Once again we are tossed by the seas of time back to the 1700s for another season of Outlander! Adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling series of novels by showrunner Ronald D. Moore (For All Mankind, Battlestar Galactica), the series follows the adventures of Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a World War II-era nurse who finds herself flung back in time to the Scottish Highlands of the 18th century.
There she finds romance with clansman Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and uses her medical skills and knowledge of the future to help him and his fellow Jacobite rebels. Fans had to wait almost two years for more Outlander action since season five wrapped, but Outlander season six is now streaming on Apple TV+ and Foxtel Now.
Of course, we’re not in the Highlands anymore. Jamie, Claire and the rest of the Fraser clan are now in what will eventually be the United States, carving out new lives in Fraser’s Ridge, North Carolina, while resentment against the British builds and the American Revolution draws ever closer. Following on from the particularly dark events of the past season, Jamie and Claire want nothing more than time to heal, both emotionally and physically. Bt Jamie’s oath to the Crown back in season three might force him to join the Redcoats to fight a war that Claire, at least, already knows the outcome of.
Complicating things further is the arrival of Jamie’s old enemy Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones), who may still harbour a grudge dating to the time the pair spent together in prison back in the day.
With its mix of sweeping romance, painstaking historical detail, and flashes of brutal violence, Outlander has earned legions of loyal fans who’ve been waiting patiently for the further exploits of Jamie and Claire. The eight episodes of this season, down from the usual dozen or so, might be a light meal after such a long wait, but it’s a welcome one.
