Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitríona Balfe) Fraser return to Scotland where their love story began when the Droughtlander ends today with the premiere of the second half of Season 7.
The two world travelers, whose journey has taken them from Scotland to France to the Caribbean to the New World, are looking forward to the return to Lallybroch, Jamie’s family home before permanently settling in America.
“It’s something that Jamie, and I think Claire as well, have longed to see again,” Heughan told Parade. “Jamie especially to see his family, his sister, his brother-in-law. There’s a lot of unfinished business for Jamie, a lot of relationships that he needs to put to rest.”
Not all of the unfinished business is happy. There is distressing news about his brother-in-law and he has to confront his ex Laoghaire (Nell Hudson) and settle things with her once and for all.
Heughan continued, “Surprising things have moved or changed certainly in his family situation. There’s a lot to deal and contend with. A lot of memories, some very bittersweet.”
For Claire, the time is finally right to deal with the fallout from a long-held secret with the Murrays at Lallybroch, but especially with Jenny (Kristin Atherton).
“For Claire, I think bittersweet is right,” Balfe told Parade. “Obviously, they arrive and they find out how sick Ian is. She can’t really do anything to help. Which, again, creates a little bit of tension between her and Jenny. But then she gets to really reveal herself to Jenny in a way, in the most honest way that she’s ever been able to before, that then allows them to create this deeper bond.”
One nice aspect of the return to Lallybroch is to watch how Jamie and Claire function as couple with no war on the horizon and the pressures of Fraser’s Ridge behind them for a while. Their special bond allows them to be playful as they go about the day-to-day.
“Their love is so deep and enduring,” Balfe said, “I think with any long-standing marriage it’s not that the passion is gone, it’s morphed into something that’s…
“… deeper,” Heughan finished her sentence.
“Yes, it’s deeper and it’s more,” Balfe picked back up. “They’re grandparents, they have so much. They’re best friends, they’re husband and wife, they’re co-grandparents, co-parents. It’s all of those things and it’s about love— deep, enduring love—rather than just attraction. Even though that’s still there, too.”
Sam Heughan, Caitríona Balfe
Courtesy: STARZ
“For Jamie and Claire, it goes beyond,” Heughan said. It goes beyond this world, it goes into the next world. I think that’s what people love about this story, is that their love is endless and boundless.”
“Metaphysical,” Balfe added.
And Heughan agreed, “It really is. I think it’s always been part of Diana Gabaldon’s books. Hopefully, we’ve taken the viewers on that journey in terms of their relationship, as well.”
The second half of Outlander Season 7, based on the bestselling novels by Diana Gabaldon, is set to premiere at midnight ET on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms. On linear, it will debut on STARZ tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT in the U.S.
