Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Outlander season 7, episode 4, and the Outlander books. In this crucial episode, Brianna and Roger find themselves grappling with Jemmy's lies in 1980. Interestingly, Jemmy's discussions about mythical Scottish creatures allude to a significant storyline in the book An Echo in the Bone. Apart from the unexpected expenses involved in renovating Lallybroch and adjusting to their drastically different lives in comparison to their North Carolina existence in the 1700s, Roger and Brianna encounter numerous challenges in this particular episode. However, one of the most perplexing trials they face revolves around Jemmy's vivid imagination. Jemmy possesses a unique ability to envision what he deems to be true, often leaving his parents and grandparents utterly baffled. Jemmy's strong connection with his time-traveling capabilities proves instrumental in his understanding that Mandy possesses the same abilities. This realization becomes pivotal in ensuring a future that could potentially aid Mandy. Nevertheless, Jemmy's deception involving the broken radio fails to convince Roger and Brianna of his honesty regarding the Nuckelavees in episode 4 of Outlander season 7. Perhaps this was intentional, considering the source of his information and the person who likely requested food from him while offering these explanations.
Jemmy Met Buck Mackenzie In The Outlander Books, Not Nuckelavees
Brianna doubted Jemmy's claim about stealing food for the Nuckelavees in Outlander season 7, episode 4. However, Roger's ancestor, Buck Mackenzie, had to provide an explanation to convince Jemmy and Mandy to assist him in the book An Echo in the Bone. Buck, who was the illegitimate son of Geillis Duncan and Dougal Mackenzie, inherited the ability to time travel without his knowledge. After returning to Scotland in 1782 with Morag and their family, Buck accidentally found himself transported 200 years into the future when he leaned against the stones at Craigh na Dun. In order to survive, Buck hid around Lallybroch.
Despite their troubled history, An Echo in the Bone depicted a transformation in the relationship between Buck and Roger. While Buck manipulated Jemmy into bringing him food using Scottish folklore, his intentions were solely based on survival in a foreign time. Buck genuinely desired to return home, which led him to rely on Roger and Brianna, who possessed more knowledge about time travel. Despite Roger being an unlikely person to willingly offer assistance, Buck had no other option, as he was unfamiliar with the strange and unfamiliar period he found himself in.
Buck's Secret Presence Introduces Roger's Future Time Travel
In An Echo in the Bone, Buck's presence in 1980 Scotland gives Roger the opportunity to time travel once again. Believing that Rob Cameron had transported Jemmy through the stones at Craigh na Dun, Buck and Roger decide to follow. This not only results in another journey through time for Roger, but also introduces Jeremiah Walter Mackenzie, who is Roger's father and had been stuck in 1739. Despite their complicated history, Roger and Buck form a formidable team in the eighth book of Outlander, successfully rescuing Jerry Mackenzie and returning him to his time. Along the way, they encounter several significant characters from Claire and Jamie's past.
