“Outlander” Deviates from Books to Kill Fan-Favorite Character, Author Diana Gabaldon Calls Show 'Too Chicken to Do It Right'

Julia MooreFri, April 17, 2026 at 4:15 PM UTC

0

Claire Fraser (Caitri­ona Balfe); Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan); Fanny Pocock (Florrie May Wilkinson); Marsali (Lauren Lyle); Fergus (Caesar Domboy); Henri-Christian Fraser (Benjamin Moss); Joanie Fraser (Lucy Jack); Felicite Fraser (Kara Caldwell) in "Outlander" season 8Credit: Robert Wilson/Starz

Warning: this story contains spoilers for the April 17 episode of Outlander season 8.

In the April 17 episode of Outlander season 8, a fan-favorite, longtime character was killed

The character's death is a major departure from Diana Gabaldon's book series, on which the Starz series is based

Some fans weren't happy after watching the episode and took to social media to express their shock at the twist

A beloved character met a tragic end in the latest episode of Outlander season 8.

In the April 17 episode of the Starz drama series, Fergus (César Domboy) died after saving his kids from a fire in the print shop. He and Marsali (Lauren Lyle) were woken up in the middle of the night by their daughter, who was the first to notice the shop and their home filling with smoke.

Marsali rushed her daughters to safety while Fergus went up to the roof to rescue the boys, Henri-Christian and Germain, who were stargazing. After getting them both to safety and hearing from Marsali below that they're all okay, the roof under Fergus' feet gave way and he plummeted into the fire below.

Fergus' death is a deviation from Diana Gabaldon's book series, as the fire kills his son Henri-Christian in 2021's Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone in the fire but Fergus survives.

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Cesar Domboy as Fergus in "Outlander" season 8Credit: Starz

The author told Parade that Fergus was killed instead of his son because the show "couldn’t stand to kill" the child and because many of those involved were so "horrified" by how Henri-Christian's death was described in the book that "they couldn’t stand to do it onscreen."

“I suppose they thought they had to kill somebody," she said. "Personally, I thought if they were too chicken to do it right, they should just have eased back and burned down the print shop."

Some fans were devastated by the twist, with one calling it a "soul-crushing episode" in the caption of a Starz Instagram post and another writing, "So disappointed. This was truly a bad decision."

Advertisement

One fan wrote in a post on X that the character "deserved a better ending" and another wrote, "It's been so long since I cried so much over an episode of Outlander. I'm so sad and angry. Fergus and Marsali deserved so much better."

Domboy, 36, has played the French character since season 3. He was adopted into the Fraser family by Clare (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) and then married Marsali.

Ahead of the premiere of season 8, the actor wrote in an Instagram post, "It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am to have been part of this story. To have watched Fergus grow over the years alongside so many incredible people."

"Thank you to this extraordinary cast and crew, and to all of you who have loved and supported the show from the beginning," he wrote.

Marsali (Lauren Lyle) and Fergus (Caesar Domboy) in "Outlander" season 8Credit: Robert Wilson/Starz

Before the show's final season premiered, Heughan told PEOPLE he couldn't "ever be satisfied" with the show's conclusion. "I honestly think you couldn't, because we haven't done all the books and we haven't fully realized the book series," he said, referring to the 10th book in the series, A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out, which Gabaldon confirmed would be the last.

Heughan, 45, said he and Balfe, 46, "came back to do this season to give an ending that was satisfactory — or tied up some things" for fans.

"At the end of season 7, I certainly felt I wasn't ready to walk away," he said. "I still had an itch to scratch, and I think the fans would've felt that as well, but it's hard. How do you tie up something like this?"

New episodes of Outlander premiere Fridays on Starz.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”