtagh was supposed to die during the Battle of Culloden in the Outlander book series.
That battle occurred at the end of Outlander Season 2, so Murtagh has essentially been living on borrowed time for the last three seasons. With that in mind, it’s possible that history will realign itself by having Jamie kill him. After all, Murtagh being alive is one of the biggest detours from Diana Gabaldon’s books, so perhaps the past will finally catch up to Murtagh once and for all.
New episodes of Outlander Season 5 air Sundays on Starz.
