I’m excited to see what happens to Brianna in Outlander season 8, but I’m worried that the series will cut (and keep) the wrong parts of her book story. One way or another, I don’t expect Outlander season 8 to match the books. Author Diana Gabaldon still has one more book on the way to wrap up her series, and it won’t be published until after Outlander season 8 premieres. While there is still one published book that Starz’s TV show hasn’t yet adapted, it wouldn’t adequately wrap up Outlander’s overarching story. So, significant alterations will be necessary.
In Brianna’s case, essentially all bets are off in Outlander season 8. In the book Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Roger and Brianna get their family reestablished in the 18th century and prepare for the Revolutionary War to reach North Carolina. The ending of Outlander season 7 heavily implied that this would be happening in the coming episodes as well. However, other aspects of the show’s most recent episodes hint that another key piece of Brianna’s story will be cut.
Outlander Season 7 Cut Out Brianna’s Big Frank Revelation
She Was All Set Up For It (But It Didn’t Happen)
Outlander season 7 saw Brianna examine a book her father, Frank Randall, had written about Scottish involvement in the Revolutionary War. The camera never zoomed in on the book’s title, and it was instead only Frank’s image that was featured in the scene. Almost immediately after, Brianna’s attention turned to Roger’s letter tucked away in the Lallybroch desk. This was the last we saw of Frank’s book, and the remainder of Outlander season 7 ignored its existence entirely. This is a bit frustrating since Frank’s works played a much larger part in Gabaldon’s novels.
In the books, Brianna found a letter from Frank tucked within his writings on the American Revolution. This letter detailed some danger that Brianna was in thanks to the old Fraser prophecy, and it was for this reason that she and Roger eventually decided to travel back to the past. Additionally, Brianna found that Frank had written about Jamie’s death in his book. He recorded that the Scot would die during the Battle of King’s Mountain. Given this and Frank’s other warnings, it almost seemed as if Brianna’s adoptive father was pushing her to attempt to save her biological father.
Outlander Season 8 Could Still Bring Frank & Brianna’s Story Full Circle
The Final Season Must Wrap Up Frank’s Part In The Story
The relationship dynamic between Frank, Claire, Jamie, and Brianna is obviously complicated in Outlander. The two men have never met one another and exist in two different centuries, but an intense jealousy exists between them regardless. Brianna didn’t know about her biological father until after Frank was dead, and developing a relationship with Jamie made her feel a bit guilty about the man who raised her. However, the fact that Frank put so much effort into researching Jamie and leaving very intentional clues for Brianna to find was essentially his blessing.
Brianna’s story deserves satisfying closure, and this would include feeling at peace with her two fathers.
Unfortunately, it seems as if Outlander season 8 will skip over this, and that’s rather disappointing. Brianna’s story deserves satisfying closure, and this would include being at peace with her two fathers. Frank and Brianna’s love for one another would be brought full circle by the revelation that he had set things up for his daughter to meet her biological father. This would also bring some peace to Jamie and Claire regarding Frank’s character since it would ultimately be because of the 20th-century man that Claire’s second husband survives the American Revolution.
I’m Worried That Outlander Will Focus On The Wrong Part Of Brianna’s Book Story
Brianna’s Book 9 Story Just Won’t Cut It
Brianna discovering Frank’s letter and bringing his book back to the past is among the more intriguing aspects of her recent story in the Outlander books. If the TV show cuts it out, it would likely mean that season 8 will focus on another Brianna development instead. In Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, Roger and Brianna welcome another child—a baby boy named Davy. While the MacKenzies’ growing family is undoubtedly a lovely thing, I can’t help but hope that, if anything, Outlander season 8 cuts this storyline instead of the Frank revelation.
I would hate to see the final leg of Brianna’s story dedicated only to pregnancy and birth.
I’m not saying that little Davy should be cut from Outlander entirely. However, I would hate to see the final leg of Brianna’s story dedicated only to pregnancy and birth. Gabaldon included this story in her ninth Outlander book, and there is still a tenth on the way that will surely create a more independent resolution for Brianna’s character. She is an excellent mother, but her character arc has never revolved around motherhood. It’s essential that Brianna’s ending brings her overarching development full circle, such as with the Frank father-daughter adventure. We can always imagine that Davy arrives later in Outlander.