*WARNING - This article contains major spoilers for Outlander.*
The death of Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers), one of the most notorious villains in the Outlander series, has sparked a flurry of debate among fans on social media.
Ahead of season 7, part 2's drop this Autumn, Starz viewers have lit up the internet with discussions on the character's demise.
The historic fantasy epic, featuring Sam Heughan as the valiant Jamie Fraser and Caitriona Balfe as the resilient Claire Fraser, takes its cues from the book series penned by Diana Gabaldon.
Since its inception in 2014, Outlander has bestowed upon its audience plenty of dastardly foes, including the cruel Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, portrayed by Tobias Menzies, reports the Daily Record.
While there have been many villains to despise, Stephen Bonnet consistently emerges as one of the most reviled figures in the eyes of the dedicated fanbase.
On Reddit, a user known as @Radiant-Combination5 voiced their discontentment regarding the closure of Bonnet's storyline.
They expressed: "Anyone else annoyed by this particular storyline ending?
"Brianna shooting Stephen Bonnet and not just leaving him to drown. Idk why it irks me so much. He did so many awful things to their family, was finally getting his comeuppance and STILL she showed mercy.
"Like, if you're going to execute him that way, why didn't she just kill him on the island when he was first captured? She was the one who insisted on taking him back to Wilmington to see justice served." (sic)
Fans have swarmed the comments section to air their thoughts, with one enthusiast adding: "Agree!! But I do like to think she was just practising her shooting skills [wink emoji]."
Yet, several buffs contested the original fan's opinion, suggesting rather that it depicted the perfect sense of closure for Brianna Randall Fraser (Sophie Skelton).
"I saw it as her wanting to take him out herself in the end," commented an aficionado, while another wrote: "She got to kill him with her own hand. Closure."
Some followers deemed the act necessary to confirm the villain's demise, one asserting: "Stephen Bonnet was a slippery b***ard. Shooting him when she could have let him drown could be seen as a mercy...or ensuring he was dead." (sic)
Concurrence came from another who remarked: "I've only watched this part in the show (haven't gotten that far in the books), but I saw it as her wanting to make absolutely sure he's dead. She thought he was dead before, only to find out he escaped. This time she wasn't allowing that to be an option."
Another piped in: "I feel like she just wanted to make sure he was dead this time; he'd already escaped the jail blowing up."
Following the closure of Lionsgate+ in the UK, new episodes of Outlander will be available on Starz and to stream on Prime Video channel MGM+ from Sunday, November 22. You must be an Amazon Prime member before you can sign up for MGM+.
