At the TCA’s; Outlander Returns for Season Three!

One of the most anticipated returns for fans is the third season of Outlander to Starz. Richard Rankin (Roger Wakefield), Sophie Skelton (Brianna Randall), Tobias Menzies (Frank & Black Jack Randall), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser), Caitrona Balfe (Claire Randall Fraser), Maril Davis (Executive Producer) and Ronald D. Moore (Showrunner/Writer/Executive Producer) discussed what we could expect from the second season of the popular show.

The acclaimed series is back for its third season, which dramatizes events in the third book. We pick up right after Claire – pregnant with Jamie’s child – travels through the stones to return to her life in 1948. She struggles with the fallout of her sudden reappearance and its effect on her marriage to her husband Frank. Meanwhile, in the 18th century, Jamie suffers from the aftermath of his doomed last stand at the historic Battle of Culloden as well as the loss of Claire.

Outlander is strong with both male and female viewers; showrunners believe the appeal is multi-dimensional characters.

“Well, one thing I think we’ve always said about our show is that the female character of Claire is sort of at the center, but it’s not just her. It’s the fully formed characters of Jamie and Frank as well and Black Jack, and I think what that gives you — whereas, some shows, maybe you have this central male character and then surrounding him are more two-dimensional versions of women, we’ve made all of our characters fully formed, and they all have great depth,” said series star Caitriona Balfre. “So what you get is a great balanced look at relationships. And I think that that’s why so many people relate to it and like to connect to it, because it’s giving you a realized version of people.”

Along with the reunion of Jaime and Claire, viewers are looking forward to the death of Black Jack Randall. How will the show give a proper end to the Black Jack and Jamie feud?

Tobias Menzie explained, “It’s, I think, a difficult storyline to tie up in a way. Where do you go after, especially the stuff towards the end of Season 1, I think. So we meet them — they meet on the battlefield of Culloden. It’s sort of — we meet it — almost in flashback, it’s Jamie’s, kind of, hallucination as he remembers fragments of this encounter. So Jack is buried in there. It’s a nonverbal, sort of, tying up of the story. It’s this strange kind of dance. And there’s always with their stuff, I think both writers and as performers, we always try to look for an unusual angle. So it wasn’t just a straightforward fight. There’s something odder going on with them. I like the way it’s come out. It’s sort of a strange kind of part fight, part dance, part embrace, and I feel like a fitting end to this very peculiar kind of quasi-love affair.”

All the drama, romance and spectacle of Outlander is on tap, as The Battle of Culloden – and Jamie’s  takes center stage in episode one.

“The Battle of Culloden was something that not only the crew and the highlanders and everyone was anticipating, but it’s a real important part of our history. And so, yeah, I think it was a great start to the season. And certainly, Jamie does suffer it pretty horrendously,” Sam Heughan added. “But Brendan, our director, was great and really worked through sort of the journey of Jamie there and his loss and coming to terms with having lost Claire and actually not expecting to survive the battle.”

Outlander season three returns to Starz on September 10th. Check your local listings.