Why did this week’s Outlander feature black-and-white silent film scenes?

Outlander took it way back to the days of black-and-white silent films for its latest episode, “Famous Last Words.” Why the stylistic change? It was mainly done to better portray Roger’s trauma.

In case you’ve forgotten, our dear Roger Mac had a near-death experience where he was hanged, and while he made it out alive, he could no longer use his voice. In “Famous Last Words,” whenever we touch on Roger’s PTSD, the episode shifts to mimic a black-and-white silent film. Both Outlander executive producer Matthew B. Roberts and Roger Mac himself, Richard Rankin, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about it.

The obvious connection between Roger’s experience and the film grain is that aping the style of silent films is a way to visually underline Roger’s loss of his voice. “We are a visual medium,” said Roberts. “[Outlander author] Diana Gabaldon can go directly into the character’s minds, but I say … too often, I’m sure …we can’t film a thought. We have to find creative ways of getting into the character’s head then get them out on screen. So when Dani Berrow, the writer of episode 508, came to me with the silent picture idea, I immediately fell in love with it. One, because I love black-and-white photography. Two, because black-and-white makes you work a bit — makes you use your imagination. Three, it was a visually brilliant way to get into Roger’s thoughts.”

"So, as she pitched out the idea, her thought was that Roger is a man whose gift is his voice, but now he’s deprived of it — forced into silence… experiencing his trauma psychologically, like a movie playing out in his mind. She cited a description in The Fiery Cross of Roger’s body being corpse-like, but covered in colorful bruises — reds, blues, yellows, purples, and greens — and thought there was something fascinating about the idea of this contrast, transforming Roger’s very real, living pain into black and white and into silence."

All that said, Rankin reveals that the show was leaving its options open. Apparently, they filmed these scenes in two ways: the normal way and the silent film way. This was just in case the higher-ups at Starz didn’t go along with the more creative idea. “That abstract way of telling the story was going to be a much more effective, a much more unsettling way into Roger’s psychology,” Rankin said. “I’m glad that they stuck with it.” As for acting in the silent scenes, it meant that the actors “had do everything a little bigger, a little more stylized. It wasn’t too much of a shift. They shot it at a different frame rate. So in terms of on set, there wasn’t a huge difference for us. We just had sort of ham it up a little bit.”

Outlander, you did us proud with the episode. I personally loved how it turned out. And Kudos to Rankin for doing a wonderful job!

Of course, there was more to Roger’s journey than the styling. Roger was battling his inner demons throughout. For a fleeting moment, or maybe more, he even contemplated taking his own life as he stood at the edge of a cliff. The thought of Brianna brought him back to his senses.

Also going through great pain was Jamie’s nephew Ian, who returned this week! He’s gone through his own trials, and their shared trauma brought these two characters together in unexpected ways. Outlander author Diana Gabaldon spoke to Parade.com about this friendship, and how they relate to one other now more than ever.

“For Roger, the loss of his voice is a HUGE thing,” Gabaldon said. “He’s been making modest progress in gaining the elementary skills of an 18th century man, but his ability to sing is the one thing that’s he’s genuinely good at. It was the defining aspect of his personality and his life–or so he thinks. He can’t bear the idea of trying to talk, and failing.”

"He’s struggling constantly with the reminder of what he’s lost and the searing memories of how he lost it (with the clever silent-film flashback metaphor). Under such a suffocating weight, he can’t think reconnection with anyone–let alone his wife and family–even possible."

We don’t know exactly why Ian is grappling with yet, but clearly he’s in some pain. Ian and Roger’s time together was a turning point for both of them:

"Ian Murray has lost the thing most important to him. His loss isn’t explained in detail, but we (and Roger) gather that the thing he’s lost is his (unknown to us) wife. Ian has all the 18th century skills that Roger lacks, but he hasn’t got his wife any longer. Roger has. […] Neither man is dealing well with his grief and loss. Each of them pushes away all well-intended gestures from family and friends. They know they don’t fit anymore. Not just into the structure of the family that longs to embrace and heal them—they don’t fit into their own lives."

And let’s not forget that Jamie sent Roger and Ian out together to survey the woods, which was a wonderful idea. They were both clearly lost in their own minds, and sometimes individuals going through familiar circumstances are the only ones that can help each other. “We see their struggles played out more or less in parallel, to the point where they find themselves alone together in the woods. Away from helpful, well-intentioned people who don’t understand a damn thing,” Gabaldon said. “But they understand each other. They fight each other, but they fight to that understanding.”

"Each man is able to step back from his own grief for a moment, in order to deal with the other man’s loss, if only momentarily, and they go back together to the place they used to call home, not yet healed, but with the strength to bear their burdens back to the fight."

It’s unclear what their future holds for Roger and Ian, but at least now they’ll be ready for it.

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