It’s been more than a year since historical drama Outlander season 7 took a mid-season break, but it resumes this week with the remaining eight episodes.
When we last saw 18th-century Scottish soldier Jamie (Sam Heughan) and his 20th-century-born wife Claire (Caitriona Balfe), they had left the American Revolutionary War behind them to travel back to Scotland and return Jamie’s late uncle Simon (Angus Macfadyen) to homeland soil after he died in battle.
Jamie’s nephew Young Ian (John Bell) has also made the journey with them, so when they return to their ancestral home Lallybroch, he’s reunited with his mum Jenny (Kristin Atherton) and dad Ian (Steven Cree).
But back in America, trouble looms because he’s left behind love interest Rachel Hunter (Izzy Meikle Small), to look after his dog Rollo, while his enemy Arch Bug (Hugh Ross) is out for revenge after Young Ian accidentally killed his wife Murdina (Sarah Collier).
Meanwhile, as Jamie and Claire settle back into life in Scotland, it’s not long before the couple’s marriage is put to the test…
Elsewhere, in the 1980s, Jamie and Claire’s daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) has been left wondering if she will ever see her husband and child again after Roger (Richard Rankin) traveled back to the 18th century where their son Jemmy has been taken by Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton), who reckons the youngster holds the key to giving him the family gold.
"There’s a lot of drama," says Sam. "There are going to be a lot of shocking moments for the fans and a few goodbyes to certain characters and we might see some returning ones, too!"
We caught up with Sam and Caitriona to talk about the new episodes of Outlander…
Where do we find Jamie and Claire when the season resumes?
CAITRIONA: "We find our characters back in Scotland at the beginning of this part of the season. There’s a homecoming reunion, but events will perhaps separate our heroes and as we know with Outlander, anytime there’s a separation things don’t also go so well."
SAM: "For Jamie, coming back to Scotland is a huge part of his heritage and to return to his ancestral home means so much to him. To see his family, his extended family."
Can you give us a few hints about what to expect in the new episodes?
CAITRIONA: "I definitely feel we see Claire behave in ways we haven’t seen before. As always, circumstances test our characters and push them to do things that we aren’t expecting. I think this season is no different, especially in this second half. And I think that’s a great thing. It’s nice to be challenged and surprised by your characters."
SAM: "I think Jamie is more fragile in some ways. He has more to lose. He’s more aware of what his life would be like if he lost Claire. And this season in particular, he reacts in some ways that are surprising. Without giving away the ending of this season, there’s a lot that puts us to the test."
Do you have a particularly memorable scene or moment from this part of season 7?
CAITRIONA: "For me, episode 11 was probably the most impactful emotionally on Claire. You know I think it’s sort of one of the darkest points of her life she’s been in for quite a few seasons. It was challenging material. They were quite tough days at work."
You have played Jamie and Claire since Outlander began in 2014. What’s it like to play the same character for so many years. Does it get easier?
CAITRIONA: "I think in the beginning you’re trying to create an interior world for your characters. You’re trying to create a backstory, fill in all the gaps for yourself by trying to imagine what they have been and what they have done, but over the years you’re living their life, you’re living their memories, so you don’t have to fill in all that stuff anymore because it’s within you. One of the great things about this show is you might think you know your character and their life, but it’s always throwing us these curveballs and surprises. It’s been so amazing to live this character’s life but still be surprised by what happens to her."
SAM: "As actors we were here multiple series ago and now our characters are reminiscing about the things we filmed. I guess it’s a gift of playing a character for a long time, their memories become your memories."
This is the penultimate season of Outlander and you have already filmed the eighth and final series. How does it feel now that it’s come to an end?
CAITRIONA: "It’s been a quarter of our lives. Eleven years, eight seasons, 101 episodes. It’s been quite the journey and wrapping it up was very emotional. It felt like a huge achievement and so there was a lot of crying and gratitude for what we had done. It was bittersweet because we were sad about it, but excited for the future and what we do next."
SAM: "Series seven, part two is one of my favorite parts of the season and after this comes out, we have another season on the way. So despite it being over for us, it’s not over for the fans yet as they have more to look forward to. Not only our show but also our spin-off show, Blood of my Blood, which I think the fans are really going to enjoy."
Is it going to be difficult to let go of these characters after 11 years?
CAITRIONA: "I don’t think it’s hit us yet because we are still doing press and there’s a whole other season to be shown. It’s going to be very strange to wake up in a few months and not go back to this show that’s always been there for us. It will take some time for the reality of it all to hit us."
What has been the most challenging aspect of filming the series?
SAM: "It’s all consuming and has taken over our lives. I don’t want to sound ungrateful for that but it has been a gruelling experience. It’s so intense. There’s so much going on, whether it’s rehearsals or just shooting. For me, it’s the daily challenge. It does grind you down. I think that’s probably why it feels right to be ending now. We’ve put our hearts and souls into this show, but I don’t know if it’s sustainable. I don’t know if I could do another 11 years!"
CAITRIONA: "You do end up having to sacrifice time with your family or your friends. I have a young family, so one of the things I’m looking forward to is seeing more of my son and getting to spend a little more time as his mum. If you’re leaving home at 5.30am and not getting home until 7.30pm or 8.00pm, Monday to Friday, that’s a lot of time away."
Before we sign off, is there anything else you would like the fans to know?
SAM: "There’s a lot of drama this season. Honestly, I think this is an incredible second half. There’s going to be a lot of shocking moments for the fans and a lot of goodbyes to certain characters and we might see some returning ones, too. There’s plenty to look forward to!"
The second half of Outlander season 7 premieres Friday, November 23, on MGM Plus in the UK and Starz in the US.
