Richard Rankin as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie and and possibly baby Amanda

As with every repeated Droughtlander, and many of you turn these into Draughtlanders with Whiskey, wine, and tears,  during Seasons 1-5 weeks long marathons with friends. What you haven’t started yours yet? I just started up Series 1 for the hundredth time. Socially distanced gatherings which unless you are pods is done virtually with Zoom and the telly. At least some of the Outlander cons are making a slow comeback, see Outlander Events.

There will be book references, so spoilers alerts as always.

Speculation is rife as always, so here we will break down some possibilities, keeping in mind that Series 6 will be shortened to 8 episodes and pulling from A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and possibly the 7th book, An Echo in the Bone. The writers have been blending in and cut and pasting story lines into the series to speed up for television translation. The 7th season was announced as going into production in early 2022, which sadly means at an extended 16 episodes will fill out most of the year. Unless they do a split season like they did for season 1, don’t expect this extended season before 2023. 

So many of the key players have been seen on BTS pictures, however there has been report  by Matthew B. Roberts as showrunner and producer, that the Murray’s will not make it in this season. Both Laura Donnelley and Steven Cree have continued on in stage and series (The Nevers and A Discovery of Witches respectively), and with the shortened season, could not be added. However, they figure in the book storyline for An Echo in the Bone.

And, since Caitriona Balfe announced the birth of her baby boy this last week, it will take time with family before the actress can begin filming for the next season. It is not known at this point if she is producing on the season definitely yet.

So here is what the main points of books the next 2 books are and could possibly be moved around and edited to the television series writers whims:

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

The Dutch cabin family burnings already shown in season 5 New character Major MacDonald tried to recruit Jamie to form a Committee of Safety and warns of similar deaths. And recruits him as Indian Agent for the Crown, and accept more tennant coming from Scotland. The Browns announce they have formed a Committee of Safety, forcing Jamie to take on the role of Indian Agent out of mistrust of the browns after the attack and kidnapping of Claire. Roger is tasked with bringing the new Scottish Tenants residing near River Run, of which the Christies will prove to be the thorn in the Fraser’s sides. The storyline with Stephen Bonnet was extracted from this book for Season 5 The storyline with Claire and Marsali being attacked in the barley shed was changed to Claire’s surgery and extracted for Season 5. Marsali and Fergus have a fourth child, Henri-Christian, and his birth causes disruption and superstitions among the Scottish settlers. What doesn’t. Ian talks of the loss of his Indian wife and child. Jamie must decide if he will sell of the gemstones they have been saving for future time travel should Roger and Brianna to go back. Claire experiments with ether, changing time yet again. There will be a few operations. The Boston Massacre happens. Fergus and family remove from The Ridge, future in printing. Jocasta reveals more info on The Frenchman’s Gold. Roger ordains as a minister. The MacNeill family has a dire illness that spreads to the rest of The Ridge, Claire becomes very ill but believes that she has been poisoned. Jamie breaks with Lord John Grey over the growing colonial tensions and his being an Indian Agent. Richard Brown demands Claire be taken into custody for murder in Wilmington. Claire is asked to be a midwife to the new Governors wife. A rising occurs with colonists seeking the Governor. Brianna is kidnapped by Bonnet extracted and used in Season 5 The Jocasta and Ulysses flight to Canada to her relations there. The Frasers and MacKenzies remove to the cabin to see if the published house fire does really occur in 1776. Jamie joins the rebel’s cause. Brianna and Roger take their new daughter through the stones at Ocracoke as Claire finds she has a heart murmur and needs a heart surgeon.

An Echo in The Bone

Brianna and Roger with their children are living in Lallybroch in the 20th century, 1980. They receive a cache of letters from the past from Jamie and Claire, mentioning the Hoard of Gold. Jamie is now a high ranking officer in The Continental Army. William Bucchleigh travels through the stones and finds Brianna and Roger (Cameo for Graham McTavish fans) Jem is kidnapped. Roger goes back through the stones to locate Jem, but arrives too early in the year 1739. Meeting another time traveller or two. William Ransome serves in the Kings Army and ends up fighting in the American Revolution, eventually fighting in the battle of Saratoga. The Bugs go after the gold, and Ian intervenes. Jamie, Claire and Young Ian return to Scotland to retrieve his printing press. Press gangs and high seas travel bring the Fraser’s right into the heat of the battles for the Revolution. Confrontation between Laoghaire and Claire of course. Ian falls for a Quaker named Rachel. Reports come that the ship that Jamie and Jenny are traveling on is sunk, and in despair the fact that Claire is about to be arrested as a spy, Lord John Steps in to marry her. Jamie turns up alive at Lord John Grey’s house alive and quite incensed.

Which of the above mentioned storylines do you see being in this shortened season 6 and longer season 7? Will season 7 include events of the rest of the American Revolution that follows in 1778 with Written in My Own Heart’s Blood. The release of book 9 Go Tell The Bees That I am Gone comes in November 2021 and since it will be hard to press this series on for a 9th season, will we see events come to a conclusion after the War?

Gotta love the time travelling series.

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