After eight seasons on air, the time-travelling romance drama Outlander is preparing to wrap up next spring, and showrunner and executive producer Matthew B. Roberts has shared how difficult it was to bring the series to its conclusion.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Roberts admitted that he found himself stuck while writing the series finale. He explained that crafting a satisfying conclusion for beloved characters like Claire Beauchamp, played by Caitríona Balfe, and Jamie Fraser, portrayed by Sam Heughan, was already a daunting task. Their story has kept audiences invested since Outlander first premiered in 2014, but Roberts said the most difficult part was meeting the expectations of the show’s large and passionate fanbase. “It kept me up at night,” the executive producer confessed.
Those concerns were also shared with Outlander’s cast, crew, and creative team. Roberts told them that season 8 shouldn’t rely on excessive drama or shocking twists, but instead should deliver what fans who have been watching for a decade expect. He emphasized that the final installment is special enough on its own, without pushing things too far and risking alienating the audience, something he believes many shows do in their final seasons.
“I said to everybody, let’s try not to do that Very Special Outlander season. It’s already special. People have come to this show for a decade, let’s just do what we do, do it well, and give them something that they have come to expect.”
Roberts also revealed that fans won’t have to wait long for answers to some of the show’s biggest mysteries in Outlander season 8. According to the showrunner, the final chapter will address the fate of Claire’s daughter Faith and explain the source of Jamie’s time travel abilities. He added that the opening of the season delivers a significant amount of information early on, setting the tone for everything that follows.
The executive producer noted that he always knew how the series would end, but still chose to film several alternate endings for “security reasons.” He reassured fans that while the final season is filled with tension and turmoil, it also offers plenty of resolution.
“You won’t have to wait long for a lot of them. We hit you with a pretty big wave of information right off the bat, and then that wave will hopefully carry you all the way to the end. There’s a lot of tension and turmoil, but there is a lot of resolution. I always had the ending in my head, but we also filmed a few [other] endings for security reasons.”
