In the trailer, we can see that the Revolutionary War is close at hand. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) tells Jamie (Sam Heughan), “It’s starting. A storm, the war. It’s almost here.” The trailer also reveals more returning cast members, including Sophie Skelton (Brianna), Richard Rankin (Roger), Lauren Lyle (Marsali), César Domboy (Fergus), and John Bell (Young Ian), and we get a quick look at newcomer Jessica Reynolds as Malva Christie. Outlander season 6, based on best-selling author Diana Gabaldon’s novel A Breath of Snow and Ashes, is slated to premiere in early 2022 on STARZ, although the exact date has yet to be revealed. It picks up where season 5 ended with Claire having just escaped a violent encounter with Lionel Brown and his followers from Brownsville. Rescued by Jamie and a band of men from Fraser’s Ridge, she has been returned home. Following are the high points from the NYCC Outlander panel:
The Christie Family
Sam Heughan: We have this family, the Christie’s, that arrive at Fraser’s Ridge. Initially, they are integrated into the community, but very soon we start to see the history that’s been between Tom and Jamie really get under the skin of everyone. It starts to disintegrate or decay what Claire and Jamie have built at Fraser’s Ridge. Mark Lewis Jones [Tom Christie] is just incredible, Alexander Vlahos [Allan Christie], Jessica Reynolds [Malva Christie] are such a weird little family, on and off screen, so you’re going to love them and hate them. Caitriona Balfe: Mark is great. He’s such a fantastic actor. He has Sam and me in stitches. There might be a little operation that Claire has to do on Tom and Mark was so funny. Sam was breaking every time because Mark would be, “Oh, dear! Oh, God!” It was such a good dynamic having him, Jessica Reynolds is so lovely, and Alex. It was a nice new dynamic to bring onto the Ridge.
Jamie Killed a Lot of Men to Avenge Claire. How Does that Change How the Men on the Ridge See Him?
Sam Heughan: Jamie and Claire spent a lot of time really building this community and, I think, this season we see that disintegrate. Jamie went to rescue Claire, but I don’t think she’s gotten over that trauma. Jamie is very aware of it. He’s keeping an eye on her. The cracks are starting to show. Not just for Jamie and Claire, but for the residents of Fraser’s Ridge. The war is coming. It always seems to be coming but it is coming. We’re very aware of having to tread a fine line between his loyalties. He knows he is on the wrong side with the British and he knows at some point, he’s going to have to switch sides. It is even harder for him this season because he’s being pulled in both directions.
Claire on Navigating Her Medical Practice
Caitriona Balfe: Claire has always been so good at compartmentalizing. I think she’s not intentionally taking a step back but given what happened at the end of last season, I think for the first time, she can’t suppress something. This is the first time she has to deal with what happens. We see her be a bit destabilized. That bleeds into every aspect of her life. As much as she wants to continue on as if nothing had happened, and as Sam said, Jamie is so aware of it. He’s watching her and I think that everybody is much more aware of what’s going on than she is until it becomes too much, and she has to deal with it. It has an affect on every aspect of her life and definitely, her life as a healer.
The Browns
Sam Heughan: In the last episode of last season, you see Jamie return Lionel’s body and has seeked for revenge for what happened to Claire. It is clear that this is only the beginning of bigger, deeper animosity between the two. The Browns are very dangerous and Richard Brown is an extremely dangerous man, and very powerful as well. So the short answer is, yes, you are going to see a lot more of the Browns and they’re not very nice people.
Hiding Caitriona’s Pregnancy
Caitriona Balfe: Trish [Biggar] did an amazing job. Trish worked with getting the costumes early, slightly bigger looking and more voluminous, so we could hide things under. I do think it was a little big difficult. We have an amazing camera crew, but they’re all men, so sometimes they don’t see things the way a woman would see it, so sometimes you’re shooting a scene and you’re like, “Should I be hiding this or should I be standing somewhere else,” and they’re ‘You’re fine.” I don’t think I was always fine. I think there’s a little bit of work in the post. Maril Davis: Honestly, I think no matter what we do now that people know, I think people will be looking for it. We filmed out of order. We might use some creative solutions to try to fix some things but she looked amazing throughout and it all works.
Bree and Roger’s Failed Return to the Future
Maril Davis: I think they have settled in, as much as one can settle in on Outlander. Crazy things will happen, but I think they have realized this is their home now and they are going to make their best effort to fit in there. I think this season is all about each of them figuring out their place on the Ridge. Roger, obviously, has so many skills that he brought with him that aren’t necessarily transferable to this life and he is still struggling with that. The same with Bree. She’s got an engineering background and it’s how can she make that work in this time and give herself a purpose. She’s a mother, and that’s a purpose, but she also wants a little something more for herself, so we’re going to see that journey for both of them this season.
One Word to Describe the Season
Diana Gabaldon: Fabulous. It’s one of my favorite seasons, right after season one. Maril Davis: Traumatic Diana Gabaldon: That’s why it’s my favorite. Sam Heughan: I was going to say intense, but I think extended. Even though there are less episodes, it feels like there is more. Caitriona Balfe: Unraveled for a lot of characters Lauren Lyle: Intimate. There’s a lot of intimacy. People with themselves and with their partners. John Bell: Cathartic. César Domboy: Healing for Fergus.
The Weather
Maril Davis: I feel like people get so tired of us talking about the weather. It’s like weather, weather, weather, but it has become almost like a character in the show. This year was particularly difficult. Every year is. Scotland is a hard mistress, as they say. This year we were hit with so much horrible weather and had to move things inside at the last minute and it’s a show that wants to be outside. It wants to take advantage of the landscape, of the beauty that is Scotland that is playing North Carolina. This year was particularly tough for so many reasons, the weather, COVID. It was tough for the actors, and it is always tough for the crew. It is one of the reasons, we shortened our season. We just got hit really hard this year. Following is the official synopsis: Next, ‘Heartbreaking’ And ‘Twisted’! Find Out What Caitriona Balfe Just Said About Season 6 of Outlander
