I’m thrilled that two of my favorite Outlander characters will be back for season 8, but I’m desperately hoping their tragic book story will be cut. This will be the final season of Outlander, so it’s the very last chance for characters who left the series in previous episodes to make a final return. I have my fingers crossed that we will get a handful of cameos in the coming episodes, but so far, few characters have been confirmed. Outlander‘s showrunners have said that only characters whose stories directly impact Jamie and Claire will be included, which limits things slightly.

Naturally, Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan’s Claire and Jamie will be returning for Outlander season 8, as well as Richard Rankin’s Roger and Sophie Skelton’s Brianna. We can also expect John Bell to return for one more season as the newlywed Ian Murray, and David Berry will have to continue as Lord John Grey. Unfortunately, actors like Tobias Menzies (who played Frank Randall) have said they won’t be available for a cameo, and Outlander‘s showrunners have said Kristin Atherton’s Jenny is also gone for good. However, a good bit of news is that César Domboy and Lauren Lyle will return to play Fergus and Marsali Fraser.

Fergus & Marsali Will Be Back In Outlander Season 8

César Domboy​​​​​​​ & Lauren Lyle Are Confirmed

Back when filming for Outlander season 8 began in March 2024, Balfe and Heughan took to the official Outlander Instagram account to cheekily announce that Domboy and Lyle had returned to again play Fergus and Marsali. The pair were shown in costume on set, as Balfe and Heughan joked about “very old” cast members returning for the final season. This was a significant reveal, since Fergus and Marsali haven’t been seen on Outlander since season 6.

Fergus is Claire and Jamie’s adoptive son, whom they picked up during their time in France back in Outlander season 2. Jamie continued to raise Fergus while Claire was in the future, and when she returned, she found him to be a grown man. Domboy’s character then fell in love with Marsali MacKimmie, daughter of Claire’s old enemy, Laoghaire. Fergus and Marsali ultimately traveled with Jamie and Claire to the Americas, eventually settling at Fraser’s Ridge. It wasn’t long until the couple became fan favorites, and I’m not ashamed to say I’m among those who simply adore them, but I’m a bit nervous.

I Really Hope Outlander Cuts Fergus & Marsali’s Most Tragic Book Story

This Story Just Won’t Fit Within Outlander’s Ending

Though Fergus and Marsali haven’t been a part of the Outlander TV show since season 6, they remain a relatively constant presence in the books. They established a print shop in Philadelphia during the events of an Echo in the Bone, which translated over to the beginning of Outlander season 7, part 2. Since the TV show cut their involvement out of this period of Jamie and Claire’s lives, I expected the series would completely ignore the tragic events that befell Fergus and Marsali. However, now that I know they are returning, I fear we will see the disaster play out on screen.

In the book Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, Fergus and Marsali’s print shop was burned down, and their son, Henri-Christian, died while trying to escape the fire. This was the little boy we saw born in Outlander season 6. He’s a beloved member of the Fraser family, and his death, falling from the print-shop roof while his brother Germain tries to save him, is almost too tragic to accept. It’s something I could do without seeing play out on the screen in Outlander season 8. Hopefully, I will get my wish and the upcoming episodes will give Fergus and Marsali a far more interesting story.

Outlander Can Make Fergus & Marsali’s Season 8 Story So Much More Interesting

There Are Better Ways To Use These Characters

Since Marsali and Fergus haven’t been in Outlander for so long and there are only a limited number of episodes left, I’m hoping that season 8 will skip over the death of their son. It would feel strange to have these characters brought back only to put them through something so terrible. Instead, Outlander season 8 can alter their book story to better serve Jamie and Claire’s development.

Claire will likely begin exploring her healing powers now that she believes Master Raymond brought her daughter, Faith, back to life. Perhaps Outlander season 8 will feature a version of Fergus and Marsali’s tragedy, but with a happier ending as Claire uses her power to heal Henri-Christian. Or, the coming episodes may lean on another aspect of Fergus’ book story. Author Diana Gabaldon has revealed that Fergus is the son of a time traveler, so this could be an intriguing topic for his final on-screen story. So long as this Outlander​​​​​​​ couple isn’t being brought back to break my heart, I’ll be happy.