Episode 7, season 8 of “Outlander” has made a major change from the books, and fans are split; some are thrilled, and some have gone so far as saying they can’t wait for the series to end. Major spoilers ahead for both the books and the TV series. 

The current season mainly follows the events of “Go Tell the Bee’s That I Am Gone,” book 9 of “Outlander,” but also wraps up a few remaining storylines from either book, “Written in my Own Hearts Blood.” The title spares no sorrow; author Diana Gabaldon deals in tragedy.

Marsali (Lauren Lyle) and Fergus Fraser (César Domboy) are the proud parents of four adorable children, one of whom is a boy born with dwarfism named Henri-Christian (Benjamin Moss). Henri-Christian is initially feared for superstitious reasons, but his parents are brimming with joy by this point in the story. 

Fergus owns a print shop in Philadelphia, which has earned a dangerous reputation for seditious publications. The people of 1779 Philadelphia took to sending the family threats, calling the patriarch a frog and a traitor. One such threat comes in the form of a famous poem.

“Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,” the poem reads. “Your house is on fire and your children are gone…” 

Fergus and Marsali laugh at the clever words and resolve not to let petty threats drive them away from the home their kids know and love. Readers of the book series, however, feel their blood turn to ice upon hearing the words spoken in the series. They know what happens next.

Or do they?

Just like in the book, the house goes up in flames. Marsali exits quickly with their daughters and Fergus races to find their sons, who are obliviously stargazing on the roof. This is where the storylines fork. 

In the book, Henri-Christian falls to his death while escaping with his brother. The scene is one of the saddest reads in the soon-to-be 10-book series, considering Fergus’ tumultuous past and the lengths he’s come since his days as an orphan in Paris, France. He was finally happy.

Henri-Christian still slips from his brother’s shoulders in the TV-series but is caught by his uncle, Rodger MacKenzie (Richard Rankin), at the last second. Fergus and Marsali share a brief look of relief…before the roof gives out to the flames and Fergus falls to his death, leaving nothing but ash and bone. 

The swap of who dies in the scene is simple, yet it serves to keep fans on their toes. Some louder viewers have taken to social media, reacting in outrage, while others are pleased with the change. 

Gabaldon herself feared, at first, that the showrunners were being too gentle with her story. 

“I suppose they thought they had to kill somebody,” Gabaldon said in an interview. “Personally, I thought if they were too chicken to do it right, they should have just eased back and burned down the print-shop — but (luckily) not my call.”

Fergus was not meant to die, Henri-Christian was not meant to live. The trade is fair to the story, satisfies the author and offers the same shock value readers would have otherwise missed in the screen adaptation. The final season of “Outlander” is no longer predictable. Only time will tell whether the choice was truly worth it or not.