As Outlander fans rejoice in these last few days leading up to the premiere of the new season, we have lots to think about in our excitement. But, I’m sure that many viewers, while thrilled that this Droughtlander is nearly done, are already looking ahead to the not-too-distant future, as it was announced in January 2023 that Season 8 will be our final outing with Claire and Jamie Fraser. They’re not alone, either, as stars Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan talked recently about “getting choked up,” and more, when they realized the end was coming.
What Did Caitríona Balfe And Sam Heughan Say About Realizing That Outlander Would Be Ending Soon?
Though fans know that another on-screen love story is coming from the work of author Diana Gabaldon in the form of the prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, not to mention the quickly approaching Outlander Season 7 and the eventual debut of Season 8, we’re still lamenting the end of the romantic drama. As you might imagine, the same goes for those who’ve already spent a decade working on the series.
When speaking at a 92nd Street Y event in New York City (via Parade) to celebrate the upcoming episodes, both stars were asked about their feelings once they fully realized that the eighth season will be the last, and Balfe said:
We started talking about this for the EPK when we were doing stuff for the DVD for this season, and we started getting choked up. This show has given us everything, given us our careers, given us so much in our lives. We have been embraced by you guys [the audience]. You guys have created an insane community that is so incredible, we’re honored and privileged that we get to spend time with you guys. It’s going to be more than 10 years by the time we finish. It’s going to be really hard to say goodbye. Probably a lot of guttural sobbing.
Both actors had worked in film and TV before nabbing their coveted roles in the beloved series that’s given audiences some television’s sexiest romantic moments, but were basically unknown to many before landing on our screens as Claire and Jamie. As Balfe noted, not only did it immediately raise their profiles, but that also brought them millions of fans and helped them on toward bigger careers than they’d had previously. And, while they’ve admitted to some downsides of the fandom, they’ve also maintained that many of the fan interactions have been “incredible,” so it’s good to know that they’ll miss us as much as we’ll miss them as the Frasers.
Heughan opened up in the fall of 2022 about knowing he’d miss the “camaraderie” of working with his co-stars and the crew when the show is over, and said in May 2023 that the vibe on set changed when they started to feel the end coming, while filming Season 7, a sentiment he echoed at this event, adding:
Honestly, it felt tangible filming at the end of this season. We realized we were only going to come back and do it once more, but having said that, I think in this moment, we have so much to look forward to. I am really excited about you guys seeing this season. Then we get the opportunity to come back and really finish it in a satisfactory way. In a way that may not please everyone, but at least we get the chance to come back and finish the story and that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to finish the story. It’s been such a big part of my life.
It makes total sense for everyone involved with the historical drama (and all the fans who’ve stuck with it for years) to be sad that it’s going away soon, but as Heughan noted, at least we know we’ll get a real end to the romantic and action-packed journey we’ve been on for so long.
