Christina Radish is the Senior Entertainment Reporter at Collider. Having worked at Collider for over a decade (since 2009), her primary focus is on film and television interviews with talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Summary In episode 3 of Season 8 of the Starz series Outlander, Jamie Fraser continues to struggle with what Frank Randall’s book revealed about his possible fate. Contending with a power shift on the Ridge, his own feelings of jealousy about the history between Claire and John Grey , and twins that shouldn’t both be alive, if not for Claire and her inexplicable and possibly magical abilities, a lot is weighing on Jamie during the final season of the epic fantasy.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Heughan discussed how emotional it was to shoot the last season of the series that’s been such a huge part of his life, that he’d like to go back and revisit the episodes at some point, Jamie’s fears about his mortality, how surprised he was about the clash between Jamie and Claire over John Grey, why he loves how firm they are in knowing they’ve got each other, how Claire’s possible magical gift could affect things, one of his favorite aspects of Season 8, what fan can expect from the remainder of the episodes, and his experience sharing his last day with Balfe. Now That ‘Outlander’ Has Officially Wrapped, Sam Heughan Wants To Watch All the Episodes Someday "Perhaps when I've had a little more distance." Collider: Is Outlander starting to feel like a distant memory since you wrapped filming this final season a while ago now? Do you think you’ll ever actually go back and watch the entire series someday? SAM HEUGHAN: That’s a good question. It’s funny, actually, when we started doing press a few weeks ago, perhaps months ago, we really did have to remind ourselves what happened because, in some ways, so much has happened since, and it has been a while since we shot it. It was an amazing season and a very emotional one, for all those reasons, so it does stick with you. I haven’t watched it all yet, but I will one day. I just don’t know when. Perhaps when I’ve had a little more distance, but I’m getting there. I feel like eight seasons is a big undertaking to watch, especially when you’re watching yourself for that long. HEUGHAN: I don’t even know how the fans do it, to be honest. One hundred and one episodes is a lot to get through, and they are packed episodes. Plenty for people to look back on, but it is really nice to look back. Even while we were shooting this season, I had to go back and look at some stuff. I had to look at Season 2 and the stuff around Faith, and it was cool to go back. When you see yourself, you’re reminded of memories you have or even relationships to inanimate things, like the costumes or the sets. You’re like, “Oh, my God, remember that set we worked on?” It was nice to revisit. Related 'Outlander' Season 8 Review: Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe's Epic Fantasy Series Slowly Builds Toward a Stellar Finale 'Outlander' Season 8 premieres March 6 on Starz. Posts By Carly Lane It was interesting to be reminded of how Frank looked like Black Jack. Even though it wouldn’t have made a difference if Jamie did know that since there’s nothing he could have done about it, I was surprised to realize, in that moment, that he didn’t know that. What do you think it’s like for Jamie to learn about his own fate from Frank’s words? How does he feel about knowing what could happen? How difficult is a detail like that to live with? HEUGHAN: I think it’s funny that he didn’t know, but it’s also one of those cool little things where it was probably so obvious for Claire that she probably just thought he knew and didn’t mention it. For Jamie, I think it certainly helps build the character of Frank more in his mind. It really gets under his skin this season. There’s something that hasn’t been put to rest there. It is ultimately Jamie’s fears about his mortality and what’s going to happen to him that really starts to plague and trouble him. Jamie Just Can’t Help Being Jealous When It Comes to Claire’s Past With John Grey in 'Outlander' Season 8 "Jamie really is quite fragile ... and so many things that are really getting under his skin." Talking about things that haven’t been put to rest, Claire having been with Lord John Grey is something that comes up again this season in a very big way. I always find it particularly interesting to see the moments when Claire’s more modern sensibilities still clash with Jamie, and how he takes the time to hear her and step up to meet her where she is. How did you feel about that little tiff? Was it fun to have them bicker about something so trivial? HEUGHAN: Yeah. It’s funny. I always see Jamie through my own eyes, and I’m like, “What? You’re still holding that?” What’s so great about him is that he may be emotionally forward-thinking and supportive, but in some ways, he still can’t help himself. And he still can’t help being jealous and help the fact that he also has a very interesting history with John Grey. It really hits him where it hurts. I think what’s so interesting this season is that Jamie really is quite fragile and has so many cracks and so many things that are really getting under his skin. It’s definitely a Jamie that surprised me. As a viewer, watching a season that you know is the final season, I find myself paying more attention to every little thing that’s going on, and I love how much Claire and Jamie still clearly love each other. There are so many moments that show that this season. What do you love most about where they’re at together, in this last season? HEUGHAN: I think it’s just that they are together. It’s that they are this unit. They are pretty much co-dependent now. It’s not about, anymore, will they or won’t they or will this break them. They can have an argument. They can have something really bad happen, like the John Grey scenario or whatever, but it’s still not going to break them up, at all. That’s not what they’re arguing about. They’re trying to find common ground. It’s so great to see that they’re firm with each other and they’re firm that they’ve got each other. There’s just maybe a rocky road to get to it. Related ‘Outlander' Star Caitriona Balfe Reacts to What Episode 3’s Shocking Magic Reveal Could Mean for Claire Balfe also talks about how no one can hide from what's coming to the Ridge in the final season of the beloved fantasy series. Posts By Christina Radish In episode three, Claire is approached by the young Black girl whose mother needs help because she’s pregnant with twins. It’s also easy to understand why the girl’s father wouldn’t trust Jamie and Claire, even if they are trying to help. What did you think of that aspect of the story and about the exchange between these two men? HEUGHAN: We see everything through our modern eyes, and then you suddenly remember what period they’re in. It’s not just the battles they’re facing and the turmoil, but America, then, is going through a lot of change and there are a lot of different factions. It feels like it’s quite similar right now. It’s interesting because, obviously, Jamie is still a man of his time, but he’s also a man that respects and wants to help everyone. It’s great. These are the little historical moments or things that we get insight into that sometimes we forget about when the show is so deeply focused on the main core characters. Sam Heughan Teases the Possibility of Learning More About Claire’s Magical Abilities in ‘Outlander’ Season 8 "It's a huge plot point." Claire delivers the children, and she’s able to save the one she thought died, but she doesn’t quite understand why or how, and Jamie clearly can’t explain it either. All of that ties in a bit to what might have happened with Faith, which I thought was really clever. What does Jamie think about what happened and what it could all mean for Claire? Do you enjoy the fact that it isn’t completely defined? HEUGHAN: Yeah. He’s known that she’s a healer, and he’s known that she has, perhaps, some sort of ability. She time travels, and that’s not fully explained. When it comes to Claire, he’s willing to accept and move on. Perhaps we’ll find out more about it later in the season. It’s a huge moment. It’s a huge plot point that, I think, changed multiple times and we did shoot different versions of it. Ultimately, it’s one of those things where the Faith of it all ties back into that. Related ‘Outlander’ Season 8 Stars React to Episode 2’s Major Arrival After That Brutal Death John Bell and Izzy Meikle-Small also talk about what it was like to say goodbye when shooting for the series officially ended. Posts By Christina Radish What can you say to tease what fans can expect from the remainder of the season? There are things clearly being set up that will definitely come to a head at some point. How do you think fans will feel throughout the rest of the season? HEUGHAN: They’re going to feel exhausted. There’s just a lot. There’s a lot going on. There are external forces. There are forces internally, within the Ridge. There’s Cunningham. There’s a real sense of power shift on the Ridge and Jamie is trying to contend with that. There’s also this knowledge about Jamie’s mortality and his death. There’s a lot. There are also a lot of grievances, from Jamie’s point of view, that he has to contend with and, perhaps, put to rest to make amends. It’s going to be an action, drama-filled season, for sure.HEUGHAN: There are many. There are so many great performances and great characters. Actually, one of the days I really enjoyed and one of the moments in the books that I liked in the show is Jamie’s relationship with the bees. There were some lovely scenes that Caitriona and I had around the bees and around the beekeeping. Those days were always fun to shoot. There’s a lovely relationship that Jamie has with the bees by the end, which is really nice. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe Finished Their Last Day on ‘Outlander’ Together "The day I finally took Jamie's wig off was a big moment." When they called your final wrap on your last day, were there tears or were you able to hold it together? HEUGHAN: The last day of principal photography, myself and Caitriona were the last people to shoot, and it was very intense. Everyone was there and there were hundreds of people behind the camera, and we were both trying to get through the scene. You could feel it. Caitriona’s eyebrow was quivering, and I was just trying to force all my emotion down. She’s a big crier. She was crying, and I got really tearful, as well. There was a lot of joy and gratitude, but also it felt like another chapter because there were so many goodbyes. We then went to New York and had Comic Con. And then, we went back and shot more for pick-ups. I was the last person on set shooting, in terms of principal photography. There were a lot of goodbyes. For sure, it was very emotional. The day I finally took Jamie’s wig off was a big moment. It feels like Outlander has definitely redefined epic TV. It’s been such a pleasure to watch and to talk to you every season, so thank you so much. HEUGHAN: Likewise. It’s been a great journey. Honestly, I can’t wait to finally share it with everyone and actually be a fan myself now, and sit and watch it with everyone. Outlander Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Adventure Romance Science Fiction Release Date 2014 - 2026-00-00 Network Starz Showrunner Matthew B. Roberts Directors John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand Writers Toni Graphia, Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Luke Schelhaas, Anne Kenney, Karen Campbell, Shannon Goss, Joy Blake, Richard Kahan, Jennifer Yale, Megan Ferrell Burke, Ira Steven Behr, Diana Gabaldon Cast See All
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