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The end of Outlander “really won’t resemble” the book series

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The end of Outlander "really won't resemble" the book series

As a devoted Outlander fan who has followed this captivating saga since its inception, I must say that the impending conclusion of this epic journey fills me with both excitement and trepidation. The thought of saying goodbye to these characters that have become like family is heart-wrenching, but the anticipation of witnessing how it all unfolds on screen is equally enthralling.

We’re nearing the second part of the seventh season of the captivating time-traveling love story, Outlander, on Starz. Fresh episodes will be available starting from November 22nd. Following that, only one more season remains before the show concludes its run permanently.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but wonder: How will this epic tale unfold? While I had hoped Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” books might provide some answers, it seems my dreams are on hold for now. You see, the tenth and final book in her series, as yet untitled, hasn’t been published yet, and with Outlander season 8 set to premiere on Starz next year, I fear we may be left hanging a while longer.

Even though they might have had enough material for it, it would be impractical for the producers to include all of Book 10 within the last season, given that Book 7, “An Echo in the Bone,” marks the end of the story as per Gabaldon’s statements. This means that three books, including Book 10, will need to be adapted during the eighth and concluding season, leaving a significant amount of content to be omitted.

Gabaldon stated, “I can’t reveal too much about the show, but here’s what I can share: The final season won’t follow closely the ending of the book series. With only ten episodes this season (compared to sixteen in Season One), the showrunners have a challenging task ahead, as they need to incorporate material from three entire books into such a limited number of episodes. The seventh season concludes around the end of ‘A Echo in the Bone’, leaving ‘Written in My Own Heart’s Blood’, ‘Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone’, and Book Ten largely unexplored.”

Now, in normal circumstances–one book per season–they can fit roughly 10% of the book’s content into the show. How much of the (VERY roughly speaking) 1,200,000 words of those three books do you think they can get into ten hours of television?

It seems clear that the television adaptation of Outlander won’t feature many elements from the final part of the books. Author Diana Gabaldon explained that they will need to select key moments or storylines to film, and adapt them into a single season format with a coherent ending. On the other hand, since she is not bound by the constraints of space in her writing, Book Ten will include a great deal of content that won’t be included in the show.

Although they may have different conclusions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the series and the books won’t be equally captivating. In fact, author Gabaldon expresses her optimism, stating, “I hope you all will find pleasure in both of them!”

As the original series comes to an end, Starz is developing a prequel titled “Blood of My Blood” based on the Outlander saga, which may air prior to the final season. Fans will have this new series to look forward to while waiting for the tenth Outlander book, whose release date remains undetermined at this time. Given Diana Gabaldon’s typical publication timeline, it seems that we can expect the book a few years from now.

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2024-08-26 19:42

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