As the stars of ‘Outlander’ embark on the final season, even they don’t know how it ends

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Diana Gabaldon, the author of the “Outlander” series, has always been aware that readers pictured their own actors as the main characters, especially the handsome, tall, red-haired Scottish Highlander. She remembers fans suggesting everything from a German actor who always appeared greasy to a race car driver who was quite short! She soon realized it was best to stay out of the casting debate.

She explained that people kept pressing her about who she envisioned playing the character Jamie. She’d always respond with ‘Nobody’ because whenever she tentatively suggested an actor, she was met with strong online disapproval and criticism that would last for days. She also felt the entire discussion was futile, as she doubted Hollywood would be interested in adapting such a lengthy, 300,000-word book in the first place.

Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis, who frequently work together through their production company, Tall Ship Productions, did get involved. This meant Diana Gabaldon had to revisit the casting process, reviewing audition tapes and realizing appearances can be deceiving – especially when it comes to actors. She learned not to base her judgment on photos, as Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe didn’t initially look like the characters of Jamie and Claire, but they perfectly became those characters, and that’s what truly mattered. Ultimately, they were the right choices.

In 2014, a TV series began telling the dramatic story of Claire Randall, a British nurse who unexpectedly travels back in time to 1743 Scotland. There, she marries Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior, and they fall deeply in love. Their relationship lasts for decades, surviving difficult partings, war, and the challenges of time travel itself. After ten years, the Starz series is beginning its final season this Friday.

The show’s ending won’t follow the books exactly. While the final season draws from the eighth and ninth books in the series (the author is currently writing a tenth), the showrunner and writers had to create a unique conclusion for television. To ensure they honored the popular couple, they actually wrote and filmed four different possible endings.

Diana was involved from the very beginning – she reviewed all the material and stayed informed about everything happening with the project,” Roberts explained. “I shared all the planned endings with her, and she gave me some insight into the potential direction of the stories, not the final outcomes, but just where the books were heading. I wanted to make sure we could include some of her ideas in the endings we wrote.

Is a happy ending inevitable? Throughout his work on “Outlander,” Roberts frequently looked to the relationship between Lucy and Ricky Ricardo from “I Love Lucy” as inspiration.

He explains that viewers never doubted Lucy and her partner would stay together, no matter the challenges they faced. Similarly, with Jamie and Claire, the writers believed their love was unbreakable, regardless of the obstacles or disagreements. The key to the story’s success, he says, was remaining true to that enduring connection, which the audience also felt.

Before the last season begins, The Times interviewed Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan about their experience creating the historical romance and what it took to finish the series.

Television

This week’s Screen Gab features an interview with the creator of ‘Outlander’ about the future of the show and its time-travel elements, as well as some streaming recommendations.

Thinking about the Season 8 premiere got me reminiscing! There’s a sweet moment where Claire and Jamie look back at how their story began, and it made me wonder… I remember when I first discovered this series, and I’m curious about what my initial reaction was. What about you? Do you remember how you first came across it and what you thought when you started watching?

I only had a brief description of the story – a logline, really. It said a nurse travels back to Scotland and then back in time 200 years, where she meets a Highlander. That, and one other line, was all I was given.

I didn’t think the project would succeed at first. I discovered it was based on a series of books, and I believe we both read them, right?

I actually finished reading the book in just four days before the audition. You were already chosen for the role by then. I was living in Los Angeles at the time, taking small roles in movies, and honestly, I was having a hard time financially. I’d even planned a trip to India and already sent my passport to the embassy, but then I found out I might need to travel to London for this audition instead.

Sam Heughan was feeling discouraged. He’d tried and failed to land any roles during pilot season and had returned to London, working as a bartender. At 34, he was starting to doubt if he could afford to continue pursuing acting, as he wasn’t earning enough to support himself and wasn’t enjoying the struggle.

Balfe: You were 33, by the way.

Yeah, I was younger then. Then this project came along, and honestly, when I read the summary and the script, I immediately felt like I understood the character. He just seemed very familiar to me.

I was really at a low point back then. After a string of unsuccessful auditions in pilot season, I’d come back to London and was working behind a bar. Honestly, I was starting to wonder if I could even afford to keep chasing this dream – I was 34, and it felt like maybe it was time to consider giving up. It was a tough time, but I kept going.

Can you talk about the choice to end the show and the stories of these characters? Do you feel like now is the appropriate time to wrap things up?

By Season 7, we were nearing the end of our contract, and the writers believed the story had enough material for eight seasons – a natural conclusion. However, we didn’t find out about this until we were well into Season 7, having already finished almost all the scripts. It wasn’t clear how the show would end, and there was pressure to decide quickly whether to wrap things up in just two episodes or ask for another season to give the story a proper ending. A lot of jobs and livelihoods depended on the show, and we felt it deserved the time to conclude thoughtfully.

We gave the decision a lot of consideration. While we were open to new projects, we felt like the story wasn’t quite finished and wouldn’t be satisfying for either us or the audience. We wanted to return and provide a proper conclusion.

The last season of the show centers on Claire and Jamie as they navigate the challenges of the Revolutionary War, which has now directly impacted their lives. What drew you to this concluding part of their journey?

As a critic, I’ve been following Sam Heughan’s portrayal of Jamie Fraser closely, and he’s told me Jamie’s internal struggle this season is driven by the knowledge of his own mortality. But despite that looming threat, the core of their relationship – fighting to stay together and protect their loved ones – remains. What’s different this time around is that the obstacles aren’t coming from external forces, but from within their own community, creating a whole new level of complexity and challenge.

Balfe explained that the Revolutionary War had been looming over them for a long time, and now the moment of truth had arrived.

Heughan: [Laughs] Instead of saying “War is coming,” it’s “War is here.’

This property has a very active and dedicated fanbase. While that can be great – leading to lots of exciting engagement and creativity – it can also become problematic when things turn negative. What was it like learning to play this well-loved couple and dealing with the reactions of the fans?

Balfe: It was a bit of a baptism of fire.

Heughan: We were both quite green when we were thrust into it and engaged wholeheartedly.

Things were different back then. Twitter and Instagram felt much more positive and lighthearted when they first came out. I had more free time – though we were always filming something – and I really enjoyed connecting with fans through quick Q&A sessions. It was a lovely, personal connection. But things changed, and fan ‘shipping’ became really intense, especially when I got married. It started affecting the people around me, and I realized I needed to step back because it wasn’t healthy for anyone involved.

It’s a bit odd, but the show has really captured people’s imaginations. While most fans are amazing, a small number can be overly intrusive. I guess that means we’ve done a good job! It’s not just about the characters Jamie and Claire; people want to know about the actors themselves and their families too. Honestly, it’s not always easy being an actor in today’s world – we’re constantly expected to share more of our personal lives with fans, and it’s something we’ve had to get used to.

I believe there are periods in life when you’re more receptive and open, and others when you need to protect yourself a bit more. The fans have been incredibly positive and supportive of everything we’ve done, and that’s what I’m choosing to focus on.

Television

After just a few minutes with Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, it’s clear why they were chosen to play the main romantic characters, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, in the new Starz series “Outlander,” which begins Saturday.

While ‘Outlander’ isn’t solely a love story, the romantic elements are central to its appeal. You’ve been involved with this series for over ten years. What insights have you gained about what makes romance work in storytelling, and what do fans look for in these kinds of narratives?

Honestly, I didn’t really realize how much people wanted stories like this one until I started working on it. It feels like this kind of storytelling was often overlooked or not given the attention it deserved. It’s sometimes seen as less important than other genres, which always struck me as odd. To me, it’s a fantastic way to explore what really matters – things like love, family, and the connections we all crave. It really lets you focus on the beauty of the human experience.

Heughan: And comfort. It’s comforting. This show proves that there’s a real appetite.

There are so many TV shows available now, like “Heated Rivalry” and “Bridgerton.” Perhaps it’s because of the progress women have made in the last fifty years. It seems women are now demanding shows that reflect their experiences – as sexual beings, mothers, powerful figures, professionals, and complete individuals. Our show really tried to do that.

Caitríona Balfe notes that there are a lot more shows featuring romance now, like ‘Heated Rivalry’ and ‘Bridgerton.’ She feels these shows are finally giving viewers what they want – stories that acknowledge them as complex individuals with desires, families, careers, and full lives. Balfe believes her show also did a good job of portraying those multifaceted experiences.

Have you taken stock of just how much Claire and Jamie have gone through as a couple?

Balfe: How many near-death experiences?

Heughan: Yeah, how many times they’ve nearly died or been attacked or assaulted.

Balfe: How many people they’ve killed. Claire, she’s like a serial killer.

As a huge fan, I’ve been thinking a lot about Jamie and Claire, especially knowing this is the final season. I’m curious – if they were going to reach a breaking point where one of them would say ‘enough is enough’ and need to move on, where do you think that would have happened? Now that the show’s ending, there are no spoilers to worry about, so I’m really interested in hearing what others think!

Balfe: I don’t know if Caitriona would have gone back 200 years in time.

Honestly, watching her work on his shoulder really got to me – you could tell it hurt! They both keep getting into sticky situations, and I’m not gonna lie, I had my doubts about how far they’d even get after the first episode. It was a rough start, to say the least.

Balfe: See! I would have gone to Season 3.

Heughan explained that his character thinks he’s permanently sent her away when she goes through the stones, believing it’s ‘done’ and she’s gone for good. However, she repeatedly returns, which he finds frustrating – he thought he’d finally gotten rid of her!

Awards

Diana Gabaldon, the writer behind the bestselling “Outlander” novels, has been steadily adding to her experience working on the Starz television series adapted from her books.

Caitriona, this season you directed an episode for the first time – Episode 2, specifically. Can you tell us about what that was like?

Working on this season was an absolute blast! I was so fortunate to get Episode 2, which gave me a head start with preparation. Having Jan Matthys, the director of Episode 1, as a mentor was incredible – I learned so much from him. It was amazing to collaborate with everyone in a completely fresh way, and I felt completely energized. The first ten weeks felt like being a newbie all over again – constantly learning, making quick decisions, and even acting in some scenes! It was a whirlwind, but honestly, it was brilliant.

Heughan: You were also probably happy to take the corset off.

Balfe said being able to wear comfortable, waterproof clothing and pants, and actually being able to use the restroom while wearing them, was a huge relief.

This wasn’t the simplest episode to film. Each day brought a new challenge, most notably the bear attack scene. We originally planned for a live cougar to be used three days before filming that scene, but a cougar attacks differently than a bear. I had to scrap my entire shooting plan and start over, which was actually a good experience.

Series finales are always difficult, especially with so much fan reaction online. It’s impossible to satisfy everyone. But what was the original idea you had for how “Outlander” would end?

I didn’t have a clear sense of the overall story arc this season. I wouldn’t have wanted Matt’s position, because finishing the season felt like a huge responsibility. It was an unusual season because we usually get a preview of what’s going to happen, but this time we went in with no information. We were basically discovering the plot as we received the scripts. And honestly, we still don’t know how it all ends. We’ve seen some footage, but we don’t know how he’s going to put it all together in the final edit.

I had a strong feeling about how a particular part of the project would turn out. I discussed it with some of the other executive producers, and we all generally agreed. That might be one of the things people will be surprised by when they finally see it, but we don’t know when that will be.

Television

Sam Heughan, known for his role in the Starz series “Outlander,” shared his thoughts on the surprising ending to the show’s fifth season in a recent episode of “Can’t Stop Watching.”

Multiple endings were filmed.

Balfe: There was a few different things filmed.

It’s difficult to predict what will succeed – everything seems to be moving in one general way. But it’s unclear exactly what that way is…

Would you call it a happy ending?

Heughan: I don’t know. It was such a secret on the call sheets and stuff.

Balfe: There was different versions of scripts that went out.

Heughan: There were fake people put in. There was a reduced crew.

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2026-03-06 14:35