‘We still have a long way to go,’ Sam Heughan said while discussing how ‘Outlander’ will end.
Take a deep breath, Outlander fans. Because Sam Heughan opened up about how the historical drama will end. In the wake of the season 7 midseason finale that left many lingering questions learn what the star had to say about wanting a “different ending” for Outlander and this chapter of his life coming to a close.
‘Outlander’ still has a ‘long way to go’ despite feeling like the end is near, according to Sam Heughan
As Outlander nears the end — the TV show is expected to end after eight seasons — Heughan’s coming to grips with it winding down.
“I guess some people might not be able to understand it, but it really is woven into my life,” he told The Herald, calling it his “life.”
“It has taken over my whole life for the last 10 years. It feels natural to be shooting every day or in New York doing press, that cycle and recurring itinerary we’re on. And it is all going to end, I am very aware of that. It is making me want to enjoy it more.”
“But we still have a long way to go,” he added. “We were very conscious while shooting this penultimate season that towards the end, you could feel it. It was tangible. Everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, we are actually only going to do this one more time.’ So, yeah, I am going to need some serious therapy, I think. It is going to be a real change.”
Sam Heughan is ‘pushing for a different ending’ to ‘Outlander,’ goal is a satisfying ending
Fans have Heughan to thank for Outlander not ending with season 7. The 43-year-old shared he really wanted the show to end after the eighth series, not the seventh.
“We were supposed to finish this season, and I didn’t want to finish without finishing the story, and that is the reason why we are going back to do one more,” he said. “I want to finish the story, not only for myself but for the fans. It wouldn’t feel satisfactory to just end it, left in the air.”
Heughan continued, casually mentioning he doesn’t necessarily want the Outlander series finale to be identical to the books by author Diana Gabaldon.
“Having said that, Diana is still writing the 10th book, and there is plenty more that we haven’t been able to cover,” he said. “We will have to end it some way. Perhaps not a way that the books end it. I am pushing for a different ending, but I don’t think I am going to get what I want.”
“Whatever the writers do, I guess we will find out,” Heughan added. “I don’t think it is ever going to be satisfactory for everyone. But hopefully, we can get to a place where at least our Outlander is told. It won’t be the full book, but at least it’s our story, and it will hopefully give some sort of finality.”
Filming on the final season of ‘Outlander’ has yet to begin
It’s going to be a while before fans get to see how Outlander ends. Season 8, the show’s last, hasn’t started filming. What’s more, the Starz program, like many others, is expected to be impacted by the Hollywood writers’ strike.
That means fans will have to wait a little longer to see how everything unfolds for Heughan’s character, Jamie Fraser. Until the final season of Outlander premieres, there are still another eight episodes to air in season 7, which are slated for 2024.
