It's hard to believe, but the end is nigh for Starz's time-traveling romance series Outlander. After running for more than a decade, the show is gearing up to air its eighth and final season sometime next year. Outlander is always an emotional affair, but for fans who've been along for the whole ride, this upcoming season stands to really pluck the heartstrings. Are any of us really ready to say goodbye to Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan)?
For that matter, are the actors themselves ready to say goodbye to the series? CBR caught up with Balfe while she was on the press tour promoting her new movie The Amateur, and couldn't resist sneaking in some questions about Outlander season 8.
“I don't know what I can say, or somebody swoops in and kills me," Balfe said about season 8. "I think, I think that we see more of the relationships maybe, maybe that's I think there's a lot of loose ends that get sort of tied up, and I hope that those are kind of satisfying conclusions for people."
"But I think, it was such an emotional season to film, and there were so many goodbyes and to places and people that we loved and that we've loved for so long. You know?" Balfe added. "I just really hope that it's [a] satisfying tribute to our fans, because we would never have been on air for that long without them, and they've they've been so incredible and stuck with us for so long. So, my hope is that they're happy at the end.”
A satisfying conclusion is certainly a good thing to hope for, and something the fans, cast, and crew all deserve on this long-running series. Outlander has remained pretty consistent throughout its entire run, so I have no doubt that it'll deliver. The series has already finished filming its final season, going so far as to shoot multiple endings to keep even the cast in the dark about how it all ends. Here's hoping it manages to tie off all those lose ends whenever it premieres in 2026.
Watch Jamie Fraser's parents school him on their family history
In the meantime, a new Outlander spinoff show is slated to debut this August: Outlander: Blood of My Blood. That show is a prequel which takes place in two timelines, showing how Jamie's parents met in 18th Century Scotland, and Claire's during World War I in England. The original show may be ending, but Starz isn't about to leave its legions of Outlander viewers hanging.
The network released a new clip late last week that features actors Brian Roy (Brian Fraser) and Harriet Slater (Ellen MacKenzie) telling Sam Heughan all about his character Jamie's family history. It's a fun little way to tie the two shows together, and gives us a glimpse at some new footage as well. It also shows off the excellent casting in this franchise. There are a few shots where Roy shoots a charming smile that is a dead ringer for Heughan's, and Slater has a look very reminiscent of Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton). I have a feeling this show is going to make Outlander fans feel right at home.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood airs its first episode August 8, 2025 on Starz. Its first season will run for 10 episodes total. After that, we'll see how it all wraps up for Jamie and Claire when Outlander returns for its eighth and final season sometime in 2026.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.