Outlander has a new villain in town. Well, he’s not exactly new since we met him in season 4, but it seems like he’s going to be a much bigger part of the series this season. He’s basically the worst, and his name is Governor Tryon. He’s a Redcoat responsible for making sure Jamie is doing his due diligence on the land the Crown has so graciously given him. But their latest request for Jamie, which involves killing Murtagh, is what really makes us despite the guy.
Over the course of Outlander, we’ve had some pretty horrendous villains. Black Jack Randall and Stephen Bonnet top that list, but Governor Tryon is about to join them. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, actor Tim Downie is well aware of the reputation Tryon has among the fans, and he’s here for it:
"I absolutely relish it. And actually the fans have been incredibly generous considering, for all intents and purposes, I am the devil incarnate. Being English, being a Redcoat, being slightly threatening to Jamie, I mean, all of these things will pretty much have you thrown under a bus. […] But it is enormous fun being given that chance to play someone so Machiavellian and twisted and power-hungry. It’s great fun. Who wouldn’t relish it?"
FYI: Governor Tryon is a real historical figure, which I honestly didn’t know until I read this interview. He lived in North Carolina and really was a Governor. Thanks for that quick history lesson, Town and Country Magazine!
Downie is aware of the history, too, and did his homework to bring Tyron to life. He was a complicated guy in the midst of a big change, and there was a lot to unpack:
"The actions he did were real, and they have real consequences in the real world. And that’s quite exciting and not to be taken lightly. He’s had enormous ramifications for the sculpting of a new country and what happened to England after that. He is coming from money, being in a time where there was a very much of a social elite. If you weren’t a part of that, then chances are you were poor or indentured in some way. They would’ve known that, and they would’ve had a huge sense of us and them, and just not caring about anything else."
I’m so glad Downie answered one of the questions that’s been on my mind for a while: Why the heck is Tryon so chill with Jamie? I mean yes, he’s been giving him orders and expects him to get things down, but isn’t he too chill?
"That would be telling. Tryon is, he’s consistent, if anything. He’s been weaving a web for a long time. He’s had an end goal that he is very keen on pursuing. We’ll get there under no uncertain terms, be that standing on people or be that using people. He’s probably done it his entire life to get to where he’s got to. He’s all about himself. He’s very narcissistic. He’s endearing in some ways, but there’s a lot of more of the same. His plots and plans become more elaborate, more enthralling because the stakes become much, much higher as the series goes on, which makes it a very exciting prospect."
Oh my, that makes me worry for Jamie. Especially because Jamie does know where Murtagh is, or at least he did until the season 5 premiere. He really won’t know from now on, but does Governor Tryon even notice that Jamie might be lying?
"To be honest with you, I don’t think he does have an inkling about Jamie and Murtagh. He just doesn’t trust him anyway because he’s a Scot. After recent historical events, in their DNA, in their bones, they don’t trust each other. They both know what this is. They both know what each other can give. They both know what each other could take away. They play that game very stealthily and beautifully."
I do love how Townie and Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) play off each other in every scene they have together. The tension between them is palpable; it’s like they’re both ready to pounce but being incredibly smart about it.
So, how are we feeling about Tryon having a hold over the Fraser family? I know the season 5 premiere gave us a very safe feeling of home with Fraser’s Ridge. But let’s not forget it can be taken away by Tryon in a split second.
"If you’re a threat to Jamie, you’re probably a threat to everybody. I mean at the end of the day he could just take their land away, which would just push everyone out, whether they liked it or not. He would probably find Claire very useful, being a doctor. She helped his friend in the last season when he had the hernia, so he’s seen firsthand how useful something like that is and how rare in this new land. That could come into play as well in his decisions."
We beg you, Governor Tryon, don’t be the guy we think you are. Be bette…please?
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