Roger and Bree returned to their future to save their daughter’s life. But are they truly better off?
One would think that leaving the early days of the American Revolution behind for 1980s Scotland would be the smart choice. But when it comes to the Mackenzie family, you never know.
On Outlander, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Bree (Sophie Skelton) have returned to their own futures in a bid to save Mandy and secure her the life-saving surgery she requires. But in season 7, episode 4, it’s revealed that Roger and Bree have been living in a caravan while renovating Lallybroch for a few years.
But once Mandy’s heart was repaired and Roger and Bree discovered via their letters that Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) survived, why didn’t the family return to the past?
“It’s a lot of pressure to put on a child’s heart,” Skelton tells EW. “It’s not an elevator that you can just hop on and off. Going through the stones is a really big deal. It’s not set in stone that you’re going to end up in the time period that you are wanting to be in or with the people you are wanting to [be with]. Who knows if you can even survive it? Some people might not survive going through the stones… It’s not a back-and-forth situation. It’s dangerous. Why take your children back to the American Revolution if you don’t have to?”
Executive producer Maril Davis also notes that, for a multitude of reasons, Roger and Bree believe their family is better off in the present. “They think it’s a safer time,” she tells EW. “It’s not so easy to go through the stones. It takes a toll on your body. The stones should not be seen as a revolving door. The journey is one that shouldn’t be made very often. Coming through with something that happened to Mandy in her heart, they think it’s better that we stay here. It’s safer.”
It remains to be seen if that’s really true. Bree and Roger seem to be a magnet for trouble, and there are many foes — including Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek), who remains unaccounted for. Not to mention the fact that Bree and Roger have chosen to settle at Lallybroch, a location with centuries of history tied to their family.
“It makes them an easy target,” Rankin teases. “That house must be full of ghosts. It has unintended consequences.”
Could those consequences be tied to the mystery disappearance of biscuits and other items around the house? Only time will tell.
Davis adds ominously, “The future ain’t so safe.”
