Fans of Outlander, currently off-air, have been re-watching the series for new insights into the epic tale. The final season, season eight, is anticipated to air in 2026, although no official date has been confirmed.
When the show does return, it will diverge significantly from Diana Gabaldon’s original Outlander novels, as the author is still writing her book series. Notably, the Faith Fraser twist in the season seven finale will become a significant plot point following an alternate timeline, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
Over the years, Outlander has made numerous adaptations from the books to make the series more suitable for television. One major change that viewers may not be aware of occurred in season two, involving characters Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) and Fergus Fraser (Romann Berrux).
In the second novel, Dragonfly in Amber, Fergus meets Jamie while the Highlander is escaping from attackers and ends up in the brothel where Fergus was raised. Jamie then hires the boy to serve as a pickpocket for him and steal important letters.
However, in the Starz drama, the Parisian street urchin steals from the Frasers, primarily Sawny the snake, a keepsake from Jamie’s late brother William. Fans will recall that William, who was set to inherit the Lallybroch estate, sadly passed away.
William used to call Jamie ‘Sawny’, a nod to his sibling’s middle name Alexander, and carved him a wooden snake with the nickname etched on it.
Sawny the snake accompanied Jamie and Claire to Paris as they aimed to make their mark on the Royal court and alter history. The journey of Sawny was discussed in depth by Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and writer Anne Kenney during the official Outlander podcast for the episode Useful Occupations and Deceptions.
Anne Kenney remarked on integrating elements from various books into the series: “Sawny is one of those things that sometimes we take things from different books and people will go, ‘Oh, I missed this or I miss that,’ and I would say to them, ‘Well, don’t give up hope because we pull things from all over the place’.”
Kenney elaborated: “Because now Sawny has made an appearance here and I don’t think he was actually in this [book].”
She added: “I think [Jamie] originally tells [Claire] about Sawny back at Lallybroch in the first book, so we brought him back here.”
Moore discussed the creative process: “We were just looking for something for Fergus to steal. Wouldn’t it be good if he stole something from Jamie too? What could he steal from Jamie?” He shared that someone casually suggested Sawny the snake in the writer’s room, beginning as a jest before making its way into the script.
The sentimental value of Sawny to Jamie is profound, being the sole reminder of his elder brother, a keepsake he cherishes deeply. The backstory of Sawny might well be revealed in the anticipated Outlander prequel series Blood of My Blood, which will delve into the histories of Jamie and Claire Fraser’s (Caitríona Balfe) parents.
Outlander Season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now