Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe prepare to say goodbye to Jamie and Claire.

One last twist of fate: Inside the final season of Outlander

Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe prepare to say goodbye to Jamie and Claire.

By Amy Wilkinson

Amy Wilkinson is a former senior editor at **. She left EW in 2018.

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February 10, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan are in bed. It's a familiar setting for the two actors, having portrayed time-crossed lovers Claire and Jamie Fraser for the past seven seasons of Starz's hit series *Outlander*. What isn't so familiar on this September day inside Wardpark Film and Television Studios in Scotland is the twitch in Balfe's brow. It won't stop.**** Heughan also struggles to maintain his composure as the pair film this final scene together — a lengthy, seven-page dialogue reflecting on the past, present, and future (read: a whole lot of emotional subtext).

Adding to the pressure is an assembled crowd of at least 100 onlookers — cast, crew, and executives who have come to witness the last shot of season 8, the last shot of Outlander. When wrap is finally called, Balfe releases the metaphorical pressure valve, letting the waterworks flow.

"I absolutely sobbed like a crazy person, when they said cut," Balfe reflects to ** now, a year after filming her final official scene as Claire. "We all had some champagne and went around hugging and crying in people's faces."

For Heughan, the emotions had been bubbling at the surface for a while. When asked by EW during a break from filming a scene on the picturesque banks of Scotland's Lake of Menteith more than a week earlier if he would cry in this very moment, the tears started to well. But being able to conclude a dozen years of work with his longtime costar by his side was also joyful.

"It felt so right to finish it with Caitríona," he says. "We were just so thankful for the great journey we've been on together."

It's a journey that's spanned centuries, countries, and enough tartan to fill the dowries of a dozen Scottish princesses, as Jamie and Claire have fought for their happy ending. Will they get one? Fans are about to find out when *Outlander*'s final season premieres on March 6.

'Outlander' star Caitríona Balfe photographed exclusively for EW.

A date with destiny

Created by Ronald D. Moore (*Battlestar Galactica*) and based on the best-selling book series by author Diana Gabaldon, *Outlander* debuted in 2014 to glowing praise from fans and critics alike. The budding romance between 20th-century combat nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall and 18th-century Highland warrior Jamie Fraser was undeniably swoonworthy; the intimacy thoughtfully rendered. Yet, the show also didn't shy away from tough, sometimes controversial subject matter, including rape, addiction, and child loss.

As the sweeping saga unfolded over the seasons, Claire and Jamie's travails took them from Scotland to France to the West Indies and finally to the American Colonies, with the couple frequently caught in the crosshairs of history's inflection points — be it the Battle of Culloden or the American Revolution.

Caitríona Balfe as Claire and Sam Heughan as Jamie in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

Last season, the show's seventh, was its biggest yet, spanning two parts and 16 episodes, after COVID-19 shutdowns resulted in an abbreviated season 6. Season 7 saw the Frasers' home burn down and the couple depart their namesake ridge as Jamie was called to serve in the Continental Army. Daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton), meanwhile, returned with husband Roger (Richard Rankin) and their two children to the present, in order to get daughter Mandy the life-saving medical treatment she needed. But, as is often the case with the Fraser and MacKenzie clans, drama was never far behind.

When Jamie's kinsman perished in the war, he, Claire, and Young Ian (John Bell) returned to Scotland with his remains. Jamie stayed behind to take care of business, and the ship that he was supposed to take back to the Colonies was reported missing at sea. With Claire under suspicion of espionage, she was forced to marry Lord John Grey (David Berry) for protection — a development the very much alive Jamie did not take kindly to upon his return, having taken a different passage home.

'Outlander' star Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

At the same time, Brianna and Roger's son, Jemmy, was kidnapped, and Roger traveled to the past to try and retrieve him, accidentally overshooting the intended time period. However, in a bittersweet turn, the error led to a brief reunion with the father he lost as a boy.

By season's end, the MacKenzies reunited their little family in the same time and place, and the Frasers seemed to have added a new member to theirs in one of the series' most jaw-dropping cliffhangers. After the sex worker whom William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart) swore to protect was arrested and died by suicide in jail, Claire and Jamie offered to look after her little sister, Fanny (Florrie May Wilkinson).

Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe photographed exclusively for EW.

In a moment that Heughan says left "raised hair" on his arms, Claire overheard the young girl singing the 20th-century ditty "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside," a song she sang to her and Jamie's still-born daughter, Faith, in season 2. How could Fanny possibly know this song? Did Faith live?

It's a question, producers say, will be addressed right away in the premiere.

0:43 Digital Cover Broll: Outlander

"I didn't want to make fans wait halfway through the season to get the answers," executive producer Matthew B. Roberts says of the Faith mystery. That isn't to say, however, that we'll get *all* the answers right away. This is the 18th century, after all — DNA and 23andMe are still two centuries off, so definitive proof of the seemingly impossible lineage will take time and effort to piece together.

"That one answer actually spawns about a thousand more questions, and those are what gets answered throughout the season," Roberts says.

As the Frasers make their long-awaited return to North Carolina — with their maybe-granddaughter in tow — they quickly discover things are not as they left them, explains executive producer Maril Davis.

"They're really surprised, when they come back, that they're not just starting over with their house, but they're actually starting over in terms of their place in the community," she says.

Sophie Skelton as Brianna and Richard Rankin as Roger in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

Jamie's absence has created a power vacuum on the ridge — one that has been filled by newcomer Captain Charles Cunningham (Kieran Bew).

"On the surface, he's charming," Heughan says. "But Jamie's Spidey sense instantly clicks in, and we find there's definitely ulterior motives."

Helping to ease Jamie and Claire's rocky reentry is Young Ian, having arrived earlier with his expecting new bride Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small).

"He's ready and excited for fatherhood," Bell says of his character's evolution this season. "However, there's a bit of trepidation because of past events and worry over not just his baby, but his wife's safety, as well."

Caitríona Balfe photographed exclusively for EW.

The Frasers will find additional allies in Brianna and Roger, who also return to the ridge early on in the season.

"It's so cheesy, but it's so true: Home is where the heart is," Skelton says, keying into one of season 8's major themes. "As long as Brianna's in a place where her family is the most safe or the most present, that's where she belongs."

Rankin agrees: "Really, in their hearts, they want to be with their family, which is the Frasers."

Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

Brianna and Roger don't come back empty-handed. Among the future artifacts they've tucked away is a book written by Claire's first husband Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) titled *The Soul of a Rebel*, which chronicles Scottish involvement in America's War of Independence. Within its pages, Jamie makes a startling discovery: He will die in an upcoming battle. The revelation sets the stage for another of the season's big themes: the malleability of fate.

"There's this idea of, can you challenge destiny? And what happens if you try?" Davis says.

Sophie Skelton as Brianna and Sam Heughan as Jamie in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

It's no secret that Claire and Jamie *have* tried — and failed — on multiple occasions to change history. Could they possibly succeed now?

"Just because it's on a page doesn't make it accurate, as we know," Roberts says of the fatal foretelling. "Do they think they're going to go change history, or do they think that maybe history wasn't written correctly?"

If Jamie does indeed face his mortality on the battlefield, there's a good chance he will at least have trusted companions standing next to him.

"Wherever Jamie is going, wherever the danger is, Ian is gonna be right beside him," Bell says.

Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

Going off-book

If history tells us anything, it's that most series never see eight seasons. And in the case of *Outlander*, an eighth season was hardly a foregone conclusion. In fact, production on season 7 began before producers knew whether it would be their last. But once an eighth and final season was greenlit by Starz, Roberts had a clear vision for how he wanted to proceed.

"What we want is a really authentic season of *Outlander*," he says. "We weren't going to try to make every episode a very special episode of *Outlander*. I wanted this to fit fully into the series, and I think we successfully have done that."

Sophie Skelton as Brianna and Charles Vandervaart as William in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

But, with that season 8 order, producers ran into a new challenge: surpassing their source material. It's not an unprecedented challenge. In 2019, HBO's *Game of Thrones* went off-book, so to speak, for its eighth and final season, as fans awaited (and continue to wait for) the publication of author George R.R. Martin's sixth *A Song of Fire and Ice *novel, *The Winds of Winter*. The series finale, which literally burned down half the fictional world as fans knew it, was largely panned and today sits at 47 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

It's a cautionary tale that weighed on Davis' mind.

"It's tough to end the TV series before the book series concludes," she says. "I think no matter what ending we have, it's going to be bittersweet."

Roberts, for his part, was less concerned about the precedent set by the fantasy epic: "You're never going to please everybody," he says.

Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

But there is one person in particular that Roberts hopes is pleased: Gabaldon. The author has been intimately involved in the TV adaptation from the beginning, and her ninth book published, 2021's *Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone*, serves as the basis for most of the final season. But without a finished 10th novel to work from (Gabaldon is currently in progress on her final *Outlander* volume, called *A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out*), Roberts and team had to toe a fine line between honoring the essence of the book series and forging their own path forward.

"We've come up with an ending that, I think, is very satisfying, and I hope serves as our love letter to *Outlander*," Davis says.

Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

That ending is, of course, a closely guarded secret. So closely guarded that even stars Balfe and Heughan don't know how the series concludes. Roberts wrote and shot multiple endings to avoid spoilers and give himself options in the edit bay (though he says he's known how *Outlander* should end for a few years now).

One loose thread fans have long pondered — one sewn into the fabric of the series from the very first episode — is the so-called "ghost of Jamie Fraser." When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes. Jamie is no time-traveler, so how could this possibly be? And will we get a resolution by series' end? It's an explanation the cast has pushed for, though Roberts remains coy.

"What we tried to do is answer as many questions as we could authentically," he says. "There's so many great storylines that get tied up — whether it's in a tight bow or a very loose bow, that's for the fans to judge."

Sam Heughan as Jamie and Florrie May Wilkinson as Fanny in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

Only time will tell

As the series concludes, it's safe to say that, for nearly every cast member involved, *Outlander* has been a significant career catalyst — particularly for stars Balfe and Heughan, who became producers in season 5, and have notched several credits (2019's *Ford v Ferrari* and 2021's *Belfast* for Balfe; 2018's *The Spy Who Dumped Me* and 2023's *The Couple Next Door* for Heughan) during the show's hiatuses.

Balfe achieved another milestone in *Outlander*'s final season, directing her first episode of television. Fans will see her work during the season's second installment, "Prophecies."

"When I would be behind the monitor watching the actors, I would be standing there with this stupid Cheshire grin on my face because I was just enjoying it so much," Balfe says of the experience. "I got to do all of my prep with Jan Matthys, who directed episode 1, and he was an incredible mentor to me."

Caitríona Balfe photographed exclusively for EW.

"We were thrilled to be able to give her that opportunity to direct an episode," Davis says. "She's very smart and very interested in how things work, and I thought she killed it."

And what does Heughan make of being directed by his leading lady?

"It was utterly wonderful, of course," he says. "And I think she really enjoyed not being in the corset."

John Bell as Ian and Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel and in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

Now, as the stars gear up for their final *Outlander* press tour and red carpet premiere in New York City on March 2, they can't help but get contemplative about the show's impact — on their careers, yes, but also on their lives.

"We've all grown as people," says David Berry, who joined as Lord John Grey in season 2. "This is something that has been a part of our lives for such a long period of time that it does leave an imprint on you."

Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

Skelton agrees: "I was 21 when I started the show. People say you learn a lot in your 20s, and I don't think you realize that until you're out of them. My 20s are so tied up in the decade of the show that sometimes it's hard to separate what I learned through Brianna and what I just learned as me."

Of course, the show's influence reaches far beyond its actors, to the crew who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the story to vivid life, and to Scotland itself —an unsung supporting player, still reaping the benefits of its turn in front of the lens. Indeed, the so-called "*Outlander* Effect" continues to drive tourism to Scotland, and the once overlooked locale has become a busy place for filming.

Lauren Lyle as Marsali and César Domboy as Fergus in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

"When we first got here, there were a lot of talented people, but they had to work abroad," Roberts says. "They had to go to London, Ireland, and the continent, because there weren't a lot of shows. Now, at any given time, there could be three, four, five shows and a movie [filming]. So many of the Scots that had grown up in the film industry had to leave, but now they don't have to, and that's what I take pride in, the fact that this homegrown talent can stay here."

(Roberts' pride in the show is evident from just one peek inside his office — a veritable *Outlander *museum stuffed with relics like Claire's ether mask, a miniature set of Craigh na Dun standing stones, and even Stephen Bonnet's bollocks!)

Caitríona Balfe as Claire, Sam Heughan as Jamie, Richard Rankin as Roger, and Sophie Skelton as Brianna in season 8 of 'Outlander'.

Robert Wilson/Starz

Thanks to streaming — and a prequel series created by Roberts, *Blood of My Blood*, which wrapped production on season 2 in December — fans will no doubt be discovering and delighting in the Frasers' tales for years to come. Or, at least, that's the hope of all involved.

"It would be nice for the show, in 10 years, to still be able to give people comfort and joy if they happen to come across it," Balfe says. "To still live on and still affect people."

And, perhaps, provoke a twitching brow or shedded tear.

Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan photographed exclusively for EW.

*—With reporting by Maureen Lee Lenker*

*Directed by Alison Wild + Kristen Harding *

*Photography by Danny Kasirye*

***Motion** - DP: Simon Vickery, Steadicam: Dan Starborg; Assistant Camera: Myles Docherty, Tom Storey; 2nd Assistant Camera: Hannah Sweetman, Fiann MacLeod; Gaffer: Garry Thomson; Chargehand: Steve Catney; Spark/Console Op: Karyn Wilson; Sparks: Kyle Taylor, Mark Bryant; Key Grip: Ronan Devlin; DIT: Andrew Harvie; *

***Photo** - 1st Assistant /Digital Tech: Emmanuel Robert; 2nd Assistant: Chloe Burgess; 3rd Assistant: Angus MacKinnon*

***Production Design** - Set Designer: Mike Gunn; Art Director: Ruth Laird; Assistant Art Director: Tash Hajduk;  Art Dept Coordinator: Cindy Liew; Greens: Hugo Dias, Graeme Aldridge*

***Production** - Producer: David Neilson; Production Coordinator: Dominique Mabille *

***Post-Production - **Color Correction: Nate Seymour/TRAFIK; VFX: FixFX, James Kowalski; Design: Alice Morgan; Score: Bear McCreary*

***Caitriona Balfe** - Styling: Karla Welch/The Wall Group; Hμ: Sophia Knight *

***Sam Heughan **- Styling: Grace Gilfeather/Carol Hayes Management; Grooming: Wendy Kemp Forbes *

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Source: “EW Drama”