Preparing For the End of ‘Outlander’

After ten years, it’s almost over for Outlander. A decade ago, a ghostly Scotsman in a tam o’shanter gazed up at a beautiful woman in a window. Since then, soulmates Jamie and Claire have moved from the Battle of Culloden, then spent two decades apart, reunited only to sail to Jamaica, then to the American colonies on the eve of Revolution, and then back to Scotland again. The second half of season 7 airs on November 22, and the mood is ominous. Roger and Bree’s son grandson has been kidnapped in 1960’s Scotland. Back in the 18^th century, Jamie, Claire, and not-so-young Ian head back to Lallybroch.

On Thursday, the Outlander cast, author Diana Gabaldon, and producer Maril Davis sat for an interview at New York Comic Con. Season 8 has finished filming, and those final ten episodes will air in 2025. As usual, the group interacted like family. Richard Rankin mentioned that they had all gone to see Taylor Swift in Edinburgh. John Hunter Bell wore a Hunter kilt, and Sophie Skelton delightedly told him that that was her grandmother’s clan.

So what else happens when you get a chance to meet the cast of a beloved show? If you’re me, you prattle on about New Jersey pizza to a bemused Sam Heughan. And when an exceptionally gracious and elegant Catriona Balfe compliments your dress, you tell her you got it on eBay. Here’s what else I learned: Heughan is a massive Lego fan. John Hunter Bell is hilarious in real life, and his fantasy would be to play Young Ian as an ’80s punk on what he charmingly calls a motorbike. Diana Gabaldon loves battle scenes. Rankin got up to hijinks he won’t discuss at the Taylor Swift concert.

What was it like finishing the series? “I think honestly there’s a bittersweetness of us even being here this week,” Heughan said. “I realize even being here is probably our penultimate Comic Con together and it’ll feel very different next time. And will that happen again? Will I get on another show or another movie that has that cycle?”

What has Claire meant to Balfe? “I think I’ve definitely gotten better at standing up for myself and maybe not being so scared to speak up about things. Whether that’s an age thing, but I like to think that it’s Claire and playing this role has sort of given that to me.”

Bell’s favorite memories focus on his experiences filming with the Mohawk. “To be able to portray that story was like a dream as an actor. To be able to learn from people in the Mohawk Nation about their culture was so, so cool.” He did manage to swipe his tomahawk from the props department.

What does the rest of season 7 promise? A long-awaited return to Lallybroch, and meeting up with family. I predict Jenny will make an appearance, and perhaps we’ll get a glimpse of the wicked Laoghaire McKenzie Fraser. No spoilers, but Lord John will have a shocking role as well. As producer Maril Davis put it, “We’re going to have something with Claire and Lord John that I think some fans might not like. But I feel like it was kind of essential and was a focal point of this second season.”

As for Jamie’s ghost gazing up at Claire – are we going to end with that in Season 8? Both Davis and Gabaldon told me, “You’ll have to wait and see.”