Outlander's Season 5 Finale Left Us With Some Questions
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Ahead of the season six premiere, we're taking a look back at the end of season five.
Outlander fans, Droughtlander is sadly here once again. But before we settle in for that lengthy break between seasons—given the ongoing coronavirus crisis, production on season six could be delayed—let's take a critical look at the finale of season five. Here, what we're still wrestling with after the episode "What Dreams May Come":
What exactly happened to young Ian?
When Ian returned to Fraser's Ridge about halfway through season five, it was clear that something had troubling happened to him during his time with the Mohawk people. He was depressed, suicidal even, and hinted at wanting to change the past when he learns of Claire, Roger, and Brianna's ability to travel through time. The show suggests that his problems stemmed from a relationship with a woman, but it didn't overtly explain the situation. Presumably, things will become more clear in the season ahead.
Will Roger, Brianna, and Jemmy ever return to the 1970s?
The MacKenzie family's attempt to travel back through the stones in episode 511 failed, but it's unclear if they are stuck in the 1700s forever, or if that was a fluke based on their intention to go "home."
Roger and Brianna have now confirmed that Jemmy is able to time travel, but it's unknown at this point if they will try again down the line.
Is Fraser's Ridge still in danger of burning down?
This one is a hold over from season four. Brianna first came back through the stones to save her parents from a fire on Fraser's Ridge. She read about the blaze in a historic newspaper clipping, but thanks to a smudge on the page, it's unclear exactly when the disaster will take place. For now, Claire and Jamie are safe, but they might not be for long.
What does the timeline of the show look like moving forward?
In the final three episodes of season five, storylines (including Claire's kidnapping and Stephen Bonnet's death among others) stemmed from Diana Gabaldon's sixth novel, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. The plot moved quickly, shifting the timeline of the original story, and leaving out certain elements found in the book.
But will season six go back and include some of the storylines that didn't feature in season five? Or will it charge forward, perhaps covering both A Breath of Snow and Ashes and pieces of Gabaldon's seventh tome, An Echo in the Bone. We'll just have to wait and see.
How long will the series run?
Fortunately for longtime fans of the series, Starz has already renewed Outlander for its sixth season, and writers have started working on a script. But a premiere date has yet to be announced, and given the current coronavirus crisis, it's difficult to predict when production on new episodes could start.
Earlier this year, Caitriona Balfe let it slip that she is under contract for a seventh season, should Starz pick up the time-travel drama for another chapter. But what happens after that remains to be seen. It's possible that the writers and producers are hoping to get through the bulk of Gabaldon's books before contracts run out.
Right now, Gabaldon has published eight books, with a ninth, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone due out this year. In total, she has shared that the series will have ten books, but she has not written the final's text yet.
Will the series continue to use rape and violence against women to further the plot?
As the series has progressed, one of the main criticisms against it has been its considerable use of rape and violence against women in its storylines. It has yet to go a season without a character being sexually assaulted, a trend which continued in season five. Those involved with the series have defended choices involving these storylines, pointing back to the original book series, and to the violent nature of the period in which Outlander is set, but the question remains: do there need to be additional rapes in a show which has already had so many?
That said, the season ended with Claire experiencing intense PTSD following the attack of Brown's men. While Outlander's use of rape is controversial, it is one of the few shows on TV that follows the physical and emotional aftermath of rape all the way through.
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