Warning – this article contains major spoilers for Outlander season 7, part 2.
The countdown is on with just a month to go until the second part of Outlander season seven hits our screens. A just-dropped trailer teases seismic developments awaiting Jamie (played by Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) as they make their long-anticipated return to Scottish soil.
Meanwhile, Roger MacKenzie (Richard Rankin) and Brianna’s (Sophie Skelton) saga takes a harrowing turn as their son Jemmy gets snatched by the opportunistic Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton), leading Roger on yet another cross-temporal pursuit to rescue his child and whisk him back to the safety of the 20th Century.
A deep dive into the trailer’s details on Reddit has led fans to suspect that a key figure in this tangled tapestry has been uncovered, upon glimpsing a character clad in the distinctive garb of a World War II bomber jacket.
Hardcore fans who have scoured every page of Diana Gabaldon’s novels and pieced together breadcrumbs from the upcoming serial might be privy to these plot points; those wishing for untainted first-time viewing experiences should probably steer clear.
“Who is that guy on the right???” queried one Redditor, prompting an intriguing response from another: “Roger’s dad.”
Clamouring for clarity, the initial poster probed further, yielding this revelation from their fellow fan: “Roger and Buck [time travel] to 1739.
“They both think about ‘Jeremiah’ and stones take them to that year because it is [the] year when Roger’s dad [time travelled] to. So they meet him.”
Further speculation abounds among the Outlander faithful, with many now certain that Hadrian’s Wall will serve as a backdrop for a crucial confrontation in the tale of Roger and his progenitor, as foretold in Gabaldon’s literary works.
“Just googled and I think so. It seems like the right area too,” one viewer speculated.
Another responded: “We know what that means”, later highlighting the character “clearly [wearing] a WW2 era pilot’s jacket. This is going to be awesome.”
An additional thrilled fan chimed in: “I cannot wait for this. I swear it’s my favourite part in all the books and I’ve never been so excited to see something on screen.”
It’s not only fairly evident that Roger’s dad will make an appearance this season, but fans may have also identified who’ll be portraying him.
Both Rankin and William ‘Buck’ MacKenzie star Diarmaid Murtagh are currently following All Creatures Great and Small actor Nicholas Ralph on Instagram, who viewers concur is an ideal choice to depict Roger’s father.
As one observant fan noted: “On December 8th, Richard and Diarmaid followed actor Nicholas Ralph on Instagram and he followed them back. Diarmaid posted a photo of his trailer (with Buck’s name on it) that morning, indicating he was filming.
“There is no confirmation on his agency’s website, however, but there is some resemblance between him and younger Richard so I think he might be playing Jerry MacKenzie.
“There are also some supporting artists who filmed “1940s” scenes on January 13th, which might be something to do with Jerry’s story in A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, as there are no 1940s flashbacks in either Echo or MOBY. Take this with a big grain of salt, though.”
Will the seventh season of Outlander showcase the long-awaited family reunion for Roger? Tune in next month to discover.
Outlander season seven part two premieres on Friday, November 22, on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK and on Starz in the US.
