“Wow, what a season,” remarks leading man Sam Heughan about the acclaimed sixth season of the Starz drama “Outlander.” For our recent webchat, in which we discuss the highs and lows of the season and what might be on the horizon for Jamie, Heughan declares, “it was a very intense season and it was a shorter season due to various factors, you know, COVID and to my wonderful co-star being pregnant and working right up until the wire, until she almost gave birth. But despite all of those challenges, I think it’s honestly one of my favorites; it’s dark, it’s unsettling. You see the Frasers popularity waning, you see this decay coming.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
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Season 6 begins with Jamie (Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) back at Frasers’ Ridge in the aftermath of Claire’s abduction and brutal assault last season. Claire is spiraling out of control, dependent on ether as a way to numb her pain, while Jamie continues to hold fort, navigating the hardships of colonial life while the threat of the Revolutionary War looms in the background. As old rivals emerge on the Ridge, Jamie is faced with imminent threats, vicious rumors and unspeakable tragedy as his beloved Claire begins to slip away under the weight of her trauma and grief. The season concludes with a nail-biting shoot-out followed by Claire’s wrongful arrest for murder. The two soulmates are once again torn apart in the final moments of the season finale, as Jamie fends off another attack with the help of Young Ian (John Bell) and his Mohawk family, ultimately riding off on horseback to find Claire and bring her home.
Some of Heughan’s best work last season was in the quieter moments, as a more mindful and wary Jamie is faced with rising tensions around him and also from within as the love of his life begins to implode before his eyes. Rather than react with the unbridled fire of the wilder Jamie of years gone by, an older and wiser Jamie has become a sight to behold as Heughan so expertly shows so much emotion without even uttering more than a few words. “Jamie’s fortitude is his natural place. He’s a very strong man and strong in the face of adversity,” he explains. “but he’s also more fragile now, as he’s gotten older. He’s got more to lose. In the old days he was pretty tempestuous. He wouldn’t think twice before punching someone or getting into battle, and now he doesn’t care about his body per se, but he cares about losing others. He has a lot more to lose. He has his whole family now, his extended family. But I think that the one thing is just Claire,” he says. “He can’t live without her.”
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