[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the series finale of Outlander, “And the World Was All Around Us.”]
Strive because the universe would possibly to maintain them aside, Claire (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) had been all the time destined to finish up collectively on Outlander. However proper up till the ultimate moments of Starz’s long-running fantasy historic romantic drama, devoted viewers feared that their beloved Twentieth-century English fight nurse and 18th-century Scottish highland warrior weren’t going to get their joyful ending in spite of everything.
Within the Could 15 sequence finale, as Claire’s first husband Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) foretold in his 20th-century book in regards to the historical past of Scots who settled in North Carolina, Jamie is tragically killed on the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780. After spending nearly the whole last season fearing that the ebook’s prophecy about Jamie would come true, Claire is unable to take away herself from her husband’s facet on the battlefield, spending the remainder of that day and evening pouring all of her love and grief into his lifeless physique.
As soon as she has resigned herself to the truth that she has misplaced the love of her life for good, Claire, whose hair has now turned gray, lies down beside Jamie and cradles his corpse. However shortly earlier than the display cuts to black one final time, the lovers might be seen and heard gasping for breath, suggesting that Claire has used her particular therapeutic skills to save lots of Jamie. The ending aligns with creator Diana Gabaldon’s ninth Outlander ebook, Go Inform the Bees That I Am Gone, wherein Claire seemingly makes use of her “blue light” — a mystical, supernatural therapeutic energy related to sure time vacationers — to save lots of Jamie after he will get shot.
The actors, who simply watched the finale for the primary time days earlier than it aired, are nonetheless making an attempt to make sense of that ending for themselves. “This whole series has meant so much to us and been such a huge part of our lives that in a way, because we finished, it almost feels like maybe they should be together in another beautiful place — and maybe it should be heaven, or whatever heaven is to anybody,” Balfe tells The Hollywood Reporter of her theories about what occurs to Claire and Jamie.
“I do want to leave it up for the viewer, but it depends on the day,” Heughan provides of his interpretation. “Some days I’m like, ‘You know what? They live and they go back to [Fraser’s] Ridge, and they live happily ever after.’ But part of me also is suspicious. I think that they are together, but they’re somewhere else. They’re perhaps in the afterlife, and that might be implied by the standing stone, but they’re happy and they’re together. I think that’s all that matters.”
After screening the sequence finale, THR spoke to stars and government producers Balfe and Heughan and showrunner Matthew B. Roberts — who was significantly tight-lipped about that ending — in separate conversations on Thursday and Friday. Their chats have been edited into the prolonged dialog beneath.
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Matt, the ultimate season of Outlander was announced over three years ago, however you will have clearly been ruminating about the right way to finish this sequence for for much longer than that. Given that you just needed to wrap up the present earlier than you had been capable of adapt all of Diana Gabaldon’s books, how did you method crafting your individual ending?
MATTHEW B. ROBERTS In a bizarre method, season eight continues to be a part of the books. It’s simply not ebook 10 [Gabaldon’s final Outlander book], so [our final season] is just not the tip of the ebook sequence. We had materials that lined season eight. Clearly, we needed to regulate, however finally, we finish fairly near how these books finish.
There was a really choose few that I pitched the ending to — clearly, Diana after which the individuals who wanted to know on the studio [Sony Pictures Television] and community [Starz]. Caitríona and Sam knew the thought of the ending from day one among capturing, in order that they knew the place we had been going. I definitely wished to allow them to know, however we saved it very near the vest. I wrote alternate endings. We scheduled scenes to be shot that we weren’t even going to shoot, simply in case the decision sheet went out [and was leaked to the public], so we performed round with safety fairly a bit.
Caitríona and Sam, at what level did Matt clue you into his plans, and what was your response when you discovered that he was going to finish on this bittersweet word?
SAM HEUGHAN Matt saved it very near his chest. After all, there have been instances once we talked, and I pushed him as nicely. I made it very clear that the factor I wished to see was Jamie’s ghost on the window [from the very first episode, when Frank catches Jamie staring at Claire through a window]. He assured me that we’d see it, and we did. That was one of the rewarding elements — to see that full-circle second we see in episode one, and to know that it is Jamie but in addition maybe clarify slightly bit about why he’s there. His ghost is revisiting her after his loss of life. Jamie’s all the time going to be there for her. He even talks about it earlier on within the final episode about how he’ll look in on her and hold watch over her.
CAITRÍONA BALFE I clearly wasn’t on a need-to-know foundation. (Laughs.) However we obtained the final scripts possibly per week earlier than filming that block, and a part of it was a dummy script, and he had advised us that that ending wasn’t going to be the ending. To be trustworthy, I don’t keep in mind at what level we obtained the ending that we shot. We did shoot alternates about who opens eyes, does one eye open or one other individual’s eyes open. We knew there have been all the time numerous methods Matt may edit it. I solely noticed the episode this week, so I’m nonetheless additionally making an attempt to digest it. I really feel like I’m nonetheless catching up slightly.
HEUGHAN I believe [we learned about] the precise last second maybe even days earlier than [filming]. It was a very long time coming. Jamie’s conscious of his loss of life. He is aware of he’s in all probability going to die on the mountain. He has expertise with destiny earlier than and is aware of it’s actually onerous to alter historical past. So I believe he’s coming to phrases with [his mortality] the entire season, as I used to be additionally coming to phrases with the tip of Outlander and Jamie’s journey.
Matt, you talked about that you just wrote some alternate endings for safety causes, however did you ever movie any of them?
ROBERTS We didn’t totally shoot anything. We pretended to shoot some after which we scheduled some. We had a pair takes of one thing, simply in case we would have liked dailies. Nothing was really [fully] filmed, however they had been written. And once we did our readthrough, we learn the alternate model ending, not the ending you see.
However was the ending within the last reduce what you all the time envisioned?
ROBERTS Sure, I labored backwards from this ending. I all the time wished it to include the ghost. Sam and I had this dialog once we met on the primary day [of filming season eight], once we all obtained again collectively for prep. I advised him, “Hey, we’re going to close the loop on the ghost.” He was like, “Oh, good. I’m so excited. I think the fans really want it.” I stated, “I haven’t written it yet, but you’ll see it when we get there.”
Matter of truth: That was Sam’s and my final day filming. So we wrapped out the larger crew and solid and we had a last day of capturing, however then we would have liked to choose this up. So Sam and I went as much as Craigh na Dun with a crew, and we filmed that final bit.
HEUGHAN That was the very last thing I shot on the present. We went as much as the stones — or, I suppose, our faux stones. We went as much as Schiehallion, Kinloch Rannoch, which is one among our most magical locations we’ve shot. It all the time delivered, and that day was beautiful. To play younger Jamie once more was improbable. It was one thing that I actually, actually wished to see the tip of, to know [how it connects].
Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe as Claire and Jamie Fraser within the sequence finale. “I’m not going to interpret the ending for anybody,” says showrunner Matthew B. Roberts.
Starz
Sam, what’s your interpretation of these two scenes of Jamie alone — first trying up at Claire by means of the window, after which on the stones — after he has died? The scene by means of the window is from the very first episode, however since we solely initially noticed Jamie’s again, did it’s a must to return to shoot extra protection?
HEUGHAN I believe we’re attending to see a scene or a second that occurs as Jamie has returned to Scotland, so it’s simply earlier than our story begins in season one. There’s one thing in [that scene that suggests] he doesn’t have magic powers or something like that, however he’s a superstitious man and it is a very particular place for him, and he’s maybe calling for one thing or somebody — and the stones, or destiny, ship. I believe the overlook me nots [which grow after Jamie touches the stones] are fairly vital.
However, yeah, we shot [my coverage] 12 years later. I obtained again within the outdated costume, and we didn’t have Tobias [Menzies] within the studio the place we shot the closeups. We needed to have a double for his physique. Nevertheless it was cool to recreate that second and to see Jamie, maybe his ghost, taking a second to test in on Claire.
Let’s backtrack slightly bit to earlier within the episode earlier than we talk about the ultimate shot of the sequence. Claire and Jamie share a very pretty embrace on the mountain after his military has gained, but it surely was nearly a crimson herring as a result of, simply as Claire leaves her husband to are inclined to wounded troopers, Jamie will get shot by Ferguson. Claire rushes again to carry Jamie, however he dies shortly in her arms.
ROBERTS That’s the man who shoots him within the ebook, so what occurs to him occurs within the ebook. It’s simply the aftermath of that [shooting] that’s adjusted. I wished all people to be devastated. I wished the world to be devastated. I wished all people to assume, “Oh shit, they made it! He made it! They changed history.” However they didn’t. I wished all people to be crushed. I wished the characters to really feel the load of shedding Jamie Fraser.
Most significantly, for those who have a look at how Claire’s [healing] powers evolve, she doesn’t have complete management over them, and so they come on the time of want, and there’s no extra vital time than this second. I believe that’s what you see there on the finish.
Caitríona, although you’ve performed completely different variations of Claire believing that she had misplaced Jamie over time, if you all shot Jamie’s loss of life scene within the sequence finale, was there a special form of depth on set? How did that play out out of your perspective?
BALFE Yeah. To begin with, you will have that second the place she feels the shot, proper? That was a callback to when he was supposed to have died in season seven, and he or she was so adamant that she would really feel it, that she would know — and he or she didn’t. So it was good to play that second the place she’s like, “Oh no, this is real. This time it’s happening.” That was a very powerful sequence to movie. Clearly, we knew one thing was going to occur on the finish, however there had been stuff from episode three [of this season] that performed into Claire’s skills or non-abilities, or no matter, that may have made an enormous distinction on this [situation], and [the writers] had determined to rewrite these scenes. So I didn’t have the details about how that was precisely going to go.
My factor was all the time, “Well, is [healing people] something she’s capable of? Does she have powers? Does she have an inkling she has powers? Surely, if it’s happened with [Claire healing] a baby before, then she’s going to try and recreate this moment here. She would do anything to bring him back.” Matt was very adamant that she doesn’t have any means to summon it, that it’s not one thing that she is conscious of or can do. It’s simply one thing that occurs. So I needed to play with the truth that she believes that [Jamie is dead], and that that is completely the reality of what’s occurring for her in these moments.
How did you consider taking part in Claire’s grief within the fast aftermath of Jamie’s loss of life?
BALFE There’s nothing left on this world for her. Jamie is her world. So the best way I performed it was that she was numb — and we filmed loads of stuff as nicely. These sequences had been very lengthy, and so they’ve used elements of it, however there’s the form of numbness, then there’s the trend, after which she provides up. And, for me not less than, when she lies down beside him, she’s dying subsequent to him.
Let’s speak about that ending. What precisely is that last second meant to symbolize? Does Jamie survive? How does he survive? Does Claire someway heal him together with her powers?
ROBERTS I don’t know. You inform me! I’ve a ton [of theories], and right here’s what I’m going to say: I’m not going to interpret the ending for anyone. They’ve their very own experiences with the present. In the event you watched one season or or eight seasons, you’ve had your individual emotions all alongside, and I’m not the one to go, “Here is how you should feel about the ending.” You must really feel your individual method. You can hate it, you may find it irresistible, you may really feel joyful, you may really feel unhappy — you may really feel all these feelings without delay, and that, to me, is an effective factor. And if I say it means this [particular interpretation], then all that goes away.
Persons are going to have so many interpretations about this ending — and loads of followers are going to be very upset that you just killed Jamie.
ROBERTS They’re! That’s the great thing about it! Persons are going to have their very own interpretations, and so they’re not going to be mad at me. They need to be mad at Diana. That occurs within the ebook.
Caitríona and Sam, what was your interpretation of that ending? Please inform me you will have some form of idea!
BALFE I imply, I’d like to know! I’m only a passenger on this, too. And if our showrunner doesn’t know… (Laughs.) I believe it’s up for everyone to make their very own choice. Once more, we’d deliberate earlier on that there was going to be extra to do with Claire’s powers, after which that stuff was taken out. So I believe you may solely go along with what was there.
HEUGHAN Initially, they wished to make it fairly clear that she used her energy to carry him again to life. However, really, it’s extra ambiguous the best way it’s been introduced to us, and we don’t actually know whether or not they’re alive or maybe someplace else. We’re mendacity on the primary standing stone that’s been by means of with us, that’s transported Claire by means of time. It’s cracked down the center; it’s damaged. So yeah, that journey might be over. So possibly they’re collectively alive on Fraser’s Ridge, or possibly they’re collectively someplace else eternally.
BALFE They’re both alive collectively on this world, or they’re collectively in one other world. However, finally, what’s most vital is that they’re collectively, wherever they’re.
HEUGHAN Precisely. I believe that was actually vital. I believe that’s why season eight is sort of magical. Even the [number] eight, which is the infinity signal. I believe they’re collectively endlessly.
Caitríona and Sam, you both told me you didn’t know the way the present would finish, however Matt has now revealed to me that he gave you a heads up in regards to the ending, so I’m assuming you weren’t fully at midnight then. Is that appropriate?
BALFE There have been loads of discussions all through the season. It was a troublesome season in that method, as a result of usually we’d have an overview. Usually, we’d have a a lot clearer sense of the place our character’s journeys could be, and this [season] you’re discovering out simply as you’re getting scripts. I believe you may battle for one thing, and if it doesn’t really feel proper for the showrunner, then it’s a must to respect that. That’s their job, and [an actor’s] job is to assist facilitate their imaginative and prescient. So, at that time, I used to be like, “Okay, I’m just going to be on the journey and allow it to come to me as it comes.” You need to try to give your finest and put your coronary heart and soul into the moments that you just’re given, and we did that as a lot as we may.
HEUGHAN We didn’t know in regards to the breath. I chatted to Matt just a few instances about younger Jamie and Jamie’s ghost, and he assured me that that was going to play out, however he didn’t inform us till fairly late on — till possibly per week or two earlier than we shot it — in regards to the last breath second. I believe that second is great. I form of like the paradox of it.
ROBERTS I believe what they’re saying is that they didn’t know, which means they by no means noticed [the ending in the final cut]. We by no means confirmed it to them. They actually didn’t know precisely the way it ends. We may have reduce that [final scene] off [at any point]. So that they’re telling the reality. However no person noticed it. We didn’t present it to any of the actors. Only some folks at Starz noticed it. Only some folks at Sony noticed it. Solely folks essential to make the present noticed the way it ended. We delivered this episode over a 12 months in the past, after which we locked the door. After which just lately, increasingly more folks like your self have seen it.
So, Matt, if you stated you filmed alternate endings, you simply meant that you just solely actually filmed one ending, however you had completely different ways in which you may have chosen to chop it collectively. You can have ended the present proper when Jamie died, or proper after he takes that breath, or someplace in between.
ROBERTS All these issues had been up within the air. I used to be very definitive, definitely, with Emer Conroy, who directed it, that I wanted this. As a result of 4 years in the past, once I was occupied with the ending — and even longer than that, as a result of it’s been two years since we shot it — I knew that’s the place I wished to go, and I wished folks to really feel precisely how you are feeling proper now. I need them to really feel like, “What does this all mean?!” (Laughs.) However then I need them to reply the query.
So that you knew the finale was going to finish with somebody taking a breath, after which the display instantly reducing to black?
ROBERTS Yeah. Watch and pay attention on the similar time. There’s a purpose why [the camera] takes so lengthy to get there, since you come out of the montage, you come out of their life, [there’s] the construct of the music, after which we go into full lifeless silence. The one factor you hear is the wind. That’s essential. There’s no music. It’s solely the wind, as a result of I need you to concentrate [to that final moment].
You talked about the montage of Claire and Jamie’s biggest hits, which performs within the wake of Jamie’s loss of life. How did you decide on which moments you wished to incorporate in that montage? Did you labor over that sequence in any respect?
ROBERTS No, the identical publish [production] group has been there from day one. So the editor [Michael O’Halloran] and I, and Elicia Bessette, who’s the publish producer — we simply went over it and went over it, and we dug by means of, and these are the [moments] that had been actually vital. Every little thing you noticed, we may omit these and put completely different ones in, and it could nonetheless work. That’s what number of superb moments had been on the present. However, in a bizarre method, it wasn’t as tough as you assume as a result of if you see it, you go, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah,” you realize what I imply? The [quintessential] moments are all there, and that feeling of “That’s their life.” I really like the best way the music builds, and it was actually superbly edited.
Caitríona and Sam, the final scene you filmed collectively was really a seven-page dialogue bed room scene at first of the finale, wherein Claire and Jamie mirror on their relationship earlier than they depart Fraser’s Ridge. Matt, what was your expertise of watching Caitríona and Sam shoot that from behind the monitor?
ROBERTS Yeah, we very intentionally scheduled that scene to be the tip. We all the time schedule Jamie and Claire on the final day. I believe we had been speaking [on Wednesday] evening, and Caitríona and Sam stated it nicely. We had been on the Paley [Center], and we had been having a dialog about it. In the event you take heed to the scene, it has loads of which means not just for the characters, however for these of us which were on the present and which have watched the present. It has these layers of, “Did we do it right, and would you change anything?” There’s this complete deeper which means [to the dialogue].
However in watching that, we had been speaking about how once we rehearsed it, there have been only a few folks there. So it was simply Caitríona, Sam, our script supervisor Margaret [Graham], and [executive producers] Maril [Davis], Toni Graphi and I, and that was it. We did the rehearsal, and the scene took the entire day since you needed to do the [camera] protection. It’s seven pages, so it takes a very long time. We had nothing else scheduled for the day on objective.
However over the course of the day, increasingly more folks got here down as a result of they knew [the ending] was getting nearer and nearer. So we began off with the pure requisite quantity of individuals crucial for filming. After which, on the finish of the day, there have been lots of of individuals down there once we wrapped out. It was tremendous emotional. Caitríona and Sam did an incredible job in simply holding it collectively as a result of they knew the load of this second, too.
Caitríona and Sam, what was probably the most tough a part of that scene so that you can get by means of with out breaking into tears?
BALFE It’s so bizarre watching it — and once more, I’ve solely seen it as soon as. I used to be on the verge of tears for therefore lengthy and it was actually, actually powerful to get by means of it, however [that scene] speaks to their life. It speaks to this journey they’ve been on collectively. What was so tough about filming it was that each time we’d say these phrases — and this all the time occurs as an actor. You say the scene one time, and then you definately say it in all probability 15, 20 instances. And every time you say it, you perceive the phrases a bit higher; you achieve completely different meanings from what you’re saying. However this appeared to have an actual resonance to our journey, our friendship, and our partnership as coworkers.
HEUGHAN It was a type of scenes that’s quintessential Outlander — seeing Jamie and Claire in a home scenario, which on the floor seems like simply one other day. However, really, the underlying drama and rigidity is that they’re dealing with their final moments collectively. We, as actors, had been additionally having our final moments collectively. I believe we each handled it in numerous methods. Caitríona was extraordinarily teary-eyed, and I shut down, really. (Laughs.) I used to be nearly making an attempt to not come to phrases with it or to imagine it was true, but it surely was very particular to share it together with her. She’s an unbelievable co-star and buddy.
Matt, because you refuse to inform me the right way to interpret Claire and Jamie’s ending, I’m hoping you may inform me in regards to the choice to incorporate that post-credits scene with Diana signing her personal books in a bookstore — with what seems to be Claire’s journal on the desk beside her.
ROBERTS I can let you know in regards to the ending, however I may solely let you know my interpretation, which I’m not going to do as a result of it’s private and I need you to have yours. (Laughs.)
So the bookstore scene — there’s two causes we did it. One is, we wished to say thanks to all of the folks within the bookstore who had labored on the present from day one. All of the books within the bookstore are personalised to every one among them for no matter job they did, and it was written by them and we gave the covers to them. So it was a thanks: “You guys built this. You guys dedicated 12 years of your lives to this show. You passionately showed up every day. Thank you very much. You deserve to be in it as well as just a name on the back of the credits.” And [we did it] for Diana. She created this universe. This was finally to say, “Thank you for letting us borrow your works for over a decade.” We felt just like the final picture of Outlander must be hers.
Caitríona and Sam, you will have each already signed on to other projects within the 12 months and a half because you wrapped Outlander, however these are characters who will comply with you for the remainder of your lives. How open is the door so that you can reprise these roles in some unspecified time in the future down the street? Or do you assume you will have firmly closed the door on this vital chapter of your profession?
BALFE Look, this present has given me all the things, and I really like the individuals who I’ve labored with so dearly. Our friendships are nearly stronger post-show than in it, since you really need to make an effort now; you’re not simply displaying up day by day and seeing them. I believe the place Jamie and Claire are at, I don’t know what their subsequent journey could be. We don’t know the place they’re! So I all the time say, “You never say never,” however it could be good to have a ways and luxuriate in a a lot simpler schedule for slightly bit, as a result of the schedule’s very powerful. (Laughs.)
HEUGHAN Oh, I believe you by no means say by no means. That’s what I’ve discovered from Jamie. You by no means know what’s going to occur. And on this present, folks can come again to life or they will journey by means of time. Maybe in 20 years, we’ll come again and play older Jamie. (Laughs.) I’ll be nearer to his age by then, however I don’t know. It’s been such a tremendous journey, and to even go away the job and to say goodbye has taken a lot of years. It’s been an enormous a part of our lives and the viewers’ lives as nicely, so it’ll all the time be there for us. So who is aware of?
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All episodes of Outlander are actually streaming on the Starz app and all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms. Slàinte Mhath!
