Caitríona Balfe is preparing to say goodbye to Claire Fraser as Outlander approaches its final season.
The beloved time-travel drama, which first captivated audiences in 2014, will officially conclude with its eighth season, wrapping up over a decade of adventure, romance, and heartbreak.
Since its debut, Outlander has followed Claire Randall, a World War II nurse who is mysteriously transported from 1945 to 1743 Scotland, where she embarks on a life-altering journey.
Over the years, fans have watched her navigate love, war, and the perils of time itself. Now, as filming officially wrapped in September 2024, the countdown begins for the show’s grand finale, expected to air in late 2025 or early 2026.
The recently concluded seventh season, which aired in two parts, ended with shocking twists that set the stage for an explosive final chapter. The finale delivered emotional reunions, intense surgical drama, tragic losses, and a major cliffhanger tied to Claire and Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) past.
Reflecting on the final day of filming, Balfe admitted to The Standard that while there were plenty of tears, the true weight of saying goodbye may not hit until the last episodes air.
“There was definitely tears. There's a lot of tears. You know, it's funny, it's been five months now, and I think I've kind of, like, sort of said proper goodbye,” she shared.
“But you know when the final season airs, I'm sure there'll be a whole other layer of goodbye that has to happen.”
Even though filming has ended, Claire Fraser remains a part of Balfe. “I've played Claire for 11 years. She's not going away. She's in there. She's like a part of the DNA, and everyone that I've worked with are family now, so they don't go away either. So that's good. I think.”
To process the end of her Outlander journey, Balfe turned to an unconventional method.
“I went off and did like a very hippie retreat,” she revealed. “So that was my version of [memorializing the character]. It was very hippie.”
While Outlander fans brace themselves for the final chapter, Balfe is already moving on to new projects.
She will next appear alongside Oscar winner Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne in the spy-thriller The Amateur, hitting theaters on April 9.
On what drew her to the project, she said: “It's fun. It's really fun. You know, when I read the script, I was like, ‘Okay, this is a really smart take on this genre.’ I love Rami. We've known each other, sort of socially, slightly, for like, 10 years, and I always wanted to work with him. This was an amazing chance to do so.”
Balfe also praised Malek, who serves as a producer on the film, for his dedication and work ethic.
“He's brilliant,” she said. “And, you know, you see, like, the man can work. His workload is insane. He would shoot all day, and he was the one who was always in all the time.
“Then he would go home, watch the rushes from the day before, and come in with ideas. Him and James [Hawes, the director] would be talking about it, and it was just like—he's very on top of it, and he's really impressive.”
The Amateur hits cinemas in the UK and Ireland on Friday, April 11
