The highly acclaimed Outlander series is based on the best-selling novels by Diana Gabaldon. The show was renewed for its eighth and final season in January 2023. The majority of the cast will return to conclude the love story between Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall.
Gabaldon has now confirmed that the show's ending will not follow the path laid down in her books.
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Considering that the story needs to be wrapped up within ten episodes, showrunners will have to condense material from three nearly untouched novels. Gabaldon has mentioned that television storytelling has a different rhythm and that it was necessary to make alterations when it came to the screenplay.
The airing date is approaching, and fans of both the book and series are speculating how the saga will end. Gabaldon has assured fans that despite the differences, the Outlander spirit would endure.
Different ending for the show
Diana Gabaldon reckons multiple storylines are possible. The showrunners are in for a Herculean task as they have to adapt their content from three books in ten episodes, out of which one has not been released yet.
Gabaldon said via a Facebook post:
"There's only so much I can say about the show, but what I can say is that it really won't resemble the end of the book series."
She added:
"Obviously, they're going to have to cherry-pick some prime scenes/threads to film, and try to fit them into a framework that makes sense for one season, and that they can bring to a reasonably satisfactory conclusion."
The eighth season will cover Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone and Written in My Own Heart's Blood. However, a lot of that material is unharnessed. Gabaldon went on to explain that with a rule of thumb, only about 10% of the content of a book is adapted into each season, meaning the final episodes can't fit everything in.
This deviation from the source material has left fans concerned as to how the characters they love will finally make their journeys across the screen.
What can we expect from Outlander Season 8?
As Outlander readies itself for its eighth and final season, audiences are in store for a wild ride. The time-traveling tale of Claire and Jamie Fraser comes full circle. Pivotal conflicts will arise, most notably those involving villainous Rob Cameron, who has already wreaked havoc on their family in the 20th century.
The series is set in 1945 and follows Claire Randall, a nurse in WWII who gets cast back to 1743 in Scotland. There, she meets and marries Highlander Jamie Fraser and the show follows their love lives through some of the most pivotal moments in history. This includes the Jacobite rising events that will change their lives forever.
Claire and Jamie's journey involves raising their daughter Brianna, who goes back in time to meet her parents. The family faces challenges including betrayal and war which test their bonds and resolve. Season 7 ended with the threat of the American Revolutionary War looming. We will need to wait to see if Season 8 picks up right off it or follows an altered format in a bid to cover a whole lot more.
You can watch Outlander on Netflix.
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