The penultimate episode for Season 6 of Outlander saw a rather surprising reveal for Lizzie Wemyss (Caitlin O’ Ryan).
Lately, all the drama has been focused firmly on Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) after Malva Christie (Jessica Reynolds) accused Jamie (Sam Heughan) of being the father of her unborn child.
While this was scandalous enough, Malva later wound up dead, and Richard Brown (Chris Larkin) now wants Claire charged with her murder.
Meanwhile, in the background, Lizzie has just been living her best polyamorous life with the Beardsley twins.
Lizzie and the Beardsley twins are an item
Lizzie has pretty much flown under the radar up until this point in Outlander. She was an indentured servant to Briana (Sophie Skelton) and has fitted in nicely to life at Fraser’s Ridge.
However, over the last few episodes, eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed the flirty stares going on between Lizzie and the Beardsley twins (both of whom are portrayed by Paul Gorman).
Then, in Episode 7, Lizzie announced to Claire that she was pregnant and that she had no idea if the father was Josiah or Keziah.
She then had to explain to Claire just how she wound up sleeping with the both of them and declared that she didn’t want to choose either.
According to Metro, fans of Outlander were very impressed with Lizzie’s reverse harem situation, but Jamie had other ideas and promptly had the Beardsley’s draw straws. The short straw (Keziah) got to marry Lizzie in a handfasting performed by Jamie.
However, the trio was smarter than that, and Lizzie and Josiah went to Roger (Richard Rankin) and were handfasted as well.
So, did all of this happen in the Outlander books as well?
Here’s what happens to Lizzie and the twins in the books
According to A Breath of Snow and Ashes, which is the sixth book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, Lizzie really does end up in a relationship with the Beardsley twins.
However, there are a few more details that are missing from the TV series. Most notably, Lizzie’s father had been in contact with Jamie, and a betrothal was set up between Lizzie and Manfred McGillivray.
When Manfred does a runner and the betrothal is canceled because of this, the Beardsley twins are out for blood because how dare anyone do that to their Lizzie.
Things develop from there, and the trio ends up being an item and Lizzie falls pregnant just like it played out in the TV series except that her father, Joseph, was also present to be as equally scandalized as Jamie was. Then a son, Rodney, was born in 1775.
So, who does Lizzie end up with?
In the books, Lizzie is officially married to Keziah. However, the pair continue to join Josiah in their union.
This sort of relationship was very much frowned upon in the 1770s, so the group has to be discrete about what was going on when out in public. And this is reinforced by those around them insisting that they be careful.
However, in private, they can do as they please and Josiah ends up living with them anyway since having a sibling living in a married household is not as scandalous as polygamy.
In the books, Lizzie, Keziah, and Josiah end up having four children together.
So, if Starz follows the storyline from the books then Lizzie will really get her happily ever after.
Season 6 of Outlander currently airs every Sunday night on Starz.