Outlander Season 6 is moving along quite fast, so that Claire, Jamie and the rest of the Fraser family can become even more embroiled in the conflict between the colonies and England as the American Revolution begins to erupt. But, as usual, massive historical events are still combined with intense personal struggles for the characters, and for the first time fans are watching as Marsali and Fergus deal with some very dark issues between them. Luckily, the couple is starting to heal, and Marsali’s portrayer, Lauren Lyle, has opened up about why she’s being so forgiving of Fergus.
Why Outlander's Marsali Is Forgiving Fergus Despite Problems He's Caused
Even though Lauren Lyle did warn fans that one of our favorite and previously totally steadfast Outlander couples would be in for a rough time, I doubt that many viewers could have guessed at what was in store. This season has seen Fergus take to drinking in an effort to soothe his fears that he’s simply not able to do enough to protect his family, particularly once Marsali revealed what she did in Season 5 after Claire’s brutal attack. Things came to a boiling point for Marsali and Fergus in the most recent episode, but she welcomed him back despite all of the trouble he’d put her through.
In a chat with Parade, Lyle spoke about why she thinks Marsali is sticking by Fergus amid his drinking and outbursts, and noted:
Now, me, I would walk out. I’d be like, ‘Absolutely no chance am I sticking around.’ But on a base level, women at the time, they couldn’t, that was not an option. She, of course, has to stay. But I also think she loves him deeply and this is stressful for both of them. It’s that thing, that bond when you marry someone that you say, ‘Whatever happens to you happens to me, and together we deal with it.’ I think she’s trying to get through to him and she knows that she’s the only one that can. I think it is just love. That’s what love and choosing to stay is. And also, she has her own fight, she doesn’t just sit back and let it happen. She does fight back in a sense, in both a physical and emotional sense. So, she doesn’t outright forgive and just let it passively go by.
One of the reasons that fans love Marsali is because she’s never been afraid to speak her mind and do what she thinks needs to be done (much like Fergus in that intimate birthing scene). The most recent episode of Outlander saw her and Fergus argue to the point where she actually kicked him out of their home. Lyle seems to be saying that, even though Jamie brought a totally broken Fergus back to her after a disturbing event, she’s simply forgiven him for his behavior enough so that they can try to really work through his issues.
Marsali isn’t going to try to pretend everything is fine now, but continue to call Fergus out if she thinks he’s out of line, especially considering how his actions have likely already impacted their young children. Fergus also made his fears clear to Marsali, so she does know why his poor behavior has started, and is smart enough to realize that while he is taking those things out on her, it’s coming from his own pain.
Hopefully, Fergus will be able to really embrace Marsali’s love and see that he’s been given a major chance to change and keep his family intact. We’ll see how things go with them as this complicated season of Outlander continues on Starz, Sundays at 9 p.m. EST, but for more to watch check out the 2022 TV schedule!
