Expectations are high for the final season of Outlander, as fans are buzzing about how the adaptation of the best-selling books by Diana Gabaldon will wrap everything up. For over a decade, fans have loved seeing the time-traveling romance between World War II nurse Claire (Caitríona Balfe) and 18th-century Scottish highlander Jamie (Sam Heughan) unfold. Viewers have watched the couple meet, fall in love, and battle across the world, ending in North Carolina on the eve of the American Revolution.
A major question is the ending, since Gabaldon hasn’t finished the book series quite yet. Well, as it turns out, even the cast has no idea what the ending will be for the show. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Matthew B. Roberts revealed he wrote and shot multiple endings to ensure spoilers don’t get out.
"There's a small handful of people that have seen it all the way through," he said. "I think keeping it close to the vest and a surprise to a lot of people made it a little more special. They all could have been the ending, and that's why people believed them.”
Executive producer Maril Davis added that, “There was some fun to having multiple endings — like the Who Shot J.R.? moment, if I’m going to date myself. How many different ways could it go?"
Balfe admitted that she and the rest of the cast were in the dark as to what the true ending could be. "I am as curious and in anticipation of seeing the rest of the season as everyone else will be," said the actress, while also confessing to having only seen the first three episodes of season 8. That makes the excitement for the true ending even greater.
What will the true ending of Outlander be?
There is good reason for Outlander fans to be worried about the show sticking the landing. After all, Game of Thrones is infamous for its controversial finale, as the writers had to craft a conclusion before George R.R. Martin could complete his books. Likewise, Outlander has already diverged from Gabaldon’s books in several ways, so its finale is likely different from what she has in mind.
The show's creators know this full well, with Davis stating, “It's tough to end the TV series before the book series concludes. I think no matter what ending we have, it's going to be bittersweet."
The series has a lot of questions to answer, as season 7 ended with Claire suspecting that somehow her stillborn daughter Faith was still alive. There’s also the question of Jamie avoiding his fate of dying in the Revolution, and whether Claire returns to the 20th century. Roberts knows how much pressure is on him, but is ready to provide the ending he always had in mind when the show started.
"You're never going to please everybody," he said. "What we tried to do is answer as many questions as we could authentically. There's so many great storylines that get tied up — whether it's in a tight bow or a very loose bow, that’s for the fans to judge."
It’s likely the alternate endings will eventually be leaked online or on the final season Blu-Ray. It’s a clever way to make sure even the cast are surprised at how Outlander ends, and thus, fans can expect an appropriately epic conclusion to this fantastic saga.
Outlander Season 8 premieres March 6 on Starz.