Five reasons why fans should be excited to welcome Season 7 of ‘Outlander’

For fans of the Starz hit series “Outlander,” the time spent waiting between seasons can feel like an eternity. The sixth season concluded just over a year ago, and in that time the cast and crew have been hard at work to bring out another season of the show. We also received the bittersweet announcement at the end of March that the show’s eighth season would be its last.

Season 6 left us with a monster of a cliffhanger, with Claire (Caitriona Balfe) getting arrested and sent to prison for murder and Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Ian (John Bell) setting off on a mission to get her back. Never a dull moment for the Frasers. Thankfully, the wait is almost over. Season 7 premieres on Starz on June 16. Many fans are understandably eager to see what’s in store for Jamie and Claire and the rest of the Fraser family. And for those who may be on the fence, here are five reasons why you should be excited for this forthcoming season of Outlander.

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• Season 7 is supersized. The episode count has varied slightly each season, with Season 1 being 16 episodes, seasons 2-4 coming in at 13 episodes apiece, Season 5 with 12 installments and the most recent sixth season just eight. Like many other shows, “Outlander” was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying it’s sixth season. And due to the demands of filming in the pandemic in 2021, shooting in the middle of the winter in Scotland, and lead actress Balfe being pregnant throughout filming, the decision was made to have a shortened season. However, Season 7 is bringing the series back to it’s roots, coming in with a whopping 16 episodes again, split into two parts.

• Some much loved characters are returning. While the heart of the show has always been and will always be Jamie and Claire, “Outlander” has been graced with a large cast of great characters throughout. It was previously announced that some characters from past seasons are returning, some of whom we saw die onscreen. We will be reunited with the Murray family, as Steven Cree is back as Ian Murry (senior, not to be confused with young Ian Murray). While Laura Donnelly will not be reprising her role of Jenny Murray, Jamie’s sister, the character will be returning as actress Kristin Atherton will be taking on the role. And in the category of “characters we may love to hate,” Nell Hudson is returning as Laoghaire MacKenzie. She has a history of stirring up trouble for Jamie and Claire (you know, trying to get Claire burned as a witch, shooting Jamie, no big deal), so fans can expect Laoghaire to bring the drama. And in the “we definitely saw you die onscreen” category, we have the return of Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) and Dougal MacKenzie (Grahamn McTavish).

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• Introducing new (or aged up) characters. Each season, we are introduced to some new faces, and this year is no exception. Last year, it was the Christie family, who seemed to bring with them the destruction of Fraser’s Ridge. This season, they welcome the Hunter siblings. The Hunters are Quakers who believe in non-violence. Denzell Hunter, played by Joey Phillips, is a doctor, and joins the Continental Army as a surgeon. His sister Rachel, played by Izzy Meikle-Small, assists as the American war for independence ramps up. They have some great interactions with the Frasers. And up next we have a new face, but not necessarily a new character. Charles Vandervaart joins the cast as Jamie’s secret (or not so secret at this point) son, William Ransom. The last time we saw William was in Season 4 when he and Lord John paid Jamie and Claire a visit while William was still a child of indeterminate age. In Season 7, William is all grown up, and fighting for the British Army. Considering Jamie has recently switched sides and will be fighting with the American, this could make things tricky.

• Caitríona Balfe is directing. (Well, sort of.): Balfe, who has been the leading lady of “Outlander” since day one, has noted many times that she has aspirations to direct. It’s come up during various interviews and panels, she was even asked about it last year during a virtual panel for the BAFTA supporting actress in a film nominees, of which she was one for her role in “Belfast.” “Outlander” is a big and complicated show, and Balfe, along with co-star Heughan, are in a lot of scenes, which can make things difficult when trying to break off to direct. However, during the “Women of Outlander” panel at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas recently, both executive producer Maril Davis and Balfe herself (also an executive producer this season, along with Heughan) shared some news. Not only will Balfe be directing a full episode in Season 8, but she has already directed some second unit scenes for Season 7.

SEE‘Outlander’ Season 7 announces slew of new and returning cast members: Graham McTavish, Lotte Verbeek …

• It’s action packed. Last season had no shortage of drama, but it had a more somber and uneasy feel. War was coming. If you have watched even a little of the promotional material for Season 7, then you’ll know war has arrived. Jamie and Claire (and Ian) have seemingly joined in on the war effort, with Jamie part of the Continental Army and Claire getting back to her roots as a surgeon on the battlefield. It feels reminiscent of Season 2 and the lead up to the Battle of Culloden.

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