The connection between Roger and Claire  

By Beth Wesson 

Roger and Bree. They are not Jamie and Claire and yet... What a beautiful couple. We know that Bree definitely inherited her father's appearance and some of his personality traits. Claire often comments that she recognizes the look of a Fraser on the verge of an explosion on Bree's face. Roger was absolutely stunned when he saw Jamie Fraser for the first time. Bree's resemblance to her father was more than obvious. It must have been a bit strange to be married to the female version of this man.

From the beginning, I saw a connection between Roger and Claire. Roger seemed to be able to "read" Claire. He noticed subtle body language and facial cues. He heard something in his voice that belied his expressed feelings. He recognized "who" she was as a person. He seemed to understand her. Similarly, she seemed to recognize a soulmate in Roger. Roger is the first to believe her story of time travel and Jamie, her husband Highlander.

Maybe he understands her because he looks a lot like her. They both grew up orphaned and were raised by eccentric single men. Like Claire, he doesn't seem to care about possessions or power. They seem to focus on the really important things in life. They are both honourable and loyal people. Claire is a kind woman who takes care of the people around her. Roger is a kind man who takes care of the people around him. He is strong when he needs to and doesn't worry about trivial things, just like Claire. They both live their lives without artifice. They both seem to have the ability to see the truth in the depths of things. In fact, in one of the later scenes, Claire comments that she knows very few real people. She names Roger as one of them.

Those who know me know that, in my opinion, my two children have married versions of their mother. I see my ability to deal with their father in the way my children's spouses deal with their version of my husband. Seriously, I even wonder if I was there sometimes! Very powerful genes on this side of the family. It kind of makes sense, if their dad was attracted to me and they REALLY look like him a lot, then they could be attracted to someone with similar personality traits. Maybe Bree was attracted to Roger for the same reasons.

Several times we read that Roger was watching the interaction between Claire and Jamie. He seems to be fascinated by their relationship and I've often wondered if it's because of Bree's resemblance to her father. Maybe he was watching to see how we manage with a Fraser! Bree is a woman with strong skills, personality and will. She is a modern woman who knows she can take care of herself. I'm pretty sure she would have bothered most men or scared them. But not Roger. I always admired him because he knew she wasn't going to be easy and he loves that side of her. He was ready to take on the challenge of a woman who knows she is your equal and he wouldn't want it to be any other way. Roger is as all men should be.

Like Claire, Roger is overly principled and probably could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he had been a little less honorable, but he is honorable and, like Claire, honest with himself. He appropriates his thoughts and feelings. His goodness is profound and he is not afraid to make difficult choices. Bree, like her father, knows she's found that thing we're all hoping for, someone who loves us as much as we love her. What we see in the couple is a passionate and mutually committed relationship... Roger and his Bree as Jamie and his Claire.