Outlander’s “Where the Waters Meet” ends with a crazy twist that stuns Roger and the viewers. The dude running away from Roger Mac is Buck MacKenzie, a character that might catch those not up to speed off guard.
The tough guy that Roger faces is William Buccleigh ‘Buck’ Mackenzie, the love child of Dougal Mackenzie and the time traveler Gellis Duncan. Interestingly enough, Buck is also a distant relative of Roger, making things more complicated in their relationship.
Who Is Buck MacKenzie In Outlander?
Buck’s character might seem new to some folks, as the actor playing him has changed. During Buck’s last show-up in season five, he was played by Graham McTavish, who fans will remember also played Dougal Mackenzie in the early parts of the show. But now, Buck is brought to life by Diarmaid Murtagh, a change that might have caused some head-scratching among the viewers.
To get the clear tension between Buck and Roger, we gotta go back to “The Ballad of Roger Mac,” the seventh episode of season five. In that episode, Roger is given to the militia by Buck, who lies and says he’s a Regulator. This backstabbing ends with Roger being hanged from a tree, but he’s quickly cut down and survives thanks to his quick thinking of sticking his hand between his neck and the rope. This bad moment sparked hard feelings between the two, which is probably why Roger wants to hit Buck in their latest meetup.
We Saw Buck MacKenzie Several Times Before
The last time we saw Buck on the show, he was chilling with his wife, Morag, and their son Jeremiah, deeply rooted in 18th-century North Carolina. To get Buck’s backstory, we gotta travel back to the first season of the series. Dougal and Geillis Duncan, who had a secret fling, had a love child. Geillis was then blamed for witchcraft and killing but was allowed to put off her punishment until she gave birth. After her baby was born, he was taken away to be raised by a different family. That baby is the very same Buck MacKenzie we see today.
Why Buck’s sudden show-up in the 20th century is a mystery, considering his mom was a time traveler, he likely inherited Gellis’s ability to travel through the rocks, landing in the future on purpose or accidentally. We expect that the next episode will shine more light on this, where Bree and Roger will need to figure out how to handle this surprise guest.
