Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring beautiful tidings as the end of this particular Droughtlander is almost upon us. STARZ’s hit historical romance drama, Outlander, is set to return this Friday, November 22, with the premiere of Season 7, Part 2 of the long-running show. The Frasers are no strangers to trouble, and the coming season will be no different, albeit a familiar threat will rear its head once. The last time we saw Arch Bug (Hugh Ross) he was speaking with Rachel regarding the whereabouts of young Ian. While it all seemed harmless, the old man’s response, “I hope he’ll return to you soon” – to being told Ian had gone abroad, was most definitely a threat.
Earlier on in the show, young Ian (John Bell) had mistakenly shot and killed Arch Bug’s wife, Murdina Bug (Sarah Collier), after the elderly handyman and his wife had tried to steal gold from Fraser’s Ridge. Arch has never forgiven Ian, and series co-showrunner Matthew B. Roberts, while speaking with TV Line, petitioned audiences to have some sympathy for the elderly man and his plight. “He’s such a lovable character in the early days, and this turn for him, it isn’t dark,” the executive producer said. “I have a lot of empathy for that character. He was madly in love with Murdina, and you see what Jamie and Claire do for each other, because they’re so madly in love. So I think you can understand why he does what he does.”
Love Makes Us Do Crazy Things – Even Jamie Understands That
The last bit sounds quite ominous, so what is it that he does? Roberts goes on to tease that the character is “still messing with the Frasers and the Murrays and the MacKenzies.” The co-showrunner goes on to suggest that should Arch Bug and Sam Heughan’s Jamie Fraser discuss the matter, the pair might find common ground given how Mr. Fraser feels towards his Sassenach. He says:
“I think if Jamie sat down with him and talked to him about it, Jamie would go, ‘I get it. You love her. You loved her more than anything. You feel someone took her from you.’ I mean, it’s so very relatable to our characters.”
Outlander is based on the book series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, and developed by Ronald D. Moore. It would be most interesting to watch what happens when the show returns this coming Friday. Hopefully, Arch Bug’s vengeance isn’t one that leaves too bitter a taste in the mouth. One person who is likely to be spared Mr. Bug’s ire is Richard Rankin, who stars as Roger MacKenzie. The actor teased, in a previous interview, what fans might expect when the show returns, saying:
“I won’t talk about eight. That’s too far away. Come on Scott! Season 7, I think the second half is some of the best Outlander has ever been. I think a lot is going on. I think all of our storylines see the characters on great big adventures. I think fans are going to love it.”
Outlander Season 7, Part 2 premieres in November 2024. You can watch the first seven seasons of Outlander on Starz. Stay tuned to Collider for more on the future of Outlander.