Ever since Outlander aired the season seven, part one, finale in August 2023, fans have been actively waiting for any news about its return. At the time we were only told that part two—consisting of eight episodes in the super-sized 16-episode seventh season—would air “sometime in 2024.” Well, now we know when that “sometime” is, but fans have mixed feelings on the news.
Outlander’s social media accounts shared on Thursday, March 21, 2024, that “Outlander officially returns this November,” and then on Saturday, June 1, 2024—World Outlander Day—Starz announced an official date: Friday, November 22, 2024 (the week before Thanksgiving).
It’s definitely exciting, but it also means it will be a full 15 months between parts one and two of season seven. (Season eight—which is the final season—is currently filming in Scotland and most likely won’t premiere until late 2025 or even early 2026). The eighth and final season will also consist of 10 episodes.)
So, yes, it’s good news, but it’s also quite the Droughtlander, especially for fans who anticipated a much earlier return. (To be fair, so did I).
However, to make these next six months (ok, more like five months and three weeks) a little easier, Starz has also given us the first teaser trailer, which is jam-packed, in typical Outlander fashion. Take a look:
In case you need a refresher, Claire (Caitríona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Young Ian (John Bell) have left the colonies and arrived in their beloved homeland: Scotland. The perils of the Revolutionary War have force them to choose between standing by those they love and fighting for the land they have made their new home. Meanwhile, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) have an equally challenging path ahead as they face new enemies across time periods.
In addition to the official premiere date and teaser trailer, Starz also announced that three new characters will join the final season (but again, not this upcoming one, just in case you’re confused). Kieran Bew (House of the Dragon) will play Captain Charles Cunningham, a retired British soldier in season eight, while Frances Tomelty (Catastrophe) will play his mother, Elspeth Cunningham. And Carla Woodcock (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) joins in the role of Amaranthus Grey, a new member of the Grey family.
We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
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Previous update: Outlander concludes the first half of its seventh season on Friday, August 11. And based on everything that happened in the penultimate episode, a lot is going to change in 1777 and 1980. The midseason finale, titled “Turning Points,” sees Jamie (Sam Heughan) fighting in the pivotal Second Battle of Saratoga; meanwhile, in the 20th century, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) search for Jemmy after he was kidnapped by Bree’s coworker Rob Cameron.
“The realization that Jem is missing and what Bree and Roger are going to do about it is going to come to a head,” executive producer Maril Davis tells Glamour. “They’re at a turning point as well as Jamie and Claire (Caitríona Balfe). Obviously, that’s the name of the episode.”
Speaking of Jamie, Davis says that his greatest fear is seeing William across enemy lines and the conflict he has between fighting for his daughter in the America she will know and not wanting to see his son across the barrel of a gun. “In this episode we’re going to potentially see that come to fruition,” Davis says.
But when we last saw Jamie, he was lying on the ground, unconscious. We know he can’t be dead, but just how serious his injuries are remains to be seen. “He’s going to make it, let’s put it that way,” Davis says with a laugh. “Listen, Claire can always stitch that guy together. He has nine lives. I think he’s going to be okay.”
Of course, things are far from okay in 1980, where Jem has gone missing, and Roger, Bree, and Buck surmise that he’s traveled back through the stones with Rob Cameron. Davis is tight-lipped about what’s in store but says you can expect more scenes and adventures between Roger and Buck.
“When we were approaching this season, we went to Graham McTavish and asked him if he could play this character again because he played it previously,” Davis says. “But Graham is so busy and just didn’t have the time even though he would’ve loved to. You always get nervous when you recast a role, but Diarmaid Murtagh has come in and taken this role in a place we didn’t expect. What we’ll see in the back half is kind of like a buddy drama between Roger and Buck that I love.”
Davis reveals that, going into the season, she was almost worried that Murtagh’s Buck was too lovable, but that’s far from her mind now. “There are some things, surely, you were questioning his motives,” she says. “But on the other hand, I, as a fan, am really pulling for him. I love that Roger had so much anger initially. But this is his kin; this is his family. So I love that between them, and we’ll see that unfold in the back half, that conflict between what Roger knows, what he can share with Buck, and what he can’t.”
And on that note, we can’t share much more without giving too many plot points away, so check back Friday for our Outlander recap as Davis answers your most pressing questions about the episode.
Original post (July 12, 2023): In the fourth episode of Outlander’s seventh season (titled “A Most Uncomfortable Woman”), Roger and Bree have officially purchased Lallybroch, Jemmy and Mandy are both out of diapers, and Bree has a new job. But back in 1776, Jamie is coerced into fighting for the colonies, meaning a trip back to Scotland is out of the question. Jamie realizes he must stay and fight for Claire, for Ian, for Bree, and for the wee ones. It doesn’t matter that he’s in his late 50s now. This is Jamie Fraser we’re talking about!
“This is Jamie Fraser, of course he is going to lead from the front,” Sam Heughan tells Glamour. “Look, he’s the man of action. Definitely. Maybe you’ll see when he does fight and it does take a toll on him, and certainly he can’t keep up the whole time. But it’s kind of good for me as well. He has a responsibility this season.”
Boy, does he ever. At the end of the episode, Jamie and Claire happen upon Fort Ticonderoga where they’ll take on the forces of King George III (soon to be known as the British), and the much-anticipated Revolutionary War will finally get underway.
In the fifth episode—titled “Singapore”—Outlander officially starts a new chapter in its history. To mark the moment, Glamour has an exclusive clip from the episode, featuring Jamie and Claire, in which Jamie shares his concerns about how to defend against the British and the lengths they’ll need to go to protect themselves and their homes. Take a look.
If you’re like me and you rely on subtitles to help you understand the accents on this show, here’s what Jamie said: “The British are running short of food, horses. If they dinna have enough supplies they won’t be able to surround us, wait for us to surrender. They need to take the fort by force. And I think I’ll put cannon up on Sugarloaf Hill. Fermoy is not particularly receptive to the concern of his subordinates. He’s a very proud man, insists they will not make it up there, but I ken how a Highlander thinks. If there’s a high ground to take, Simon Fraser will find a way. Fermoy has the general’s ear, so it’s Fermoy I must persuade. Wouldn’t be wise to go around him; could be very bad for my men. But he’s convinced an attack will come by land and not from across the water.”
Outlander airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT.
Original post: In March 2021—a full year before season six of Outlander premiered—Starz announced that it had picked up season seven from executive producer Ronald D. Moore and Sony Pictures Television. Since then we’ve returned to Fraser’s Ridge, and a lot has happened: Claire struggled with the aftermath of sexual assault, Bree and Roger embarked on a new future as their family grew, the Christies came to town, what really happened during young Ian’s last few years was revealed, Jamie came to terms with the upcoming revolution, and everything fell apart with Malva’s claim that Jamie had fathered her unborn child, which led to Claire wrongfully accused and arrested for Malva’s death.
Yeah, a lot happened. But the season—especially the finale, which aired on May 1, 2022 (gosh, doesn’t that seem like lifetimes ago?)—was one of the most breathtaking of the series.
Now, with season six over, fans are already looking ahead to a supersized season seven. It’s double the number of episodes from season six, which was truncated due to star Caitriona Balfe’s pregnancy and pandemic-related scheduling issues. And now, we finally know when it will premiere: Friday, June 16, 2023.
Also, as some fans have guessed, season seven will indeed be split into two parts, with the first eight episodes airing in June and the other eight airing sometime in 2024. (Starz hasn’t given any other details about those episodes). As for when you’ll be able to start watching on June 16, all of that information is listed below.
But first, we have the official trailer, released on May 11, 2023, and it’s pretty epic. Take a look:
The war that we knew was coming is finally here, and loyalties will be put to the test. Per Starz’s official description, “Season seven picks up from the harrowing events of the end of season six, with Jamie and Young Ian racing to rescue Claire before she’s tried and wrongfully convicted for the murder of Malva Christie. But their mission is complicated by the beginning of a geopolitical firestorm: The American Revolution has arrived. In the seventh season of Outlander, Jamie, Claire, and their family are caught in the violent birth pains of an emerging nation as armies march to war and British institutions crumble in the face of armed rebellion.
“The land the Frasers call home is changing—and they must change with it. In order to protect what they’ve built, the Frasers have to navigate the perils of the Revolutionary War. They learn that sometimes to defend what you love, you have to leave it behind. As the conflict draws them out of North Carolina and into the heart of this fight for independence, Jamie, Claire, Brianna, and Roger are faced with impossible decisions that have the potential to tear their family apart.”
Meanwhile, on June 1—World Outlander Day—Starz released the first two clips from the upcoming season. To celebrate with fans, Balfe and executive producer Maril Davis participated in a Women of Outlander panel at Austin’s annual ATX TV Festival, where the clips were revealed during a panel discussion. Take a look:
Starz has also released key art featuring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe.
Last month Starz also unveiled five new photos from season seven’s first eight episodes:
Did you notice that Claire is standing in front of her and Jamie’s home on Fraser’s Ridge? Her hair is also a bit longer, which means (as we kind of knew), she gets rescued. The question now is when and how does it happen?
Starz has been announcing several updates about the new season over the last few months, including the key art, teaser trailer, and the newest iteration of the Outlander opening title sequence. The series has adapted its iconic theme song, “The Skye Boat Song,” to each season, drawing inspiration from upcoming storylines (the American Revolution!) and locations. Per the press release, this season’s interpretation was crafted and performed by Grammy-winning artist Sinead O’Connor.
“We are honored to have Sinead O’Connor performing ‘The Skye Boat Song.’ Her rendition is, for me, a reminder of all that’s beautiful about Outlander. She is talented beyond measure. Hers is a voice of the ages—one which pierces heart and soul—and embodies the spirit of the show,” says Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner and executive producer.
Without further ado, take a look:
When will season 7 of Outlander air?
June 16, 2023, at midnight ET on the Starz app, all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms. If you prefer to watch on linear television (the old-fashioned way), then it will still premiere on June 16, just at 8 p.m. ET.
Also, since season seven is super-sized, it will be split into two installments of eight episodes each. The second part will air sometime in 2024, but a date hasn’t been announced yet. New episodes will stream on Fridays.
Here’s the official teaser trailer, which was first released earlier this year.
Chills, right? Meanwhile, here’s the key art for the new season, which asks, “When do you belong?”
Production on the new season began in late March 2022. The show’s official Instagram account announced the news on April 6. Matthew B. Roberts will return as showrunner.
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In late April, Caitriona Balfe told Glamour that filming on the new season has “been really good. We’re almost finished with the first block of episodes, but it’s been really fun.”
How many episodes are in season 7?
Much more than season six, that we know for sure. Starz’s PR office confirmed with Glamour that it will be a whopping 16 episodes. It’s the biggest since season one (also 16 episodes), but even that was split into two parts that aired over 2014 and 2015.
Which book is the new season based on?
Season seven will be based on the seventh (out of nine) book in the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone. In case you haven’t read the books—and the series does deviate a bit from them—I won’t reveal what happens, but you can read more about that here if you wish to do so.
What about new cast members?
Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin will all be back.
On October 11, 2022, Starz announced some big casting news: “Loyal fans will recognize Graham McTavish reprising his role as ‘Dougal MacKenzie,’ Jamie’s uncle whom he killed just before the battle of Culloden; Nell Hudson as ‘Laoghaire Fraser,’ Jamie’s ex-wife and Marsali’s mother; Steven Cree as ‘Old Ian Murray,’ Young Ian’s father and Jamie’s brother-in-law; Andrew Whipp as ‘Brian Fraser,’ Jamie’s father; Layla Burns as ‘Joan MacKimmie,’ Marsali’s sister and Jamie’s stepdaughter; and Lotte Verbeek as ‘Geillis Duncan,’ Claire’s former friend turned enemy and a fellow time traveler from the 1960s.
“Several new actors will be joining the cast for season seven, including Gloria Obianyo as ‘Mercy Woodcock,’ a free Black woman navigating the hardships of life in Colonial America; Rod Hallett as ‘Benedict Arnold,’ the notorious Revolutionary soldier turned traitor; Chris Fulton as ‘Rob Cameron,’ a new acquaintance of Roger and Brianna; Diarmaid Murtagh as ‘Buck MacKenzie,’ the illegitimate son of Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Duncan, and Roger’s ancestor, a role previously played by Graham McTavish in season five; and Kristin Atherton as ‘Jenny Murray,’ Jamie’s sister and Young Ian’s mother, a role originated by Laura Donnelly in seasons one through three.”
On May 5, Starz announced that Charles Vandervaart will star as Jamie Fraser’s son, William Ransom. He is the secret son of Jamie (though Jamie of course knows) and has been raised by his stepfather, Lord John Grey (David Berry), who last made an appearance in season six. William is the ninth Earl of Ellesmere; per the press release, he “will arrive in Wilmington full of patriotic zeal and enthusiasm to join the British Army and help put an end to the escalating tensions in the American Colonies. As fans may remember from season three, William is actually the biological son of Jamie Fraser, though he does not know the truth of his parentage. On the surface, William Ransom is a courteous aristocrat, but simmering under the surface is a Highlander’s fire.”
In a statement to the press, executive producer Maril Davis said, “The character of William Ransom is a wonderful role, and one fans have been eager to see. Finding someone with the talent and physicality to play Jamie’s son was a daunting task, but Charles’s charisma was evident during the audition process and we are excited to see what he will bring to William’s multilayered journey.”
On June 27, 2022, Starz announced that Izzy Meikle had been cast as Rachel Hunter, and Joey Phillips had been cast as Dr. Denzell Hunter for season seven. The siblings are Quakers whose quiet country life is changed when Young Ian arrives at their farm with a sick and injured William Ransom (Jamie’s son). Dr. Hunter has been trained in medicine in Boston and London, and as a firm believer in liberty, he is preparing to join the Revolutionary Army as a surgeon. According to Starz, Rachel is modest but shows flashes of a fiery spirit that attracts the admiration of both William and Young Ian.
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So what else will happen in season 7?
If that season six finale is any indication, we’re in for a lot. (This is Outlander—of course we are.) Claire has to get out of that jail cell first and foremost, and it would be helpful if Malva’s killer could come to light. It does in the books, but we don’t know how the show will address it. What we do know, per showrunner, executive producer, and writer Matthew B. Roberts, is that “Scotland will again be our production home as the Frasers and MacKenzies try to make a home against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War. Season seven promises more adventure, time travel, and emotional peril than any season before.”
Of course, what’s top of mind for any Outlander fan is the passion between Jamie and Claire, and frankly put, those intimate and important sex scenes. “We will get some,” EP Maril Davis tells Glamour. “There’s definitely intimacy in the first half with Jamie and Claire.” She also teases romance with other characters, including “a little bit of a love triangle,” most likely with William, Rachel, and Ian. “We’ve got some really intimate, lovely moments,” Davis promises.
Balfe also weighs in on what’s to come, telling Glamour that “Claire’s had to learn over the last season and a half how to communicate better with Jamie. Last season was a real sort of come-to-Jesus moment for her realizing that the way she’s been going on is not healthy and it doesn’t serve her well. Jamie was such a rock for her then and was so there and supportive that she’s realized that when things get tough, she has to communicate better. And that has deepened the relationship from her perspective hugely.”
Adds Heughan: “When they’re apart, Jamie realizes that he can’t live without Claire; that he absolutely needs her to survive. And I think that that makes them have a lot more to lose this season.”
But FYI, Davis says there’s a Ticonderoga scene that she knows fans will want to see but “we didn’t do for logistical reasons.” She goes on to explain that this season “is all about displacement and our characters being kind of kicked out of the place they thought they were going to stay.”
Anything else we’re leaving out?
Well, yes, but then we’d be telling you too much. So come back to this post next Friday and we’ll update everything that happened in the first episode and what you didn’t know behind the scenes.
Anytime you need a recap on what happened in the season six finale, check out our detailed summary here.
Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the New York Times best-selling book, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.
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