Although Starz's Outlander is still in the midst of a Droughtlander between seasons, there's still a lot to celebrate. August 9, 2021 marked the seven-year anniversary of the hit series, and the occasion brought stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan out to share some throwback pictures and reminisce about where the show began, and how far they've come. Outlander premiered back in 2014, and viewers who hadn't read Diana Gabaldon's book saga couldn't possibly have guessed where Claire's journey through time would take her.
Back in the beginning, Claire's goal was to return to Frank in the 1940s after accidentally traveling back to 18th-century Scotland, even despite sparks flying with Jamie. Seven years later, and Claire and Jamie are grandparents, living in Revolutionary War-era South Carolina, and facing a future that could end in their fiery deaths. On the seven-year anniversary of Outlander's premiere, Caitriona Balfe took to Twitter with a touching message and a throwback pic that is a fun look behind the scenes, even if it wasn't exactly for a fun time for Claire. Take a look:
The image shows Caitriona Balfe's hair and makeup look for one of Claire's earlier scenes after winding up in rough circumstances, but certainly not the last. Claire's journey hasn't been easy, but her love of Jamie and then her extended family has kept her going, even to keep her oath to do no harm.
Caitriona Balfe hadn't yet had to undergo the aging process in the photo that she shared for the big anniversary since Claire was still a few seasons away from the big time jump, and I for one appreciate the look back at where the show began while waiting for where the show goes next. For his part, Sam Heughan chose a somewhat sillier series of pics to post:
In case there was any doubt that Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe were friends going back to the beginning, I think Balfe napping on Heughan (with a fake dead body on hand) while Heughan studies his lines is proof of how comfortable they've been with each other for a long time. The last photo in the series he posted also looks like he's wearing his Jamie costume but is missing the kilt.
And since Sam Heughan lost his previous phone while filming in the prison, it's probably safe to say that Heughan's pics are from filming the end of the first season. (I still say Heughan deserved some awards attention for those final episodes of Season 1!) The stars weren't the only ones from the show who hit social media to celebrate the Outlander anniversary either, as executive producer Maril Davis had this to say:
Executive producer Maril Davis certainly isn't kidding about Outlander having much more to share with fans. Not only is Season 6 on the way, but the show is making up for the shortened sixth season with a 16-episode seventh season that has already been ordered. The book saga that inspired the series also still has plenty of source material to be adapted, so the Outlander action isn't going anywhere... even if the hiatuses between seasons can be painfully long.
The good news is that there is an end in sight for the latest Droughtlander, as Outlander will return to Starz with Season 6 at some point in early 2022. There is no exact premiere date just yet, but "early 2022" beats not having any idea at all! Plus, with the future looking bright for fans – if not for Claire and Jamie ever catching a break – we can be confident that Outlander will continue hitting anniversaries for the next couple years. For some viewing options in the meantime, check out our 2021 fall TV premiere schedule.
