“There Was a Lot of Ugly Crying”: Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan on Making Peace With the End of the Series
As Outlander airs the final episodes of Season 7 Part 2, its cast has already completed filming the eighth and final season—closing the book on a world they’ve inhabited for a decade. The new episodes continue to push the Fraser and MacKenzie families into emotional upheaval: Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan), and Young Ian (John Bell) return to Scotland while Brianna (Sophie Skelton) searches for her kidnapped son in the 1980s, and Roger (Richard Rankin) is unexpectedly flung back to 1739. Through all of it, the series underscores a truth that has carried it across centuries—love endures even as time bends.
In a conversation with Collider, Balfe and Heughan opened up about navigating the intense emotions of ending the show, the weight of the storylines in Season 7 Part 2, and the complicated history their characters continue to reckon with. From saying goodbye to cherished locations to filming one of the season’s most shocking reunions, the actors reflected on a journey that has shaped them deeply.
Filming the Final Season Felt Like an Emotional Freefall
Collider: What surprised you most about the emotions that came with wrapping the show?
CAITRIONA BALFE: The lead-up was the hardest. Everyone felt out of sorts. The anxiety of the impending ending was intense for me, and there was definitely a lot of ugly crying.
SAM HEUGHAN: The last day was emotional, but so were the months before it. Sometimes I’d feel something and think, Where is this coming from? And then realize, Oh, it’s because we’re finishing. I cried during the final read-through, but the next day I felt at peace. We kept being reminded—this might be the last time with this person, or the last time we’re in this location. It was draining, like a constant emotional roller coaster. I can’t imagine what it feels like for fans. But there’s still so much ahead before the journey fully ends.
Jamie Fraser Returns to Scotland—and Faces His Past
In Season 7 Part 2, Jamie finally returns home to Scotland, fulfilling his promise to bring Young Ian back to the family—and confronting unfinished business with Laoghaire (Nell Hudson).
HEUGHAN: Coming back to Scotland is bittersweet. Jamie has longed to return home, but being confronted by Laoghaire and that tumultuous past is challenging. He wants to make amends, care for Joanie, and face what happened. There’s a moment when Jamie, Claire, and Ian walk toward Lallybroch that I think fans will really feel—we’re returning home with them.
Claire Fraser Reaches One of Her Lowest Points
For Claire, the season forces her into one of the most devastating emotional spaces she’s ever occupied—believing Jamie is dead.
BALFE: It’s one of the deepest griefs she’s experienced. Maybe it’s similar to when she went back to her time pregnant with Brianna, but there’s something uniquely painful here. As actors, we all know Jamie Fraser isn’t just disappearing from the show—but as the character, you have to fully believe it. When I first read the storyline, I thought, How are we going to do this? Working with David Berry was incredible, and Vanessa Coffey, our intimacy coordinator, was amazing. Even after all these years, it’s refreshing to be surprised by your character’s choices. Sometimes people do things that defy logic, and exploring that is good storytelling.
The Long-Awaited Reunion Delivers a Shock
Even knowing Jamie isn’t truly gone, the moment he reappears carries enormous impact.
HEUGHAN: I think it was harder for Caitriona. She had to go so far into that grief and really sell that Jamie is gone. Jamie walks into the scene with no idea how complicated the situation is. That moment starts the unraveling of several relationships and sets off a chain of drama and trauma. It’s a huge emotional pivot for the season.