Sophie Skelton revealed something to look forward to when Outlander Season 7 returns in 2023. According to the star, who plays Jamie Fraser's (Sam Heughan) daughter Brianna, the return of William Ransom, whom Jamie fathered with Lady Geneva Dunsany (Hannah James), will bring back painful memories for Claire (Caitriona Balfe).
Jamie Gets Blackmailed in Outlander Season 3
Fans will remember that Jamie moved from Ardsmuir Prison to the Helwater Estate in Season 3, where he served as an indentured servant for many years. Because of his one night with Geneva, which resulted in the birth of William, his time there turned out to be rather complex.
Jamie was permitted to see his son grow, but he was unable to openly disclose his fatherhood to him. The late Ludovic Ransom, the Eighth Earl of Ellesmere (James Cameron Stewart), was Geneva's husband, and William had always thought he was his father.
William was raised by Geneva's sister Isobel (Tanya Reynolds) and her husband, Lord John Grey (David Berry), when Geneva passed away.
Jamie was eventually forced to leave Helwater because William began to resemble him. Anyone discovering he was William's father would harm his child and jeopardize his position and inheritance.
William's Return Will Be a Difficult Time for Claire in Outlander Season 7
Skelton told Express that even if Jamie was coerced into sleeping with Geneva and wasn't genuinely in love with her, William's presence could be tough for Claire simply because he's a constant reminder of Jamie's betrayal.
"Regarding William, again I think this is something that pains Claire to this day and it wasn't really Brianna's secret to know. Wishes on deathbeds were made and she was told when the time was right," Skelton shared.
"I think she can respect both the value of a promise and the value of timing. At first, and at the young and complicated age she was when she found it, it wasn't an easy one for her."
William Will Become an Important Part of Outlander Season 7
Outlander Season 7 is based in part on Diana Gabaldon's novel An Echo in the Bone, which introduces William as a young adult. He is a key character in several storylines and serves as a link between Denzell Hunter (Joey Phillips) and Dorothea Grey, as well as Rachel Hunter (Izzy Meikle-Small) and the Frasers.
There's also a scene in which William becomes lost in the woods and is discovered by Young Ian (John Bell) and Rollo. Throughout everything, however, William does not meet Jamie for quite some time. It isn't until the conclusion of the novel that they finally meet — and William notices the resemblance between himself and the guy he doesn't realize is his real father.
Outlander Release Date
In April 2022, a photo posted on Outlander's official social media platforms shows the core cast returning to the Scotland set for the start of filming.
In fact, the executive producer of Outlander, Maril Davis, stated in an exclusive interview with Digital Spy that season seven's filming had begun in May 2022. Davis mentioned that they were on "a fairly typical schedule" and that it was going to be a "supersized season", but she remained mum about when it could be on our screens.
We already know that Outlander's seventh season will be twice as large as season six, with 16 episodes.
Balfe also said during an interview with Digital Spy that they would be filming Outlander Season 7 for 13 months, which would take us up to at least May 2023. We can expect episodes soon after that. So, sadly, we're looking toward the end of 2023 at the very least.
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