Starz is home to many ridiculously popular series, but real ones also know that the Outlander craze began dominating the premium cable network back in 2014 around the time that 50 Cent’s Power Universe debuted and prior to P-Valley, and BMF. Upon Outlander‘s debut, of Diana Gabaldon’s same-named book series tuned in for bodice ripping and stayed for the highly enjoyable blend of fantasy, history, and an epic romance with a feminist bent.
The show will conclude with the eighth season, which is currently filming, but before that lands, Outlander must finish airing its seventh installment. The wonky timing can be chalked up as a 2023 strike casualty, but the back end of this season does have a release date, and there’s even better news: Blood of My Blood, a prequel series that revolves around the parental love stories of the Outlander leads, has been filming as well. This guilty pleasure has new sights and sounds in store upon its return, so let’s discuss what fans can expect:
Plot
Starz released these new images to tide over Outlander addicts who are growing frustrated over the wait for more episodes. Clearly, Claire Randall Fraser (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) are still going strong, but viewers (and readers of the books) would expect no less. A look at young Ian can be found below, too.
Unfortunately, however, Claire and Jamie will not be having the most stress-free experience with other aspects of their lives when the show comes back. Executive producer Maril Davis warned that although the pair (along with Young Ian) travels home (to Jamie’s childhood abode, Lallybroch), they find that “[I]t’s a homecoming, but things happen that are more of a sad note.” Additionally, Davis declared, “Home is never the home you knew. It’s never going to be the same. That’s true when we come back — there’s troubling things on the horizon and some painful stuff. It’s bittersweet.”
As the synopsis reveals, the show returns with the trio traveling home to Scotland while the Revolutionary War continues to throw up obstacles:
Coming off of the first half of ‘Outlander’ season seven, viewers find Claire, Jamie and Young Ian leaving the colonies and arriving in their beloved homeland: Scotland. The perils of the Revolutionary War force them to choose between standing by those they love and fighting for the land they have made their new home. Meanwhile, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) face new enemies across time, and must battle the forces that threaten to pull their family apart.
At present, Starz hasn’t revealed how or when the lead in to the Blood of My Blood prequel will happen. Since the series is filming simultaneously with Outlander‘s final season, it seems likely that the prequel will air in between seasons while detailing the separate love stories of two couples, who happen to be parents of the leading duo.
Cast
Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe have embodied their roles for over a decade now, and the rest of the cast includes Richard Rankin, Sophie Skelton, David Berry, John Bell, Izzy Meikle-Small, Joey Phillips, and Charles Vandervaart.
Release Date
November 22 is the magic day for eight more weekly episodes to begin and eventually complete the sixteen-episode season. Unlike most split-season occasions, however, Outlander will return after not airing any episodes for a full year (since August 2023). Hopefully, the wait for the eighth season won’t be as enduring.
Trailer
Starz released this teaser with a full trailer pending.