In less than two weeks, your favorite time traveling, historical drama is back. That’s right, Outlander returns with part 1 of a two-part season. Starting on Friday, June 16, 2023, Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe), Jamie Fraser (Caitríona Balfe), Brianna (SophieSkelton), and Roger (Richard Rankin) and the we-ans return with the American Revolution boiling up. What a time to be alive.
(Spoilers) New Faces – The Hunters and the Secret Son
Brother and sister Quakers, who were put out at meeting, Denzell (Joey Phillips) and Rachel Hunter (Izzy Meikle-Small), make their debut this season. Claire gains a doctor friend in young Denzell, one that sees her as an equal, a surgeon for the rebel army. His sister Rachel, and her “plainspeak” charm, not to mention the pure beauty of her soul, will knock the breeks off both Young Ian (John Bell) and the young Earl of Ransome (Charles Vandervaart), Jamie’s son, who has now grown and taken his comission in the army. What is Jamie to do when he cannot acknowledge publically his son, and fears that he may meet him across a battle field.
Sometimes the knowledge of history is a benefit, and sometimes not. Not to be left behind in drama in any way, Brianna and Roger welcome another child. With all the dangers of child birth in the 18th century, and a war brewing. They will face many trials, as the realities of having one child they know can travel back through the stones is one hope. A new child that is an unknown traveller raises several other questions. After all, the 1970s seems a much safer place than Revolutionary America does. Or is it? Stay tuned as the MacKenzie’s face religion, war, and time travel together.
Claire Steps In It, Again
Claire and Jamie are in a constant situation of rescuing each other. How many times will it happen this season? Not enough for big fans of the duo. As of last season, we left Claire in the gaol, accused of the murder of Alva Christie. With the mystery of why Thom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) was so adamant that he assure Claire’s safety, will we get the burning question answered? Who did kill Malva Christie? Of course not to forget that Jamie had been split from her by the dastardly Brown’s, only to be rescued by Young Ian and Chief Bird (Glen Gould). Will they be able to save Claire?
Frazer’s Ridge goes through another alliance shift, as the reality of the Crown v. The Colonies hits home. Some favor the crown and their allgiance is strong, others question their treatment under The Crown. It will divide Fraser’s Ridge, as residents pick sides.
Returning and New Cast This Season
That wicked pair Dougal Mackenzie (Graham McTavish) and Gellis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) return in flashbacks. And not to forgotten, the curse of Laoghaire MacKenzie (Nell Hudson), hapless daughter Joan (Layla Burns), and Ian Murray (Steven Cree), with a recast Jenny (Kristin Atherton), and Brian Fraser (Andrew Whipp). New characters include Mercy Woodcock (Gloria Obiyano), Buck MacKenzie (Diarmaid Murtagh), and Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton). And our famous blast from the past, Benedict Arnold (Rob Hallett).
And of course wee Adso, not so wee anymore.
Outlander Season 7 Part 1 Episode Titles
701 A Life Well Lost, Friday, June 16, 2023 on Starz® at 9PM ET.
But first, let’s catch up on a whole lotta Outlander goings on! It’s been just about two weeks since NYCC 2022, when Diana Gabaldon appeared with some of the characters from her book series: Jamie, Murtagh, and Lord John. David Berry, Duncan Lacroix, and Sam Heughan all participated in panels and were quite cheeky. It was bad enough when Duncan and David hit the streets of NYC last year, secretly writing their names in Gabaldon’s books at NYC bookshops. Now ad Sam Heughan into the mix. I am sure that NYC is just recovering.
Please thank and like themusicsweetly for taking this great panel taping. Season 8, Murtagh’s Ghost may make an appearance? I did mention spoilers, right?
Season 7 First Half Completed
As we have mentioned here before, filming started in Scotland in the spring of this year. As was promised after a short Season 6 due to Covid filming restrictions, Season 7 will be an extended season. And some extreme but familiar themes, meaning that yes, Claire found herself in jail for the murder of Malva Christie. Our here always manages to get into it somehow. Let’s catch up with the changes and familiar faces returning to this show.
As was rumored, Laura Donnelly will not be returning as Jamie’s sister Jenny (Janet), and has been recast with Kristin Atherton, we’ll see how that works. Rumour had been going around that Donnelley would not return. With her great performances on stage and in other series, as an actor, she felt it was time to move on. Luckily Steven Cree is back as old Ian Murray.
Other ghosts from the past, or characters that we had hoped were definitely done and gone: Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) returns in a flashback, and so does Dugal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish), and horrors, Laoghaire Fraser (Nell Hudson)! More trauma this season, and plenty of ghosts from the past.
New Cast Members
Well, we can say one thing, Lord Elsmere (Jaimie Vandervaart), or Jamie’s Illegitimate son who doesn’t know his parentage at this point, will now show up as a commissioned officer. Jamie will now have the real possibility of being on opposite sides with his own child in the brewing war. Not to mention the real possibility of Brianna (Sophie Skelton), who knows she has a half-brother, meeting him for the first time.
Denzell (Joey Phillips) and Rachael Hunter (Izzy Meikle-Small), a pair of siblings who are Friends (Quakers) were put out of a meeting. More religious dealings to keep Outlander interesting. Denzell is a doctor and works with the rebels for the cause. Just to color things up a bit, Benedict Arnold turns up played by Rod Hallett. Let’s see how much history will get changed on that one since Claire, Brianna, and Roger all know that fate.
Speaking of which, and book spoilers here, Brianna and Roger return to the twentieth century for real this time, family in tow. The MacKenzies befriend a questionable person in the guise of Rob Cameron after setting up a new home. Luckily they receive a box of two century-old letters from Claire and Jamie that catch up to them. Here they learn that they leave North Carolina in flight, and have epic dealings with privateers and ocean battles.
So while this season may be a long time coming, and possibly be split into two parts like the extended first season, you can rest assured there will be plenty of American revolution to go around. Let’s hope the Browns get their comeuppance. And how will they deal with Laoghaire, that bad penny that just won’t go away?
And take a grand tour of the big house, as many of us know the fate of the said house and that mysterious newspaper article about Fraser’s parishing in a fire.
A war is forming around Fraser’s Ridge, a slow-burn build-up to a revolution that Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Brianna (Sophie Skelton), Roger (Richard Rankin), and now Jamie (Sam Heughan) know is coming. But many of The Ridge have experienced conflict in their own country of Scotland, and suspicions and superstitions always are inflamed prior to a conflict. So begins episode 606 “The World Turned Upside Down”, with Roger Mac giving a sermon in which he tries to use the bible to illustrate how people should not allow fear and superstitions to cloud their good judgment. Of course, we know that this will be ignored for the most part, as especially the fisher-folk are very superstitious and look to Tom Christie as their leader.
After the sermon, Roger remarks ” Has anyone seen the MacNeill’s lately?” It’s not like them to miss a Sunday service. Claire remarks that she and Brianna can look in on them to see if a health issue is keeping them away. Brianna remarks that it shouldn’t be a problem getting Malva to come, she rarely leaves Claire’s side. Claire admits to missing Marsali as her assistant and hopes that her and Fergus’ new life in New Bern as printers is working out for them. Jamie is remorseful for not seeing the solution sooner, Fergus needed to provide for his family.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Lizzie, Claire, Brianna, and Malva arrive at the MacNeill’s cabin and see the yard in disarray. There are Corbies on the roof and as Lizzie remarks, ” There’s something dead nearby.” helpful as always, there is a stench of death on the wind. Claire whips her troops into action, barking out orders as they enter the fetid cabin and open all the windows to get the light in. They discover several children, Mr. and Mrs. MacNeill are all ill. Mr. MacNeill tells Claire it’s the Bloody Flux. Malva takes the baby out of the crib and tries to revive the baby (hint: very un- characteristic for her since she is never really seen with any of the children on the settlement), Claire orders the boiling of water. Mrs. MacNeill dies after Malva cries out that the baby is dead.
Later, Claire shows Malva an amoeba under the microscope that is the culprit. She is determined to find the source and how it got into the water supply for the cabin. Malva is all too eager to assist. Over the course of the next few weeks, there are many cases on The Ridge, and during a burial service, Claire, Jamie, Brianna, and Roger, who is comforting the families. Claire becomes weak and faints in Jamie’s arms.
Storm Clouds, My Heart, and a Snake
Claire falls very ill with all family members, and Malva never leaves her side, even refusing to go home when it is late and her brother comes to fetch her. In Claire’s delirium she sees Malva and Jamie together, in intimacy, visions of stormclouds, the amoeba under the microscope, holding her beating heart in her hand, and a snake (Eastern Kingsnake). We can guess much of the meaning. She finally awakens to Roger sitting by her and discovers that Malva and Mrs. Bug have cut her hair off, claiming it would help with the fever.
Claire recovers slowly, and after discussing her symptoms with Jamie, tells him that her illness was not the same amoebic dysentery that struck The Ridge. She learns that Tom Christie is still ill, and when no one is around, Claire sneaks off to check on her patient. Tom is shocked she is out of bed, and she sarcastically mentions that he should approve of her shorn head. They discuss their symptoms of severe headache, delirium, and disturbing dreams. Claire and Tom discuss how could they have gotten sick when neither has seen each other for weeks. Claire suspects poisoning, but who and how?
The She-Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
The Christies arrive in a wagon, full speed and anger. They arrive at the big house and Claire and Jamie meet with them. It is announced by Tom that Malva is with child. Allan tries to attack Jamie unsuccessfully and has just been awaiting his revenge for being publicly humiliated by Jamie in front of The Committee of Safety. Please keep that in mind. Malva puts on a fine performance as the innocent woman trying to comfort and care for a distraught Jamie, that she and Jamie had lain together more than a dozen times, and keeps imploring Jamie to admit to it. While Jamie knows that she has been seen with several men, as he had warned her to be careful of, he denies it is his child. Tom demands support for Malva.
Claire is furious, and while she doesn’t believe any of it, she is betrayed after taking Malva under her wing. She slaps Malva and stocks to the stables. Jamie finds her there and asks if she could possibly believe this. Claire admits that she doesn’t think it happened, but the rage and fear that has built up, and her recurring fears and hauntings by Lionel Brown’s ghost, bring to a head her feelings. She sacrificed everything to come back in time to find him. Brianna, Roger, and young Jemmy, shouldn’t be there.
Despite the rumors and accusations on Fraser’s Ridge over the next weeks, Jamie and Roger the historian, are off to the Continental Congress. It’s a historic event that Roger in his geekiness must see and hear, and Jamie hopes to become a part of The Sons of Liberty.
The Hand That Feeds
Claire walks unsteadily to the Christies to try to reason with Malva and find the true father of her child. She has already had Young Ian admit to having Malva once, and offer to marry her if it would take the heat off of uncle Jamie. Claire implores Malva, who she has taken under her wing and teaching her, to admit the truth about the baby. Malva seems on the verge of admitting what is going on when Allan rushes out of the cabin. Allan accuses Claire of being a witch. Malva then turns on Claire as well.
Cherry Bounce
Jamie and Roger return and Jamie tells Claire that the Provincial Congress did not pick him as a delegate to go to Philadelphia, it appears the rumors of his begetting Malva with a child even reached the Provincial Congress. Jamie is disappointed to not be part of the Continental Congress meeting.
After Claire has another ghostly encounter with Lionel, who haunts her surgery regularly, Claire sees Malva heading for the surgery through the window and grabs the leather ether mask. She retreats to hide with ether taking away the pain and frustration. In her groggy state, Malva confronts her and says how she is going to take away everything that belongs to Claire, especially Jamie. She threatens to kill Malva. When she wakes again, she is disturbed and staggering. She decides to go out for fresh air and goes to her garden to weed and gather. She comes to her senses and knows that something isn’t right. She looks past her garden, standing, then finds Malva with her throat cut lying just outside of the garden. Going into Claire the surgeon mode, she tries to remove the child that is near to term to rescue it. Alas, Claire finds herself cradling another dead child. We’ve been here before with Claire, and know where it leads.
Remember, the person who accuses the most, has to most to gain by the destruction of the other. Who really is the father of Malva’s baby? The rumors fly in the next episode.
The BTS on the accusation scene gives insight into betrayal and where all the characters and actors are coming from.
Thoughts on:
Malva and Mrs. Bug are co-conspirators in cutting off Claire’s hair. Why you may ask? Simply both women see Claire as being better than they are, one who covets her property, skills, and Jamie. The other, spoiler’s here, has another beef to settle with Jamie. Claire’s glory, and Jamie’s, was her curly hair, and cutting that hair was symbolic in taking Claire’s power away, think Biblical again, as she was also held suspicious for her medical practices.
Alas, it’s a two-week mini Droughtlander. Rumors abound on Fraser’s Ridge. Who killed Malva? The Committee of Safety come back, and guess who for? Catch Episode 607, Sticks and Stones on Starz® Sunday, April 24
The Fraser’s School the Christie’s and their flock on the realities of the life on the Ridge. Cabins before churches are built, or the people will not survive the winter. Just goes to show you what damage Zealots can do from the get-go. Join us tonight as Jamie and Roger try to educate the newcomers that you can’t worship or serve your lord if you are not able to survive to do so. Religion will be a big force of conflict, just goes to show what our founding fathers pointed out at the beginning of this nation. Tolerance is best.
And just how hard is it going to be, not to think of all that wasted tea? And yes who’s side are you on, Roger. The answer is, the wining side, hopefully.
Roger (Richard Rankin) has traveled through time, to pursue Brianna ( Sophie Skelton). They have had a rocky season 4 and 5 together. They first arrived in the New World and their future selves had to be repressed and hidden to not be branded witch, as hopefully they learned from Claire experiences about what a little future can do to ruin your day.
So, what are Roger and Brianna to do with their university educations and the hard reality of colonial existance hitting them every day? It’s a dangerous world for them and young Jemmy. They tried to go back to the future in season 5, and ended up right where they were, the home they had adopted. Did they flunk “Return to Your Time 101?” Or will they be learning a lot more about time travel this season? Hint: You have to have a good anchor to project yourself in time travel.
You will see that Brianna’s mind is not getting occupied enough as she dabbles with a little modern convenience science, a little chemistry this season. And Roger will start becoming more spiritual, or guiding of people on the ridge. And if they are following the book, another Mackenzie may be on the way?
So how do two people who really know about the history of the colonies and how the future war, or wars will go, deal with this knowledge? Could the world really change if they changed something. Jamie and Claire tried to and failed miserably. But what could happen if you did change the world somehow with future knowledge?
Stay tuned, it’s just a few more sleeps and Ourtander Season 6 will be here March 6, on Starz® and Starz® app.
It’s almost over, the longest Droughtlander ever. You are barely surviving, hanging by threads. Binge watching past seasons with pals. Well here’s more for you to think about, as you have probably done a thousand times in the last year plus. So a few spoilers may be ahead for you if you haven’t read the book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.
Claire
Claire (Caitriona Balfe) was and still will be in a fragile state this season. After being kidnapped and raped by the Brown’s her recovery after the men of Fraser’s Ridge rescued her bruised and bleeding. She will spend the time of Season 6 trying to repair her mental state, as well as dealing with the knowledge of war to come.
In a recent teaser, we see that Major MacDonald brings forces to the Ridge and that Claire and Jamie see a newspaper article about the Boston Tea Party. With the Boston Massacre happening in 1770, Claire, Roger, and Briana know this means that small skemishes aside, this leads down the path to the American Revolution.
She must deal with the fact that she knows the hsitory of the Revolution, having lived ina a future Boston. She fears for Brianna(Sophie Skelton), Jemmy, and Roger(Richard Rankin). They would not be here in these war torn times if she had not left the safety of the future to be with the man she loved, Jamie.
More changes come to the ridge, and Claire finds she must rely on additional help in her administrations of the Ridge’s population with illness and wounds. She begins training a young Malva Christie (Newcomer Jessica Reynolds) to help with nursing, and when a severe illness plagues the ridge, she may lose all she has.
And as always, her skills as a healer bring the curse of witchcraft upon her, and there will be a murder.
Jamie
Jamie (Sam Heughan) has the responsibilities of being a Laird piling on him. As part of the requirements of the land grant for Fraser’s Ridge, Jamie must encourage more people to come settle The Ridge. More men from Ardsmuir prison join the community, and with them Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones), a past thorn in Jamie’s side at Ardsmuir Prison. Determined to unite the Ridge under all religious and community beliefs, Jamie inlists Tom and Roger to find even more settlers for the Ridge.
While this is going on, he has an uneasy alliance with Major MacDonald form. Why he’s a countryman, he is in the employ of the King, and as a half-pay soldier he must go around and do odd jobs for the government, as well as try to find other employment along the way. This could be dangerous for The Ridge. One of them is trying to convince Jamie to become an Indian Agent for The Crown. When Jamie is confronted with the Browns again, who have formed a Committee of Safety, Jamie knows what that will mean. It’s another form of the Scottish Watch, men with a loose protection racket who exact a price. After the Brawns threats after Claire’s abduction, Jamie decides being an Indian Agent will gain him allies with the Indians and get him reports of an more lootings and burnings.
Jamie receives a visit from his friend Lord John Grey (David Berry), asking Claire to assist his servant, a former Brittish Soldier named Bobby Higgins with the branded M on his cheek. The are going on to Lord John’s Estate and have come from Boston. But is it really Jamie he has come to see, and a game of chess? Lord John gives his view on the Boston Massacre and begins to set a rift between himself and Jamie.
This season, while shortened, will have Jamie making decisions on who to trust, who side to appear to be on to keep the land grants, and how to protect The Ridge and his own extended clan, and his new Indian allies.
Roger and Brianna make a home on Fraser’s Ridge after the failed attempt to go back to the future in Season 5. Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton discuss their character’s growth in the previous season, and the challenges that people from the future face living in the past.
We continue our journey celebrating 8 years casting anniversary for Caitriona Balfe, remembering Claire’s development in Season 2 of Outlander.
After our second Droughtlander, yes I count the Droughtlander between Season 101 and 102 as a Droughtlander, we meet Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser in her know-it-all time traveller phase, where she boldly believes she can change the course of history. SEason 2 is based on Diana Gabaldon’s book, Dragonfly in Amber.Not thinking of the consequences to any around her, Claire steps in it the minute she is off ship in L’Havre harbor, France, she obsesses about preventing the Jacobites demise at the Battle of Culloden. The mistakes of the young hold true as Claire endeavors to explore the darker side of love and betrayal.
Roaming the backroads near Inverness, Claire stumbled back though the stones into her own time in the 20th Century. She is forced to reconcile with Frank and Frank agrees to help her to raise the child she is carrying as their child. There must be no more talk of Jamie Fraser. We see a grieving, angry side of Claire.
Back in the past, Claire wraps up Jamie with her new found cause of stopping the Jacobite rebellion and the demise of over 2000 clansmen. This means embedding themselves with the Jacobite cause in Paris, alienating Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) by dragging him into their dangerous game of intrigue, and keeping him in the dark about the reason behind it all.
Making a new and dangerous enemy, the Compte St. Germain (Stanley Weber), by diagnosing the sick men taken off of the Compte’s merchant ship as having plague. The ship must be burned and the Comte threatens revenge on Claire.
Claire and Jamie set up as wine merchants while Jamie’s cousin Jared sails to the Indies, but not before he set’s Jamie up to meet Prince Charles Stuart (Andrew Gower), the man they must stop from leading the Clansmen into a dangerous war they cannot win. Having the wine house, means they can invite political and court members to dinner. A great way to find news of rebellion. Claire begins a campaign embroiling herself, Jamie and Murtagh further into deceits.
Claire meets Maitre Raymond (Dominique Pinon), a small, quick-witted Parisian, at his apothecary and trades medical knowledge with him, and learns that he too is considered a rival of the Compte.
After securing an invite to Versailles and wearing That Red Dress and Shoes, Claire, Jamie and Murtagh bump into the ever annoying Duke of Sandringham (Simon Callow) and Claire learns that Captain Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) is not dead.
Claire plots with Murtagh to not tell Jamie of BJR being above ground, as Jamie is still reeling with the dark trauma of their last meeting. Jamie takes on political machinations that further his dark side. Claire loses Jamie further as he seeks retribution.
Claire starts using her healing skills, volunteering at L’Hopital des Anges. Claire also earns and uses the moniker of Madame Blanche, a white witch. Claire gains an adopted son, Claudel, who is renamed Fergus. She befriends Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day), whom she later remembers is the woman who will mary BJR and starts the lineage that becomes Frank Randall. She then begins another conflict with Jamie. If BJR doesn’t marry Mary, there is no Frank. Finally, Claire is beginning to see how altering history makes for a very tangled web.
Claire finally reveals to Jamie that BJR is alive, and Jamie comes out of his dark place, a new mission to extinguish the Captain. When they meet at Versailles, the 18th Century’s most awkward moment is endured.
Claire falls out with Jamie over a plot to stop a wine deal that the Prince is hoping to raise funds for rebellion, beginning to drive a wedge between the two. Claire loses her baby after Jamie enters into a duel.
After Claire fights for her life, she must fight for Jamie’s again, as his dueling angers the king. He is thrown into prison, again. She makes a great sacrifice to bargain for his freedom. After reconciliation the pair tempt fate and return to Scotland. They return to Lallybroch and family.
Back in Scotland Claire returns to Lallybroch, meets Jamie’s terrible uncle Lord Lovet, and Colum MacKenzie brings her Nemesis, Laoghaire, in tow. After much wrangling with the Old Fox, they gain more men to fight and return to Lallybroch.
Claire goes on the road with Jamie and Murtagh as the Jacobites win some early battles, including Prestonpans, were the Highlanders start losing dear friends. As Claire and Jamie fight on, they try to thwart Charles Stewart’s determination to regain the Scottish throne. Claire does battle herself with PTSD from her WWII experiences.
Claire is reunited with Mary Hawkins who is very cold indeed. Claire had selfishly tried to part Mary and her young lover, Captain Randall’s brother Alexander. Claire makes amends by tending Alex who is dying, thus meeting BJR again. Claire makes a deal with the devil, with Murtagh by her side.
Claire is sadly reunited with Mary Hawkins at Lord Sandringham’s where she is held captive. She finally pieces together that he is responsible for having her and Mary attacked in Paris, where Mary was brutally raped and Murtagh feels responsible as he did not protect them. Murtagh takes a hand.
In a flash forward to 1968, Claire travels to the UK with Brianna (Sophie Skelton), her daughter by Jamie Fraser, who has no idea about who her real father is. After years of estrangement within the bargained marriage with Frank, Claire begins to open up about thinking freely about Jamie, yet will be estranged from her daughter. Claire meets young Roger Wakefield (Richard Rankin) again as they attend the Reverend Wakefield’s wake in Scotland. This begins a long journey for Claire and Brianna as Claire slowly reveals that Frank was not Brianna’s true father. Thus begins a mother/daughter battle of the incredulous concept of time travel.
We return to the past and Claire and Jamie kill Dougal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish) before the battle of Culloden, as he blames her for Colum’s death. Claire is thrust towards Crag Na Dun again by Jamie on the morning of the Battle of Culloden, where she enters the stone and leaves Jamie behind.
Claire learns that no matter how right she thinks she is, she cannot change history without dire consequences. She is a hypocrite in her desire to stop Culloden, yet cannot see BJR killed before he sires a son, or there will be no Frank. Diving a wedge of trust between herself and Jamie. And it all appears to be for nothing as finally loses Jamie in the end as he forces her back to her own time.
Let us know your thoughts as you watch Season 2 for the hundredth time. Join us as we slowly get through all the seasons again before the 2022 release of Season 6.
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?
After a two week hiatus, we return to Outlander Season 5 with Famous Last Words. It is a reference with an opening scene were Roger Mac is back at Oxford, lecturing in his Socratic way, to a group of his students in the English University way of Tutor and students around a big table. Brianna slips in through the door, Roger tries to not be distracted, fails a bit, and goes on to juggle “heids” about the famous last words of historic figures, and what they really may have said, or meant.
“Will those really be your last words?”
So begins a very dark and brooding episode in the aftermath of the loss of Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser at Alamance. It is an episode with three brooding men ( Roger, Jamie and the return of a prodigal son) dealing with darkly, difficult emotions. To set the mood, for Rogers’s storyline, this episode references Roger’s and Brianna’s fondness of going to silent classic movie film festivals and uses that style of storytelling to reflect on the darkness and silence of Roger’s survival of hanging and rescue by Claire, Jamie, and Brianna.
Dark Matters
Roger (Richard Rankin) sure has gotten the raw end of the character plotlines in season 4 and 5. Not that he fared any better in Diana Gabaldon’s books. The process of Roger’s hanging and rescue was much more drawn out. Roger’s ordeal of being beaten and sold to the Mowhawk by Young Ian and Jamie created a very long and angry introduction to the yes, you are a historian but had no clue as to how brutal it really was to live in those times lessons for Roger. Now, as if nothing could get worse, Roger has full-on PTSD about being hung and surviving.
“People live and die by words.”
Roger has been despondent for months about his ordeal, struggling daily with everyone on eggshells or overly encouraging him to come back to life. For as Brianna (Sofie Skelton) is constantly reminding him, that she feels like he is dead, not living as he does not speak. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) has assured all that he should be able to speak after her emergency surgery on his throat to deal with the crushed windpipe. About that. The cliff hanger last episode.
We come to a series of flashbacks told in silent movie sepia tint style, with cards and showing the silence and despair of Roger being hung and rescued, Claire’s field operation on him. He has a series of reoccurring sepia PTSD moments using the silent film inserts to emphasize his lack of speech and darkest moments.
The first in silent film mode scenes show the Frasers, Jamie, Claire, and Brianna, trying to rescue Roger from the tree hanging scene we left off with at the end of episode 507. Roger is hanging and Jamie and the others are trying to cut him down. Claire discovers he is barely alive and goes into emergency cricothyroidotomy mode, using the stem of a smoking pipe to keep an airway available to him. After he comes out of the PTSD flashback, Claire is examining him and talking about how it has healed nicely and he should have most of his voice back. Brianna is trying to coax Roger to say something, anything. Brianna is losing patience with him, he is traumatized and shutting her and Jemmy out. There is a great deal of stony tension. Roger’s silence is self-imposed.
Lord John Gray (David Berry) has traveled great distances again to visit, there is an invitation to dine at the big house. Roger declines, grimacing. Flashbacks intercede again with his many times Great Granddad Buckleigh MacKenzie (Graham McTavish) and friends handing Roger over to Tryon’s men as a traitor. It’s traumatizing to be hung at all, but by your many time great Grandad, it’s a bit much.
Brianna and Claire discuss Roger’s behavior. Brianna talks to Claire about her old college roommate and how her boyfriend came back from Vietnam. He had not been seriously injured, but he had a thousand-yard stare about him. She says she sees that look in Roger and feels she has lost him. Claire tells her about combat stress, and what it does to people. She reassures her that he will come back, it will take time.
After the dinner with Lord John Gray, they read through a letter he has brought giving Brianna five thousand acres in the backcountry. Claire remarks that it is in exchange for the loss of her husband and Brianna is angered. She doesn’t want land, she wants her husband back. Brianna leaves the table and rushes outside. Lord John follows carefully and tries to distract her. He gives her an astrolabe, used for gauging time and distance at sea. She marvels at it and calculates time, off by half an hour as Lord John corrects her. He tells her to have patience, that things generally have a way of working out.
Jamie (Sam Heughan) has been struggling with the loss of Murtagh, his Godfather. He tries to help Roger and Brianna with their troubles, however, he is struggling under his own weight. Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and Ulysses (Colin McFarlane) visit to pay respects to Murtagh’s cairn and burial place near the big house. Jocasta in her take-charge fashion, trying to not really show her own grief, states she could have paid for a headstone, even though she and Murtagh were not husband and wife. Jamie points out that the feelings are still valid. They agreed that Murtagh was loyal above all else.
Roger trying to keep busy, and playing guitar and singing is a painful reminder turns to stay busy and improve his woodworking skills. He tries to build the sleeping loft for the cabin. In the process of building, he is reminded by rope and canvas of the hanging, the sacking put over his head, everything said by Tryon and his officers.
Claire and Jamie bring dinner to the cabin. Little Jemmy reaches for a steaming hot kettle and Roger cries out in a very guttural “No!” and Jemmy starts crying. He is embarrassed after rescuing the child. Jamie and Claire take charge of Jemmy. Later, Brianna has been singing “Clementine” to Jemmy as Roger has not sung in months. She keeps hoping to get some interaction from Roger, who is trying to get woodcut and formed for building a loft in the cabin.
Later, Claire and Jamie are playing with young Jemmy as proud grandparents do. They play a game of hide-and-seek, then Jamie comes upon a wild boar, telling claire carefully to get Jemmy out of harm’s way. Just as the Boar charges Jamie, and we prepare ourselves for another set of Jamie scars, and arrow is shot with great precision into the boar. Jamie and Claire look up, and it is Ian Murray (John Hunter Bell), the younger, dressed in his Mohawk garb and hair adornment. He looks dark and broody. He comes back to the Ridge with Claire, Jamie, and Jemmy. When Roger and Brianna are at their cabin, there is a tense moment as Roger and Ian just stare at one another, they have a guy hug. When last we saw the two, Ian sacrificed himself for Roger with the Mohawk tribe to make up for selling him to them and get him back to Brianna. Brianna hugs her cousin, however, Roger retreats. Ian seems to pick up on the sentiment.
After Brianna and Claire seem to not be able to do anything with Roger, and now find they have both Jamie and Ian’s murky waters as well, Marsali (Lauren Lyle) decides to take a hand. Of course, she can’t do it easily, she pulls out a tarot deck and starts laying out Roger’s cards. Of course, we all know how bad this is going to be. Marsali kept pulling The Hanged Man each time she tries to read Roger, and he in disgust dumps all the cards on the floor. Brianna comes in when Marsali is running about picking up cards and asks what the matter is. After Marsali begs off, Brianna lays it in thick on Roger. She relates to her dealings with Bonnet, that she knows about how hard it is to come back from a dark place. She barks that she needs to know that he is not gone and lost forever.
And again that night, Marsali is determined to uproot everyone. She pushes poor Ian who is very quiet and not the fun-loving lad that left them. She and Fergus (César Domboy) want to know everything about living with the Mohawk. Ian is not adjusting to being inside, eating at a table, being around his family. Jamie tries to take control over all the grief going on with the men, being that fatherly laird type he is. He suggests that Ian go and survey the acreage that has been given to Brianna, to stake out the lines. Later Ian ends up sleeping on the porch as he had stared at a bed for some time and tells everyone he is more comfortable sleeping on the ground.
Roger and Ian make up a surveying team. In Brianna’s farewell, she folds Roger a paper airplane. It is their first wedding anniversary, the gift of paper. He takes the plane folded with him on the trip. Over time he and Ian form a bond, each of them struggling. Ian tries to get Roger to talk. He lashes out, how can Roger be this way, he has his whole family. We get more hints of what has happened to Ian with the Mohawk.
Claire later runs out of her surgery calling for Marsali. She has a jar of Water Hemlock, asking if Marsali has prescribed any. There is only one root left. She questions whether Roger may have taken it contemplating suicide.
Later, Ian asks Roger about his dreams. This is, of course, a very touchy subject, but Ian is deeply troubled. He shows Ian the paper airplane, of course, Ian not being from his time doesn’t know what it is. Roger shows him a bit of it flying. Ian makes a remark about birds. While surveying, Roger walks to a precipice and looks down. The mood changes, he has another flash, however, starts seeing color again when he thinks about the paper airplane. He throws it off the cliff and it flies well, and Roger is lifted with the flight. In time, he sees that he is alive.
Later we come upon Rollo, tied up with a rope. This is very unlike Ian to do this, and Rollo is very worried. Ian goes about ritualistically burying his Tomahawk in the leaves. He then recites some Mohawk words while boiling water. He brings out the Hemlock roots to brew a tea, he wants to end his sorrow. Roger comes and kicks the roots and the fire in one sweep. They start brawling. Ian demands it is his right to end the pain. Ian accuses Roger of buying his weapon, his voice. Roger tries to get Ian to come back, fight for family. Their whole family. After tense moments and the physical guy thing, they return, and Roger finally begins to use his voice. It is still not right, but it is something.
Thoughts
Jocasta seemingly let Murtagh go, and Jamie tried to shake her back into reality. Will we see that she really did love him and misses him?
We’ve had an episode where we barely heard of Bonnet. So, since he knows where Jemmy is, will he try to come to get what he thinks is his son? Will he be the monster? Check out the preview below.
Is it just me, or is Fergus not really saying much this season? He has very few lines.
And why is Jemmy not sprouting that flame-red hair he has in the books?
Only a few episodes left, what other events may get moved up from A Breath of Snow and Ashes, book 6?
Next, episode 509 Monsters and Heros. Catch it Saturday, April 18 at Midnight on the Starz® APP, Sunday at 8:05 pm EST and 5:05pm PST on Starz®, and Monday, April 20 on Amazon Prime in the UK and Ireland.
And again that night, Marsali is determined to uproot everyone. She pushes poor Ian who is very quiet and not the fun-loving lad that left them. She and Fergus (César Domboy) want to know everything about living with the Mohawk. Ian is not adjusting to being inside, eating at a table, being around his family. Jamie tries to take control over all the grief going on with the men, being that fatherly laird type he is. He suggests that Ian go and survey the acreage that has been given to Brianna, to stake out the lines. Later Ian ends up sleeping on the porch as he had stared at a bed for some time and tells everyone he is more comfortable sleeping on the ground.
An Outlander Muse 