‘Outlander’ Season 8: Caitríona Balfe on how Claire’s buried grief resurfaces in the show’s final episodes

The series returns for its final season, raising emotional stakes as the TV show moves beyond Diana Gabaldon’s books

Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe at the “Outlander” season eight New York premiere held at Alice Tully Hall on March 02, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)
(John Nacion via Getty Images)

It’s the end of an era with the release of the final season of the hit drama series Outlander (premiering March 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on W Network and STACKTV in Canada), starring Caitríona Balfe as Claire Randall and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser. After eight seasons, the series is stepping outside of the path laid out by author Diana Gabaldon, and the stakes have never felt higher for our lead characters.

“We mined the books for as much as we could use, and then to bolster that story with the new stuff, we also wanted to make sure that Jamie and Claire were the focus of all the stories, and that everybody kind of flows through them,” showrunner and producer Matthew B. Roberts told Yahoo Canada. “And once you realize that, that part became a little more freeing in the sense that … we don’t have to add all this stuff into this season. We don’t have to create what happens next, which is also very freeing.”

Is Faith still alive?

A core question for fans heading into Season 8 of Outlander is whether Faith, Claire and Jamie’s stillborn daughter, is actually alive, a complex and devastatingly emotional state for Claire, in particular, to be in to start the new season.

“It was a great opportunity for the Claire story to dive into … this idea that, in her mind, for the last 20 years or so, or more, that she’s thought she lost her daughter, and the idea that, did Faith live? If she lived, how did that happen? There are so many really interesting character things to grapple with,” executive producer Maril Davis said.

“The emotional stakes are so high, … we love that kind of kickstart to the season. … It’s not that Claire is new to death, … but I think it also sets the scene for this season and what she’s willing to do, and this emotional journey she’s going to be on.”

For Balfe, to put herself in this overwhelming experience as Claire, the actor drew on all the character’s experiences from previous seasons to embody the weight of this moment.

“It’s a grief that never leaves you, first and foremost. So what happens when that is reopened and then maybe compounded by new information? So it was hard to arrive at where that sits,” Balfe shared in a separate interview. “But I think the beauty of being on a really long-running TV show is every scene that you’ve ever filmed is like a memory that has gone into your mind and your body.”

“And so it was really crazy when we started doing sort of some of those scenes, that emotion is still there from previous times. And that’s kind of fascinating to see how these things can bubble up. But I think it has such a huge impact on the formation of their family going forward, and being able to maybe put that somewhere, to be able to channel that grief and use it for good, maybe with another person, is kind of great.”

Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe in Outlander Season 8 (Starz)

Jamie’s relationship with death

While death is nothing new in the Outlander world, the season also begins with Jamie having to face new questions about his possible death, something that continues throughout Season 8.

“He’s like a cat with nine lives. And I think at this point, he’s faced death so many times, but now he knows … what he’s leaving behind,” Heughan said. “He has lost Claire before. He has much more to lose now. He cares so much, not only about Claire, but his whole family. So he’s obviously worried for all of them, for what he’ll leave behind.”

“I don’t think he’s ever been scared of death, it’s always just been leaving Claire.”

“He fully believes there’s something else, and he will be with Claire there no matter what,” Roberts added in a separate interview. “And I think that gives him peace, and that his physical body isn’t the full story.”

“When you have that peace of mind, then I think he’s OK with basically losing his body, and death, if you want to call it that, because he knows in his heart that his soul will go somewhere and be with her, and who’s to say he’s not right? … This is their story, and how that unfolds, … we’ll see. … I definitely feel like he doesn’t want to die, I don’t think, but I think he’s OK with that, knowing where he his soul is going to go.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 09: Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan of ‘Outlander’ pose for a portrait during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Spring Studio on June 09, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Erik Tanner/Getty Images)
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‘We’ve always supported each other’

Reflecting on the impact of starring in Outlander together for so many years, Heughan and Balfe highlighted the support they’ve been able to offer each other throughout the process as they navigated the show’s success over eight seasons.

“We were both thrust into the show and quite, I guess naive, or just willing to learn, really, to get into it,” Heughan said. “And it’s been amazing to go on this journey together, to have each other’s backs. I think we’ve always supported each other, and it has been an amazing journey.”

“And we’ve grown up during the show, we’ve gained experience, but it’s been so nice to always have each other. There were moments when we didn’t get to work together, when the story … took us in other ways, but it was always nice to reconnect, and I think we just laughed a lot. We had a lot of great times together, great humour. And now it’s … rewarding and lovely to sort of sit and reflect on something that almost feels like a dream now that it’s come and gone.”

“Now we are seeing each other as these two people who have had this really unique bond, this really unique experience,” Balfe added. “And it’s so lovely to see Sam do all these amazing things that he’s doing in his life, and I got to go see him play Macbeth, which was incredible. And to see everything [he’s] doing outside of even … acting. And I’m just really proud of him as a friend, and it’s been incredible to walk this journey with him.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 02: (L-R) Matthew B. Roberts and Maril Davis attends the Red Carpet Premiere of Outlander: The Final Season at Alice Tully Hall on March 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for STARZ)
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‘I wanted to make sure we put out an amazing love story’

Outlander has not just attracted a devoted group of fans, but sustained that fandom too, making it particularly unique in the TV landscape.

“Whenever you work on something, you want to do the best you can, and you want people to appreciate what you’ve done and what the crew has done, and the cast. But this has been such a special one,” Davis said. “Since before day one, actually, we’ve had this amazing fan support.”

“I think of anything I’ve ever worked on, this is the one show I hear the most about. … It means something to people, and that means something to us. We love the fact that so many friendships have been created because of the show, so many relationships that will stand the test of time, and it’s been so heartwarming for us and heartwarming for our cast and crew, that this show has meant so much, and has held such a special place in people’s hearts.”