The Droughtlander is officially over! On June 16, Outlander Season 7 will debut on Starz, more than a year after the May 2022 Season 6 finale. The Emmy-nominated time-travel romance debuted in 2014, spawning six seasons (season 8 will be the last) and an upcoming prequel spinoff. It follows Claire (played by Belfast's Caitríona Balfe), a World War II nurse transported back in time to Scotland in 1743, and her paramour, Highland warrior Jamie (Love Again's Sam Heughan), as the pair navigate historical events across the U.K. and pre-Revolution America.
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What can we expect in Outlander Season 7, and how will the series make up for all that lost time? We've gathered up all the details on the long-awaited installment: the trailer, the cast, the plot, the episode count — you name it, it's here. And if you're going into the beloved sci-fi romance blind, have no fear. We'll let you know how (and where) you can watch all previous seasons of everyone's favorite corsets-and-muskets love story.
What is Outlander about?
If you're new to Outlander, you'd best strap in because the time-hopping romance can get a little weird. Based on Diana Gabaldon's beloved historical fantasy novels, the Starz series debuted its first season back in 2014. It follows Claire Randall (Balfe), a married World War II combat nurse who's mysteriously whisked away to 1743 Scotland. She's forced to marry dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Heughan), leaving her juggling the two loves of her past and future-past lives. Oh, and she gets caught up in some epic historical battles (literally) along the way. It's history class with a twist of romantic intrigue. What's not to love?
What's the plot of Outlander Season 7?
Outlander's May 2022 Season 6 finale was about as explosive as they come. Claire was wrongfully accused of murdering Malva, the mystery of Jemmy's parentage was cleared up, and Jamie, Ian and Chief Bird set off to free Claire. Season 7 will pick up right where the show left off, amidst political turmoil in the colonies. The Revolution has come knocking, and there's no telling which Frasers will come out of the conflict unscathed.
Here's the official synopsis for Outlander Season 7:
"Season seven picks up from the harrowing events of the end of season six, with Jamie and Young Ian racing to rescue Claire before she's tried and wrongfully convicted for the murder of Malva Christie. But their mission is complicated by the beginning of a geopolitical firestorm: The American Revolution has arrived. In the seventh season of Outlander, Jamie, Claire, and their family are caught in the violent birth pains of an emerging nation as armies march to war and British institutions crumble in the face of armed rebellion.
"The land the Frasers call home is changing—and they must change with it. In order to protect what they've built, the Frasers have to navigate the perils of the Revolutionary War. They learn that sometimes to defend what you love, you have to leave it behind. As the conflict draws them out of North Carolina and into the heart of this fight for independence, Jamie, Claire, Brianna, and Roger are faced with impossible decisions that have the potential to tear their family apart."
Check out the latest full-length trailer for Outlander Season 7:
Running the trailer on a loop until June 16 not gonna cut it for ya? You could always whet your appetite with the source material. Season 7 is based on An Echo in the Bone, the seventh book in the nine-book Outlander series.
The cast of Outlander Season 7
The gang's all here for Outlander's latest installment, with Caitríona Balfe (Claire Fraser), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser), Sophie Skelton (Bree Fraser) and Richard Rankin (Roger Wakefield) all returning for Season 7. In huge news, Charles Vandervaart (Lost in Space) will star as Jamie's secret son William Ransom, a British aristocrat who "arrive[s] in Wilmington full of patriotic zeal and enthusiasm to join the British Army and help put an end to the escalating tensions in the American Colonies," per Starz. Yikes.
We'll see a few key characters from the past crop up again:
- Graham McTavish (House of the Dragon) will reprise his role as Jamie's uncle Dougal MacKenzie.
- Nell Hudson (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) returns as Jamie's ex-wife Laoghaire.
- Andrew Whipp (The White Princess) will play Jamie's father Brian Fraser.
- Steven Cree (The Diplomat) will play Old Ian Murray, the father of Young Ian (and Jamie's brother-in-law).
- Layla Burns will play Jamie's stepdaughter Joan MacKimmie.
- Lotte Verbeek (The Fault in Our Stars) will play Geillis Duncan, Claire's mortal enemy and a fellow time traveler from the 20th century.
- Kristin Atherton will take over as Jenny Murray, Jamie's sister (previously played by Laura Donnelly).
- Diarmaid Murtagh (Vikings) will play Buck MacKenzie, Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Duncan's illegitimate son.
And some new characters we'll meet in Season 7:
- Gloria Obianyo (Dune) will debut the role of Mercy Woodcock, a free Black woman.
- Rod Hallett (The Last Kingdom) will play the notorious Revolutionary traitor Benedict Arnold — because would it really be historical fiction if he didn't show up?
- Izzy Meikle (Never Let Me Go) and Joey Phillips (Accused) will play siblings Rachel and Denzell Hunter, Quakers whose lives are upended by the arrival of Young Ian and William Ransom.
When does Outlander Season 7 premiere?
Outlander Season 7 premieres Friday, June 16 at 8 p.m. ET on the Starz cable channel, and will stream at midnight ET on the Starz app. New episodes will drop every Friday.
The supersized season is a return to form for the beloved drama. Like Season 1, Season 7 will cover 16 episodes, split into two parts. There's no word on when the second half of Season 7 will air, but fans can expect a 2024 debut.
How to watch all episodes of Outlander Seasons 1-6
If you're looking to catch up on all previous seasons of Outlander (or just revisit the romance and petticoats of it all), we've got you covered. You can binge Seasons 1-6 with a Starz streaming service subscription. Otherwise, all episodes of Seasons 1-5 are now streaming on Netflix.
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