*WARNING: This article contains spoilers for earlier seasons of Outlander.*
The second part of Outlander’s penultimate season is fast approaching and fans have been discussing the show’s most important characters as the end draws near.
Viewers of the Starz show are used to seeing passionate exchanges between our favourite couple Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and his time-travelling wife Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe).
The pair also appear in plenty of steamy bedroom scenes, with the fantasy romance show never shying away from showing sex on-screen.
However, ahead of season 7 part 2, which airs next month, fans have been discussing how one couple seems to lack the same spark as the show’s two leads.
Among its huge ensemble cast, Outlander features Richard Rankin as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie and Sophie Skelton as Brianna Randall Fraser.
During the show, the pair become romantically involved and end up getting married – but some fans aren’t convinced their romance continued after their wedding day.
Taking to Reddit, user @Broad_Cupcake_8721 wrote: “I don’t know if I was allowed to include Roger’s name in the title since it’s maybe a spoiler that he and Brianna get together maybe. But this is really about Brianna and Roger’s marriage after Drums.
“For one thing, is it just me or is Brianna and Roger’s sex life pretty meh after they get married?
“In Cross where Brianna says that usually she’s not really in the moment during sex. Partially it’s because of her PTSD but I felt kind of bad for her anyway?
“I know everyone’s sex life isn’t going to be as good as our lovely Jamie and Claire, but she never seems that into Roger after they get married even later. I know they have kids and responsibilities but that doesn’t stop other characters.
“Do you think it’s Diana’s intentional choice? Like as a contrast?” they asked.
“Brianna and Roger’s relationship sometimes has more of an ‘arranged marriage’ energy. Like it feels like something that happened to them and they’re okay with how it turned out, not something they chose over and over again like Jamie and Claire.
“Does anyone else agree? Or disagree? I want to like them as a couple (and Roger) more than I do after reading the books so open to convincing.” (sic)
In the comments section, fans discussed Brianna and Roger’s relationship, with one agreeing with the original poster.
They penned: “Arranged marriage is a good way to describe it! It’s not but it feels like it.”
Meanwhile, some fans argued that the nature of Brianna and Roger’s romance is simply “different”.
One wrote: “I think Brianna and Roger are more connected in other aspects. They know each other, share interests, respect each other. Brianna is a lot more closed off than Claire was, she’s more logical…she takes after Jamie I think, and Frank to a degree. They’re close friends. They trust each other. They get along. They’re similar is I guess what I’m trying to say, badly?
“Jamie and Claire are from different worlds. They’re different people, they find their connection through physical acts. They find each other through sex. There’s a huge emphasis of that on them. Any disagreement, trauma, they reconnect with sex. Roger and Brianna have a different love language is all.” (sic)
Another concurred: “I feel like Brianna and Roger are based on a more realistic, “healthy” in modern terms relationship that develops slowly through friendship and time. I think they are really devoted to one another by season 5 raising Jemmy together and that devotions builds and builds through Bees, but it’s not….dramatic or passionate or physical.
“I mean Claire and Jamie are physical people. Claire especially doesn’t voice like any of her feelings. Her body says what her mind wants to, and it’s unique and it’s passionate and Jamie learning to understand her and being the vocal one is (admittedly) kinda rare for the male, but it makes their love story iconic.
“I think Brianna and Roger have a good marriage, but it’s not a flashy one. It’s calm. It’s comfort. It stands the test of time.
“Claire and Jamie imminent like the dreamy, female gaze centered attentive, verbal man and an intensely sexually charged couple. It’s more unique and dreamy and makes them fit the main character roles well.” (sic)
One more fan added: “Given time & working through many issues, Roger & Brianna develop a great intimate relationship. I very definitely see this reflected in the book series.” (sic)
Outlander is a historical romance show based on author Diana Gabaldon’s books of the same name.
Following the closure of Lionsgate+ in the UK, new episodes of Outlander will be available on Starz and to stream on Prime Video channel MGM+ from Sunday, November 22. You must be an Amazon Prime member before you can sign up for MGM+.