‘Outlander’ Trailer for Second Half of Season 7 Ushers in Death, Loss, Redemption
Starz debuted a new trailer for the second half of Outlander‘s seventh season Thursday while its cast shared reflections on their more than 10-year journey with the show at New York Comic Con.
During a 45-minute panel, stars Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin and John Bell appeared alongside executive producer Maril Davis and author Diana Gabaldon to tease what fans can expect for the Frasers across time when the new episodes debut Nov. 22.
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Davis kicked off the panel by telling attendees, “It’s such an emotional roller coaster season seven — death, loss, redemption. Everything is in the second half. It’s even better than the first.” Gabaldon reinforced Davis’ description, telling the convention, “It’s such an amazing second half. I can’t wait for people to see it.”
The episodes will see many of the characters returning to Scotland, and Heughan reflected with Balfe on the “really special” return to the place where their characters kicked off their stories. “Bring your whiskey, your tissues. It’s pretty intense. So I think that’s one that will be talked about in many ways,” Davis added.
While reflecting on the show’s 10th year anniversary, Heughan recalled the feeling of being “really green” going into the show. “We were naive,” he told fans. “I think we both thought it would only last a season or two. Eleven years later, eight seasons, 101 episodes, we are so thankful.”
Balfe reflected on growing with the characters over the last decade, reiterating the pact that she and Heughan made early on to always have each other’s back in the filming process. “I think we have stuck to that, but it’s been such an honor to be able to play characters and watch them grow and be able to build a life with them. Every time you do a scene, it’s a memory. Every time you get to play them, you’re filling that memory back, and after that, the character just grows inside you.”
Rankin and Skelton both spoke about their audition processes, with Rankin recalling at one point viewing sides for Jaime and being separated from the rest of cast for so long in light of the time differences. “I remember when we arrived on the show, it was like it was kind of a film on a different TV show, because we were completely segregated for the rest of the cast,” Rankin said.
Bell expressed appreciation for being able to, in the course of his character’s arc, center an Indigenous community. “To be able to be a part of the Mohawk Nation and tell their stories and be a part of that story was the biggest privilege of my life,” he said.
Balfe’s first-time directing this season was also broached, with the actress noting that she found it more challenging to direct than act, but encouraged other women to get into filmmaking. “I was bracing myself for getting a lot of slack, but I think it was amazing. My first day was Sophie and Richard, and you guys were so amazing and so generous,” the actress-director said. “It’s a nerve wracking thing to stand in front of the crew and take on this new role but to come into it with these guys — I know them so well as co-stars, and to be like, ‘Hey, try this or try that.’ It was honestly just such an incredible experience.”
At one point, Davis expanded on comments recently made at PaleyFest that not everyone in the cast has seen the finale to avoid leaks of the ending. “[Producer] Matt Rogers didn’t want everyone to get our normal distribution, and so we did not put out the full script to everyone. We’re not telling people the end,” she said, before adding Gabaldon is aware of how the series is concluding. “We did talk to Diane about it. We were very careful. We didn’t want to step on her toes. There is another book, so we’re ending it the way we are.”
When asked what they might be able to tease about what’s coming, Davis got somewhat emotional talking about the show getting closer to its series finale. The eighth season has been announced as the final run, though a prequel is currently in production.
“It was such a tough season in so many ways,” she said. “I think this season is a celebration of our characters and trying to hit some of the high points and end on a note that hopefully people will be satisfied with. But I feel like it’s impossible to satisfy everyone because the show’s not going to go on, and I think there’s a sadness with that. So I don’t know this. This season had a vibe to it.”
Other castmembers, including Bell and Heughan, reflected on saying goodbye and filming the end of the season. Both noted how emotional the many goodbyes on the set have been, even as there’s been “satisfaction” and “pride” around all of their work. “It’s been an incredible journey, and even coming to Comic Con, which is always such a joy for us to come here. It’s so fun to share with you guys,” Heughan said. “Coming this time, there’s this bittersweet schedule of shooting and then going and promoting and doing press as it’s coming to an end.”
As they look at their lives beyond the series, many looked forward to getting sleep and time back to travel, being with family and working on other projects. But all shared a gratitude about the show’s journey. “This show has built such a legacy that has continued on, so we’ll be talking about it for a while,” Bell added.
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