Expect More Jamie and Claire "Intimate Moments" in Outlander Season 5

From Oprah Magazine

• Outlander season 5 will premiere in February 2020.

• Starz shared a full season 5 trailer on January 3.

• The series, which is now streaming on Netflix, will return for seasons 5 and 6.

• EP Maril Davis tells OprahMag.com that the show "tried to include" more Jamie and Claire romance than in season 4.

The Droughtlander is almost over.

Outlander, Starz's epic time-travel action-adventure romance, returns on Sunday, February 16, 2020. The good news is that the network has rolled out plenty of content to keep us entertained and wildly speculating until then.

Production wrapped in late November, and star Caitriona Balfe shared a first look at a beaming season 5-style Claire and Jamie by way of Entertainment Weekly.

Starz treated fans to a sneak peek of the opening scene on December 15. First, in a bittersweet flashback following Jamie's mother's death, Uncle Murtagh promises a young baby-ginger Jamie that he'll always be there for him. Then, on Fraser's Ridge, Jamie helps Roger and they discuss how he and Bree have moved into the cabin. Their dynamic, while much improved since season 4, is played for comic effect as Jamie shaves Roger's stubble with a straight razor (gulp).

Read on for everything we know about Outlander season 5. Mild spoilers below!

When does Outlander season 5 premiere?

Outlander is back on February 16, 2020, Starz confirmed in August of 2019.

The Outlander season 5 trailer dropped in January.

"Do you ever feel as if everything's pointing you toward something? Space, time, history?" Claire's voice asks at the trailer's opening, as she looks out the window to people gathering on Fraser's Ridge, and we flash back to epic moments from the first several seasons. And then, to Jamie: "I am grateful for every day we have."

The clip offered brief yet telling shots of the action to come, including one major revelation about Jamie's political allegiances ahead of the coming Revolutionary War. Murtagh and Jocasta share an emotional moment, Governor Tryon reminds Jamie of his loyalty, and Jamie tells Brie that if there's a coming war, "it will be safer in your time."

We get to see Claire's new surgery room, and Bree asks her mother if she's "playing god" in there—is she tempting a history disruption with some 20th-century medicine?

We also see the fiery cross burn, and a little shot of Jamie shirtless in a creek, as a treat.

The trailer was the second long look at season 5. The first teaser, which premiered on October 5, foretold plenty of danger ahead for Clan Fraser (no wonder Roger needs shooting lessons from Bree).

"I hope you don't stay," Claire said in the clip, and while editing makes it look like she's speaking to Jamie, she's more likely talking to her daughter. We later see Bree ask Roger if he wants to stick around, or head on back to the future. Meanwhile, Jamie rallies new troops before a battle, echoing the days of Culloden. And on a lighter note, we also got our first glimpse of a certain... large home that's a welcome sight to fans of the books.

Which cast members are returning?

It wouldn't be Outlander without leads Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, of course. Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin, who play their daughter Brianna and her love Roger respectively, will also be a major part of season 5. In addition, characters Fergus (César Domboy), Marsali (Lauren Lyle), Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy), Lizzie (Caitlin O'Ryan), Lord John Grey (David Berry), Ulysses (Colin McFarlane), John Quincy Myers (Kyle Rees) and North Carolina governor William Tryon (Tim Downie) are confirmed to return. Ed Speelers, who played villain Stephen Bonnet in season 5, has yet to be confirmed to return—but we'll just leave his October Instagram selfie from drizzly Scotland right here.

As for new cast members, there's a fuzzy addition to the cast: Adso the cat.

Though the action will stay put in America this season, producer Maril Davis told OprahMag that the scope of the series still expands every season. "Every year we think, ‘Oh, this year's going to be easier!’ For some reason it never works out that way."

We may get more Jamie-Claire love scenes than we did last season.

While Outlander is obviously much more than Jamie and Claire's notorious sex scenes, those who felt that they were a bit...few and far between in season 4 might be happily surprised this time around. Definitely expect plenty of ~romance~.

When asked whether we can expect more intimacy between Jamie and Claire in season 5, executive producer Maril Davis told OprahMag.com, "We're not always successful, but I think every season we've tried to include as many [intimate] moments as possible."

“Whether or not those may be a of a sexual nature—it's more important to us that they are intimate moments," she said. All of this, she said, is partly governed by how much they need to pack in from Gabaldon's dense novels. “It’s hard sometimes, with these books, to stop and have these moments, especially in a TV show where there's a certain momentum that you're trying to keep. But we know how important that is—it’s important to us." The show's writers and producers did make a point of trying to "include more of these moments" and "conversations" that people want to see.

Jamie is a Redcoat, and fans are shocked.

A telling shot in the January 3 trailer confirmed that Jamie does good on his pledge to Lord Tryon: He evidently dons a red coat, indicating she'll fight alongside the British. Given how much the British Army has taken from Jamie over the years—and, of course, it was a Redcoat who chopped off Fergus's hand in season 3—it must break Jamie's heart to put it on. "I wasn't prepared for Jamie in a redcoat uniform," one fan wrote on Twitter upon seeing the trailer.

According to Sam Heughan, he actually "pushed for it" to happen. "After all the Redcoats have put Jamie through, and all you've been through playing him, donning that costume must have been strange for you as an actor," one fan tweeted to Heughan.

"And as a character," he replied. "Hence the reason I suggested it." Whaaa?

Jamie has said many times that he'll do what it takes to protect his family, so there is obviously much more to this particular storyline.

Season 5 features more of Fergus and Marsali's growing family—and Marsali works with Claire.

Season 5 will bring more Fergus (César Domboy) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle), as they've finally come to live at Fraser's Ridge with their son Germain. A teaser released by the show reveals that Marsali will also help Claire in her duties as a surgeon and healer on Fraser's Ridge.

As for what Brianna and Roger's new 18th-century life will be like now that they're reunited? Bree is still dealing with PTSD following her rape at the hands of Stephen Bonnet, and she's getting used to "becoming a mother," according to Sophie Skelton. The actress also hints at even more friction between the time-traveling couple, who up 'til now have seemed unable to stay in the same room/country/time period for long without one of them stalking off in anger after a dispute.

"Roger's stepping up, looking after his family," actor Richard Rankin says. "Trying to provide for them both, doing an alright job at it.""An alright job," Skelton concedes.

In October, Skelton shared an adorable preview of their new onscreen family in photo snapped by Rankin. The caption? "Bree and her wee boy."

View this post on Instagram

Bree and her wee boy 🖤 - #Motherhood #Outlander @outlander_starz Photo by: @rikrankin

A post shared by Sophie Skelton (@sophie.skelton) on Oct 23, 2019 at 10:00am PDT

Where is season 5 filmed?

Fraser's Ridge isn't actually in North Carolina. Scotland, where much of the previous seasons have also been shot, will continue to stand in for the North American colonies.

"About 60% of the season is filmed on location," Outlander production designer Jon Gary Steele, who oversees production of the show's sets, told OprahMag. What isn't shot in the Cumbernauld, Scotland studio takes place outside.

“Scotland once again plays North Carolina very well, and we’re jumping out to different locations,” EP Matthew Roberts told EW . “I don’t want a place where we’ve been before. If we go to [Jocasta’s] estate and film there, I want to go to every section of that estate …our new locations manager is fantastic and knows Scotland well. He’s been coming at it with fresh eyes and we’ve really found a few amazing new places that I’m really excited to show the fans. Breathtaking is the word I used when I saw it the first time.”

How many episodes will there be?

Seasons 5 and 6 will both consist of 12 episodes—the slimmest orders yet from the network (season four was 13 episodes long).

These season 5 photos tease what's to come.

Hope you like historically accurate low ponytails, because nearly every man in the cast's got 'em!

Season 4 left us with a cliffhanger, a grandchild for Jamie and Claire, and a new couple to root for: MurCasta, a.k.a. Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) and Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy). As we look forward to the upcoming season, these images confirm that everyone is still thriving...for now, anyway. This *is* Outlander we're talking about.

Claire and Jamie, the sexiest 50-something couple on television, look on happily as Roger and Bree marry

Here's a look at Brianna, Roger, and a rapidly-grown-up Jemmy sharing a moment in front of what was previously Jamie and Claire's cabin. Will twentieth-century-raised, college dropout Bree love getting stuck with laundry duty while her partner strums a wee guitar? We'll find out in February.

It's not all chores and songs with those two, though—frontier life on the Ridge can get dangerous, so Bree's showing Roger how to shoot like her other dad Frank taught her.

Next, we see Jamie conferring with his old friend and admirer, Lord John Grey. Both men will be working for the British in the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, but we know that Jamie's inner allegiance to Regulator leader Murtagh is bound to complicate things.

Speaking of Murtagh: Behold that silver fox-y ponytail! From this preview, it's clear that Jamie doesn't immediately follow the instructions he was given to assassinate his old friend. So is Murtagh hiding out at River Run, Jocasta's plantation? Or in the woods? Either way, he looks well (thank goodness).

Why is Roger paying a visit to Jocasta, as Ulysses looks on? Is Roger explaining his part the chain of events that led Bree to stay at River Run? And why is Jocasta presumably glamping in that tent, instead of at her home? So many questions.

Jamie and Claire set out on horseback as what may be residents of Fraser's Ridge look on behind in. We spy Roger, Fergus, and...who's the face beneath that hat up front? Is that Young Ian??

Finally, we see Claire suited up for what appears to be surgery, looking worried as Bree comforts her (book readers: this is a spoiler-free zone).

What are your season predictions, based on the new images and knowing it's not totally based on Gabaldon's book series?

What will season 5 of Outlander be about?

Season 5 is largely based on The Fiery Cross, the fifth book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, though it won't 100-percent adhere to its events. Don't worry: we won't spoil too much for those who haven't read it.

Starz sums up season 5's plot as such:

As usual, Claire's burdened with her historical knowledge of what's to come, so she—along with her fellow time travelers, Brianna (Sophie Alexandra Skelton) and Roger (Richard Rankin)—is fully aware that the Revolutionary War is in the not-to-distant future.

"Being at the center of the birth of America is often a bloody and violent and heartbreaking matter," executive producer Matthew B. Roberts said in a statement. "Now, in season five, Jamie and Claire’s duty is not only to their loved ones, but to the community of settlers forming part of the ever-increasing Clan Fraser.”

Other questions likely to be addressed in season 5: Is Roger the biological father of Bree (a.k.a. Brianna)'s baby, or is it pirate supervillain Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers), who raped her? Will we see Bonnet again following his infuriating likely escape from prison? And will Murtagh and Jocasta get married (please let the answer be yes)?

Murtagh's story majorly affects The Fiery Cross adaptation.

"Obviously, keeping Murtagh alive was a choice that we made that has repercussions in terms of he has a story that he wouldn’t have had if he had died at Culloden," executive producer Maril Davis told Parade. Davis also admitted that although Gabaldon still reads all of the scripts and has access to the dailies (the raw footage shot on a given day of production), she "doesn't always like" the changes.

"But we think the story is really interesting, and we are going to play it out and see. We hope that we still get in the fan-favorite moments, and still have those Jamie and Claire connections and those intimate moments that people are looking for."

"It’s a very thick book. There’s a lot going on in Fiery Cross," executive producer Matthew B. Roberts told Parade. "There’s a lot of really fantastic moments that we’re trying to find space for. Once again, when you have a very thick book and Murtagh’s not even in it, when that story takes up space, then obviously other things have to move to the side. But we’re committed to it, we can’t just go away from it, so we’ll do the best we can."

Hmm...we love Murtagh, just don't cut any more Jamie and Claire love scenes, mmkay?

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