Actor Richard Rankin, renowned for his role as Roger Mackenzie, has subtly hinted at the emotionally fraught conclusion of the popular time-travelling series, Outlander.
Although the narrative’s conclusion may seem to be far off, Richard advises fans to brace themselves for painstaking finale of the long-running show.
Presently on hiatus in what fans lovingly label as ‘Droughtlander’, the captivating Starz series will return with the second half of its seventh series on November 22.
The storyline will follow Jamie (portrayed by Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) setting sail to return to Scotland once again.
Simultaneously, Roger Mackenzie (enacted by Richard) and his wife Brianna Fraser (Sophie Skelton) are grappling with the distressing kidnapping of their son Jemmy (Blake Johnston-Miller) by the character Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton).
As the current season strides towards its dramatic episodes, Richard insinuates that the conclusion of Outlander may prove to be heart-breaking to fans.
“The final script reading was deeply emotional,” he revealed. “We had memories from all the previous seasons of the show on display.”
Production for the eighth season is progressing at a steady pace after facing delays due to industrial conflicts.
The Starz network aims for a release during the second half of 2025 for the final season, promising a nostalgic voyage for both the cast members and audience following a decade-long journey on screen.
“You can sense the intense nostalgia and the emotions attached to it,” Richard disclosed in an interview with Square Mile.
“There was an overflow of emotions in the room that day.”
Peeking into the prospective season, Richard shared: “The latter half of season seven contains some of the finest content we have filmed for Outlander.”
“This season provides an excitingly unique journey for Roger since viewers rarely find him separate from [his wife] Brianna as they are typically portrayed as a unified pair.”
While specific plot details are still under wraps by the creative team, fans anticipate that every season reflects one novel from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling series, totalling to a planned 10 books.
Even so, the last segment might have to drift slightly from Diana’s original narrative to offer a fulfilling conclusion to the Frasers’ tale.
Fortunately, the Outlander realm isn’t ending anytime soon, with a spin-off titled Outlander: Blood of My Blood, centering around Jamie Fraser’s parents, currently in development.
The second part of Outlander’s seventh series returns on Friday, November 22 on Starz channel.
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