Outlander star Maria Doyle Kennedy has shared her thoughts on the way the books differ from the TV series.
In the TV show, Kennedy’s character, Jocasta, forms a romantic relationship with Murtagh, while there is no such romance in the books. Fans have subsequently been unsure of how to feel about the unexpected twist.
Speaking with Digital Spy, Kennedy has revealed that she too was unsure about whether fans would accept the surprise romantic bond. She said: “I was wondering if the fans would accept it, because they were just getting to know Jocasta, and they adore Murtagh so much, but actually people did.”
Kennedy also revealed that fans may be more accepting of the storyline because this way, Murtagh gets to stay alive. In the books, his character is killed off in the Battle of Culloden.
“I think the sparks are there, certainly,” she explains. “She’s devastated. He has to leave at the end and go into hiding at the end of season four. She knows what a rebel he is, he’s always in trouble.
“So she definitely feels hugely for him and this love they’ve ignited, and she fears for him.”
Outlander‘s fifth season now airs on Starz.
