LONDON (AP) 鈥 鈥淥utlander鈥 is returning with the concluding episodes of its seventh season this month, but its stars have already wrapped official production on the show鈥檚 eighth and final season.
and who have played time traveler Claire and 18th century Highlander Jamie since the show began, recently teased their bittersweet goodbye. Speaking less than a fortnight after their official wrap day, with only a few pick-up shots left to shoot, the stars described filming their final scene for the upcoming season.
鈥淚t was very emotional. I was very emotional,鈥 Balfe said.
鈥淚 was, too,鈥 Heughan agreed. 鈥淲e ended on a scene, well, I think 鈥 it was quite tough to do because it was a real Jamie-Claire moment, so it felt quite fitting. And I think they scheduled it like that. But it was also quite intense because a lot of the crew came to sort of celebrate or watch the final take of the final scene.鈥
鈥淎nd there was a lot of words,鈥 added Balfe. 鈥淚t was really hard to get through it because it also felt like everything had sort of this double meaning, you know, it鈥檚 a lot of talk about goodbyes and things.鈥
Based on and mostly filmed in Scotland, the long-running show has leapt across time periods, including the Jacobite Rising, 1740s Versailles, 1960s Boston, the Revolutionary War 鈥 and more.
鈥淚 played Jamie when he was 23 and now he鈥檚 sort of around 60. So it鈥檚 quite a journey,鈥 said Heughan. 鈥淭he show is always changing, always moving, it鈥檚 a real journey that they鈥檝e been on from Scotland to America. And I think it鈥檚 very rewarding. I鈥檓 glad we weren鈥檛 in a sort of procedural where we had to sort of be in the same location all the time.鈥
The concluding half of Season 7, premiering Nov. 22 on Starz, begins with the couple returning to Jamie鈥檚 homeland of Scotland, before America 鈥 and the rebel cause in 鈥 calls again, testing their marriage like never before.
鈥淩eturning home obviously is going to be so rewarding for Jamie, but also for the fans,鈥 Heughan said, 鈥渂ecause I think the fans, they get to see a lot of, their favorite characters and their favorite locations.鈥
The latest episodes weave in storylines involving Claire and Jamie鈥檚 time-traveling daughter Brianna and her husband Roger (Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin) and Jamie鈥檚 nephew Ian (John Bell), as well as Jamie鈥檚 secret son William (Charles Vandervaart) and the British lord who is raising him.
Season 7 also features one of Heughan's favorite co-stars 鈥 one he confirms fans won鈥檛 be seeing in Season 8.
鈥淚t鈥檚 actually the last time you see Sleepy,鈥 Heughan says. 鈥淗e was my horse throughout first seasons. And he鈥檚 a black Friesian with a white spot on him. And actually, if you look closely, he somehow transports himself to America as well because he doubles up as a horse in America. But yeah, I mean, we say goodbye to a lot of locations, a lot of characters in Season 7B.鈥
With the last season still to come, and the 鈥淥utlander鈥 universe expanding with the upcoming prequel 鈥淥utlander: Blood of My Blood,鈥 the story will continue for fans 鈥 although Balfe and Heughan will be getting used to their 鈥淒roughtlander,鈥 the term fans coined for periods without the show.
鈥淚t has been our lives for the last 11 years. We鈥檝e built families and homes in Scotland,鈥 said Heughan. 鈥淪o, yes, it鈥檚 quite a change that we鈥檙e about to face.鈥
