“Droughtlander”
Droughtlander (Noun): The length of time between Outlander seasons without new episodes airing; a term often used by fans of the TV show. The previous “Droughtlander” was 656 days long, with the season five release in February 2020 and the season six premiere in March 2022.
Season Seven Release
After season six premiered in March of this year, the cast began to film the highly-anticipated seventh season of Outlander. Among the returning cast, there will be several new cast members on the show; for a full list, check out an earlier post about the release of the seventh season and to watch the teaser trailer.
Starz confirmed that season seven will release next summer. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Caitríona Balfe’s pregnancy, the previous season was shorter than any of the other seasons; there were eight action-packed episodes, compared to the usual twelve to sixteen episodes per season.
Courtesy of STARZ
Where We Left Off
Claire and Jamie Fraser are separated due to the vengeful Committee of Safety led by Richard Brown. Claire is imprisoned in Wilmington, while Jamie was taken by the committee to have him sent back to Scotland. Just before Jamie is due to board the boat, Ian and a band of men arrive to rescue him. Claire was accused of murdering Malva Christie and her unborn child, and awaits trial in the jail.
Meanwhile, Brianna, Roger, and Jemmy are traveling to a presbytery in Edenton so that Roger can become a minister. Brianna is pregnant with their second child, and while cutting Jemmy’s hair, she notices a nevus on his scalp. Roger states that he has one just like it. He recalls that they are hereditary, thus confirming that Jemmy is Roger’s son.
If you’re caught up on all of the available episodes, you’ll know that Jamie and Claire have been physically separated from each other before. Their current situation is not unlike the others— they are determined to find each other again. Cast members and fans alike have posted photos from behind the scenes while filming the seventh season, showing Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) climbing onto a ship and Caitríona Balfe (Claire Fraser) on a rowboat.
Looking Ahead
Season seven will be made of sixteen episodes. The storyline in the show from Diana Gabaldon’s sixth book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, is not finished yet. There are major events that happen toward the end of the book which will move the plot forward for the rest of the season. This season is said to cover most of book seven, An Echo in the Bone. It is also rumored to take a few events from book eight, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood.
The announcement of returning cast members for this season has foreshadowed the return of certain characters. This includes Nell Hudson (Laoghaire MacKimmie), Graham McTavish (Dougal MacKenzie), Lottie Verbeek (Geillis Duncan), and Steven Cree (Ian Murray), among others.
Playing an older version of William Ransom, Jamie Fraser’s son, Charles Vandervaart joins the cast. The casting of the Hunter siblings, Dr. Denzell Hunter and Rachel Hunter, was announced in June. Izzy Meikle-Small has been cast as Rachel, and Joey Phillips has been cast as her older brother, Dr. Denzell Hunter.
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- Courtesy of STARZ
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- Courtesy of Michael Shelford/James Melia
These three characters are integral to the storyline going forward, especially with the Revolutionary War just around the corner.
STARZ has not announced a renewal for an eighth season.
An Atlanta-based actress, model, writer, and screenwriter, Miranda started her career on stage in high school. She figured out that acting and writing were two passions of hers that allowed her to constructively express her emotions through character and narrative. In 2022, she packed up her cat and everything she owned to move across the US to Atlanta to further pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry. She is currently working on a novel and the screenplay adaptation for the novel, and enjoys designing graphics.
