Outlander returns in just a couple days for the second half of its seventh season, over a year after part 1 wrapped up. You might look at that long wait and conclude that this is effectively season 8, but they're calling it season 7, part 2, so let's just run with it.
When last we left them, Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) were returning to Jamie's native Scotland, with Young Ian (John Bell) in tow. That means they'll be reuniting with characters fans haven't seen in a while, including Young Ian's father, appropriately named Old Ian Murray. Actor Steven Cree, who hasn't played Old Ian since season 4, talked to the Daily Record about what it was like to be back on the show.
"One of the things I liked most about it was going back now. The last time I was on it, I wasn't a dad and going back and having the scenes with John Bell, who plays my son in it," Cree said. "I have hopefully a couple of lovely scenes with him that were really about being a father. I always say you don't have to be a murderer to play a murderer or anything else, but actually being a dad and understanding about that and understanding what I would want to say to my daughter informed and really helped me."
Cree also weighed in on a casting change: Cree is married to Jamie Fraser's sister Jenny Murray, who was previously played by Laura Donnelly. This time around, Jenny is played by Kristin Atherton. "To be honest, returning without Laura wasn't that weird because I hadn't filmed with since season three that was in 2017, I can't remember," Cree said. "And actually, Kristin , who came in and played Jenny was so fantastic and my storylines in the show were mostly with Jamie and Claire. I never really had that much stuff with Jenny. It was fine."
Overall, Cree is just happy to have been part of Outlander as it reaches its conclusion; the show is wrapping up with season 8. "The show for me has become almost something else. I've done a lot of Outlander fan conventions over the years and the fans are so, so, so enthusiastic of the actors and they get behind every single charitable cause," he said. "I really wanted to make sure I was available to go back and do it as well. I wanted to go back as I know how much it means to the fans of the show because I've met so many of them over the years. It's a privilege to be part of something like that."
Arch Bug is "still messing with" the Frasers in Outlander season 7, part 2
As they reunite with old friends, Jamie and Claire will be leaving other characters behind in the New World. That includes Arch Bug (Hugh Ross), who works on Fraser's Ridge, where our main characters live. But the Frasers parted with Arch on bad terms. Arch and his wife Murdina (Sarah Collier) attempted to steal gold from Fraser's Ridge, and Young Ian accidentally shot Murdina dead. Arch is none too happy about this.
Young Ian has now left for Scotland, but last we saw Arch, he expressed a wish that Young Ian return "soon," which sounded like a threat coming out of his mouth. As for his role in season 7, part 2, Outlander co-showrunner Matthew B. Roberts told TV Line that Arch is “still messing with the Frasers and the Murrays and the MacKenzies,” and encourages sympathy. “He’s such a lovable character in the early days, and this turn for him, it isn’t dark,” he said. “I have a lot of empathy for that character. He was madly in love with Murdina, and you see what Jamie and Claire do for each other, because they’re so madly in love. So I think you can understand why he does what he does.”
"I think if Jamie sat down with him and talked to him about it, Jamie would go, ‘I get it. You love her. You loved her more than anything. You feel someone took her from you.’ I mean, it’s so very relatable to our characters."
What would that be enough? We'll see what everyone gets up to when Outlander returns with new episodes on Starz this Friday, November 22.
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