Outlander Season 5 Episode 7 was a bittersweet one for series lead actor Sam Heughan. It was the last episode of Duncan Lacroix playing the fan-favorite Murtagh, but it was also the episode that Heughan's character, Jaime Fraser, ended his allegiance to the British.
Heughan shared some of the inside stories behind the filming of Episode 7. The Bloodshot actor revealed that the idea of Jamie wearing the red coat was first brought up last season.
Heughan said he personally advocated for his character to wear the red coat because he wanted to see Jamie against his godfather and the country that he fought for in the Battle of Culloden. Claire's (Caitriona Balfe) husband stood for Scotland and battled the British crown in Season 1 but he was on the opposite side in the current season of Outlander. Heughan said the red coat symbolizes everything that he's fought against.
"Jamie is a man of honor, a man of his word... I just thought everything that's happened in his past from Culloden, to Black Jack Randall, to prison and the red coat really represents everything that Jamie isn't," he told Entertainment Weekly.
As for filming Murtagh's death in Outlander Season 5, the actor admitted that it was tough to say goodbye to a character that stood as Jaime's second father. Heughan said they filmed Lacroix's last scenes for hours but it was all worth it for a beloved character.
The Scottish actor added that everyone on set didn't want to say goodbye to Lacroix because he is great to work with. Nonetheless, the cast and crew were grateful to have the actor around in almost the entire season.
Finally, the river scene where shirtless Jamie showed his perfect physique while uttering some Gaelic words. Heughan said, fortunately, it was shot during the hot summer in Scotland so didn't feel cold while bathing at the river.
The actor explained the significance of the scene wherein Jamie called upon Dougal MacKenzie's spirit to be with him and fight alongside him in the pre-Revolutionary war. He said it is an important Scottish tradition before going into war.
Meanwhile, the filming of Outlander Season 5 hasn't been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, unlike other ongoing TV series. The fifth installment of the Starz drama wrapped filming in late November.
However, Heughan has been somewhat affected by COVID-19. Apparently, The Spy Who Dumped Me actor flew to Hawaii after all of his scheduled events for the promotion of Bloodshot have been canceled and before the travel ban has been imposed. The actor ended up self-quarantine in Hawaii because of coronavirus.
