‘Outlander’ Season 5, Episode 7 Preview: Book Fans Suspect Devastation For Roger And Brianna

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Episode 7 of Starz’s Outlander Season 5, as well as events in the book series it is based on. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, things are heating up between the Regulators and the British with a revelation being made in Episode 6 that Governor Tryon (Tim Downie) wants to fight the Regulators after many refused his offer of a pardon.

Moving forward into Episode 7, preparations for war are made, according to Carter Matt. However, for many book fans, they suspect that this might be the episode in which a certain tragic event occurs involving Roger (Richard Rankin).

Episode 7 could see Roger being hanged, according to Fansided. Their assumption is based on the title of the episode, “The Ballad of Roger Mac.” In book five, The Fiery Cross, Roger MacKenzie is hung after what basically boils down to a misunderstanding involving his ancestors, William “Buck” MacKenzie and his wife, Morag Gunn MacKenzie.

In the book series, Roger survives the horrific event as Brianna (Sophie Skelton), Jamie (Sam Heughan), and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) rush in to assist. However, his voice box is permanently damaged. While it is no guarantee that Starz will follow Roger’s book storyline, considering how often Roger has been shown singing of late, it certainly considered foreshadowing by many book fans.

This event also leads to plot developments further on in the series, so it seems likely Starz will include it. In addition, Heughan has previously referred to Episode 7 as being a particularly difficult episode.

As yet, all promotional material for Episode 7 appears to concentrate on the upcoming preparations for war between the Regulators and the British. However, as Fansided points out, there is at least one concerning image that could be linked to the major event involving Roger.

Previous Season 5 images had included one image (shown above) that some fans suspected might be an aspect of Roger’s hanging. Now, a new image that appears to be from the same scene — or at least, including the same clothing on the characters — has emerged.

The original image showed a close up of Claire hugging Brianna as she looks on at something that appears to disturb her. Jamie is standing next to them, looking grim.

The new image shows the same three characters, this time in a wider shot, as they stand and look at something off-screen. Claire looks particularly shocked. While speculation is certainly lending itself to Roger’s hanging, viewers will just have to wait until Episode 7 airs on Sunday night in order to find out more.