Roger and Brianna are set to reunite in Outlander Season 4, but the actors who play the characters are hinting they may have some struggles on the way. Roger actor Richard Rankin teased some potential trouble for the couple looking ahead and shared his opinion on how they'll handle it.
They are in quite an interesting place, because they've had that whole drama, that catalyst, that threw them together. It's a kind of complicated, unreal sort of otherworldly experience they had at the end of Season 2, and I think, because of that, that forged a very unique bond that I don't think will ever be broken. But it's certainly put to the test.
Richard Rankin teased some choppy waters for Roger and Brianna's relationship, but he thinks their sea of love will navigate through well enough. After all, one would imagine that daughter of a woman who literally travels through time to reconnect with her lover would be pretty flexible in making long-distance relationships work out well enough. Even so, Rankin said things have been somewhat difficult for the two as of late, as their contact has been limited.
The contact is a result of Roger and Brianna's increasingly busy lives. They're still in love, but that love is hampered by the ocean that separates them a majority of the time. Rankin shared how the two have made the relationship work despite Brianna being in Boston and Roger in Oxford, England, and detailed just how frequently the two are touching base.
They have very separate lives. Brianna's at university in Boston, and Roger's life is in Oxford, so when you find them, they're in the midst of a long distance relationship, which, I think, is quite testing of them. The world was a much larger place in the '60s, so communication was even quite difficult at times. They really couldn't see a lot of each other, and maybe only spoke to each other once a week on phone calls. There will have been letters and that kind of thing, but in terms of seeing each other and spending time with each other, it was maybe only once or twice a year, which is a big test for any relationship.
On top of that, Sophie Skelton shared with EW there's a fundamental problem in Brianna and Roger's dynamic at the moment. While the Outlander couple has bonded on their shared experiences, there's a part of Roger that triggers painful memories for Brianna. Skelton said Brianna seeing Roger rustles up memories of Frank's death, as well as Claire's leaving to be with Jamie.
Sophie Skelton added in a behind-the-scenes featurette for Outlander another potentially telling quote, which may hint Brianna isn't quite ready to fully commit to a life with Roger. Skelton mentioned the fear of connecting with someone, only to learn there may be a deeper love they're missing out on elsewhere. What that means for Brianna and Roger is up in the air, but it could hint the long-distance relationship has her wondering if this is a commitment she truly wants.
Take that, and the tease that Brianna is headed elsewhere in Season 4, and the trial the couple will soon face is more evident.
SPOILER ALERT: Roger helped Brianna travel back in time to reunite with Claire and meet Jamie in the books, which could be what Outlander is laying the groundwork for. This would mean a much longer distance relationship for her and Roger, where not even a phone call a week could happen.
Outlander airs on Starz Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. For a look ahead at what's coming to television in the weeks ahead, be sure to visit and bookmark our fall and midseason premiere guides.
