Outlander fans 'annoyed' by abrupt character death - but some argue it was for the best

*WARNING - This article contains major spoilers for Outlander .*

Outlander enthusiasts have been hitting up social media to heatedly discuss the death of one of the show's most notorious villains, Stephen Bonnet, who is played by Ed Speleers.

Ahead of season 7, part 2, set to release this Autumn, fans of the Starz series are all over the internet chatting about the event. The show, which catapulted Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser and Caitriona Balfe as Claire Fraser to fame, is adapted from Diana Gabaldon's novel series.

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Since its first episode aired in 2014, Outlander has acquainted its audience with a host of loathsome rogues, including Tobias Menzies' Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, reports the Daily Record .

Yet even amongst the gallery of villains, Bonnet stands out as particularly loathsome for many viewers.

A fervent head-to-head unfolded on Reddit when user @Radiant-Combination5 expressed their discontent with how Bonnets story was concluded, writing: "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."

Fans have been buzzing in the comments, with one adding: "Agree! ! But I do like to think she was just practicing her shooting skills [wink emoji]."

There's plenty of debate among fans over the actions of Brianna Randall Fraser - played by Sophie Skelton - with some arguing it gave her closure.

One fan opined, "I saw it as her wanting to take him out herself in the end," while another shared, "She got to kill him with her own hand. Closure."

Others believe Brianna's actions were necessary to confirm the villain's demise, with a comment noting: "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."

Echoing that sentiment, another said: "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."

A third chimed in, saying: "I feel like she just wanted to make sure he was dead this time; he'd already escaped the jail blowing up."

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