6 Storylines to Expect in ‘Outlander’ Season 6, According to the Books
Outlander may not return for quite a while, leaving fans in a prolonged state of that dreaded thing known as “Droughtlander,” but there’s still a lot to look forward to considering the show has been renewed through Season 6.
Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) time-traversing love story took some of the show’s darkest turns in Season 5. Whether it was Claire’s capture, imprisonment and rape by multiple men or Roger’s near-death experience being hung at the Alamance battlefield, there was more than a fair share of heart-stopping moments.
As the Frasers regroup at their North Carolina-based Ridge, we’re taking a look at the plots that could remain on the horizon, keeping in mind that the show at times deviates from the source material of Diana Gabaldon‘s books. Season 6 would cover Book 6, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, which is set between the years 1773 and 1776, bringing viewers into the height of America’s Revolution.
Below, catch up on some of the quirkier details that could occur when Outlander returns to Starz … someday.
Outlander, Season 6, TBA, Starz
Roger and Bree Return to the Future
Fans saw Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) almost return to the future through some standing stones they found in the colonies. When they attempted to travel to the 1960s though, they wound up exactly where they set off from in the 1770s, pulled by the things anchoring them in that time — their family. In Gabaldon’s sixth book though, Roger and Bree manage to fulfill the journey but only out of necessity. During the years to come, the couple have a daughter named Amanda, who Claire discovers has a heart murmur that won’t be fixable in the past. Determined to get their child the help she needs, Roger and Bree return to the future with Amanda and first-born child Jemmy.
Fergus in Trouble
At the end of Season 5, Fergus (César Domboy) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle) are preparing for the arrival of their fourth child. In Gabaldon’s book, their son Henri-Christian is born with dwarfism which causes a stir at the Ridge, but sparks despair in Fergus who worries about the life his child will face. The despair grows so large that Fergus actually attempts suicide. The thought is enough to send any dedicated fan into tears.
Baby Daddy Drama
In a plot that sounds like it was plucked from Jerry Springer‘s stage, Lizzie (Caitlin O’Ryan) reveals that she’s pregnant in 1774, but she’s unsure of the father as she mistakenly slept with both Beardsley twins Josiah and Kezzie (both played by Paul Gorman). In the book, she reveals this to the Frasers, and somehow manages to marry both boys in separate handfasting ceremonies performed by Jamie and Roger.
Jemmy’s Paternity
In one plot from Book 6, Jamie helps treat his grandson Jemmy who has lice, and upon shaving his head he discovers a birth mark. After inspecting, the mark is nearly the same as one Roger has himself and Claire confirms it would be a hereditary marker. What does this mean? It confirms Jemmy’s paternity, which was in question since Brianna conceived her son on the same night she slept with Roger and was raped by Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers).
Near-Death Experience
After nearly losing Jamie to a snake bite in Season 5, it appears to be Claire’s turn as she contracts an illness in Book 6. The bout of sickness is so severe she nearly dies, but just as Jamie did, she comes through the potentially fatal experience. But how did she fall ill? That could be caused by a character yet to arrive, Malva Christie.
Malva Christie
While fans met the Beardsleys in Season 5, they could meet the Christies in Season 6 as they play a prominent role in Book 6. Unlike the show, Claire’s apprentice is played by Malva Christie rather than Marsali. After taking the girl under her wing, Claire advises her on different areas of her life and provides some information. When Claire falls ill as does Malva’s “father” Tom, it’s assumed that it’s connected to an ongoing bout of dysentery, but Claire notices there’s something strange about the illness. Later on in the book, Tom reveals Malva’s pregnant and the girl claims Jamie is the father. In an attempt to uncover the truth, Ian (John Bell) tells his aunt that it could be him or another character’s child — it isn’t though. Before they learn the true paternity, Claire finds the woman dead in her garden with her throat slashed. Claire tries to save the unborn child but is unsuccessful. Even with Malva gone, the trouble doesn’t end there as Claire’s arrested for the girl’s murder. Needless to say, some serious drama may be ahead when Outlander returns for Season 6.
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