What To Expect From The Final Seasons Of Outlander: A Journey Through Time

It's been a long Droughtlander and apparently you'll need a wee dram to get through the rest of Season 7—though fans would only be surprised if that weren't the case. The Outlander cast reunited at New York Comic Con, where fans were treated to a new trailer and discussion ahead of the release of Season 7, Part 2. Though perhaps the most striking thing was the palpable sadness among the tight-knit crew after recently wrapping filming on the eighth and final season after an incredibly successful 11-year run.

So how will the popular time-traveling drama end? Author Diana Gabaldon said the show's conclusion was "well done," though the end of Claire and Jamie's story in the books will be "much more complicated." The anticipation surrounding the series finale is palpable, and fans are eager to see how the story unfolds.

Season 7, Part 2 Insights

The first half of Season 7, released more than a year ago, ended with Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan), and young Ian (John Bell) arriving back to their beloved Scotland. In the newly released trailer, the Frasers look happy at home at Lallybroch, greeted by Jamie's sister Jenny (Kristin Atherton), although the reunion won't last long.

"It's such an emotional roller coaster," executive producer Maril Davis says of the season's second half during an October 17 panel discussion at New York Comic Con. "Death, loss, redemption… everything is in the second half." Fans learned seasons ago that bad things happen when Claire and Jamie are separated, and they will be once again amid the Revolutionary War. The trailer reveals Lord John Grey (David Berry) sharing bad news about Jamie to Claire.

"Some bad news… it's Jamie," Lord Grey tells Claire, and Claire responds: "I would feel it in my heart if his had stopped, mine would stop too."

Character Dynamics and Relationships

Meanwhile, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) are separated across time as Roger goes after their son Jemmy through the stones. Roger and Brianna "come into their element individually and as a team" the rest of this season, Skelton explains. While there are some "hellos" in store, the rest of the season includes "a lot of grief and goodbyes," Heughan said.

Viewers will also see favorites Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek) and Dougal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish) return for the season's second half, which comprises eight episodes. Episode 11 may be the most talked about, Davis said, adding: "Bring your whiskey, your tissues, it's pretty intense." Outlander Season 7, Part 2 airs on Starz on November 22.

The Show's Conclusion and Future

Claire and Jamie's story will have different endings in the Starz show and in Gabaldon's book, which is still being written. Season 8 will be the show's final installment, and will include 10 episodes. While not everyone has seen the finale script—to "avoid leaks"—the showrunners discussed the show's conclusion with Gabaldon beforehand.

"We are ending [the show] the way we are, we just wanted to be respectful of not ending it the way maybe the way she [Gabaldon] would," Davis said. So what did Gabaldon think about it? "It was interesting… I was not upset by it," she said. "It was not something I wrote, so I'm very objective about it. It was well done, I think it will work very nicely."

Her tenth book, however, will have "a very much more complicated end than the show will," she said. Filming wrapped on Season 8 in late September. It was "very emotional," Bell recalled. "I think when I saw Caitriona that day, we just broke down. There's a satisfaction, there's a pride. But on that actual day, I felt it deeply in my core." Heughan added, "It's really hard to talk about it. We're having this prolonged separation. For us, we'll always be part of this community, a part of this fandom. So in some ways, it will never end."

Behind the Scenes: Cast Reflections

Balfe also directed in Season 8 and said her favorite scene was of Jamie and Roger working on carpentry together. The pair weren't "given