Outlandish! The TV love story that broke the internet

Their passion defies time, space and anyone who dares to get in their way. Claire and Jamie share an unbreakable bond of true love on Outlander, and a commitment to do anything to keep it.

“It’s aspirational,” says Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire. “These are two people who are both, in their own right, very strong characters, and they have learnt over the years to allow each other to be exactly who they are, yet they challenge each other and hold a space for each other to be better.

Sam Heughan as Jamie and Caitriona Balfe as Claire in Outlander.Credit: Starz

“When one is down, the other one is there to catch them, and vice versa. They’re constantly either rescuing each other or fixing each other, and it’s a beautiful thing to observe. Wouldn’t we all want someone who loves us and fights for us so fiercely?”

Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie, nods as they chat in a Manhattan hotel room. Although few rock a kilt as he does, on this perfect autumn day, Heughan is more the cool dude at the corner pub in a black leather jacket, black jeans, a white T and silver rings.

“They force each other to reveal their inner fears and insecurities,” Heughan (Bloodshot) says. “They’re constantly trying to push each other to get to the bottom of what it is. And I think that they communicate, and we see these very typical Outlander scenes where they’ve gone through a situation, and then they hash it out together, and then they work through a problem and find some beautiful resolve.”

The actors listen attentively to each other, as they did when first promoting the series in 2014. Then, Heughan was shy; Balfe sat ramrod straight. Now, he chats easily, and she leans forward when confiding news about a famous fan.

“Joni Mitchell said that it got her through some tough times,” Balfe says. “And that, to me, is like the greatest. The fact that I’m part of something that gives people some comfort, and not only some people – but Joni Mitchell!”

The best-looking man on TV? Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in Outlander.Credit: Starz

In their only in-person print interview in New York, they’re careful not to spoil plots. For those who haven’t watched, it’s imperative to start at the beginning, when Claire, a World War II nurse, magically winds up in Scotland 200 years earlier. Diana Gabaldon’s story about the time-travelling couple gained an international fan base when the first of her nine novels was published in 1991. That fan base exploded when the series debuted on Starz in the United States.

Its appeal remains massive. Students of the Jacobite Rebellion, an admittedly small fan base, might tune in for the accurately portrayed history. Period drama aficionados will watch for the costumes – and Claire’s red gown in the second season, and the embroidery on her wedding dress in the first, are magnificent. This global fandom, however, is fuelled by something more primal than understanding history, appreciating exquisite needlework and watching a favourite book series blossom under creator Ronald D Moore (Battlestar Galactica).

It’s sex. The couple’s irresistible pull towards each other nearly broke the internet. Sure, we’ve been watching explicit scenes on television since premium cable began. Outlander is different, though. Their chemistry in steamy scenes is so intense that you feel you oughtn’t watch, yet you can’t look away.

The second half of the penultimate season returns on November 22 with eight episodes. The final season has already wrapped. This series changed their lives and fuelled the television and tourism industries in Scotland, notes Richard Rankin, who plays Roger, Claire and Jamie’s son-in-law.

Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom during the filming of Outlander’s seventh season.Credit: Starz

“Outlander arrived with such impact in Scotland,” Rankin (Burniston) says. “Everyone was talking about it, everyone auditioned for it, everyone was meeting for it. You felt the shake-up in the industry in Scotland because we have a finite amount of crew and resources to support such a huge thing. I remember when it was starting up and the studio was being converted, and we found out that there was going to be a studio right in the heart of Scotland, which was incredible.”

Sophie Skelton (Stalker), who plays Brianna, Claire and Jamie’s daughter, auditioned for the first season but began working on it in the second. “We had the luxury of seeing what a phenomenon it would become and knowing exactly what we were diving into,” she says.

As life-changing as the series has been, none of the actors are clinging to it. Would it be possible to keep these characters going? Gabaldon’s rich sagas seem made for an industry tending towards bankable properties that support origin stories and spin-offs. That seems unlikely with this crew.

“It’s been wonderful, but it has been quite consuming for a long time,” Skelton says. “And I think we’re very lucky that these characters, no matter how eight ends, I feel that they are quite at peace with themselves.”

This moment allows the actors to embrace the ending while cherishing the beginning.

“I had already sent in audition tapes, but when I found out they wanted to test, I went to my local bookstore in Los Angeles,” Balfe recalls. “The guy at the counter, as I was paying for it, was like, ‘You know, they’re currently going to make a series out of this.’ I was like, ‘Oh, really?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I did my thesis on Ronald D Moore.’”

Heughan bought his copy in London. A decade later, he reflects on the spark ignited when the Highland warrior espied the imperiled nurse from the future.

“The moment he sees her, he sees his death, his demise,” Heughan says. “He’s like, ‘I would die for this woman, and I probably will.’ And he’s prepared to. Over the seasons, he’s cheated death many, many times. I think he’s on his last lives. I think, as he’s gotten older, he’s certainly become more aware of mortality. And obviously, having lost Claire before, now he knows what he’s got to lose. So, I felt this season the fear of losing her again is definitely real. He knows he can’t live without her.”

Outlander season 7 part 2 screens on Binge from November 23.

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