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Outlander — news, coverage & facts — IJR

Season 1 (2014–2015)

The 16-episode first season of the television series is based on the first novel in the series, Outlander, and was released as two half-seasons, with the first part being aired from August to September 2014 and the second part from April to May 2015.

In 1945, Claire Randall, who had formerly served as a nurse in the British Army during the Second World War, and her husband Frank are visiting Inverness, Scotland, when she is carried back in time to 1743 by the stone circle at Craigh na Dun (in what is now Tay Forest Park). She falls in with a group of rebel Highlanders from Clan MacKenzie (a fictionalization of the real Clan MacKenzie), who are being pursued by government troops led by Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. Randall turns out to be Frank's ancestor. The Jacobite rebels are led by Dougal Mackenzie, war chief of the Clan, and include his sister's son, Jamie Fraser, and Jamie's godfather Murtagh Fraser. Jamie is wanted by the authorities.

Clan MacKenzie suspect Claire of being a government spy, but retain her as a healer, which prevents her from attempting to return to her own time. Knowing that the Jacobite cause is doomed to fail, she tries to warn the Highlanders against rebellion. Black Jack Randall suspects Claire of being a Scottish spy; he tortures her and plans to drag her to England for trial. Directed by Dougal, Claire marries Jamie Fraser, purely so she can receive the protection of his Clan, but Claire and Jamie quickly fall in love. This earns Claire the hatred of a Mackenzie woman named Laoghaire, who has a crush on Jamie. Claire befriends a healer named Geillis, who later turns out to be another time-traveller from the 20th century. Jamie is captured, tortured, and raped by the sadistic Randall, but Claire and his clansmen rescue him. The jealous Laogharie denounces Claire and Geillis as witches. Geillis is sentenced to burn, but she and Clan Mackenzie's lawyer collude to save Claire. Claire tells Jamie that she is pregnant as they set sail for the Kingdom of France.

Season 5 (2020)

The fifth season of 12 episodes, based on The Fiery Cross and the beginning of A Breath of Snow and Ashes, aired from February to May 2020.

Jamie and Claire fight to retain their home at Fraser's Ridge as the American Revolutionary War looms on the horizon. Brianna and Roger marry and Governor William Tryon further pushes Jamie to hunt down Murtagh, forcing Jamie to gather up a militia and counteract the Regulators. He struggles to balance keeping his godfather safe and fulfilling his duties to the Crown, especially under the eye of Lieutenant Knox, who is determined to find and kill Murtagh. Despite Murtagh's pleas for Jocasta to return his love for her, she moves forward with her fourth marriage, choosing the safety and security of her plantation's future over his idealism. Jamie's loyalties are pushed to the breaking point at the Battle of Alamance, when Roger's attempt to warn Murtagh fails and Murtagh is shot dead. Roger is captured and mistakenly hanged by Tryon's soldiers; he survives, but is left traumatized by the experience. Jamie is left devastated in the months following the battle.

Meanwhile, Roger and Brianna's relationship is put to the test as there are signs of Stephen Bonnet's reappearance, forcing Brianna to take matters into her own hands when she is captured by him. Eventually, Brianna and Roger decide to go back through the stones when they realize Jemmy can too, as the future will be much safer for their son. Their attempt fails and the two, taking this as a sign of fate, decide to stay at Fraser's Ridge, along with their large family. Young Ian returns from his time with the Mohawk and learns the truth about Claire, Brianna, and Roger's origins when he confronts them with information passed to him by the Mohawk. Claire continues to subvert conventional medical practices by producing penicillin and covertly providing medical advice under a pseudonym, but her subversive advice backfires on her. Claire is abducted and gang raped by Lionel Brown and his men, but is subsequently rescued by Jamie, Fergus, Roger, and the other men of the Ridge. A wounded Lionel is taken alive back to the Ridge, but Marsali kills him with poison in revenge for his assault on Claire. Though Jamie returns Lionel's body to Richard, Lionel's brother and mayor of Brownsville, Richard subtly threatens Fraser's Ridge and Jamie's family.

Development

In July 2012, it was reported that Sony Pictures Television had secured the rights to Gabaldon's Outlander series, with Moore attached to develop the project and Jim Kohlberg (Story Mining and Supply Co) producing. Sony completed the deal with Starz in November 2012, and Moore hired a writing team in April 2013. That June, Starz picked up the Outlander project for a sixteen-episode order, and in August it was announced that John Dahl would direct the first two episodes. Starz CEO Chris Albrecht later said that he had green-lit several genre projects, including Outlander, to shift the network's series development toward "audiences that were being underserved" to "drive a real fervent fan base that then becomes the kind of advocacy group for the shows themselves".

Calling it "a different kind of show than has ever been on, in my memory", Albrecht believed that Outlander's combination of fantasy, action, a strong central romance, and a feminist focus would set it apart. Another distinguishing feature of the show is its use of Scottish Gaelic. Àdhamh Ó Broin is the language consultant and Griogair Labhruidh sang in Gaelic on the second season's soundtrack.

On August 15, 2014, after only the pilot episode had aired, the network renewed the series for a second season of at least thirteen episodes, based on the second book in Gabaldon's series, Dragonfly in Amber. On June 1, 2016, Starz renewed the series for a third and fourth season, which adapt the third and fourth Outlander novels, Voyager and Drums of Autumn.

On May 9, 2018, Starz renewed the series for a fifth and sixth season, which adapt The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes, respectively and each season to consist of twelve episodes. Balfe and Heughan became producers on the show beginning with Season 5 to have more input and influence over production.

On March 14, 2021, the series was renewed for a seventh season, originally to consist of 12 episodes and adapt the seventh novel, An Echo in the Bone. On June 1, 2021, Starz announced the sixth season would premiere in early 2022 with a shortened eight-episode season, while the seventh season would consist of 16 episodes, which ended up incorporating A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, the eighth novel Written in My Own Heart's Blood and elements of the ninth novel Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. On November 22, 2021, Gabaldon announced that the sixth season would premiere on March 6, 2022.

In January 2023, the series was renewed for an eighth and final season to consist of 10 episodes, with one key reason being the cast's desire to move on to other projects. According to reports in August of the year, filming was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. A start date had been set, but Balfe said there had been no confirmation as to when work would actually commence. The writer's strike is "... obviously a big thing that's going on at the moment Stateside and that may change things. But you know, it's too early to start speculating about that". There was some discussion as to how the series will conclude; Gabaldon was writing the final book but that was not expected to be ready in time for the conclusion to also be used for the series. Executive producer Maril Davis made this comment: "I think about it a lot, I think we're going to do a great job and I have complete confidence in the writers, but we'll see what happens. I'm really confident we'll figure out a way to end it for ourselves". Davis added that they did plan to discuss the proposed ending with the author before finalizing the scripts. In November 2024, Davis and Gabaldon said the final season would mainly cover the ninth novel and "little pieces" of the unpublished tenth novel.

Around the time of the release of the second half the seventh season in November 2024 and subsequently, both Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan suggested they would be open to returning to their roles in the future for a continuation of the series, such as an adaptation of the not yet released tenth novel.

Writing

Moore said of the pilot: There's a lot of things we did in the first thirty to forty minutes that aren't in the book or are compilations of things that happened in the book.

Moore emphasised that he did not want to present the time-travel dimension in a traditional special effects-laden science fiction manner.

Describing the adaptation of the first season as "straightforward", Moore explained: It was always kind of clear what the basic structure was: Claire's trying to get home, then she meets this guy, now she's falling in love, now she has a conflict, will she go home. You lay it out in a very linear fashion.

Moore addressed the darker tone of the season's second half, emphasizing that "the show becomes more complicated and the emotional journey more wrenching".

Regarding the second season and the source novel Dragonfly in Amber, Moore said:

The book is a more complicated structure in terms of how Diana [Gabaldon] wrote it ... So it was not as easy an adaptation as the first season was ... Book 2 is just a more complex book. It's laid out very differently, as a result it took more wrangling to try to figure out how to translate this particular story into our season. There were more complications, there were more characters ... It was a bigger task. The thing that gives me the most comfort is that Diana likes it a lot. She had said, 'Oh, I really liked the way you did it. It was a difficult plot, I know, but I think you really found the essence of it. You really found the through line that really defines what this part of the journey is.' ... It's not going to be a literal adaptation because I don't think that's possible with the second book ... But I think it's very much the same story, the major characters are all represented, the major scenes are all represented, and it still gets you to all the same places you want to go.

Gabaldon was employed as consultant to the TV production.

In June 2015, Gabaldon commented on the adaptation of the first season: I think they did condense it very effectively ... I ended up getting most of the things that I felt strongly about in there. There were only a few instances where the most important stuff in my opinion didn't get in.

In March 2015, Gabaldon said of the scripts for season two: The Parisian stuff is very good and in fact I'm deeply impressed by the outlines I've seen ... I think they've done a wonderful job of pulling out the most important plot elements and arranging them in a convincing way.

Gabaldon wrote the screenplay for the episode "Vengeance is Mine".

According to Moore, the writing and pre-production for season four began while season three was still in active production. Gabaldon wrote an episode for the fifth season.

Casting

On July 9, 2013, it was announced that Sam Heughan had been cast as Jamie Fraser, the male lead. Tobias Menzies was the second actor cast, on August 8, in dual roles of Frank and Jonathan Randall. Stephen Walters and Annette Badland were announced in the recurring roles of Angus Mhor and Mrs. Fitzgibbons on August 29, 2013, with Graham McTavish and Gary Lewis announced as the MacKenzie brothers on the September 4. Series female lead Claire Beauchamp Randall would be portrayed by Caitríona Balfe as announced on September 11, 2013. The series later added Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan and Laura Donnelly as Jamie's sister Jenny in October 2013.

In December 2013, Simon Callow was cast in the supporting role of Duke of Sandringham, and Entertainment Weekly reported in April 2014 that Steven Cree would portray Ian Murray. Bill Paterson was cast as lawyer Ned Gowan in June 2014. Author Gabaldon has a cameo as Iona MacTavish in the August 2014 episode "The Gathering". In August 2014 it was announced that Frazer Hines had been cast in the role of a prison warden in an episode to air in 2015. From 1966 to 1969, Hines had portrayed the Doctor Who character Jamie McCrimmon, who Gabaldon said had inspired the setting of the Outlander series and the character of Jamie Fraser. Hines plays Sir Fletcher Gordon, an English prison warden, in the May 2015 episode "Wentworth Prison".

In June 2015, the series cast Andrew Gower as the Jacobite pretender Prince Charles Edward Stuart; Robert Cavanah as Jamie's Scottish cousin Jared, a wine merchant and Jacobite living in Paris; Margaux Châtelier as Annalise de Marillac, Jamie's French ex-lover; and Laurence Dobiesz as Alex Randall, Black Jack's younger–and gentler–brother. Other cast added for season 2 include Romann Berrux as the French pickpocket Fergus, Rosie Day as the baronet's daughter Mary Hawkins, Stanley Weber as Le Comte St. Germain, Dominique Pinon as healer Master Raymond, Marc Duret as French Minister of Finance Joseph Duverney, Frances de la Tour as Mother Hildegarde, and Audrey Brisson as Sister Angelique. In July 2015, Lionel Lingelser was cast as King Louis XV. Moore revealed in June 2015 that Verbeek would be returning in the role of Geillis. Richard Rankin was cast as Roger Wakefield in December 2015, while Sophie Skelton was chosen to portray Brianna Randall, Claire and Jamie's daughter, in January 2016.

In August 2016, Starz announced that David Berry had been cast as Lord John William Grey for season three. In September, Wil Johnson was cast as Joe Abernathy and John Bell as "Young Ian" Fraser Murray. In October, César Domboy was cast as an adult Fergus and Lauren Lyle as Laoghaire's daughter Marsali MacKimmie. Hannah James and Tanya Reynolds were cast as sisters Geneva and Isobel Dunsany in November 2016.

In October 2017, two season four roles were announced. Maria Doyle Kennedy was cast as Jamie's aunt, Jocasta and Ed Speleers as Stephen Bonnet, an Irish pirate and smuggler. The casting of Colin McFarlane as Jocasta's slave butler Ulysses was announced in January 2018. The Cherokee and Mohawk people in seasons four and five were portrayed by members of First Nations from Canada who traveled to Scotland for the filming.

In May 2020, Berry announced that he would not be returning to Outlander for the sixth season. Nevertheless, he made a guest appearance in one episode in season six.

In May 2022, it was announced that Canadian actor Charles Vandervaart had been cast to play William Ransom, Jamie's son who was raised by Lord John Grey since season three. In October 2022, it was confirmed that Graham McTavish, Nell Hudson, Steven Cree and Lotte Verbeek would reprise their roles in the seventh season.

Filming

In July 2013, British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne confirmed that the production would benefit from the Creative Sector Tax Relief programme implemented in the UK in 2012, which extends film tax reliefs to high-end television productions. The Scottish government also agreed to help pay for the conversion of a warehouse complex in Wardpark Industrial Estate, near Cumbernauld, into a film studio. Principal photography began on location in Scotland in September 2013. The Cumbernauld studios were used for on set filming, with location shoots taking place at Doune Castle, Stirling; mills in East Linton, East Lothian; Newtonmore in the Scottish Highlands; Rothiemurchus Forest, Aviemore; quarries near Bathgate, West Lothian and Aberfoyle, Stirling, as well as Linlithgow Palace, Loch Rannoch in the Highlands and Falkland and Culross in Fife. Such settings have attracted substantial numbers of international tourists.

Filming for season two began in April 2015, to air in spring 2016. The primary setting for the season is Paris, which Moore explained is being recreated using other locations. Some interiors were filmed on the show's Scotland soundstages, while Prague was used for the exterior street scenes and the Palace of Versailles. In addition some palaces in the south of England which have French rooms and architecture were used as Parisian interiors and part of Versailles. Moore noted that season two of Outlander "will look completely different than season one" with a "richer, more dynamic kind of visual palette". With the change of setting from Scotland to France, he said that "visually you've moved from the heavy woods and stone of season 1 into the finery of the Parisian apartments". He explained:

Everything about Paris is so completely different, especially the costumes ... It's the most stylish city in the world during this time. A lot more money. A lot of finery. Scotland is featuring a lot of heavy wools and more organic colors. In Paris everyone wants to be a peacock. You've got a much wider palette of textiles and colors and styles than you did in Scotland. It's a completely different world. And that kind of goes across the board for all the departments ... There were really no sets or pieces of sets that we could use for Paris that we'd used for Scotland ... There are carriages, there are servants with livery, there are props and furniture. It's completely different. It's a whole new show.

Production on season three began in September 2016 in Scotland and filming took place in Cape Town from March to June 2017. Filming completed on June 16, 2017.

In August 2017, Moore said that for season four, locations in Scotland would double as 18th-century America and some of the mountains and rivers of North Carolina would be recreated using locations in Eastern Europe. Production for season four was completed in Scotland by July 5, 2018.

Production on season five, set primarily in North Carolina, began in Scotland in April 2019. Locations included Kinloch Rannoch (for Craigh na Dun), the Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church in Paisley,

The Hermitage, Dunkeld in Perthshire and Milne Woods in Bridge of Allan. Much of the filming was completed at Wardpark Studios.

Production on season six was scheduled to begin in May 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production eventually began in February 2021.

Production for season seven began in April 2022, while filming began in May 2022 in Scotland.

Production for the eighth and final season began in March 2024 and ended on September 27, 2024.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the average rating of the overall series is 91%, while on Metacritic the average rating is 76 out of 100.

The first season received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, it has a rating of 73 out of 100, based on 34 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 92% rating based on 263 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "Outlander is a unique, satisfying adaptation of its source material, brought to life by lush scenery and potent chemistry between its leads".

The Huffington Post called the first episode "... A masterpiece of impressive depth ... It is amazing!" Entertainment Weekly gave the premiere an "A−" rating, writing that it was "sexy and smart and stirring". Matt Zoller Seitz of New York magazine also praised the series, calling it "defiantly its own thing: part romance-novel fantasy, part time-travel story and part wartime drama (set across two time periods)". Sonia Saraiya of The A.V. Club gave the first six episodes an A, writing that it "does for 1743 Scotland what Downton Abbey does for 1912 England" and adding that "Outlander succeeds admirably ... it refuses to sit comfortably in any genre."

British reception was more mixed. Alastair McKay of The Evening Standard quoted Saraiya's comparison with Downton Abbey, adding "[The comparison] is entirely correct. It is magical-mystical heuchter-teuchter cobblers." Euan Ferguson of The Observer called it "gorgeous drivel" and Thomas Batten of The Guardian stated "If you love the scenery, shifting allegiances and palace intrigue of [Game of Thrones], but find yourself wishing the pace were a little slower and that the sex scenes were filmed in a more pretentious manner with lots of slow pans and softer lighting, here's your show." Graeme Virtue noted "the rather languid pace of the opening episodes", but praised the show's "rare acknowledgment of the female gaze" in its treatment of sex scenes. The Daily Telegraph also made the Game of Thrones comparison, while The Independent stated "...yes, it's a time-travelling, wish-fulfilment fantasy, but it's done with such flair and attention to detail that it's impossible not to hop on board for the ride."

The second season received from Metacritic a score of 85 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it reports a 92% rating based on 234 reviews. The website consensus reads: "Outlander returns for a second addictive season of mystery and sweeping romance as Claire and Jamie take on Paris." Based on five episodes for review, Marah Eakin of The A.V. Club gave it a perfect "A" grade and wrote, "It's not just well-written and lovely to look at. It's downright immersive. ... Outlander feels important–even moreso in its second season."

The third season has a Metacritic score of 87 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Rotten Tomatoes reports a 90% rating based on 195 reviews. The website consensus reads: "Outlander's epic love story returns with the same strong storytelling and an added layer of maturity." Based on six episodes for review, Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave it an "A"-grade review and wrote, "This is a show that's grown and matured since its initial premiere in ways that defied our initial expectations."

The fourth season received mostly positive reviews. It has a Metacritic score of 71 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reports an 88% rating based on 170 reviews. The website consensus reads: "Outlander's epic romance settles into a violent fourth season, planting its flag on the American frontier while treading on darker themes."

The fifth season also received mostly positive reviews. It has a Metacritic score of 73 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reports an 86% rating based on 142 reviews. The website consensus reads: "Outlander's romantic ardor doesn't burn as bright in this fifth season, but the Frasers remain an enthralling pair as they try to forge a home together."

The sixth season has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews.

The seventh season has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews. On Metacritic, it has received a score of 75 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

The eighth season has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews. On Metacritic, it has received a score of 80 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.