Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 10 of Outlander Season 7, called "Brotherly Love."
Outlander Season 7 returned to Starz in the 2024 TV schedule from its long hiatus with an emotional midseason premiere last week, only to up the ante in "Brotherly Love" with the death of Ian Murray in Scotland, the death of Arch Bug in Philadelphia, and Jamie possibly dead and lost at sea. Even Jenny's future looked a bit grim, as she faced running Lallybroch without Ian at her side. All in all, this was a pretty tragic episode of the hit drama, but Steven Cree had a thoughtful and fun take on his character's end that puts a slightly sillier spin on Ian's demise.
The elder Ian Murray – or, as the subtitles bluntly refer to him, "Old Ian" – and Jamie did have a few moments to themselves, sharing a laugh over the Outlander time travel and age difference between Jamie and Claire that the Murrays had only just learned about. The conversation seemingly took a lot out of the ailing man, and he died in bed shortly after, with "Jenny" as his last word. Cue the waterworks!
Occurring pretty early in "Brotherly Love," this was arguably the first big tragedy of Season 7B to that point, and I think still holds that distinction by the end of the episode. I'm guessing not too many fans will be mourning Arch Bug after Rachel nearly died in his mad quest for revenge against Young Ian, and I think it's a safe bet that Outlander didn't really just kill off Jamie Fraser for good in its second episode back from hiatus.
I spoke with Steven Cree about Old Ian's death, with the actor reprising his role just shy of six years after his last appearance back in Season 4. I asked during Starz's Outlander press junket about what it was like for him to come back, only to film a tear-jerking ending not too long after, and he started his response by sharing the scene that was actually even more emotional to shoot than Ian's death, saying:
The most emotional scene to film, actually, was the scene with John Bell [in Episode 9]. The scene where we have the conversation, because that felt like quite a heart-wrenching and emotional scene, but also in the sense of there's a lot of joy in that scene, and there's a lot of Ian trying to pass on his fatherly wisdom, and sort of knowing that this is maybe going to be the last time they ever have a conversation like that. So it was very emotional.
There was certainly joy in the scene of Old Ian telling Young Ian to go and confess his feelings to Rachel during their conversation in the midseason premiere, but tinged with the sadness of knowing that the elder would likely already be dead by the time the younger and Claire arrived back in America.
According to Steven Cree, the death scene that was definitely emotional to watch was less so to film. He explained:
The actual dying itself, it was just funny when it ended, because we did it at the end of the day. Suddenly you wrap the scene, and that's it, and it's over. There's no fanfare. There were no cards from Sam Heughan. There was no, 'Thanks for being here for ten years.' There were no trumpets. In fact, actually, I had to hold the camera myself at the end. Everyone had disappeared. I said, 'Hold on, I've still got to die. Can we have a little bit more of a celebration or something about this?'
In our interview, it was very clear that Cree wasn't actually bitter when he shared that shooting Ian's death was fairly unceremonious, and it's funny to imagine that fanfare-free day on set after how heartbreaking the finished product was in "Brotherly Love." I for one am glad that he was able to reprise his role for Season 7B, just like Nell Hudson as Laoghaire and Layla Burns as Joan MacKimmie did.
Jenny was played in Season 7 by Kristin Atherton to replace original actress Laura Donnelly, with Atherton having to portray those key relationships with Jamie and with Ian. Cree went on:
It's sort of bittersweet in a way, because what a great thing to have had the opportunity as an actor to go on this journey with this character for over 10 years, really. But also, that's the end.
Steven Cree was a very familiar face from each of Outlander's first four seasons, but the drama's later migration to the American Colonies meant fewer opportunities to feature the Lallybroch characters. Alas, unless he appears via flashbacks or more time travel mishaps like what brought Roger and Buck to Geillis Duncan's doorstep, "Brotherly Love" may have been the last we see of Old Ian Murray.
The show is moving forward at quite a fast pace, if Outlander managing to wrap up the Lallybroch and Arch Bug stories while also setting up stories about Claire as a spy, Jamie's presumed death, and whatever is in store for William, Rachel, and Young Ian in just one episode is any indication.
The eighth season will also be the last, so it's possible that the team behind the scenes worked to pack as much as they could into Season 7 set to up the swan song. For now, you can keep tuning in to Starz on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Outlander Season 7B. If you want to revisit Steven Cree's earlier episodes as Old Ian, you can find the first six seasons streaming with a Netflix subscription now.
