Outlander season 7: All the details to know about the new season

There’s always a fear going into shows about how long they will last and whether a network or streamer is going to renew your favorite series. STARZ announced we’d be getting Outlander season 7 back in March 2021.

The time-traveling show is based on a series of books by Diana Gabaldon. So far there are nine main novels and the author is working on the the tenth, which she says is most likely the last. Even though we’re heading into the seventh season, this show has still got it! History, adventure, character development, romance, and everything else in between. It has everything and that’s why it’s remained so successful and fresh every season.

Plus, we have the assurance that our favorite series has already been renewed for an eighth and final season! And, a prequel series titled Outlander: Blood of My Blood about Jamie and Claire's parents is in the works and coming too. Read on below for details about the seventh season.

Here's when Outlander season 7 part 2 is coming

In December 2022, the network shared the beautiful key art (see it below!) and teaser trailer with a hint as to when the series would be back. At that time, all we knew was summer 2023. The show officially returned on Friday, June 16, 2023 with the first half of the season, and the midseason finale aired in August.

Now after months of waiting, Starz has announced when the final eight episodes of the season are coming. Outlander season 7 part 2 will debut sometime in November 2024. New episodes are released at midnight ET on the Starz app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms, and internationally on the LIONSGATE+ premium streaming platform in the U.K. On TV, episodes should air at 8 p.m. ET in the U.S. and Canada. Check out a sneak peek video of the next batch of episodes below!

As we all know, the drama has held a Sunday timeslot for all the seasons except the first, which aired on Saturdays. I wonder why they’ve moved the show over to Fridays, but it worked for the first part of the season, so I have no complaints.

How many episodes are in season 7?

It’s no secret Outlander is a big show to film, produce, and work on post-production. So it took a while to film the season, especially with the number of episodes. The seventh season is a long one – a total of 16 episodes! That’s why the network decided to split this chapter of the story, eight episodes premiered weekly starting June 16, 2023 and the other eight of Outlander season 7B will also be releasing each week in November when the historical drama returns. And we already have some awesome behind the scenes images of the cast in what looks to be episode 9 below!

The show hasn’t had a 16-episode season since the very first one. Season 1 was split into two parts with episode 8 airing in Sept. 2014 followed by episode 9 in April 2015. We were expecting the same thing to happen with the upcoming seventh season, and it honestly makes sense. This will give the series time to finish the season, don’t forget about post-production, without having to make us wait too long.

The original plan was for both Outlander seasons 6 and 7 to be 12 episodes each. However due to pandemic challenges and leading lady Caitríona Balfe’s real-life pregnancy, the sixth season was shortened to eight episodes. The four missing installments have been added to season 7.

Gabaldon did initially write a script for season 6. But since the season got cut down to eight episodes, changes needed to happen. That doesn’t mean, however, that we won’t be seeing some of her writing in the next season! Check out her tweet below:

Outlander season 7 filming timeline

In April 2022, filming on Outlander season 7 officially began in Scotland. The series decided to announce the exciting news with images of our four main cast members: Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin posing with their smiling faces. Check out the tweets below:

On Feb. 24, 2023, the show’s Twitter account shared that filming officially wrapped on the highly-anticipated seventh season after 10 months of filming! So that does mean that production is no longer filming and is officially done. That's why to be honest I think November is pretty late for season 7B, but it is what it is. Check out the tweet below:

On April 6, 2022 the official Outlander Twitter page posted a photo of the main stars on set, confirming that filming for the new season had started. The series continued production in Scotland. Then later on World Outlander Day, aka June 1, the show treated us with a behind-the-scenes first look at the season. Verra generous indeed! Check it out on the official Outlander Twitter account.

The photo below came out in April 2022, hinting that we’re going back to Lallybroch in some capacity. Well now following the season 7 midseason finale, we know that Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian have officially arrived in Scotland. Wohoo! I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.

What happened in part 1? (Midseason finale explained)

As is usual with Outlander, the first eight episodes of season 7 were jam-packed and answered the questions we had left from the season 6 finale. So much happened to the Frasers. Before we get into that, here's they official synopsis from Starz that was released ahead of the season's premiere as a refresher:

"Following the harrowing events of season 6, Jamie and Young Ian race to rescue Claire before she’s tried and wrongfully convicted for the murder of Malva Christie. But their mission is complicated by the beginning of a geopolitical firestorm: The American Revolution has arrived. In the seventh season of Outlander, Jamie, Claire, and their family are caught in the violent birth pains of an emerging nation as armies march to war and British institutions crumble in the face of armed rebellion. The land the Frasers call home is changing – and they must change with it.In order to protect what they’ve built, the Frasers have to navigate the perils of the Revolutionary War. They learn that sometimes to defend what you love, you have to leave it behind. As the conflict draws them out of North Carolina and into the heart of this fight for independence, Jamie, Claire, Brianna, and Roger are faced with impossible decisions that have the potential to tear their family apart."

So far, season 7 saw Jamie and Young Ian thankfully being able to save Claire, thanks to the help of Tom Christie. It turns out the pious man is in love with Claire, which is why he helps. Allan Christie is revealed to be the one behind his sister Malva's murder, as well as being the one who assaulted her so he's the baby's father. Wendigo Donner also shows up, and he's the one behind the house fire that Jamie and Claire supposedly die in. They lose the Big House, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. Though they don't get caught up in the flames. Tom Christie thought they did, and wrongfully put an obituary out for the couple.

Jamie and Claire get roped into the American Revolution, which is where Jamie is able to see his son William even though he's fighting on the other side. The midseason ends with Jamie, Claire, and Young Ian leaving the battles behind and finally landing in Scotland for the first time in years! Plus, new characters the Hunters were introduced, and there's definitely sparks and feelings between Young Ian and Rachel Hunter. Though where this relationship goes now that he's in Scotland and she in America will remain to be seen.

Brianna and Roger have their daughter Mandy. Though she's born with a heart condition that can only be operated on in their time. So the MacKenzie bunch are off to the 1980s. Brianna becomes a plant inspector and life is pretty good overall for Bree, Roger, and the kids who end up buying and living in Lallybroch! There's a surprise visitor from the past which is Buck MacKenzie, having traveled through the Stones. The major cliffhanger when it comes to Bree and Roger is that Rob Cameron kidnapped Jemmy and took him to the past. Roger and Buck travel through the Stones after them, while Bree and Mandy remain in the '80s.

I’m a show-only fan, but those who are book readers have somewhat of an idea of what’s to come next. However, the show has been able to keep even the book readers on their toes many times. Each Outlander season has mostly focused on one novel from the Diana Gabaldon series. Though in an interview, executive producer Maril Davis shared that Outlander season 7 is a combination of what was left from book 6, as well as adapted books 7, An Echo in the Bone, and book 8, Written In My Own Hearts Blood. This is because the writers thought season 7 could be the last when the scripts were being written. Though thankfully we have season 8 to look forward to which will bring book 9 to life!

Outlander season 7 cast

Returning cast members

• Caitríona Balfe as Claire
• Sam Heughan as Jamie
• Sophie Skelton as Brianna
• Richard Rankin as Roger
• John Bell as Young Ian
• Caitlin O’ Ryan as Lizzie
• Paul Gorman as Josiah and Kezzie Beardsley
• David Berry as Lord John Grey
• Mark Lewis Jones as Tom Christie
• Alexander Vlahos as Allan Christie
• Chris Larkin as Richard Brown

There’s also quite a few familiar faces reprising their roles who we haven’t seen in a while. Verra exciting indeed! Those include:

• Steven Cree as Ian Murray
• Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie
• Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan
• Nell Hudson as Laoghaire MacKenzie MacKimmie Fraser
• Layla Burns as Joan MacKimmie
• Andrew Whipp as Brian Fraser

Cast members who won't be back:

• César Domboy as Fergus
• Lauren Lyle as Marsali
• Maria Doyle Kennedy as Aunt Jocasta

New cast members

Charles Vandervaart

Starz announced the casting of a very special character – William Ransom, aka Jamie’s secret son (but don’t worry, he’s not a secret to Claire)!

In season 3, Jamie is blackmailed into sleeping with Geneva Dunsany. As a result she falls pregnant. But, after she dies in childbirth, her sister and Lord John Grey take in Willie to raise him. The truth about Willie’s parentage can’t come out, otherwise he’d lose his rank of nobility. So, Jamie asks Lord John to raise his son as his own. Willie also doesn’t know Jamie is his biological father.

Now in season 7 we saw Willie all grown up. The show cast actor Charles Vandervaart in the important role. The ninth Earl of Ellesmere arrives in Wilmington. He’s “full of patriotic zeal” and is excited to join the British Army to help put an end to the escalating tension in the American colonies. On the surface, William is a courteous aristocrat, but on the inside he has the Highlander fire.

In the press release, executive producer Maril Davis said, “finding someone with the talent and physicality to play Jamie’s son was a daunting task, but Charles’ charisma was evident during the audition process and we are excited to see what he will bring to William’s multi-layered journey.”

With the Frasers fighting with the Patriots, we saw how Jamie went against his son. First Murtagh, now William? Oh, the things this show does to my heart.

Joey Phillips and Izzy Meikle-Small

Two completely new characters who joined the Frasers are Dr. Denzell Hunter and his sister Rachel Hunter, played by by actors Joey Philips and Izzy Meikle-Small, respectively.

Fans of the books will recognize the Hunters, Quakers whose quiet country life is interrupted with the arrival of Young Ian and a very sick and injured William Ransom. Dr. Hunter is a firm believer in liberty and plans to join the Revolutionary Army as a surgeon. His younger sister is modest, but also has a fiery spirt. And that attracts the attentions of both Ian and William.

Chris Fulton

Bridgerton actor takes on the role of Rob Cameron, a new acquaintance of Roger and Brianna. And he's become a headache and big problem now that he's kidnapped Jemmy. There's so many questions surrounding his motives, which I look forward to learning about.

Diarmaid Murtagh

Portraying the character of Buck MacKenzie, Dougal and Geillis’ illegitimate son and Roger’s direct ancestor, is actor Diarmaid Murtagh. The role was previously played by Graham McTavish in season 5 as a fun cameo.

Rod Hallett

Rod Hallett takes on the role of Benedict Arnold, a notorious Revolutionary soldier turned traitor. The character is based on the real-life figure.

Gloria Obianyo

Gloria Obianyo will play Mercy Woodcock, a free Black woman navigating the hardships of life in Colonial America. We haven't met the character just yet.

Kristin Atherton

Of course as we all know, we fell in love with actress Laura Donnelly’s portrayal of Jenny Murray –  Jamie’s sister, Ian’s wife, and Young Ian’s mother. Unfortunately, it seems like the talented actress did not want to reprise her role as it’s now been recast, with Kristin Atherton taking over.

Check out the key art and more images of the cast below!

Be sure to keep this page bookmarked. We’ll be adding in news and updates about Outlander season 7 as they come!