Droughtlander is almost over, as the Outlander Season 6 world premiere just took place at the Royal Festival Hall in London on February 24, 2022. The cast of Starz's historical drama Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Ranking, and executive producer Maril Davis and author Diana Gabaldon (with Caitriona Balfe and showrunner Matthew. B Roberts via satellite from Los Angeles) celebrated the world premiere of Season 6.
Outlander fans in the theater and those who won tickets virtually in the U.S. were able to watch the Season 6 premiere episode, Echoes, and then be treated to a Q&A from the cast that teased what to expect from the new season.
Roberts told the audience that the premiere episodes are so important to this series because they set the whole tone of the new season, which will be based on Gabaldon's sixth book of her bestselling Outlander series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.
"Like the first chapter of the book, it has to start with a bang," he said. "We're introducing new characters as we do every season because Diana does this in her books. But we actually go back to another book to introduce the Christies who are the new villains in town."
The Christie clan, which includes Thomas Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) and his grown children, Allan (Alexander Vlahos) and Malva (Jessica Reynolds). They arrive in the Fraser's Ridge, and they are up to no good.
Diana Gabaldon, an ongoing consultant, and sometimes writer for the show, said that when she viewed the first dailies with Mark Lewis Jones in the role of Thomas, she immediately checked if he was on Twitter then slipped into his DM's to let him know: "You got that man, cold!"
The conversation went on to talk about the plot details of Echoes, and Caitriona said that Claire will still be dealing with the aftermath of her traumatic assault at the hands of the Brows at the finale of Season 5. "When we first see Claire this season, on the surface she's putting on a brave face," Caitriona teased. "But it was horrific and not something anyone gets over. She's always been a rock for other people and so it's difficult for her to ask for help. She's unraveling and not admitting that to herself."
Sam, whose Jamie Fraser experienced sexual assault in prison back in Season 1, said his character is trying to be there for his wife but also gives her space. "For the first time, Claire doesn’t have the [emotional] tools and she doesn’t consult with him," he explained. "And his eye is off the ball with Tom Christie. A flashback sets up their relationship, and their's is a war they are constantly battling with each other."
Caitriona went on to say that Season 6 allowed her to see a different side of Claire: "To be able to unpick your character eight years in, doesn’t happen often," she said. "And the two of us evolving together as characters and actors, is an amazing thing."
Related: Outlander Star Sam Heughan Hypes Up Season 6 Premiere With Patriotic Kilt & Whiskey
Compared to the previous seasons, Season 6 will have a shorter run, with only eight episodes, but Maril Davis said it's like a "rollercoaster". She said, "We truncated it and it’s maybe better for it because it just never stops."
Outlander Season 6 is set to premiere on Sunday, March 6, on Starz, with a new episode being released weekly. For more details, check out everything we know about Outlander Season 6 here. If you're trying to catch up to the show, you can check out our streaming guide here.
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