Outlander has had a great, fan-thrilling run on Starz while adapting Diana Gabaldon’s same-named book series. Actually, that run is not over (far from it), although the wait between seasons has been so long that devotees refer to this phenomenon as “Droughtlander.” That’s both a good thing (because the audience is salivating for more, which the show deserves for having far more substance than being a mere “bodice ripper” story) but also, obviously, not optimal because frustrated viewers can get randy rowdy.
Starz does, after all, swiftly crank out new seasons of 50 Cent’s prolific Power universe, so the Outlander holdup does look curious, and dang it, people want their timey-wimey historical-romantic drama, too. Since Outlander‘s seventh season won’t even air until November (with an eighth season currently filming), there’s no time like the present to discuss the planned prequel, which is fortunately already rolling cameras.
Plot
Outlander will soon be focusing on the concept of not returning home despite physically traveling home, yet the prequel will take Jamie and Claire’s home lives back in time to a point where they didn’t yet exist. That is to say, don’t expect to see Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, but Blood Of My Blood will spend time in the Scottish Highlands, and the logline remains simple: “The series will center on these two parallel love stories set in two different time periods, with Jamie’s parents in the early 18th-century Scottish Highlands and Claire’s parents in WWI England.”
As well, the prequel will be written and executive produced by current Outlander co-showrunner Matthew B. Roberts, and naturally, Starz is keeping a great deal of information under wraps, but TV Line noticed that some casting news actually reveals an Easter Egg that isn’t exactly in the books but does source from the audiobooks in a way. What gives? Jamie’s paternal grandma is never named in the Outlander books but receives a shoutout in The Outlandish Companion, and although she isn’t given a name in the source material, the prequel will have a housekeeper character (portrayed by Sara Vickers) who will be named after Davina Porter, who voices the Outlander audiobooks.
“Davina Porter” will be retconned into the story as Jamie’s grandmother, and TV Line reminds the world another reason why this is a notable tidbit:
In a Season 2 episode of the TV adaptation, an ashamed Jamie confesses to Claire that his father was an acknowledged bastard of Lord Lovat; he apologizes for not having the courage to tell her the truth before their wedding.
Cast
Variety has been all over the casting news here. Hermione Corfield and Jeremy Irvine will portray Claire’s parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp; and Harriet Slater and Jamie Roy will portray Jamie’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser. The supporting cast is vast and includes Sally Messham, Ailsa Davidson, Brian McCardie, Terence Rae, Sadhbh Malin Jocasta Cameron, Jhon Lumsden, Annabelle Dowler, Peter Mullan, and Harry Eaton.
Release Date
For the prequel? C’mon. As of now, Starz has only revealed that the seventh season of Outlander will return in November while the eighth season is already filming. No information has dropped on whether Blood Of My Blood will air between or after the unaired Outlander episodes, or if Starz is planning on concurrently running the series.
Trailer
Chances are that we’ll see a prequel teaser of some sort when Outlander premieres its seventh season in November.