Outlander fans fiercely defend couple's romance amid split opinions

*Warning - This article contains spoilers for the Outlander television series and book series.*

enthusiasts are torn over one of the series' on-screen romances, with some fans calling it "boring" while others leap to its defence, claiming the pair "fit together well".

As anticipation builds for Outlander's return this Autumn with the second part of season 7 set to air on , devotees have flocked to Reddit to dissect the controversial relationship.

The love story in contention involves Ian Murray (played by John Bell), the youngest offspring of Ian and Jenny Murray, and Rachel Murray (portrayed by Izzy Meikle-Small). A certain @Fancy_Discussion_950 took their opinions to , expressing: "Unpopular opinion? This is about Ian and Rachel."

Delving into the narrative, the user shared: "I have been reading the books and I love them. The fact they are so different but yet connected so well is so heartwarming for me."

The fan then referenced wider fan sentiment, adding: "But I found many post in tumblr where people were saying that Rachel is a meh character and their romance is such a desespere move to put lan with someone.

"Also many people believe that lan is still in love with Emily. For the record I am not into the outlander fandom that much but I'm curious are they popular?" they asked. (sic)

The comment sections lit up as viewers debated the merits and pitfalls of Ian and Rachel's narrative arc.

Critiques and alternative perspectives surfaced, with one viewer commenting: "Rachel is boring. The plain speech always feels prim and better than you when I hear it or read it. Sad Ian and Emily parted ways.

"Emily seems way more fun. I can't figure out why Ian or Dottie fall for these Quakers when the latter are so much more vivacious and interesting characters."

One staunch defender of the pairing exclaimed: "I love them together. I haven't read the books only seen the show but I ship them."

Another supporter chimed in, adding: "I don't know if they are popular, but I like them. I don't think there was enough buildup in the book, the show actually does that better. I don't think Ian is still in love with Emily anymore either."

A third advocate penned: "I like Rachel and Ian together. They're very different people, but they fit together well."

"Rachel is amazing and perfect for Ian," declared another fan fervently, while another confessed: "personally i really like Rachel, and I really like Rachel for Ian. shes a badass, and sticks to her faith, even when its not personally convenient for her to do so. im not a religious person, but i can respect that." (sic)

The wildly successful Outlander television series, which debuted in 2014, took the world by storm, bringing Diana Gabaldon's beloved book saga to life on the screen.

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+.