MGM+ has announced today (Wednesday, September 10) that we will be getting a second season of its epic romantic saga, Outlander: Blood of my Blood.

The show, which charts the love stories between Clare's parents - played by Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine), and Jamie's parents - played by Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), has become a huge hit with fans of the original series.

The official synopsis for the show says: "From the battlefields of World War I to the rugged Highlands of 18th-century Scotland, two fated couples must defy the forces that seek to tear them apart, intersecting in surprising and unforeseen ways. Outlander: Blood of my Blood features new cast, characters and stories, welcoming viewers unfamiliar with the Outlander universe, while also providing existing fans with origin stories of fan-favourite characters from early seasons of Outlander, offering new perspectives that will change what they think they know."

It has also been confirmed that production on season two of Outlander: Blood of my Blood has begun in Scotland, on the same stages where the legacy series Outlander has been filmed for the past ten years.

In addition to Corfield, Irvine, Slater and Roy, Outlander: Blood of my Blood also stars Tony Curran (Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat), Rory Alexander (Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser), Séamus McLean Ross (Colum MacKenzie), Sam Retford (Dougal MacKenzie) and Conor MacNeill (Ned Gowan).

As filming for the next prequel series gets underway, we also have Outlander season 8 to look forward to next year. And, with the current first season of Blood of my Blood heading towards a gripping end next month, fans can now be safe in the knowledge that this isn't the end for the Outlander prequel.

New episodes of the Outlander: Blood of my Blood land weekly every Saturday on MGM+, and on Fridays in the US on Starz.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood’s sixth episode, "Birthright”.

Giving birth is never a walk in the park on Outlander, and it seems like the vibes are similar in Blood of my Blood as Julia goes into labor in less than ideal conditions in this new episode.

Meanwhile, Henry has an idea that might help him finally find his wife, but his plan goes sideways. Let’s recap what happens in the latest episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood.

Julia goes into labor

At this point in the story of Blood of my Blood, Julia has been at Castle Leathers for months and her pregnancy is far along enough that she is about to give birth to her son. Indeed, she wakes up one morning to find that her water has broken.

She goes to find Brian, who is still upset with her because he doesn’t understand why she would have slept with Lovat. She tells him she was already with child when she arrived at Leathers and decided to go to bed with his father to make him believe the bairn is his. She adds that the only reason his mother was able to keep him is because Brian is the laird’s son, so she did what was necessary to protect her child.

Tending to Lord Lovat’s fire, Davina Porter hears him whispering Julia’s name in his sleep, which reminds her of a time when it was her he was calling to his bed. A flashback shows Davina didn’t have much of a choice when it came to sleeping with Lord Lovat. He forced her to have sex with him, on several occasions, which led to her pregnancy with Brian.

Mrs. Porter informs the laird that Julia is in labor and he decides he is going to marry her so that the bairn is a legitimate child. Davina protests and Lovat threatens to hit her, but she explains Julia is too far into the process to go to the kirk.

In fact, now that she is in labor, Julia has to go into confinement. For a woman whose last pregnancy was in the 20th century, this is a new, jarring experience. It entails Julia being locked in a room with a bunch of women supposedly there to help her give birth.

The main hall of the castle is used as the birthing chamber and Brian comes to find his mother. She asks if Julia’s baby is his and he explains there is nothing between them. Curious about her own relationship with Lovat, he asks if she and the laird ever loved each other. Of course, Davina doesn’t admit to her son how he was really conceived.

Brian is concerned about his position within the Fraser clan and hopes he can improve his relationship with his father. Later on, he shares a drink with Lord Lovat and alludes to the fact that he’d like a better position as a Fraser, but Lovat doesn’t have much faith in Brian and would rather put all his focus on the bairn who is about to be born.

Victim shaming

A group of women arrive to assist Julia and at first it all seems quite nice, all of them being excited that they will witness the birth of a (supposedly) future king of Scotland. They are here to comfort and guide Julia, and they draw comparisons between her situation and Mrs. Porter's.

Unfortunately, that upsets Davina, who tells the others that they are nothing alike because Julia seduced Lord Lovat and sought his attention, and boy do things take a turn. Suddenly, everyone is against Julia, they start calling her a jezebel and pretty much say they will tend to the baby but if something happens to the mother, she is on her own.

They shame her, tell her to confess her sins, call her a woman of loose morals… The whole experience is rather brutal. They ask who the father of the child is over and over again, Davina thinking Julia is lying. Julia tells Mrs. Porter she doesn’t need to hate her, that she will not take anything from her and begs her to not harden her heart against her.

The thing is that Davina was abused and mistreated by Lord Lovat, but when he got her pregnant, he never considered marrying her. When he assaulted her, Lovat made it sound like Davina brought it all on herself by being a temptress, and Mrs. Porter has carried that trauma all this year, and clearly struggles with Julia’s situation.

Eventually, Julia manages to get through to Mrs. Porter and tells her everything she is doing is to protect her baby. Another flashback shows how when Davina was in labor with Brian, she was also harassed by women who shamed her and threatened her child. Maybe she and Julia aren't that different so, back in the present, Davina then sends everyone away.

Lovat thinks Mrs. Porter is jealous so he bursts into the birthing chamber, followed by Brian and a reverend. He wants the child to be born in wedlock but this really isn’t the right time for Julia who is in the middle of pushing. As Davina screams at him to get out, Lovat strikes her and Brian intervenes, telling his father to go but before Lovat leaves (after the reverend said Julia is in no condition to get married), he tells Brian he will pay for his defiance.

As Julia’s son is about to arrive into this world, the show goes back to the birth of her daughter, Claire. A flashback shows Julia in labor as Henry tries to distract her from the pain. Claire arrives and the two of them are over the moon to meet their baby girl, and it’s much more touching than what is going on in the present.

When Julia's child is born, he doesn’t make a sound at first but Mrs. Porter gets him to let out his first cry before putting him in his mother's arms. Both women are quite emotional over the bairn, and hopefully they will have a better relationship moving forward.

After receiving lashes for defying his father, Brian goes to see Julia. He meets the bairn and they discuss how he doesn’t know when his birthday is. Julia then goes to fetch a cake and puts a candle on it before asking Brian to make a wish and blow it.

Henry loses his mind

Meanwhile, over at Castle Grant, Arch Bug is keeping an eye on Henry and wants to know what he is up to. Henry explains he wants to find local midwives to see if anyone has come across his pregnant wife. Bug is touched by Henry’s predicament, having himself lost a child at birth. He offers to talk to Isaac Grant about it and see if they can have midwives come to the castle to find out if anyone treated Julia.

Later on, midwives start arriving at Castle Grant but none have seen Julia… Until one shows up to tell Henry that she met a Julia Beauchamp who died in labor, and so did her baby. Henry is devastated and refuses to believe her but she convinces him otherwise. The shock triggers Henry to the point that he feels as distressed as he was in the trenches of World War I.

However, of course, the midwife is lying. She was paid by Bug to tell Henry that Julia died, so that Henry would stop his search.

Henry runs outside in tears and hears Julia’s voice. He starts laughing as he fully goes into a nervous breakdown, mixing the present with the past. He runs around yelling the war is over, reliving the day he ran to announce it to Julia. Except it is not Julia he goes to. In his mind, he is in London talking to his wife, but in reality he is in Una Hay’s brothel with Seema, the English sex worker he previously met there.

When he calls her Julia, she doesn’t correct him. Instead, Seema kisses him, and leads him to her bed. They have sex, and it’s quite devastating to see Henry completely lost in his grief. He is convinced he is with Julia, but really isn’t and it’s unclear if he’ll be back to himself the next morning. But if he is, it will be a rude awakening.

Is Henry going to return to his senses? Will Julia find a way out of Leathers? We’ll have to wait for a new episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood, on Starz and MGM+, to find out.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood’s fifth episode, "Needfire”.

It’s time for the best pagan festival: Beltane (or May Day). It’s the one night of the year where, apparently, all bets are off and everyone can do whatever they want.

Brian and Ellen take advantage of the festivities to get really acquainted with each other while Murtagh finds out a devastating truth and Henry laments he cannot find Julia. Let’s recap what happens in this new episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood.

Keeping up appearances

Brian and Julia’s plan to attend the Beltane celebration near Inverness together is short-lived as, when they try to sneak out of Castle Leathers, they get caught by Mrs. Porter who says Julia cannot go anywhere. For one, she is carrying Lord Lovat’s child, a news she breaks to Brian, who is upset that Julia lied to him about who the father of her baby is (she didn’t, but she cannot really tell him that in front of Mrs. Porter). But that’s not all, Lord Lovat’s seer, Maisri, is coming to Leathers to do a reading for him on Beltane, and Julia needs to be there.

Too bad for Julia, who could have been reunited with her husband at Beltane. But really, this isn’t surprising: we are only halfway through this first season of Blood of my Blood so the show wasn’t going to make life that easy for the time-traveling couple this early on. That’s not how the Outlander universe rolls.

Meanwhile, Ellen is on the way to the festival with her sister, Jocasta, who is a bit bitter that Ellen is being set up for an ideal marriage. The two of them keep bickering in the back of the carriage and Ned eventually tells them to cut it off.

Later on, we learn that the reason Jocasta is upset with Ellen is because she blames her for having to marry Lord Cameron and being stuck in a loveless marriage. Good thing Murtagh decided to tag along with Brian for the festivities, at least that will give Jocasta some distraction.

Indeed, Murtagh somehow still thinks he has a shot with Ellen and hopes to make a move on her at Beltane. Brian, who hasn’t yet revealed to his cousin that he is in love with the same woman as he is, tries to dissuade him but Murtagh is fully delusional at this point.

When they arrive at the festival, Ned tries to convince Ellen that marrying Malcolm is the best possible match for her and asks her not to do anything reckless. Ellen then meets up with Malcolm and plays her part, pretending that she is looking forward to their union.

A quick ceilidh is organized before the evening festivities and Malcolm invites Ellen to dance. But guess who shows up? Brian. In between steps, he and Ellen make a plan to meet up later and Murtagh notices their little chat, hoping his cousin is putting in a good word for him. Delulu, we said.

Meanwhile, Jocasta spots Murtagh and he makes her quite happy when he asks her to dance, even though he ditches her as soon as the music stops to go talk to Brian.

Afterwards, Ellen is chosen as May Queen and told to pick her king. Of course, Malcolm volunteers, but Murtagh too, the enamored fool. Luckily other men step forward as well and, to avoid Murtagh getting in trouble, Brian also joins. But of course, Elle has to keep up appearances and chooses Malcolm Grant.

Prophecies and warnings

Henry catches up with Ned to tell him Isaac Grant has received Lord Lovat’s letter questioning Ellen’s reputation, so the Grants are concerned and Henry wants to know more.

Ned assures him there is nothing to be worried about and adds that Lovat probably wants to mess up their deal because he hates the MacKenzies. He also explains that Lovat himself is accused of the kidnapping and rape of a noblewoman, which should tell Henry everything he needs to know about the kind of man Simon Fraser is. Ned encourages Henry to talk to whoever he needs to in order to ease Grant’s concerns, but insists he will find Lovat’s accusations have no merrit.

Speaking of the devil, over at Castle Leathers, Lord Lovat holds a divination seance with his seer. Maisri assures him he will soon return to the position he once held. When he asks her about the child Julia is expecting and whether the bairn will be worthy of his legacy, she tells him it is a boy with the purpose to unite clans for centuries to come. Lovat is convinced she is talking about a prophecy saying a Scottish ruler will rise from the Fraser bloodline, so he thinks Julia is carrying a future king.

Later on Mrs. Porter goes to see Lord Lovat and tells him she does not think Julia’s child is his because she is sure that Julia was already pregnant when she arrived at Leathers. However, Lovat does not want to believe her and tells Mrs. Porter she better never speak of this again or he will have her killed.

Back at the festival, Arch Bug warns Murtagh about staying away from Ellen and gives him a beating to get the message into his head.

Later on, Henry drinks his feelings as he is sad that being near Craigh Na Dun did not magically bring Julia back to him. Ned comes to sit with him and tells him of how he lost the love of his life before joining clan MacKenzie and that the pain he felt could have been the end of him. He suggests that Henry decide when he should abandon his search to avoid a similar fate.

It’s the horniest time of the year

After Ellen finally manages to ditch Malcolm Grant to go find Brian, they share a tender kiss witnessed by… Murtagh, who of course feels betrayed by Brian, and decides to go sulk at the bottom of a bottle.

Brian and Ellen go to a castle ruin to spend some time together which turns out to be quite productive: they profess their love to one another and really want to have sex but since Brian doesn’t want to ruin Ellen’s reputation, he and Ellen get handfast before getting the deed done. "Blood of my blood, bone of my bone," it’s all very lovely and giving Outlander a run for its money as this scene will surely enter in the pantheon of fan-favorites.

However with Henry looking into Ellen’s virtue, Murtagh now knowing of Brian and Ellen’s relationship and her losing her virginity to Brian, this will most likely be causing the two of them a lot of problems.

But until any of that happens, Ellen and Brian take advantage of their post-sex glow to talk about themselves and their family. He tells her his father is worse than what is said about him, and explains he went on the Camino de Santiago to find out more about himself and come to terms with his station. He asks her if she regrets choosing him and she says he is the one thing in her entire life she has chosen for herself and would do it again and again.

When the night comes, Ellen gets dressed with the most gorgeous gown for the Beltane celebration and Malcolm comes to see her to give her a small gift. It’s a token of his affection he made after they first met at Leoch when they were children (and it’s the gift he wanted to give her back in episode 1).

Meanwhile, Jocasta finds Murtagh drunk and injured and comes to his help. He tells her he wants to be wanted and they kiss but when he pulls away, Murtagh calls her "Ellen," and that’s just one more knife crammed into poor Jocasta’s heart.

As the Beltane celebration goes on, Brian watches Ellen and Malcolm be at the center of everyone’s attention, and Murtagh watches Brian. As much as Ellen and Brian only have eyes for each other, there is no doubt that this will soon get them into a world of trouble.

Will Murtagh spill the beans about Ellen and Brian’s relationship? Will Henry find out that Ellen’s virtue has indeed been ruined? We’ll have to wait for a new episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood, on Starz and MGM+, to find out.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood’s fourth episode, "A soldier's heart”.

Now that the MacKenzies have new leadership, Ellen hopes to get out of her betrothal to Malcolm Grant while Henry has to collect rent for his laird, and Julia tries to avoid Lord Lovat’s attention.

Can she find a way to escape Castle Leathers by befriending Brian Fraser? Will Henry manage to stay on the good side of the Grants? Let’s recap what happens in this new episode of Blood of my Blood.

Fairies and subterfuge

As Julia continues her work at Castle Leathers, she learns about the local superstitions around the fairy folk from Mrs. Porter, who is a bit on edge as the laird is on his way back from doing business in Edinburgh and a lot of work needs to be done. To ease Mrs. Porter’s concerns, Julia offers to go and make an offering to the fairy folk in the hope they’ll avoid their wrath.

Indeed, the fairy folk play tricks on people who are not careful, like hiding their things, spoiling their milk or stealing their babies. Given that she’s traveled through time and all, Julia is a little more open to the idea of fairies now than she used to be, so might as well be careful.

Later on, Julia writes to Henry about what she had to do to protect their child (sleep with Lord Lovat) and how it was to prevent their child from being taken from her. However, the upcoming return of the laird to the castle worries Julia, as she wants to avoid him getting the idea that they’ll sleep together on the regular now.

So, to avoid attracting Lord Lovat’s attention, Julia rubs nettle over her arms and neck to give herself a rash. When he gets home and sees it, the laird is immediately concerned it’s contagious, but Julia assures him there is a remedy for it that she could get if she were allowed to visit an apothecary. However, Mrs. Porter won’t allow it, saying the rash is a curse from the fairy folk. Wanting none of that in his house, Lovat instructs Julia to do whatever it takes to get rid of the rash, and Brian volunteers to take her to Beauly.

Ellen’s fate isn’t her own

Upon his father’s return, Brian gives Lord Lovat a letter received from the Grants while he was away. The letter isn’t from Isaac Grant himself but from his bladier (Henry), explaining the Grants don’t have enough evidence to go back on their agreement with the MacKenzies.

Brian is relieved to see his father did not succeed in tarnishing Ellen’s reputation, but Lord Lovat doesn’t intend to leave things at that. He insists there must be a stain on her honor explaining why she hasn’t been married yet, and Brian fails to reason with him.

Meanwhile at Castle Leoch, Colum tells Ellen that Malcolm Grant has requested she goes to Beltane with him, a festival that will happen near Inverness. He adds that Ned will accompany her to the celebration and that she must attend it with a smile on her face. Ellen does not intend to marry Malcolm though, and tells her brother to say whatever he needs to say to Isaac Grant to break the agreement they made.

Colum, however, is very much aware of what the Grants are capable of if things do not go their way, and tells his sister the story of another Grant marriage that did not go through, implying that if Ellen does not comply, Isaac Grant could have her killed. Plus, there is another reason she should marry Malcolm: the MacKenzies are broke and the clan is on the precipice of destitution thanks to their late father.

If he marries Malcolm Grant, Ellen could save the MacKenzies from financial ruin, and then be their eyes and ears at Castle Grant. However, Ellen reminds Colum that if he sells her to the Grants, he will be relinquishing her loyalty to them as well. She then storms out, runs into Dougal, gives him another earful, and takes off.

A bladier’s job

At Mistress Hay’s brothel, the owner tells Henry she has found the Englishwoman he was looking for. He is hopeful it is Julia, but things are not that easy for poor Henry. On one hand, he is relieved to see that the woman Mistress Hay brought him is not Julia, because he would have been crushed to see his wife working in a brothel. On the other hand, he’d really like to see his wife again.

Later, Isaac Grant tells Henry he is sending him out to collect rent from the clan’s tenants and explain to them that there is an increase to what they usually pay. Grant also warns Henry not to return with excuses instead of money.

On quarter day, Henry advises the tenants about the rent increase, but soon runs into ones who cannot pay, and one even refuses to pay before starting a fight with Henry, who defends himself a bit too well, his anger bringing him back to the fighting of World War One.

Mr. Bug tells Henry he has to be firm about the rent increase, otherwise when they’ll return to Castle Grant without the money the laird expects and Henry’s head could end up on a pike like his predecessor’s.

A flashback brings us back to 1920s London, as Henry is having a nightmare about what happened in the trenches of the Great War, and a pregnant Julia manages to soothe his PTSD episode by singing to him a song and giving him her necklace to keep close wherever he goes.

The following day, he apologizes for scaring Julia and tells her there is something broken in him. She assures him she fell in love with the man he is now, the man who went through the war, and she asks him to let her and the baby be his guiding light. He tells her that if the child is a girl, they should name her Claire, because it means clear and bright in French, “like their future,” Julia agrees.

Yet another flashback, finding the couple discussing lottery tickets and the value of it giving people hope, informs Henry’s decision back in the present. Indeed, he decides to change the way he is going about collecting the rent and asking for the increase by adding a lottery twist to the entire affair, enticing tenants to pay more than what they can in the hope of winning a year rent-free.

It works: tenants are eager to participate in the lottery and Henry collects all the money Grant could wish for. However, when Henry and Bug get back to Castle Grant, the laird is a bit annoyed that Henry did not follow his instructions to the letter. Although he is pleased to have more than double the money he asked for, he isn’t fond of the “rent-free” prize. He makes it clear that if Henry crosses him again, the bladier will not remain in his good graces.

When Henry leaves, Bug tells Isaac he suspects something is off about Henry and asks if Grant wants him to kill the new bladier. The laird says “not yet” but asks Bug to watch him more closely.

And because Henry doesn’t really have much else to do, he goes back to the brothel to see not-Jullia. He tells her the lady he is looking for is his wife, and that he has been searching for her for months. He does not want to have sex with not-Julia, but he is lonely and sad and would like to just lie there next to her.

Julia and Ellen meet

Off to Beauly with Julia, Brian asks her about the rash but she prefers to avoid the subject. Instead, she asks him why he is still at Leathers when he is at an age where he could have his own family. Brian explains that being a bastard doesn’t make that easy and that he doesn’t have much to offer. He also explains he did leave the year before but decided to return, mostly for his mom’s haggis, or so he says.

Soon enough, it turns out Brian has not brought Julia to Beauly, but to Castle Leoch. He knows she feigned her illness and needs her help. He wants her to go deliver a message to Ellen, but she tells him she is pregnant and does not want to put her baby in danger. He reassures her she won’t be in harm's way, and says that if she helps him, he will help her escape Leathers.

Julia goes to the castle and asks for Mrs. Fitz, explaining she is a servant from Leathers and that she got lost nearby and went to Leoch for refuge since she knows of Mrs. Fitz from her nephew, Murtagh. She then manages to ditch Mrs. Fitz and go find Ellen, who is at first hesitant to hear her message.

Ellen explains she cannot go meet Brian, as her brothers are keeping her at Leoch until Beltane and her every move are being watched. She tells Julia she is to attend the festival with Malcolm Grant and might even get locked in a 100-year dance with the fairies. That’s a legend about how, on Beltane, fairies lure travelers to a hill for a night of dancing, but when the travelers return home, they discover a 100 years have passed.

That reminds Julia of something: a fairy hill, near Inverness, marked with standing stones, where all one has ever known is gone… Craigh Na Dun! So while Ellen wonders if it’d be best if the fairies did take her, Julia figures she needs to go to Beltane too to get to the last place she saw Henry, the stones.

She manages to convince Ellen to go see Brian, knowing what it’s like to be apart from the one you love. So, the two women sneak out of Leoch, and Ellen gets to see her boo. He asks if she wants to marry Malcolm Grant and she reassures him her feelings have not changed. They swear to find a way out of her betrothal and make plans to meet up again at Beltane. Brian and Julia leave before Dougal shows up to have another argument with his sister, because those two get along like cats and dogs.

The next day, Ellen gives Colum a list of wedding guests and explains she thought about their conversation and his warning, and that she cannot afford to lose him or let the clan fall to ruin. She tells him she will marry Malcolm without resisting and accompany him to Beltane. Obviously, she doesn’t intend to follow through with that wedding but the details of her plan (if she has one already) should emerge in future episodes.

On the way back to Leathers, Julia offers to help Brian get in touch with Ellen at Beltane, because she wants to see if he can find her husband near Inverness. Upon their return at the castle, Lord Lovat summons Julia, happy to see her rash is gone. He wants to fool around with her but Julia says they have to be careful because she is now carrying his child. Mrs. Porter hears the “happy” news and it’s pretty clear from the way she looks at Julia that she knows the bairn isn’t the laird’s.

What will happen at Beltane? Will Brian and Ellen find a way to be together? Tune in next week for a new episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood, on Starz and MGM+, to find out.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood’s third episode, "School of the moon”.

Now that Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie have met, and while Henry and Julia Beauchamp try to find each other in 1714, it is time to turn our attention back to the clan gathering at Castle Leoch.

Who will be chosen as the new laird? Can Ellen get out of the deal her brother made with the Grants? Let’s recap what happens in this new episode of Blood of my Blood.

A woman scorned

This new episode opens on Ellen having a sex dream about Brian, which, to be fair, is completely understandable. The guy would go to the ends of the Earth for her, okay? But back to reality, Ellen is woken up by Mrs. Fitz who soon drops a bomb on her: she is to be betrothed to Malcolm Grant. Needless to say, Ellen is not thrilled and immediately goes to confront her brother, Colum, about this decision.

He has the nerve to tell her she should be thankful because there are worse suitors. But since she isn’t the one who beat up Malcolm Grant, Ellen is furious that she has to pay for Dougal’s mistake and tries to convince Colum she is more valuable to him at Leoch than married off to another clan. He doubts she has much counsel to offer, but Ellen has not said her last word here.

In all fairness, Colum thinks he is doing what’s best for the clan, but it’s to the detriment of his relationship with his sister. Ellen then finds Dougal and tells him how upset she is with him, but he reminds her Colum decided of her fate. He isn’t particularly fond of the idea of an alliance with the Grants either, because he suspects they are after much more than just her hand in marriage.

However, it turns out that Dougal is cooking up his own alliance plans in the background of the gathering. Indeed, he chats with fellow Jacobite Marcus MacRannoch about spreading the word that whoever wants a Stuart king should champion him as the laird. But to sweeten the deal for MacRannoch, Dougal offers Ellen as his wife because apparently both her brothers see her as a pawn in their own games.

Ellen the mastermind

While other clan members try to make their cases to be the new lairds of the MacKenzies, Ellen keeps an eye on the situation. She tells Ned that Dougal offered her hand in marriage, too, and he tells her he has been trying to convince her brothers to yield to one another, but to no avail.

During a flashback, we see Red Jacob send Dougal and Colum on a raid, mainly to test Colum’s ability to be chief. But the raid does not go according to plan and Colum is hurt to the point he cannot walk. Red Jacob is furious they abandoned the raid and later finds out what really went wrong and that, to no one’s surprise, it was Dougal’s fault.

But what Red Jacob takes away from his conversation with Colum is that the men decided to follow Dougal rather than him, and that tells him all he needs to know about his oldest son’s ability to lead. However, Red Jacob is not about to let Dougal get out of this unpunished and gives him a lashing for putting the clan in danger. In the end, Dougal blames Colum, Colum blames Dougal, it’s the same old tune between those two.

As the gathering continues, it is clear people doubt Colum physically has what it takes to be laird due to his health condition, and Dougal relishes in his humiliation. When he gloats to Ellen, she reminds him of the “school of the moon” (the raid in the flashback) and how it showed their father that Dougal wasn’t fit to be laird either.

She tells him that he is so busy fighting with Colum that he doesn’t see that others, who would be the Grants’ puppets, are eying the leadership. All would be lost for the MacKenzies, and that is why both Dougal and Colum need to get it together.

Later on, Ellen asks to see Ned because she has an idea about how to solve the situation. When the clan gathers in the great hall of Castle Leoch the next day, her plan is set into motion: Colum and Dougal both present themselves to be laird of clan MacKenzie, side by side. In fact, their idea (or Ellen’s) is to divide the duties: Colum will be laird, taking care of the day to day. But should a war arise, and a war chieftain be needed, then Dougal will be leading the clan.

The two brothers pledge their loyalty to one another, and the rest of the clan soon follows, especially when Ned explains there is precedent for having a peace laird and war chieftain, putting to rest anyone else getting the idea of trying to take over clan MacKenzie.

After the oath-taking, Ned and Henry meet in a brothel where they discuss the union of Ellen and Malcolm. Ned then introduces Henry to the mistress of the establishment, who can help him find Julia. He describes his wife to her and she agrees to look for the missing Englishwoman.

A terrible solution

Speaking of Julia, things are not fine at Castle Leathers. Mrs. Porter has noticed Julia has not had her period since she arrived, and therefore figured out she is pregnant. Julia does her best to deny it, but Mrs. Porter is not new to this. She gives Julia a concoction that can help her “restore her blood”, meaning ending her pregnancy.

Mrs. Porter argues Julia will be even more mistreated if the laird finds out she is with child, and that he will get rid of the bairn himself if she refuses to do so. Julia does point out that Mrs. Porter did not get rid of Brian, but the difference is Brian was the laird’s son.

Later on, as she writes a letter to Henry explaining her situation, Julia admits she will not be able to hide her pregnancy much longer. Therefore, she is forced to make a difficult choice that she hopes her husband will forgive: sleeping with Lord Lovat, in hopes to later convince him that the baby is his, which would save the bairn as it saved Brian.

Meanwhile, Brian and Murtagh return to Leathers after Murtagh was disappointed to hear that Ellen has been promised to another. He told Brian, who was as upset as him although he did not let it show.

Of course, Murtagh doesn’t know (yet) that Brian has also fallen in love with Ellen, so when Brian reports to his father about the gathering and explains Colum has promised Ellen to the Grants in order to appease them after Dougal’s attack on Malcolm, Murtagh doesn’t fully understand what Brian is trying to achieve.

Brian wants to ignite in his father a desire to stop the wedding, because an alliance between the MacKenzies and Grants would not be good for Lord Lovat. And it works! But a bit too well. Because in order to prevent this alliance, Lovat decides to write to Isaac Grant to tarnish Ellen’s reputation, raising the question of why she hasn’t been married yet.

Will Lovat’s letter work and convince Isaac Grant that Ellen is not worthy of his son? Tune in next week for a new episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood, on Starz and MGM+, to find out.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood series premiere, "Providence.”

Droughtlander is ending a little sooner than Outlander fans might have expected this year as it is time for the beloved series to expand its universe with a spin-off.

Outlander: Blood of my Blood is a prequel series introducing viewers to the love stories between Jamie and Claire’s parents, Brian and Ellen, in the 18th century, and Henry and Julia in the 20th century.

How do these couples meet? Let’s recap the show’s first episode.

A cherished daughter

Blood of my Blood opens with the death of Red Jacob MacKenzie, or more specifically, with his body being prepared for his upcoming funeral. Red Jacob was the head of Clan MacKenzie, and the father of Ellen, Colum, Dougal, Jocasta and Janet.

As his eldest daughter, Ellen, gets dressed in her chambers at Castle Leoch with the help of her maid Mrs. Fitz, she worries about the future of the clan now that her father is gone. Indeed, although her brothers Dougal and Colum are in line to be his successor, it is a clan gathering that will decide who becomes the new laird.

Deep down though, Ellen wishes she could be laird. A flashback shows her discussing her duty to marry with her father and, as he gives her a MacKenzie brooch and plaid, Red Jacob promises she will not have to marry if she does not want to.

Back in the present, Mrs. Fitz suggests it might however be time for Ellen to reconsider her position on marriage, but the latter will not talk about it on this tragic day. The funeral follows and in the great hall of Castle Leoch, the MacKenzie siblings pay their respects to their father.

As Red Jacob is taken to his final resting place, Janet and Jocasta discuss how his passing is taking a bigger toll on Ellen than on the rest of them, because she loved their father more than most and their bond was so strong that he took her advice on many matters.

Another flashback shows Red Jacob and Ellen playing chess, and he explains he taught her the game to teach her the skills needed to be a laird, even if as a woman Ellen can never be the head of clan MacKenzie. Although he explains that had he had a son as his first born, Red Jacob would have named him James, he adds that he never was disappointed to have had Ellen.

The bastard son of Lord Lovat

Over at Castle Leathers, a young Murtagh Fitzgibbons is trying to convince Brian Fraser, the bastard son of Simon Fraser, to accompany him at the MacKenzie gathering. He argues that perhaps Brian could meet a lassie there, but the lad isn’t convinced.

Simon Fraser is happy about Red Jacob’s death, as he considers him to be part of the reason why he lost his title and land. As Brian tells his father he holds on to his grudges a wee bit much, Lord Lovat reminds him of his place before asking Murtagh to gather information for him at the MacKenzie gathering, as he wants to know what the clan members' position is regarding the new laird.

After Lord Lovat orders Brian to go with Murtagh at the gathering, a servant walks in with food, and attentive fans will notice this woman is none other than Julia Beauchamp, Claire’s mother. Following the housekeeper, Mrs. Porter, in the kitchen, Julia is reminded not to linger in Lord Lovat’s presence but viewers will have to wait to find out how on earth she got into this household in the first place.

Brotherly competition

If there is one thing that Outlander fans know about Dougal MacKenzie, it is that the man loves to fight, so it is fitting for Blood of my Blood to truly introduce the character as he chases and beats down raiders with his men.

After the fight, he tells Ned Gowan how he suspects the thieves were sent by Simon Fraser, since he considers him an enemy of clan MacKenzie as much as his father did. But maybe it was the Grants ? No one really knows because, as Ned points out, there are plenty of people who want to take advantage of Red Jacob’s passing.

Colum inquires if Ned has heard anything about which way the clan is leaning regarding who to choose as laird between him and Dougal, but Ned reminds the two eager men that being Red Jacob’s son does not guarantee them leadership. Tensions are high between the two brothers, who both want to be laird but have very different views on the kind of leader the clan needs.

While preparations for the gathering are underway at Castle Leoch, Ellen tells Colum that whatever way the clan leans, he has her support to be the next laird. Meanwhile, Dougal finds a lassie to have sex with in a cellar while young Angus and Rupert (characters Outlander fans know well) play peeping Toms.

When the deed is done, Colum asks his brother to yield and let him be the laird. Dougal, however, is not particularly inclined to comply. He insists the clan will need a chieftain if there is a war, and given Colum cannot go into battle because of the condition his legs suffer from, he sees himself as the one who will lead the clan to glory.

Enters Clan Grant

Isaac Grant arrives at Leoch and is welcomed by Dougal, Colum and Ned Gowan. He pays his respect and introduces his son Malcolm and their bladier, Henry Grant. Again, attentive fans will realize that the latter is actually none other than Henry Beauchamp, Claire’s father… but more on that later.

Malcolm greets Ellen and it is obvious he has a crush on the lady. Ned greets Henry and notices he is English. Asking what happened to Henry’s predecessor, Ned is told he apparently left in haste for the American colonies. Henry explains he then met Malcolm Grant in Inverness, and his skills impressed him so much that he offered Henry a position within the Grant clan.

Reporting to the MacKenzie brothers, Ned tells them he doubts the raid was the Grant’s doing, and Colum insists they need the Grants’ support if either he or Dougal is to be laird. Dougal, however, despises the Grants and pretty much tells him “over my dead body.” Dougal, ever the great diplomat.

The bridge between two families

When Murtagh and Brian arrive at Leoch, Murtagh’s aunt (Mrs. Fitz) reprimands him for bringing Brian to the gathering. If anyone spots a Fraser, there will be trouble. She then notices how Murtagh is making eyes at Lady Ellen, and tells him to forget it, he has zero chance with her.

Soon after, Brian attracts attention to himself by being too good at axe throwing, and starts being followed by men who suspect he isn’t part of the clan. He has to hide in the middle of horses and chickens, where he encounters Ellen MacKenzie, although neither of them know who the other is.

The two only need to lay eyes on each other to fall head over heels for one another, but as Brian has men after him, he needs to rush out. Before going though, he asks Ellen to meet with him the next day at a bridge on the edge of the estate, and she agrees.

The following day, while a traditional boar hunt goes underway, Malcolm Grant insists on accompanying Ellen back to the castle. He is smitten but she is on her way to meet Brian, and just wants to get rid of the guy, so he doesn’t get to give her the little gift he carved for her. Soon after, Malcolm sees Ellen walk away from the castle, and understands she did not care to be around him, so he decides to leave.

Ellen rides to the bridge she and Brian agreed to meet at and when she arrives, she tells him she does not intend to stay as it’s unusual for a lady to meet a strange man without a chaperone. She is only here to say farewell, but Brian asks her to stay and that they use the bridge as their chaperone, each of them remaining on one side.

Brian then asks Ellen’s name but his smile fades upon hearing she is a MacKenzie. He explains he is the bastard son of Simon Fraser, and they both know how unfortunate that is since their families hate each other. But Ellen has not been able to keep Brian away from her thoughts since they met, and she has occupied all of his.

Chaperones be damned, they walk across the bridge and meet in the middle, their hands touching. They wonder how they can be together given the tensions between their families. Where do they go from here? Because it’s already too late, they are madly in love.

Successful after the boar hunt, Murtagh washes blood off his hands as Jocasta MacKenzie strikes up a conversation with him. Seeing how he looks at her sister, she tells him Ellen has many suitors, and that she is forever walking in her shadow. Murtagh says he’s never met a MacKenzie who dwells in any shadow, and doesn’t realize how much his words mean to Jocasta.

Back at the castle, Dougal and Colum wonder where the heck Ellen has been all day and when Mrs. Fitz says she was last seen with Malcolm Grant, Dougal jumps to conclusions. He is ready to go save his sister’s honor, despite Colum calling for him to wait and think on the matter. But Dougal has never been one to use his head to solve a problem, so he goes off to use his blade instead.

Colum’s betrayal

As Dougal goes after Malcolm Grant, Colum asks Ned if they would have cause to demand reparations if young Master Grant indeed took Ellen, and Ned doesn’t particularly like where this train of thoughts is going.

Catching up with Grant’s carriage, Dougal assaults Malcolm and beats him up. Henry fights off Dougal’s men and manages to stop him from harming Malcolm any further. After pointing out that Ellen obviously isn’t there, the Grants tell Dougal this matter will not be forgotten easily.

When Ellen finally returns to the castle, Mrs. Fitz is relieved to see her and explains what happened between Dougal and Malcolm Grant. Ellen rushes to speak with her brothers, asking them what happened.

Dougal says they fought in her name for her honor and Colum corrects that Dougal did, as a “reckless fool”. Ellen tells Colum she doesn’t owe them any explanation regarding where she was, but he reminds her that soon enough, when one of them is laird, she will owe them everything.

Once Ellen is gone, Colum explains to Ned and Dougal that they must make amends with the Grants without delay. Aggravated by that, Dougal leaves, and Colum tells Ned that if they give Ellen as a wife to Malcolm Grant, their problem will be solved. When Ned reminds him that Red Jacob promised Ellen she would never have to marry for the sake of the clan, Colum says his father’s word died with him.

Returning to her bedchamber, Ellen reminisces about a time when she asked Red Jacob who he wanted to choose as laird. He said it was a problem for another day as he did not intend to die anytime soon, but he added that her wit and tenacity were a blessing to him, and that she had more of him in her than both her brothers put together. If only she’d been a man…

The return of the stones

Before this first episode ends, Blood of my Blood takes us back to the future, to show Henry and Julia Beauchamp having sex and a picnic in the Scottish countryside. They are here on holiday and as they drive around the Highlands, Julia marvels at how their daughter Claire would like this place while Henry wonders how she is doing in the care of his brother.

They then discuss how they hope their little lass will get used to no longer being an only child, because, surprise Outlander fans!, they are expecting another. Suddenly, a stag crosses the road, sending their car into a river. The couple manages to survive the accident, but their car is gone so they have to find their way back on foot.

When Henry stops to remove a stone from his shoe, Julia walks ahead to get the way of the land. Soon after, she screams and Henry runs after her, stumbling upon the standing stones of Craigh Na Dun, and hearing the familiar buzzing of bees that Outlander fans know to associate with time travel.

Will Henry follow Julia and travel through the stones? Find out more in the second episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood, now available on Starz and MGM+.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of my Blood second episode, "S.W.A.K. (Sealed with a Kiss)”.

After introducing viewers to Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie, the couple who will become parents to none other than James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, Outlander: Blood of my Blood switches its focus to Claire’s parents, Henry and Julia Beauchamp.

When did they meet? What brought them together? How did they end up in 1714 Scotland? Let’s recap what happens in the show’s second episode.

The second episode of Blood of my Blood opens with Henry Beauchamp fighting in the trenches of Passchendaele in 1917, arguing with his senior officer because he refuses to leave men behind. Against orders, he runs into the battlefield to rescue a fellow soldier, even if the wounds of the man are so grave there is nothing to be done to save him.

In between waves of fighting, Henry writes an open letter to the Times talking about the desperation of war. His letter lands between the hands of Julia Moritson, a very smart woman who works in a censorship office in London, reading correspondence from soldiers on the frontlines and removing any sensitive information before letters are forwarded to families.

Julia is deeply touched by Henry’s words and decides to keep the letter before writing him back. The couple proceeds to exchange numerous letters and to fall in love through their words. Julia provides a glimmer of hope in the darkness of war for Henry, and they talk about visiting Scotland together someday. Soon enough they are sealing their letters with kisses.

When the two finally meet in London during Henry’s leave, they immediately recognize each other. Their lives are now entwined and it does not take long for them to exchange a real kiss, and more.

Their love story moves fast, with a proposal, marriage and a child quickly following their initial meeting. But the harrowing experiences Henry had on the front are not about to be forgotten anytime soon and nightmares plague his sleep. Henry suffers from PTSD, then called “soldier’s heart,” but Julia helps him through his traumatic episodes.

Through the stones

The episode then returns to 1714, as Julia wakes up at the standing stones of Craigh Na Dun. She doesn’t realize she has travelled through time and goes looking for Henry, but he is not there (yet). A cart passes by so Julia takes the opportunity to ask for help. Unfortunately, the people she meets decide to kidnap her instead. They take her to Castle Leathers, where she is sold as a maid servant to Lord Lovat.

At Castle Leathers, Julia meets Davina Porter, the housekeeper (and Brian Fraser’s mother) and Lord Lovat, who seems to see Julia as more than just a servant. After Mrs. Porter tells Julia what year she is in, she indeed tells her that their master can on occasion be rather “attentive”... if you catch her drift.

So, Julia starts working for Lovat, scrubbing floors and doing laundry while also looking for information that might help her get the heck out of this castle. Lord Lovat finds her in his bedchamber and makes it rather clear what his intentions are. Therefore, Julia knows she better leave sooner rather than later.

She attempts an escape in the middle of the night, but Brian catches up with her. Back in the castle, Lovat orders Julia to be beaten but Brian takes the blame for her escape attempt and accepts the punishment in her place. Taking lashes to the back to protect a maid servant? Reminds us of another Fraser…

The new bladier of clan Grant

When Henry travels through time as well, he lands in 1714 a little while after his wife, too late to see what happened to her. He looks for her, following the direction of Inverness. He arrives at a pub, quite confused about what has happened to himself and Julia. He sees papers on a noticeboard, and notices a date, starting to piece things together.

He also meets Malcolm Grant, who buys him a drink before Henry assists the young man with a clan matter, leading Malcolm to decide to take him to meet his father. At Bowmont House, Henry is hired by Isaac Grant to be the clan’s new bladier after he points out his current advisor was misrepresenting the laird. Henry would prefer continuing his search for Julia but Grant says he can use his work for the clan, and the protection it offers, to look for his wife.

Arch Bug, who works for the Grants, warns Henry he isn’t sure he likes him much and shows him what happened to his predecessor, whose head is now on a pike.

Days later, at the MacKenzie clan gathering, Ned Gowan suggests that Ellen be promised to Malcolm Grant to make up for Dougal’s mistake in attacking Malcolm. Henry isn’t convinced that will do for the Grants, but Ned has another card up his sleeve: he offers his assistance in Henry’s search for Julia if the bladier accepts to bring his offer to the laird of clan Grant.

As time goes by, while Henry hopes to find for Julia and she tries to survive the hardship of being employed at Castle Leathers, the couple writes letters they cannot send, promising to find their way back to each other, and sealing them with a kiss.

Will Henry and Julia manage to reunite soon or will this drag on until the end of the season? Find out more in the next episode of Outlander: Blood of my Blood, available weekly on Starz and MGM+.

When Outlander’s first spin-off series was announced, I was not really excited about it. The prospect of meeting Jamie and Claire’s parents made me a wee bit curious, but I was not too sure about following two couples on two completely different timelines. What tied them together besides their future children?

Then everything changed one dreary, Scottish summer day last year, when I sat across from Matthew B. Roberts and Maril Davis on the set of Outlander: Blood of my Blood.

Because I, as well as many other Outlander fans, had in fact been misled about how this prequel was really going to tackle the story of Jamie and Claire’s parents.

Time travel, it’s a family thing

It turns out that Roberts, who is the showrunner and executive producer of Blood of my Blood alongside fellow Outlander veteran EP Maril Davis, has been toying with the idea of a prequel series since season 5 of the original show.

Back then, he approached Diana Gabaldon, the author of the book series Outlander is based upon, who approved the idea of a prequel, and he started thinking: the story of how Jamie's parents met and fell in love is known in the Outlander books as he tells Claire about it, but what about hers? All we know is that they died in a car accident.

“What if they didn't die? She's a time traveler and we know that one of your parents has to be a time traveler,” explained Roberts during the set visit.

“What if they were on holiday in Scotland when that car crash happened? And what if they survived that crash and found the stones ? What if they go through the stones to the time where they meet Brian and Ellen?”

From there, Roberts figured the show would be about telling the love stories of these two couples, who are so intertwined that perhaps without Henry and Julia Beauchamp, then Ellen and Brian’s union would not have happened, meaning there would be no story to tell in Outlander.

Talk about ramping up the stakes! As soon as Roberts presented that time travel plot twist for Claire’s parents, I was sold on Blood of my Blood and wanted to know more.

Romeo and Juliet meet The Sopranos

And here is the thing: there is more, so much more to Blood of my Blood because this show is not just about romance, it’s about clans.

In fact, Roberts revealed that the Scottish clans featured on the show have a mob feel to them.

“You have this big clan, the Grants, and they're like the New York mob, they have all the soldiers and the power and they have the influence with the Crown. And then you have Clan MacKenzie, the smaller, maybe New Jersey clan or smaller Boston clan,” Roberts explained before noting that when he pitched the show, he described it as Romeo and Juliet meets The Sopranos.

“The politics are very much like that, but it's all based in family,” he added.

"It's a story of succession in a way which we haven't really seen in Outlander,” said Conor MacNeill who plays Ned Gowan, during a conversation with the show’s cast. "That's the fresh thing about this show, that narrative of succession and the clan laws in Scotland at that time."

Speaking of which, Scotland is another major character from the Outlander universe that Blood of my Blood is putting the spotlight back on. Because this prequel isn’t just diving into the youth of the MacKenzie siblings or Murtagh Fitzgibbons, it’s also revisiting the place which captured the minds of the Outlander fandom.

“You can put a camera anywhere in Scotland and it just looks incredible,” said Jeremy Irvine, who plays Henry Beauchamp. “Even when the weather is bleak it still looks amazing on camera. It really is magic.”

Returning to Outlander’s roots

Yes, Scotland is magic but so are the studios in which Outlander: Blood of my Blood is filmed. Nothing can quite prepare you, as a fan, to walk through the iconic sets of the Outlander universe. They are gigantic and full of details, and it feels like you’ve stepped through the stones yourself.

Looking around the set of Castle Leathers, the temporary home of Lord Lovat, Brian’s father, which was designed to look like the most decrepit of the three castles featured in the show since Simon Fraser has lost his social standing, I noticed an interesting ceiling showcasing celestial symbols.

Production designer Mike Gunn then said these were meant as a nod to the time-travel aspect of the story, and added that each set used in Blood of my Blood features that type of Easter egg.

He then took us to the great hall of Castle Leoch, where Outlander fans will notice several differences since they last saw it in the original series. The fireplace on one end has been removed, for example, as Gunn figured it would make sense for the castle to have changed during the three decades between Blood of my Blood and Outlander.

“We also shortened the balconies so it would appear that over time, they got bigger,” pointed out Gunn.

In this younger version of the castle, viewers of Blood of my Blood will meet the younger versions of key characters from the main series, like Dougal and Colum MacKenzie.

However, they will have no trouble recognizing them, as details from their overall look were influenced by their Outlander counterpart. Costume designer Trisha Biggar said that Dougal, for instance, already has his signature hat in the prequel.

Showing off the various costumes made for Blood of my Blood, which range from World War One soldier outfits to Beltane celebration dresses, Biggar underlined all the incredible details featured in them and the inspiration behind the designs.

That level of detail in the costumes and set designs of the series is something all the actors praised, explaining that little imagination is required of them when they step on the sets.

“The attention to detail is so incredible,” said Jamie Roy, who plays Brian Fraser. “It really does make everything so immersive that you don’t really have to think that hard. You put these clothes on, you stand in these sets and automatically you are in the world, and you can just concentrate on telling the best story you can.”

He’s right, because just standing in the great hall of Castle Leoch or in Julia’s flat in 1921 London, I felt like I was there, and I wasn’t even dressed in a period costume. And speaking of Julia’s home, it is another place where eagle-eyed Outlander fans will have fun finding Easter eggs and nods to how much of her there is in Claire.

As I left the studios, I could not help but think that Outlander fans were in for a treat with this new series, as it promises to be just as epic as anyone could hope.

And if die-hard Outlander fans need one more reason to check out this new show, note that more than one episode of season one was penned by none other than Diana Gabaldon herself. If that isn’t a seal of approval, then I don’t know what is.

Outlander: Blood of my Blood arrives in the US on Starz on August 8th, and on MGM+ in the UK on August 9th.

BMF season 4 sees more trouble landing on the doorstep of Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory (Demetrius 'Lil Meech' Flenory) and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory (Da'Vinchi). Not only have they acquired a new enemy, but the brothers also find themselves at odds with each other. Will the siblings have what it takes to survive the onslaught of issues coming against them?

With that said, here’s everything we know about BMF season 4.

Next episode of BMF season 4

BMF season 4 is scheduled for a new episode on Friday, August 8, on Starz at 9 pm ET/PT, and the episode becomes available at midnight on the Starz app. Here is a synopsis of the new episode titled "Point of No Return":

"Meech and Terry travel to California, hoping to expand their operations with a new set of partners - but it won't be easy; Bryant now shifts his target to someone else after a major discovery; multiple people have B-Mickie in their crosshairs."

Check out this sneak peek of the episode.

BMF is a Starz Original program. New episodes first air live on the Starz channel. If you’re someone who has gotten rid of cable/satellite television, Starz is available as an add-on service on live TV streaming platforms like Fubo TV and Hulu with Live TV. Episodes of BMF also become available to watch on demand via the standalone Starz App.

UK would-be viewers can watch episodes by utilizing a subscription to Lionsgate Plus.

BMF season 4 plot

Here is an official brief synopsis of what fans can look forward to in season 4:

"BMF season four continues the journey inspired by real-life street legends and brothers, Demetrius 'Big Meech' Flenory and Terry 'Southwest T' Flenory, who created one of the most influential crime families in the country, Black Mafia Family. This season, as Meech and Terry fight to keep their American Dream alive, staying ahead of their rivals and law enforcement takes a toll on their relationship. The brothers occasionally put aside their differences for their common goals, but the events of what happened in Mexico will change them forever."

BMF season 4 cast

Let’s start with a bit of casting news. Emmy-winning Michael Chiklis joins BMF season 4 as DEA Agent Taylor, which no doubt spells bad news for Meech and Terry. Additionally, Eric Kofi-Abrefa (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) is back as Lamar and Donnell Rawlings (Spider-Man 2) is on hand as Lamar’s cousin, Alvin.

Below you'll find the series regulars for season 4:

• Demetrius 'Lil Meech' Flenory (Euphoria) as Big Meech
• Da'Vinchi (All American) as Southwest T
• Russell Hornsby (Fences) as Charles
• Michole Briana White (Dead to Me) as Lucille
• Steve Harris (The Practice) as Detective Bryant
• La La Anthony (The Chi) as Markisha
• Myles Truitt (Stranger Things) as B-Mickie

BMF season 4 trailer

Here's the trailer for what looks to be an explosive new season.

After its past season's divisive ending, Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 is here to show us how a certain character returned from the dead, and continue the story of this Power prequel.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a prequel to the TV series Power, exploring how one of its central characters became the ruthless gangster and mentor.

The finale of Raising Kanan season 3 showed one reconciliation between fighting family members but the return of a big rival, so fans are excited to see the future of the show (and curious to see how said rival returns).

Unlike certain other Power spin-offs, Raising Kanan will continue past its current season, with a fifth in the works. So there's time for even more drama and twists over the course of its 10-episode run.

Ready for more drama from the Power Universe? Read on for how to watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below.

How to watch Power Book III season 4 in the US

In the US, you can watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4, using the Starz streaming service, which is also where you'll find previous seasons and the rest of the franchise.

The first episode will premiere on Starz on Friday, March 7, and new episodes will land weekly.

Starz will set you back $10.99 per month or $45.99 for 6 months, whichever you'd prefer. There are often introductory prices though, for example if you sign up now it's $2.99 for your first three months.

Starz is also a premium cable channel available through traditional pay-TV subscriptions and live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

How to watch Power Book III season 4 in the UK

Power has changed hands in the UK due to streaming service politics: now, the entire franchise is available on MGM Plus, not on Starzplay or Lionsgate Plus which have both been discontinued.

MGM Plus is an add-on service to Prime Video; alone, it costs £4.49 per month, but it requires an Amazon Prime subscription (£8.99 per month or £95 per year, after a free trial).

It's not been confirmed at the time of writing when Raising Kanan season 4 will join MGM Plus, but based on precedent it'll likely arrive day-and-date with the US.

You can find the MGM Plus Prime Video channel here and it has all seasons of Power and its spin-offs.

How to watch Power Book III season 4 in Australia

It's been confirmed that Power Book III: Raising Kanan will be released in Australia at the same time as its US release: the first episode hits screens on Friday, March 7, and new ones will roll out weekly.

You'll be able to watch the show using the streaming service Stan, which also has all past seasons of Power and its spin-offs.

Stan prices start at $10 a month and go up to $21, depending on your package. There's also a free trial to get you started. If you have a high-res TV and opt for the highest Stan plan, Raising Kanan streams in 4K, which is rare for TV shows.

How to watch Power Book III everywhere else

If you're going to be overseas when Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4, you might run into some problems trying to access your usual streaming service. Thankfully, these can be solved with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite shows like Power Book III or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our VPN experts.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at NordVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

Every now and then, streamers and networks give a gift to TV watchers, and Starz is doing just that ahead of the Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 premiere on Friday, March 7. Starting on January 31, the official Starz YouTube channel has every episode of Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 1 available to watch for free for a limited time.

Since the initial Power series first aired in 2014, millions of viewers have flocked to the universe curious to see how Ghost (Omari Hardwick) and those connected to him rise and fall in the criminal underworld. Of course, fans of the original series know Ghost has long since been declared dead, but sequel series Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force centered around how Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) and Tommy (Joseph Sikora), respectively, have carried on the legacy of the show.

Then there’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan. The prequel predates Ghost and Tommy’s rise to power and zeroes in on how their mentor, Kanan (Mekai Curtis), became a powerhouse in the fictional New York City drug world. But as much as the series is Kanan’s coming-of-age story, it’s also a riveting drama about the lengths his mother Raq (Patina Miller) will go to in order to protect him and her own legacy as one of the few drug queenpins in the city. At times those two goals conflict with each other, making for some entertaining TV.

If you want to see how the stories of Kanan and Raq initially play out and have yet to do so, now is your chance to watch for free via YouTube. Once you finish season 1 on the platform, you’ll actually then have to start paying for a Starz subscription to watch seasons 2 and 3 and the upcoming season 4. Currently, Starz is offering a promo where new subscribers can pay $5.00/month for the first three months (the series airs on MGM Plus in the UK).

Lastly, when Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 does premiere, here’s what you can expect to see:

“In the riveting fourth season, slates have seemingly been wiped clean for Kanan, Raq and the rest of the Thomas family in pursuit of a fresh start. However, in the eye of the storm, one very dangerous obstacle looms large, Unique is alive. Unique makes a volatile and violent return, as he hunts to upend the lives of the Thomas family. Amidst the chaos, the Thomas family faces a truth that can no longer be denied: You are who you are. Although you may be capable of change, the fundamentals remain the same, and sooner or later, you will be forced to confront the inescapable reality of your inherent nature. In season four, whether the family chooses to reject or embrace the truth may be the difference between life and death.”

It’s a new year, so it’s time for a new installment of the Power franchise, as Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 kicks off.

The series picks back up after the events of the Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 finale, which saw Raq (Patina Miller) and Kanan (Mekai Curtis) finally reconcile as they dealt with common enemies, and the surprising reveal that Unique (Joey Bada$$) is alive. It was quite the plot twist that has a number of viewers still scratching their heads. So what happens in the new crop of episodes?

Here’s everything we know about Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4.

Next episode of Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4

Power Book III: Raising Kanan returns with the season finale this week, on Friday, May 16, at 8 pm ET/PT on Starz. The episode becomes available to stream a little earlier at midnight on the Starz app. Here's a synopsis of the episode titled "Gimme the Weight":

"A devastated Kanan furiously searches for answers and revenge; Raq attempts to stave off the collapse of her business as she and Lou prepare for a possible war with Unique."

Check out this sneak peek of the episode.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a Starz original series. Those in the US hoping to catch new episodes as they become available can watch them live on the Starz channel. If you’ve gotten rid of cable/satellite television, Starz is available as an add-on service on live TV streaming platforms like Fubo and Hulu with Live TV. You can also watch new episodes on demand via the standalone Starz App.

The new episodes become available to stream on MGM Plus in the UK.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 cast

Back to star as the titular character Kanan is Mekai Curits. To date, Curtis is best known for his role in Power Book III: Raising Kanan, although he’s also appeared in Girl Meets World and Arrested Development.

Portraying Kanan’s mom, Raquel "Raq" Thomas, is Patina Miller. The actress is a familiar face in Hollywood, having starred in projects like Madam Secretary, The Many Saints of Newark, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.

Joining Power Book III: Raising Kanan this go-around are new cast members Pardison Fontaine as B-Rilla and Chris Redd as Early Tyler. Fontaine rose to fame as a rapper while Redd is an Emmy-winning comedian (for his work on Saturday Night Live) who has been seen in things like Candy Cane Lane and Spinning Gold.

Expected to round out the rest of the cast are:

• Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?) as Stefano Marchetti
• Wendell Pierce (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) as Ishmael "Snaps" Henry
• Erika Woods (FBI) as Stephanie "Pop" Henry
• London Brown (Ballers) as Marvin Thomas
• Malcolm Mays (Snowfall) as Lou-Lou Thomas
• Hailey Kilgore (Respect) as Jukebox
• Joey Bada$$ (Grown-ish) as Unique
• Shanley Caswell (NCIS: New Orleans) as Detective Burke
• Antonio Ortiz (High Fidelity) as Famous

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 plot

Here is a synopsis of what’s to come:

“In the riveting fourth season, slates have seemingly been wiped clean for Kanan, Raq and the rest of the Thomas family in pursuit of a fresh start. However in the eye of the storm, one very dangerous obstacle looms large, Unique is alive. Unique makes a volatile and violent return, as he hunts to upend the lives of the Thomas family. Amidst the chaos, the Thomas family faces a truth that can no longer be denied: You are who you are. Although you may be capable of change, the fundamentals remain the same, and sooner or later, you will be forced to confront the inescapable reality of your inherent nature. In season four, whether the family chooses to reject or embrace the truth may be the difference between life and death.”

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 trailer

Check out this trailer for the new season. Are you ready for what's in store?

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 16, "A Hundred Thousand Angels.”

It only makes sense to refer to Doctor Who in the title of this last recap of Outlander season 7, given that it was an episode of the cult series that inspired Diana Gabaldon to write the Outlander books in the first place, and that this season finale is indeed a “big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff” as the Doctor would put it.

Indeed, the show’s time-travel magic operates once more to have characters reunite, and others make a surprising comeback. But this finale also delivered a tragic fate to a recent addition to the Outlander family. Let’s recap.

Controlling the narrative

For as long as it has been on (10 years!), Outlander has known how to tease its fans. Therefore, the opening scene of the last episode of season 7 remained shrouded in mystery until Fanny told Claire about dragonflies. Indeed at the top of the episode the show featured a quick scene with a young blonde girl, a young red-headed one, and a black-haired woman, following dragonflies in a field. Fans could then assume these ladies were a younger Fanny and Jane with their mother, but it is truly during a moment between Claire and the young orphan later in the episode that this becomes clear.

“A Hundred Thousand Angels” then transitioned to an interview where a reporter asks Jane about the murder of Captain Harkness. He wants all the gory details, believing a rumor that she stabbed him 26 times, but Jane is not about to give him the satisfaction. She knows what her fate is, she knows she will not get out of this situation alive, so she refuses to share her story with him. As she puts it, she will not give any more of herself to any man.

The reporter then tries to manipulate her into telling him her side of the story, playing the sister card. He argues Jane should tell him what happened in her own words so that Fanny ends up hearing her version, and not one that came from the rumor mill or the retelling of a journalist. A fair point that seems to shake Jane a little.

Jane’s life, however, is not the only one that hangs in the balance in this episode. Claire is recovering from the surgery Denzell performed on her at Tennent Church, but she is not out of the woods yet. We find Jamie at her bedside, talking about how he wishes he could give her some of the blood she lost, because they are “blood of my blood” after all.

However, he is relieved when Claire wakes up and tells him she has decided not to die. She knows what it feels like to think your other half is dead, so she says she would not do that to him. They share a sweet moment, recalling the many times they previously scared one another by getting too close to death’s door, before Claire falls asleep again.

A boy on a mission

Over at the British camp, William is looking for help and turns to Lord John. He explains Jane’s predicament and asks if John can find out where she is so William can go speak on her behalf. John wants to know whether or not she is guilty of murdering Harkness and William explains why Jane did what she did. After inquiring about her situation, John informs William that Jane signed a confession.

When he asks William if he loves Jane, his son says there is “something about her” and that he tried to protect her from Harkness but feels like he made things worse. Arguing there wasn’t much William could do besides kill Harkness himself or marry Jane, Lord John tries to cheer up the lad by joking that he doesn’t recommend murder as a way of settling differences as it tends to lead to complications.

Explaining that Jane is being held in a meeting house, John adds that as they are under Martial law, there will be no trial. The army will do as they see fit and execute her, and there is nothing the two of them can do. He tries to comfort William by saying the ordeal was not entirely in vain as Jane did manage to save her sister after all.

Meanwhile, Ian returns from mission “Saving Cousin William” and Jamie is relieved to hear his son is safe and sound. He, Rachel (and Rollo) are happy to see Ian but inform him about what happened to Claire. They reassure Ian that she should recover and Jamie explains that he decided not to go back to the army. When his nephew asks if they will allow it, Jamie says they are going to have to. Surely, that is a plot point the show will return to in season 8.

A vision from the past

A week later, back at Tennent Church, we find Claire in need of Jamie’s help to relieve herself. She is not fond of requiring his assistance to sit on a bucket, but sometimes even the strongest of people need a hand. She then checks her urine to ensure there is no blood in it - and luckily there isn’t so her kidneys seem to be functioning normally. Jamie then lies down beside her and they share a tender embrace as Claire asks her husband if they can go home. He promises that as soon as she feels well enough, they will return to the Ridge (where they will obviously need to rebuild their house but that’s a matter the show can solve over Droughtlander).

Then, things start to get weird. Claire has a dream (or is it a vision? Sorcery? Who knows at this point!) about Master Raymond. He is someone we haven’t seen since season 2, in Paris, and yet here he is, visiting his “Madonna” and saying he has come to ask forgiveness. When she asks what for, he simply says “Someday you will know.” Ah, Master Raymond, cryptic as ever! But when he kisses Claire’s hand, she sees something that is also from season 2: a pair of wings, a bird image she last saw when she lost her first daughter, Faith.

When Claire later wakes up, she is hella confused, and so are we. She asks Jamie, who has been by her side all night, if he saw anyone. He hasn’t and she explains she thought she saw Master Raymond. She adds that when she lost Faith, he was with her and Jamie assumes that’s why she dreamt of him. When Claire says Master Raymond once told her they would all see each other again, she wonders if that means that when she dies she will see Faith. Jamie thinks so, adding that that is what makes death easier to bear.

Reunited, at long last

Jumping back to 1730s Scotland, Roger and Buck are on their way out of Lallybroch when suddenly (and conveniently), in the middle of the road, appears Jemmy. He runs to his dad, who is flabbergasted, and explains he didn’t come here all by his lonesome. Indeed, out of the fog come Bree and Mandy. As Richard Rankin’s Roger lets out a relieved “BRIANNA!”, the MacKenzies gather in a big hug that is the most heartwarming sight of this episode. Even Buck is touched.

Later on, we find Brianna not missing out on the chance to speak with the person whose name she inherited. She in fact has a chat with her grandfather, Brian Fraser, who is quite startled when he catches a glimpse of her up close. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that Bree looks very much like Ellen, Jamie’s mother and Brian’s late wife.

Bree is thankful Brian welcomed her family, who are just “strangers” after all, into his home. She navigates the whole “you are my grandfather but I cannot tell you” situation quite well and shares a lovely moment with Brian where he explains how he managed to keep his heart open after Ellen died and that memories of her come to him from time to time. He often hopes to catch a glimpse of her and is glad he did when he saw Bree. Let us now hope that in season 8 we will get to see Bree tell Jamie about how she met his da!

Because yes, it seems like Bree and Roger are going to go back to the future, but not the 1980s one where they have a pretty decent life, aside from when they are chased around by Rob Cameron and his goons. The thing is that the MacKenzies feel like maybe they need to figure out “when” they belong, and not “where”, so as Bree states she misses her family, it would make sense to get the entire MacKenzie-Fraser clan back together next season.

A fractured relationship

Over at the church, Lord John visits Claire, telling her he came as soon as he heard what happened. When he calls her “my dear”, it ruffles Jamie’s feathers, who appears from behind like a peacock ready for another dance. But John is not here to fight him for Claire’s favor, so he corrects himself and calls Claire “Mrs Fraser” before Jamie thanks him for saving William. Again, John manages a jest about how there is no need to thank him as he has a “vested interest” in William’s welfare as well. Perhaps ever since John got beat up he has decided to show off his wit and his sense of humor more?

Jamie inquires about William’s wellbeing and John explains that he is okay but “on a fool’s errand” where he is only in danger of having his heart broken, something neither of his dads can save him from. The conversation then switches to their unfinished discussion regarding what happened between Claire and John, but when John asks if anything really remains to be said, Jamie says no, and Claire comes close to let out a cheer when she hears that. The tension is still palpable though, and it doesn’t look like John and Jamie will be playing chess again anytime soon.

Before John leaves, Claire makes a point of thanking him for everything that he did for her back in Philadelphia. “You saved my life,” she tells him, referring to how sharing his grief with her prevented Claire from ending her days. “We saved each others’,” John answers.

Devastating losses

It is then time to start packing up before heading back to North Carolina. Claire can now walk around and she receives another visitor, Denzell, who confesses he hopes he never has to operate on a loved-one again.

Later on, at night, yet another person knocks on the door and this time it’s William, who is desperate enough to save Jane that he has come to Jamie for help. Jamie therefore tells Claire that William, who has never asked anything of him, wants his help so she tells him to go.

Over at the meeting house, Jane is drinking and looking at the “dancing lights” (aka the Northern lights) outside her window, awaiting her fate. She waves at the lights and we then see Jamie and William outside, ready to rescue her. They manage to sneak in using a trick Brianna taught Jamie (which prompts William to realize he has a sister) and they knock a soldier out before William rushes upstairs to get Jane.

However, they are too late. William finds the lass on the floor, where she has slit her wrists. It is devastating, but not entirely surprising. We knew Jane wanted to control her own fate, so it is understandable she chose this over being hanged by the British army. William will undoubtedly beat himself up about this later, but now he doesn’t have time as he and Jamie need to flee. Before doing so though, William lays Jane on the bed and removes her shackles while Jamie cuts a lock of her hair, for Fanny.

Jane, however, is not the only tragic loss in this season finale. After Ian and Rachel discussed the idea of returning to Fraser’s Ridge and the lass told her husband she is with child, Ian wakes up to a terrible sight. His dog, Rollo, passed away peacefully overnight. Ian is overcome with pain as he sobs over his pet’s lifeless body and, honestly, so are we. That’s one more Outlander scene we’ll never watch again, so we’ll just echo what Jamie tells his nephew and say that it will be strange to see Ian without his hound from then on.

The sins of the father

Back at the church, Jamie tells Claire what happened and mentions Jane has a sister. The next day, William brings Fanny to the Frasers and Jamie gives her the lock of Jane’s hair before telling Fanny she can come live with them on the Ridge. He promises she will be safe and that no man will harm her as long as he lives. William says he wishes to bury Jane decently and Fanny asks to see her sister, so Jamie says he will see to it.

Before he leaves, William wants to clear the air with Jamie, or at least get some answers. Claire takes the hint and takes Fanny outside while William basically asks Jamie if he raped his mother. The latter says that he didn’t, and also explains that he didn’t love her. His response when William wonders if she loved Jamie is simply that she was very young.

Jamie adds that Geneva was courageous, bold and confident before acknowledging the part he played in her death (she died after giving birth to William so he feels responsible for getting her pregnant in the first place). When his son asks if he regrets it, Jamie says he is not sorry, implying that what happened with Geneva at least gave him William. The latter insists that he will never call Jamie "father" and, as Lord John has previously warned William about carelessly using the word “never”, it may wound Jamie now but we can collectively reiterate “never say never, William.”

You gotta have Faith

Claire and Jamie take Fanny to a field where countless souls have been buried under unmarked graves, including Jane. The young girl runs through the sepulchres yelling her sister’s name, but she cannot unfortunately know which one is hers. That’s when Fanny shares a memory about Jane with Claire and tells her about the dragonflies and how Jane loved the dancing lights. She explains their mother used to say they were angels and that if you waved at them, they would carry you to Heaven. Claire then gives her Jane’s belongings that Jamie got back from the British and amongst them is a locket with a picture of Jane and Fanny’s mother, engraved with the name “Faith”.

Could it be? Well, hold on to your time-traveling hat because later on Claire hears Frances sing a very familiar tune. It’s “I do like to be beside the seaside”, a song written in the 1900s that Fanny cannot possibly know. It’s also the song Claire sang to Faith when she rocked her dead daughter in her arms back in Paris! When she asks Fanny how she knows it, the girl says her mom taught it to her. COULD IT BE? We told you, this episode goes hard on the “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff”. Jamie arrives and finds a frazzled Claire who tells him she thinks their daughter Faith might have lived.

What did Master Raymond do? Did Faith somehow survive thanks to some time-traveling rewrite of the events surrounding her death? Or was some sort of witchcraft involved? Is it why Master Raymond asked for Claire's forgiveness in her “dream”??

Let the speculations begin. We’ll have to wait until Outlander returns for season 8 on Starz and MGM+ to find out what the heck is going on here. In the meantime, good luck with this new Droughtlander, Sassenachs.

Outlander just had one of its most dramatic season finales to date, and Sam Heughan agrees that it will keep fans talking for as long as this new Droughtlander will last.

Titled “A Hundred Thousand Angels”, the conclusion to Outlander season 7 delivered drama, tears, and shocking twists. Between devastating losses and surprising returns, the show wrapped up its 16-episode season by unearthing characters fans had barely heard from since season 2 and raising multiple questions that will surely generate plenty of fan theories over the coming months.

What to Watch spoke to Sam Heughan to figure out what’s next for Outlander…

NOTE: This interview contains MAJOR SPOILERS regarding Outlander season 7 episode 16, 'A Hundred Thousand Angels.'

Let’s start by talking about Lord John and Jamie. Based on their conversation in the finale, it doesn't look like they're going to be playing chess again anytime soon. Can you tease what's next for them when it comes to rebuilding their relationship?

Sam Heughan: "I think it's setting them up very much apart. In season 8, there's a lot of work that they will have to do to become friends again. And who knows if they will. They have so much history, it's probably one of the most interesting relationships, I think, outside of Jamie and Claire, and I love working with David Berry. He's just the most incredible actor, so thoughtful, and he brings such nuance to that character. I love that relationship because they started out as enemies, as a prisoner and his jailer. Then there's this love that John Grey has for Jamie and Jamie loves John as a friend, and I think that has also complicated things in some way. But at this point, they're also both fathers to William and he certainly has both of their qualities. So there's a lot for them to work through and I think yeah, it could take a long time for them to be playing chess again."

Speaking of William, he told Jamie he will never call him 'father', but can we agree that William should remember to 'never say never'?

Heughan: "William's crazy! I mean, he's got a lot of Jamie in him. He’s got a lot of that Fraser fire but he's stubborn as well and he's also a bit of John Grey. It's sad for Jamie because obviously he wants to be his father and wants to be part of his life, but they're literally on opposite sides of the war. So again, another relationship that's testing Jamie and there's a lot of work for them to do to become father and son.

"It is nice to see them, in the final episode [of season 7], working together as a team. And I think in that moment you see how good they could be together. And it’s also great to play with Charles [Vandervaart], he's such a lovely lad. Who knows, maybe we'll see them working as a team together soon."

As it appears Claire and Jamie are now heading back to the Ridge, is there a chance that they might find some peace there after all they've just been through?

Heughan: "Well, it's Outlander (chuckles). I mean, come on, not a chance! But that is where their home is, that's where they feel most settled. That's where they have found the most peace, for a short time, so I hope they can and now they're returning with their 'granddaughter', potentially, so that brings a lot of questions about a lot of unanswered things that have happened in their lives. I think Jamie and Claire are going to be questioning that, but also the fans are going to be going insane."

Yes, that was quite a twist! Let's unpack that Faith bombshell. What do you make of the reveal that Claire and Jamie’s first daughter [who was stillborn in season 2] might have lived and that she might have been Fanny’s mom?

Heughan: "I think fans of the books and people who’ve only watched the show are going to be completely shocked. I remember thinking, 'God, how do you play that moment?' All of the questions, all of the things… You just have to let it land, because I know the audience is going to be like, 'What?? What the hell?' And then all these questions are going to come. I think it's a brilliant cliffhanger, because it's going to fill the Droughtlander with a lot of discussion and a lot of questions and fan theories, and I love it. We're going to see more of Fanny, and see Jamie and Claire trying to work out how this even happened."

Jamie knows enough about the future and time travel now to perhaps try to wrap his head around what could have transpired with Faith.

Heughan: "The problem is that they buried her, and mourned her, so it's going to dig up a lot of old emotions, and questions. We're with Jamie at this point and we're like, 'Okay, how did this work? How did this happen?' Yes, he’s lived with Claire now for many years and is now used to people going through time and he's learned a lot about the future, but that certainly doesn't explain how someone can come back to life."

Given how this episode sets up season 8, what can fans look forward to regarding the end of the show?

Heughan: "It's been an amazing journey, 101 episodes, 8 seasons, 11 years, and we've had to tie it up in some way, and finish it in a way. That's the reason we came back to do it, I wanted to do something that felt like a satisfactory ending. I think it's still going to shock fans. Diana [Gabaldon, the author of the books series] obviously has the book that she's writing, so it is our own ending.

"But not to be sad, I think there's lots to look forward to with the new show Blood of my Blood. I'm as intrigued to watch that as the fans are. I've met the actors, I've seen a little bit. I know it's going to be brilliant, so I'm really excited for the fans. It's a new chapter."

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The complete season 7 of Outlander is now available to watch on Starz and MGM+.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 15, "Written in My Own Heart’s Blood.”

The stakes have never been higher for Claire and Jamie as they participate in a pivotal battle that puts their lives on the line. In the penultimate episode of Outlander season 7, no one is sure they will see another day on American soil while in Scotland, Bree and Roger make plans to come together.

Let’s recap the events of this new episode of the hit series.

A lifetime of conflict

If one thing can be said about Claire and Jamie Fraser, it is that each of them has seen enough war to last a lifetime, and yet, they keep getting involved in more. As this new episode of Outlander opens, fans are reminded of that fact as Claire’s voiceover talks about the inevitability of war over images of the main characters facing various conflicts throughout the series. From season one up until now, it is true they rarely lived through peaceful times.

As the sun then rises on the Continental Army camp, we find Jamie wide awake, telling Claire to go back to sleep as he cannot. He says he has been thinking of his mother and recalls his last sight of her, when she was laying in her coffin and his father insisted upon spreading her hair across the pillow to ensure the last image he had of her was true to who she was.

This was the first time Jamie saw a dead person and he recalls how his mother didn't have one white hair. Indeed, she died at the age of 38. Claire, who almost seems to be getting grayer by the day, mentions her own set of white hair and Jamie says he loves to see the years reflected on her, as it means that she lives. They lay down for a cuddle before Jamie has to go off and do what must be done.

This is the day of the Battle of Monmouth, in 1778, and Claire will not say good luck or good bye to Jamie as he prepares to lead his men against the British. He says “I love you will do” before wondering if he'll ever get to say it to his son, William, and deploring that the last words they exchanged were angry ones. Jamie promises to return safely and then sets off as Claire watches with worry.

In a flashback, we find Claire and Jamie sitting by a campfire, and she talks about how she feels something is different about the battle ahead. She mentions feeling a void, an abyss, all her life and being able to ignore it most of the time, but not this time, and he wonders if she means death. Perhaps, she acknowledges, it is just fear of what comes after.

Doing what must be done

While Jamie is off to the frontlines, Claire tries to assist Captain Jared Leckie with taking care of the wounded back at a church being used as a field hospital. However, despite Denzell Hunter vouching for her, Leckie isn’t keen on letting a woman operate on the injured soldiers and won’t allow her inside the building. Instead, Claire then goes outside with Rachel to set up a triage system.

She prepares with Rachel, who is also quite concerned about the looming threat of death. When Claire says she is worried that going above the call of duty might get Jamie killed, Rachel says she worries that Ian will hesitate to do what he has to do and die because of her and her non-violent principles. The two women have to reckon with the fact that all of them are just doing what they think must be done, and keep going.

As the battle goes on, Claire does what she knows best and cares for many injured soldiers. When one in bad shape is brought to her, she takes him inside the church and ignores Leckie’s protest. She saves the man by preventing his lungs from being crushed with air, and Leckie has to admit Claire knows a thing or two about medicine. He won’t say it though, and instead argues with her as she contradicts his treatment plan.

Quick and easy rescue

Meanwhile, Ian and Lord John have arrived at the Hessian camp in order to rescue William. They pretend to be sent by Captain Richardson and ask for William to be handed over to them. The Hessian leader, Oberst Von Schnell, is skeptical of their true motives and asks for money but when Ian appears to have none to give, the fighting starts. Ian and John get the upper hand and Ian decides to let Von Schnell go, and the latter tells him he will regret it one day.

Lord John explains to William that he was being used as a political pawn because of who his family is, and despite everything that happened between them, William is glad to see his father. As Ian takes his leave, Lord John and William return to the British camp where they have another argument about William’s true parentage.

The young man is still angry with his father for lying to him his entire life and when he says he is not a Grey and wonders who he is, John insists that he is his son… and that James Fraser is one of the best men he ever met so William could have done worse in terms of biological dads. William, however, still only sees Jamie as a traitor to the Crown and has a hard time getting past that aspect of his real dad’s character.

In the woods, Ian has a change of heart, perhaps recalling his misadventures with Arch Bug. So he catches up with Von Schnell and decides to kill him after all, admitting that the Hessian was right: he would have regretted not doing it.

Back at the British camp, a sobbing Fanny finds William and explains that her sister Jane has been arrested for Captain Harkness’ murder, as a soldier on the camp recognized her from the brothel. She is devastated that William wasn’t there to protect Jane, but he assures Fanny he will not let her sister be hanged.

Family matters

Back in Scotland, Buck wonders if his father was a time traveler, given the fact that Roger’s was one, that Roger is one, and that his son is one as well. Roger caves and tells Buck his mother is Geillis Duncan, and that she is the time traveler parent. Buck is beyond himself that Roger never said anything when they were at Geillis’ house, and doubles down on it when Roger admits that Buck’s father is Dougal MacKenzie, the man who came to see them at Geillis Duncan’s.

Buck feels like a fool and wishes he could have talked to them with that knowledge in mind, but Roger explains he was worried it might alter the course of History. Buck is so fed up he is ready to part ways with Roger but the latter insists that he helps him with one last task.

The two of them return to Lallybroch and see Brian Fraser again. Roger’s plan is to write a letter to Bree and leave it in Brian’s desk, hoping that in 1980 his wife will miraculously find it. And he is right to hope so because she does! As she was herself writing a note to Roger explaining her plan to time-travel to find him, Bree stumbles upon Roger’s letter which tells her exactly where and when he is.

Back at Lallybroch, Buck shows Roger a letter of thanks he has written to Geillis, and as Roger thanks him for all his help in searching for Jemmy, Buck recalls the story of how he met his wife. The tale isn’t the most romantic story and Buck eventually concludes that perhaps Morag is better off without him, so he volunteers to go through the stones and tell Bree where Roger is in case she did not get his letter.

However, in the 80s, Bree and the children are ready to go. Preparing in front of the standing stones at Craigh na Dun, Bree is telling Mandy and Jemmy to set their mind upon reuniting with their father, but Mandy is so eager to see her dad that she runs ahead to the stones, with Bree and Jemmy chasing behind her.

A bloody good surgeon

The Battle of Monmouth isn’t going great and the Redcoats are coming Claire's way, so the church site is being evacuated. In true Claire fashion, Mrs. Fraser refuses to go and leave injured men behind. While Rachel and Denzell leave, Leckie admits Claire is a great surgeon and begs her to shelter inside the church with him, but Claire won't let the men outside die.

Meanwhile, Jamie is alerted that the British are coming to the church site and he makes his way back there. Lieutenant Bixby comes to Claire and tells her that General Lee was relieved of his command after he tried to retreat before adding that the Americans are winning. Jamie arrives at the church site and is about to reunite with Claire when British and American soldiers start arguing. Shots are fired and Claire is gravely wounded.

Jamie rushes to put pressure on the wound then takes her to Leckie who seems in over his head and says that there is nothing to be done as the bullet is buried too deep in Claire’s stomach. There are other men who can use Leckie’s help so he decides to leave as Jamie curses him.

Young Charlie Whelan shows up with orders to bring Jamie back to General Lee, but he isn’t about to leave Claire in this state. We briefly return to the flashback and see Jamie talking about hope and how the stars are not burning out and neither will they. Back at the church, Jamie tells Charlie to take off his shirt and, using Claire’s blood, he writes a message to Lee that reads “Sir, I resign.”

When Claire asks for Denzell, Jamie sends for him and prays while he waits, telling God he will not let him take Claire away. Denny then arrives and Jamie asks him to save Claire. An aid from Lafayette has also stopped by, as the general heard about Claire being injured and sent a care package to help with her recovery. Hearing it contains cheese, Claire instructs Denny to make penicillin out of the mold from the cheese. After Jamie begs Claire not to leave him, Denzell asks him to pray and begins to operate.

As the episode ends there, the suspense lies not in whether Claire will survive, but in how Denzell will manage to save her, and then in what comes next. Also, will Bree and Roger manage to reunite and if so, when? The answers will come in the last episode of Outlander season 7, coming soon on Starz and MGM+.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 14, "Ye Dinna Get Used to It”.

The Frasers are going back to war in the last leg of Outlander season 7, and it is unlikely everyone will come out of it unscathed. As the latest episode of the smash hit series sets up the chessboard for a battle that is to come, it indeed seems obvious that many characters will be put in perilous positions by the end of the season.

But until then, let’s recap the events of this new episode.

History has its eyes on you

This week’s episode of Outlander opened up on a flashback, taking viewers back to London in 1775 to witness a chat between Lord John and his brother, Harold “Hal” Grey. They talked about William wanting to be in the army, and while Hal was eager to get the young lad a commission, Lord John wanted to wait a bit, hoping the war in America would come to an end soon enough.

Arguing with one another about the way they handled their respective sons, the two brothers ended their conversation with Lord John promising Hal that he would never accept the idea of American independence. Right on cue, the show then cut to the present time to show John swearing allegiance to the Continental Army after he was enrolled in a militia and pretended to be pro-independence to save his own life.

Washington on your side

Meanwhile on Chestnut street, an American lieutenant barged in without so much as a “hello” to Mrs. Figg before deciding Lord John’s house would do very nicely to host a dinner for General Washington and some of his men. Claire and Jamie now have to host this event which also involves the Marquis de Lafayette, whom Claire meets at the market and who promises to bring her some French cheese.

At the dinner, Jamie reports that Ian has spotted the British Army in New Jersey and that the upcoming fight is closer than the Americans realized. While Lafayette insists that Claire tries the eels he’s brought her, he also introduces her to his aid, Percy Beauchamp, and Claire wonders if they are related as Beauchamp is her maiden name. George Washington then gives the Frasers an American flag and only Alexander Hamilton seems to be missing from this picture as they all toast to victory before Jamie and General Charles Lee go off to talk war strategy.

Later on, Jamie finds Claire eating cheese in their room and tells her how Lee thinks he should be the one in charge, not Washington. Pointing out that she doesn’t recall Lee’s name as being famous, Claire says that LaFayette is the one who will be remembered before wondering if Jamie, now that he is a general responsible for 300 souls, will make it into the History books.

The calm before the storm

Now that they are married, Ian and Rachel do not miss an opportunity to share their marital bed, especially with a looming battle on the horizon that could very well cut their marriage quite short. After a day of scouting, we therefore find Ian returning to his wife and the two of them get intimate.

Later on, we see Ian sitting by the fireplace, talking to himself. Rachel comes into the room and asks who he is speaking with and Ian explains that he talks to his father, saying that he often feels him near him and wonders if that is a warning that he might die in battle. Explaining that he has to ready himself for the conflict that is to come, Ian gathers up his war paints and Rachel asks him to show her how to put them on.

Under William’s protection

While all this goes on in Philadelphia, William returns to the British camp with a dispatch from General Clinton and is scolded by an officer about the state of his uniform. Before being given a new assignment, he is ordered to get himself cleaned up. In his tent, William receives the visit of Jane Pocock and her sister, Fanny. Wondering what the heck they are doing there, William learns that Jane and Fanny ran away from Captain Harkness after he returned to the brothel where Jane worked. They would like William's protection and help so they can go somewhere the bad captain isn’t.

William finds Jane a job as a laundress at the camp, but Jane has never done laundry in her life. All she has known since she was 10 years-old was the inside of a brothel, and she doesn’t even know what to do with money when William gives her some coins. In fact, Jane sticks to what she knows and when night falls, she sneaks into William’s tent with the intention of sleeping with him. William pushes her away and Jane explains she wants to do it out of “kindness”, as most soldiers want to have sex before going to battle. But William will not have her as “his whore” and since he will not be stepping foot on the battlefield anyway, he turns her away. They do share a kiss though, as it appears William’s feelings about Jane are a bit more complicated than they appear.

Eventually, he actually finds out why she and Fanny are so desperate to get away. It turns out the bad captain came back to the brothel wanting to have sex with young Fanny. Jane then only had one option to protect her sister and ended up stabbing Harkness in the throat. The two sisters then escaped through a window and ran. When Fanny asks William if he will turn her sister in, he tells them he will not and asks Jane not to go.

Lord John returns

While William helps his new girlfriend, Jamie starts getting his troops ready for battle. He meets some of his soldiers while Claire looks after sick men. That’s when she stumbles upon a familiar looking one, who is none other than Lord John Grey! He surrenders himself to Jamie and is taken back to Chestnut street, where Claire takes a look at his injured eye. The fractured orbit has caused the eye to be stuck and she needs to grab it to put it back in place. She does so with Jamie’s help after the two men have another argument about whose fault it is that they all find themselves in the situation they are in. Clearly, the whole “Jamie beat up John because he slept with Claire when everyone thought Jamie was dead” thing is not going to be water under the bridge any time soon.

Later on, John’s eye is moving again and Claire is telling him she and Jamie will be leaving for the battlefield soon while he will stay at the house under guard when Percy Beauchamp shows up. He is here to see John, who says he is his “stepbrother” when it is obvious there is more to their relationship. Clearly these two have slept together at some point in the past but that’s not what matters the most in this instant. Indeed, Beauchamp has news about Captain Richardson and William. He explains to John that Richardson is a spy for the Americans and that he’s given William a letter to deliver to a Hessian camp that will get him captured and most likely tortured or killed.

It is then imperative to act quickly to save William so John tells Jamie what is going on, but the latter cannot do anything since he is tied up by his responsibilities as a General. Therefore, he decides to parole John and place him under Ian’s custody so that he can go off and “save our son”.

Time to go

More than one of Jamie’s children is in danger in this episode! In 1980, Bree returns home and notices a light is on inside. She decides to load her shotgun and go around the back when she sees there are two intruders. She is ready to fight them off when Ernie’s van arrives, bringing her kids back to Lallybroch because he and Fiona found Rob Cameron waiting at their house. A commotion ensues, the men get out of the house, Bree runs to the van, shots are fired, Rob shows up and Bree urges Ernie to flee as it seems Lallybroch isn't safe for them anymore.

Ernie’s van breaks down some time later and as Bree takes a look at it, Fiona urges her to go to the police. Bree has a new plan however, one that echoes a suggestion from Ernie. Perhaps, she says, it is time for her and the children to go to Roger.

Will Bree and the kids go through the stones to be reunited with Roger? Or will he come back to them before they have a chance to time travel? Will John and Ian be able to rescue William? There is a lot more to come on Outlander so tune in next week for a brand new episode on Starz and MGM+.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 13, "Hello, Goodbye”.

Following the turmoil of “Carnal Knowledge”, Outlander season 7 plays catch up with Bree and Roger while also taking Ian and Rachel’s relationship to a whole new level. No William and very little Lord John in this new episode, but that does not mean there is any less drama going on.

Let’s recap the events of “Hello, Goodbye.”

Looking for all the Jeremiahs

Since Outlander’s previous episode did not feature Bree and Roger’s storylines, this one had to primarily put the focus on them, so it opened in 1739, as Buck and Roger continue their search for Jeremiah "Jerry" MacKenzie. When Buck observes that throughout the different timelines, the mountains of the Scottish Highlands remain unchanged, it gives Roger an idea. He realizes the location of the Loch Errochty Power Station, where Brianna works and has found what they call a "time portal" in 1980, is nearby. So perhaps in 1739, it still has standing stones that might be the ones his father traveled through when he came to the past. They decide to go there to see if they can retrace Jerry's steps.

Meanwhile, in 1980, Bree is looking for her own Jeremiah and has locked Rob Cameron up in her cellar. As Jamie’s daughter would, she does not hesitate to beat him up, demanding to know where he took her son. He won't say however, so Bree decides to go to the police and takes Mandy with her hoping that she might “feel” Jemmy, as the siblings share a special connection that somehow links them through time and space. On the way to the police station, they play “hot and cold” as Mandy tries to locate her brother.

Before long, we find Jemmy crying for help in a very damp place. It turns out Cameron took him to the power station where he and Bree work, and Jemmy starts to find his way around the tunnels, remembering how his mother told him how she got out when she was stuck there herself (in the first half of season 7).

Back in the 1730s, Roger and Buck arrive at the future location of the dam and indeed find standing stones and the familiar buzzing sound associated with a time portal. And in the 1980s dam, Jemmy also stumbles upon the portal! For a moment, Outlander entertains the idea that perhaps father and son might be reunited through time as Roger calls Jeremiah’s name and on his side of the time portal, Jemmy hears him. They are not, however, and what Roger and Buck find is a farm boy hiding behind a bush, and Jemmy makes his way out of the dam, onto a road… and luckily runs into his mother as Mandy cries “Hot, Mommy!”

Happy Quaker wedding day

Back in Revolutionary time Philadelphia, it is Ian and Rachel’s wedding day! The couple could not find a Quaker meeting that would see them married, so they decided to have their own. Ian chats with Jamie about how he is glad his uncle isn’t dead and will be able to see him marry Rachel, while he also hopes Denzell will be able to make it on time as he is Rachel’s only family.

Ian then shares his concerns with Jamie about his wedding night with his betrothed because it will be her first time. Jamie gives him advice, which is what Claire told him on their wedding night: go slow and be attentive. In the meantime, Claire helps Rachel get ready for the ceremony and the young woman thanks Mercy for hosting the wedding. They then talk about how Ian and Jamie will have to go back to the war soon, and Rachel wonders if it ever gets easier to watch the man you love march onto the battlefield. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.

As Claire shares additional wisdom about marriage with Rachel, Denzell arrives right on time for the wedding. He first runs into Henry Grey, who is doing much better, then he sees Jamie and asks if Lord John is back in town. When Jamie says he isn’t, Denzell explains what happened to John after Jamie left him with the Continental Army soldiers: how he was to be hanged and how Denzell helped him escape. But now, no one knows where he is and that concerns Jamie a bit.

The time comes for Ian and Rachel’s very solemn Quaker ceremony. It’s quiet as everyone involved is "waiting for the Spirit to move them". Claire seems a bit bored, and Rollo definitely is. Eventually, Jamie makes a speech about Ian and how proud he is of him. Then, Denzell talks about how he and Rachel were rejected by the Quaker community when he decided to get involved with the revolution, and he regrets having dragged Rachel into it. However, now seeing her with Ian by her side, he feels better because she has found love and a home.

As the wedding goes on, Mercy glances at Henry, because she still hopes they can be married. When Ian stands to say his piece, he explains how he has known darkness but Rachel brought him light. Her turn comes next and she vows to be by his side, a loving and faithful wife, as long as they both shall live.

Later on, Rachel and Ian's wedding night goes rather smoothly. They are both glad they have nice bums, and while Rachel is a virgin, she is definitely not a prude. She is a bit worried about doing the deed though, as she expects it to hurt the first time but Ian is gentle, as his uncle instructed, and the two share this intimate time in true Outlander fashion.

The concerns of James Fraser

Back at Lord John’s house (because apparently Claire and Jamie have an open invite to stay there even when Lord John is missing), Jamie sits in bed and wonders about John Grey. In fact, he is both concerned about what happened to him, and cannot help but think about how the room he and Claire are now sleeping in is the room where she and John had sex.

While Jamie still holds what happened against John, he doesn’t wish him dead and is upset that he was almost hanged on his account. Jamie then tells Claire he is also worried about William and feels bad because he vowed to do right by him and now has failed. She tells him he didn’t and adds that William might be angry at him for a while but in time he will understand that the reason he and John kept the truth from him was because they love him.

Speaking of Lord John, he is sleeping somewhere in the woods and is woken up by Reverend Peleg Woodsworth of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania militia who, seeing John is wearing chains, asks where he escaped from. Clever enough to make up a lie quickly, Lord John says his name is Armstrong and that he was taken by British officers who took him for a spy. He explains he hasn’t had a chance to join a company yet as he was captured by the British, and asks if Woodsworth and his men can help him.

No time for nonsense

Back in the future, Bree gets home with the police and Jemmy feels like he should have been braver, thinking if he had gotten away sooner, his father would not have had to travel through the stones. Bree tells him none of this is his fault, before leaving him and Mandy with a social worker while she goes inside to take the police to Rob Cameron. Unfortunately, when she opens the cellar, they find that Cameron is gone.

The police officers are immediately skeptical of Bree’s entire kidnapping story and start insinuating that maybe she had some sort of affair with Rob. It doesn’t help that she can’t exactly say that Cameron meant to use Jemmy to find a lost Jacobite treasure, or explain where her husband really is. The male cop goes as far as telling Bree there is no need to be “hysterical” about the situation and Bree really gets aggravated.

Back in the past, Roger and Buck question the farmboy about Jerry and he explains that people in a nearby village are looking for him, and that he saw Jerry run into the woods. Looking for him, Roger and Buck talk about how neither of them ever knew their parents when all of a sudden, they find Jerry.

The poor man is confused to see two men who appear to know all about him, so Roger explains how he also is from the future. Helping Jerry with a small injury, Roger asks his father (who has no clue who Roger really is) if he has seen his son, also named Jeremiah, and Papa MacKenzie says he hasn’t but also has a son to get back to as well. Not missing the irony of the situation, Roger then asks how Jerry got here. His story about falling through a standing stone while he was on a World War 2 mission is cut short though, because the villagers who are after him arrive.

Roger decides to take his father back to the stones and gives him a gem so that he can travel back to his own time. He mentions Jerry's wife by name, which confuses him even more, but does not reveal his identity. Roger only tells his dad that the Allies win the war before insisting that he goes. As Jerry disappears through the stones, Roger tells him he loves him before having a quick vision of his dad and himself as a child, hiding underground during the Blitz.

Preparing for a fight

Back in Philly, Ian and Rachel wake up the morning after their wedding and talk about the war. Conscious of her nonviolent principles, Ian promises his wife he will not kill anyone unless he has to, and adds that he will return to her every night. Over on Chestnut street, Jamie wears his general uniform and asks Claire if she understands why he has to be back to the war. She says she does and affirms she will be by his side. Both couples are getting ready for a return to the battlefield that promises to be challenging.

Meanwhile, in the future, Bree seems to prepare for another kind of fight as she takes her children to Fiona so she can look after them while Bree gets the locks changed at Lallybroch. She doesn’t feel safe, but she has a gun and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her family. When Fiona says that Roger will surely come back when he realizes Jemmy isn’t in the past, Bree shares her concern that Roger will never return without their son.

She isn’t wrong, but the thing is that Roger is starting to think his son may not be in the 1730s after all. He tells Buck about the image that popped in his mind when Jerry left and how he expected to see more of a life with his father, and explains how he wanted to give his dad a chance. Roger then adds that he now thinks the stones took them to this time to save his father, and if that is true then perhaps it means Jemmy isn’t there at all.

Roger and Buck gave their gemstone to Jerry though, so now they’ll have to find more if they want to travel through the stones again. There is still more to come for the MacKenzies and the Frasers, so tune in next week on Starz and MGM+ for a new episode of Outlander.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 12, "Carnal Knowledge.”

After the shocking events of “A Hundredweight of Stones”, Outlander season 7 continues to be a rollercoaster of emotions for its characters in this week’s new episode. Because not only does William have to reckon with the truth about his parentage, but Jamie hears about what happened between his wife and Lord John.

It was a heavy episode that put many of the show’s characters through the wringer. Let’s recap what happened.

A friendship sours

Jamie is back and so is trouble, because when he arrived in Philadelphia after his trip across the ocean from France, he did not let the Redcoats search him, as he was carrying special messages addressed to the high command of the Continental army. Therefore he ran, and now he has to use his friend Lord John Grey to get away from the British soldiers.

The pair make their way out of Philly and as they take a break in the woods, Jamie thanks his friend for taking care of Claire before saying he is sorry that William found out their secret. But John cannot hear Jamie thank him or apologize when he has a terrible secret of his own ready to burst out of his lips. Plus, he is just angry at Jamie. It’s probably irrational anger tied to the fact that he thought his friend (also known as the man he has been in love with for years) was dead, but it’s anger nonetheless and he blurts out that he has had “carnal knowledge” of Jamie’s wife.

At first, Jamie does not believe him and asks “why” John would have slept with Claire, knowing she isn’t exactly his type. However, Jamie’s reaction only angers Lord John even more, and he ends up explaining how they both thought he was dead, had too much to drink and did in fact really sleep together, but he adds that they were both picturing him the whole time, which pushes it too far for Jamie, who knocks John out.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree

The aftermath of “A Hundredweight of Stones” is not ideal for poor William Ransom and, frankly, he has had better days than the ones following the reveal that his real father is James Fraser. Understandably, the young man has questions and he turns to Claire to get some clarity about his background.

At this point, he isn’t even sure what he is supposed to call her and Claire points out that she is his stepmother regardless of whether she is Lord John’s wife or Jamie’s. William then wants to know more about his mother’s relationship with Jamie, and mostly he wants to make sure he is not the fruit of sexual abuse. Claire reassures him that Jamie did not assault Geneva and that there even was a form of love between them, however short-lived.

That does not suffice to make William feel better about the whole ordeal. He is hurt and angry (like his fathers!) and decides to go on a rampage around Lord John’s house, breaking everything on his way out, including a mirror as soon as he catches a glimpse of his reflection, because all he can see now is a bastard.

Upset that Lord John and everyone else have been lying to him his entire life, William later finds himself in front of a brothel where a prostitute named Arabella invites him in. Once in her room, William gets himself ready for business while Arabella fetches him a drink and when she walks in to find him breeches down, she laughs and since he is still pissed off after the day he’s had, he slams her drink out of her hands and only achieves to scare and anger her, so Arabella throws him out.

Lord John in peril

Back in the woods, Jamie beats up Lord John and demands to know everything that happened between him and Claire, but John is about as upset as Jamie and refuses to say anything. In fact, he even tells Jamie to just kill him. Several Continental army soldiers then interrupt, wanting to know what the heck is going on. After learning who is who, the rebels ask if John is a soldier and want to know why he is Jamie's prisoner.

Suspicious they want to take John back to their camp and Jamie lets them, telling John they are not finished, to which John answers that indeed they are not and that he is not “bloody sorry.” Really, between Jamie, John and William, all the men in this complicated family need to take a deep breath at this point.

When the rebels search John, they find a letter he did not have time to open yet and that indicates he is being recalled to duty. It doesn’t matter that John hasn’t even had a chance to read it, the Continental army soldiers figure he lied about being a loyalist soldier, so they take him to their camp where John meets Colonel Smith whom he recognizes as someone who once was a loyalist.

After telling John about his "cousin" Charles Grey’s involvement in the Paoli Massacre, a surprise attack on Continental Army soldiers that saw 100 men killed in cold blood, Smith tells John he believes him to be a spy, and that General Wayne will have him hanged. However, John offers to cooperate and that seems to convince Smith there is more value in letting John live.

Later on, a doctor who is none other than Denzell Hunter is sent to look at the wounds Jamie inflicted upon Lord John. He is worried about John's eye and tells him he’ll have to wear an eyepatch, regretting Claire isn’t there to do more. Then, after talking to Smith, Denzell figures his real plan is to hang John because he is worth more dead than alive, so Denzell brings Lord John a knife to help him escape and he explains his plan.

William and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Meanwhile, William continues to spiral and while he is assisting with the evacuation of loyalist civilians from Philadelphia, he runs into Ian and Rachel who are back from visiting Quakers in Valley Forge in hopes they would allow them to marry. The Quakers didn’t though, so they are now back and Ian doesn’t even yet know that his uncle is alive.

That’s not William’s concern though because upon hearing that Rachel and Ian are engaged, his blood boils up again and he punches Ian. Not so much because of the engagement, although a little, but mostly because his “cousin” is yet another person who lied to him. Ian realizes the cat is out of the bag, Rachel is not surprised to find out Jamie is William’s real father as she had noticed the resemblance, and William picks up a fight with Ian that ends with him making sure his cousin is arrested for assaulting an officer.

Rachel is beyond herself. How dare thee, William. She is so upset that she slaps him, a reaction going against all her Quaker principles. Naturally, that prompts William to kiss her because by now he has been doing everything wrong so he might as well keep going that way. And she spits at him!

Later on, after going to see Colonel Morgan, giving him the letters brought from France and declaring himself George Washington’s “most obedient servant” (shoutout to the Hamilton fans in the audience), the newly appointed General Jamie Fraser makes his way back to Philadelphia and runs into his arrested nephew.

Upon learning William is responsible for the situation, Jamie sets the record straight with his son, ordering him to make sure Ian is released or he will tell his superiors who he truly is. William agrees to comply but does not miss this opportunity to, once again, dam his biological father to hell. He then frees Ian under the watchful eye of Rachel.

After yet another challenging day, we later find William back in the Philly brothel where he argues with Captain Harkness over who will have Arabella for the night. He wins the bid and she takes him to her room where she assumes they will have intercourse but William insists he will not have sex with her. In fact, he apologizes for his previous behavior and says he just wishes for them to have a good night’s sleep.

With no intentions to “molest her”, William gets ready to turn in while Arabella - whose real name is Jane - gets into bed. She tells him to at least come lay down with her and it then does not take long before she makes a move. William continues to refuse to have sex with her, insisting that the only honor he has left is his word and that he must keep it. But she makes him break his word and they too get carnally acquainted.

Confronting the truth

Back at Chestnut street, Claire cleans up William's mess and wonders where Jamie, Lord John and everybody else is. When Jamie returns to the house, she quickly sees he is not in the greatest mood. He tells her John revealed he had “carnal knowledge” of her and Claire finds the phrase to be a rather accurate description of what occurred. But Jamie wants to know exactly what happened between her and John, to the point that he goes to the bedroom where they did the deed so she can give him the play-by-play.

Claire describes how she sat there, drinking brandy and considering killing herself and how John came in also looking like he wanted to die. Neither of them wanted to mourn him alone that night so they held onto each other, however after more interrogation, Claire is now so annoyed with her husband that she wonders if he did kill John.

The whole scene is one of those very raw arguments between two people who share a deep connection. Jamie says he understands why they slept together but explains he needs to know what happened because he is jealous. Claire details how being with John was in fact not about sex or pleasure for either of them, it was about both of them grieving him, the one they love.

She recalls how John stopped her pain by “placing his grief” over hers and Jamie eventually admits he beat John after hearing him say that they were both thinking of him while they had sex. He then also admits John once “bandaged” him with his friendship in the past, so he didn’t kill him.

In the end, the couple find a way to put the matter at rest for now because “there is nothing in this world” that can take them away from one another. Now that they are done with talking, in true Claire and Jamie fashion because that’s how they’ve always reconnected with one another, they then have sex.

Meanwhile, at the rebel camp, John cuts off his rope and attempts to escape but he is soon chased by the Continental Army soldiers, and shots are fired.

As there were many things to tackle around Claire, Jamie, Lord John and William in this episode, we did not stop by 1730s Scotland to check in on Roger. Surely we’ll catch up with him and his wife Brianna next week, on a brand new episode of Outlander on Starz and MGM+.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 11, "A Hundredweight of Stones".

After the news of Jamie’s demise, Claire rushes to marry Lord John to avoid being arrested in this new episode of Outlander season 7. Back in 1739, Roger is on the lookout for two people named Jeremiah, and in 1980, Brianna faces a threat.

But that’s not all! Let’s recap what happened to the other members of the Fraser clan on this new episode of the show.

A third marriage

Following the events of “Brotherly Love,” this new episode of Outlander opens on the most depressing wedding seen on TV this year. Indeed, Claire has agreed to marry Lord John so he can protect her from the British, but the whole ceremony happens in a daze. She is hardly paying attention to what is going on or what the priest is saying, and is only doing what she must to survive and protect her family. All in all, it’s a rather heartbreaking scene as we can see in Claire’s eyes that she is thinking about Jamie.

After the ceremony, Claire goes back to mourning, and takes off the ring John just put on her finger. William, who witnessed the not-so-joyful wedding, asks his father why he married Claire, confused about why he would do such a thing when she is a rebel and could compromise his reputation. John explains Jamie was his friend and loved Claire more than anything, and that he owes it to him to protect her, but William doesn't fully grasp why his father would be willing to put himself at risk for the Frasers.

Later on, Claire is in her bed, sad and angry. Getting up, full of rage and frustration, she goes through her medical supplies and considers hurting herself. She grabs a scalpel and readies to join Jamie in the afterlife but thinking of him, and of what he would say if he saw her, stops her from going too far. Instead, she resorts to screaming and drinking while downstairs, John hears her pain and shares it. After pouring himself a drink, he eventually goes to her room and they mourn Jamie together through tears, fights and… sex, as we find them both naked in bed the next morning.

Pillow talk

Realizing she did not dream what happened between her and Lord John the previous night, Claire pulls the bedsheets up over herself and asks him how long it had been since he last was with a woman. The answer is 15 years, at least. John goes on to apologize for being ungentlemanly with her through their interaction, but they agree neither of them were acting like themselves, nor were they actually making love to each other.

Recalling that Jamie offered himself to him once, John explains he both regrets not taking him up on his offer and cherishes the fact that he didn’t. To him, if he had been intimate with Jamie, then they would never have had the precious friendship that they shared.

When Claire asks him if he has been on his own since the end of his previous marriage, John confesses he has been enjoying a liaison with an Indian cook on his plantation, a man named Manoke. He likes that they have a relationship that remains free of commitment. Claire wonders if Manoke feels the same, and John says they’ve never talked about it, and points out it has actually been a while since he last shared such intimate information about himself with anyone.

Ian and Rachel, sitting in a tree…

While Claire and Lord John sort out the new dynamic in their relationship, Ian is also mourning Jamie and builds a cairn for his uncle, who was like a second father to him. Rachel is with him and they talk about heaven and Quaker beliefs. Ian likes the idea that Jamie is in heaven with his father now and when she asks if he ever told Old Ian about her, the young man says his dad would have loved her.

But there is more Ian needs to discuss with Rachel and, as they walk around the woods, he tells her he used to be married. His emphasis being on the past tense, Rachel needs him to elaborate and becomes a little upset when she realizes that Ian’s previous marriage did not end because his ex-wife died. What worries her is the fact that Ian could still be in love with Emily.

Ian needs to give Rachel a bit more context, he explains how he got involved with Emily in the first place, how they had children that they lost and how that turned out to be the reason their relationship ended. He then tells Rachel that Emily chose him and that he was grateful for it, but that he now chooses Rachel and hopes she will choose him. Luckily for him, she does and tells Ian she loves him.

Later on, Ian visits Claire and explains he is going to Valley Forge with Rachel and wants to say goodbye in case Claire decides to go back to her own time now that Jamie is gone. She reassures him by saying the future is not her place anymore and that she wants to be a part of building America, not only for themselves but also for Jamie and Bree.

Meanwhile in Scotland…

In 1739, Roger tells Buck what happened to his father during the war, and they wonder if finding him will lead them to Jemmy. They go about the countryside, inquiring about the “fairy man” and buying gemstones in the process. Eventually, they come across Jeremiah's military jacket but the man who now has it is not inclined to tell them where the one he got it from is and menacingly turns them away.

Some time later, Roger tells Buck a soldier would not give up his uniform without a fight, implying he is concerned Jeremiah might have been harmed but Buck says that is not necessarily the case. He then wonders if they should keep looking for him or turn their focus back on searching for Rob Cameron and Jemmy, but Roger says he wants to believe both matters are connected.

Back in 1980, Brianna is holding the fort at Lallybroch, even though being able to do nothing besides looking after Mandy seems to be quite frustrating for her. But when she least expects it, the table turns when Brianna finds Rob Cameron in her kitchen.

He reveals that leaving Jemmy’s scarf at the stones was a distraction and that her son is not in the past. However, Cameron has not managed to convince the wee lad to tell him where the hidden gold is, so he wants Brianna to help him. Of course, she is not particularly inclined to do his bidding and they have a fight where Rob seems to first have the upper hand until Bree knocks him out with a pan. Looks like those mama bear claws came out.

Forbidden love

Checking up on how Henry is doing post surgery, Claire and John find out that he and Mercy have developed feelings for each other and want to be married. John is very much upset about it and tells his nephew he must go back to England soon because he has a duty to his name and his title. Not to mention interracial relationships are not quite legal at this time.

Surprised he could be “such a bigot,” Claire later asks John why he opposes Mercy and Henry’s union. He tells her he is protecting Henry from making a mistake and risking losing his title and property.

Claire doesn't understand how he can think like that and stand in the way of people in love, but the thing is that John knows exactly what it's like for one’s love to be a crime and he will not risk Henry or Mercy's life for it.

Lady Grey

Back at the house, Lord John gives Claire a brand new gown and explains they will be hosting a supper in a few days to help raise funds for the loyalist cause. He understands that as a rebel it will be painful for her but adds that they must do it in order to keep face. Of course, Claire throws a fit about it but John insists that if they want to “survive” (not only in general but also meaning survive Jamie’s death), they need to be there for each other.

When the evening of the party comes, Captain Richardson shows up and tells John he must have made a mistake about Claire. She arrives in the dress John had made for her, wearing the ring he gave her, and Lord John sees she is ready to do her part. Richardson then asks Claire to dance and as they go around the room, he confesses to her that he is a rebel himself and explains he wants her to spy on Lord John and his family. Claire refuses but says she will, however, keep his secret.

The following day, John comes to see Claire with more invitations for social engagements when all of a sudden their chat about which dinner they should go to next is interrupted by none other than James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, King of Men, who barges in very much alive.

Overcome with joy and relief, Claire rushes to his arms while Lord John asks how on earth he is not dead. Jamie explains he was never on board the Utopia, and therefore was never lost at sea. However, he doesn't have time to elaborate as some British soldiers are on his tail, and John explains he must go as “his son” will be home soon. But then guess who turns out to be in the hallway and just heard Lord John referring to him as Jamie’s son? William!

When Claire, Jamie and John walk out, William is there fuming. He damns Jamie, saying he wants nothing to do with him, then he damns John for lying to him all these years. They don’t have time to hash out their family drama though, as soldiers burst into the house to arrest Jamie. To escape, the latter takes John hostage and runs out.

Can things be mended between William and his fathers? What will Jamie do when he finds out Claire and John slept together? Tune in next week for a whole new episode of Outlander on Starz and MGM+ to find out.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 10, "Brotherly Love".

Roger continues to have unlikely encounters in the past while Claire and Young Ian arrive in Philadelphia in this new episode of Outlander season 7. Meanwhile, still in Scotland, Jamie has to say goodbye to an old friend.

Let’s see what happened to the Frasers on this new episode of the smash-hit series.

This new episode of Outlander is aptly titled “Brotherly Love,” referring to the strong bond between Jaimie Fraser and his brother-in-law, Ian Murray. It opens on a flashback showing them as young lads training together under the supervision of Ian's father. They grew up together, fought wars together, and they will be together until the very end as we then return to the present to find them on the grounds of Lallybroch, taking in the scenery and joking about the fact that Claire is centuries older than Jamie.

As the two men reminisce about their shared experiences, and Ian battles a coughing fit, Jamie says he wishes he could take Ian's place. He tells Ian how he has loved him as a brother ever since he lost his own, and after their outing he takes Ian back to his bed where he dies peacefully with Jenny and Jamie by his side.

After he is gone, we find Jamie digging his grave and telling Jenny he will stay with her for as long as she needs, then he'll visit Joanie in France before returning to America. He suggests she comes with him to live with the Frasers at the ridge, but Jenny refuses, although adding she might one day take him up on the offer, when the war is over.

Welcome to Philadelphia

As Jamie and Jenny face their loss, Claire and Young Ian arrive in Philadelphia where he still grapples with the fact that he left his dying dad behind. However Claire reminds him that Old Ian wanted his son to be reunited with Rachel, so Ian makes plans to go find his beloved. Asking him to be careful, Claire points out the country is still at war and they can tell by looking outside their carriage. Philadelphia is under British occupation and the army is very much keeping an eye out for rebels.

Claire then arrives at Mercy Woodcock's house, where Lord John's nephew, Henry Grey, is awaiting her visit. Mercy is actually the wife of Walter Woodcock, a soldier in the Continental army whom Claire treated back in the first part of season 7.

It turns out Lord John Grey is also at Mercy's, having been at his nephew's side for weeks. Seeing that he still wears his British army uniform, Claire wonders if John is back in service but he explains he wears it as protection for Mrs. Woodcock, who is pro-independence. When Claire explains she will need vitriol (to make ether) before she can operate on Henry, Lord John says he has already acquired everything she needs, knowing she would come to help.

The return of Arch Bug

When Claire examines Henry, she finds out Denzell Hunter has already tried to help him and learns that he is in town, along with his sister Rachel. When she meets with Denzell to discuss Henry’s case, Claire asks him for his help with the operation, and explains she hopes Ian will see Rachel soon.

We then find Rachel shopping in a market with the assistance of Lord John’s son, William. Suddenly, Ian’s dog Rollo leaves her side and runs off, which prompts Rachel to think Ian must be around otherwise the animal would never have left her like that. She and William look for Rollo and we see that Ian’s nemesis, Arch Bug, is keeping an eye on them.

It is clear William has a crush on Rachel, but it seems her heart is set on Ian. When Rollo finds his owner, Ian sets off to be reunited with Rachel and arrives right on time. Indeed, after going to the stables to tend to the horses, Rachel is attacked by Arch Bug, who wants to hurt her in order to take his revenge on Ian. He shows up and fights the old man, with Rachel telling him not to kill Bug. The latter manages to get the upper hand on Ian and is about to hurt him when William shoots him to save the day.

William tells them to leave as he will not get arrested for what happened, being a British soldier and all, and Rachel and Ian go to Claire so she can tend to his wounds. Later on, Ian is all patched up and finally tells Rachel he loves her, and she returns the feeling. He also explains he cannot become a Quaker but that does not seem to be a deal breaker for Rachel.

More familiar faces return

While things unfold in 1778, Roger Mackenzie is still back in Scotland’s 1740s, having shown up on Geillis Duncan’s doorstep at the end of the previous episode. Still in shock from seeing her, he has her take a look at Buck, whom she doesn't know is her son (and neither does Buck). Seeing the look on Roger’s face, Buck asks if he knows Geillis and Roger reveals that she is a time traveler, and a dangerous one at that, having killed several husbands and tried to kill Bree.

They wonder if she might know Rob Cameron and be in cahoots with him, so Roger then has a conversation with Geillis trying to figure that out. When he explains the situation about Jemmy missing, Roger comes to the conclusion that Geillis has nothing to do with it. Then arrives another member of his and Buck’s family tree in the form of Dougal Mackenzie, who has come by because he might be able to help with the search for the “fairy man.” He is Buck’s father, Roger’s sixth-great-grandfather, and fans rejoice at the sight of Graham McTavish back in the role, however briefly.

Roger does his best to keep it cool in front of Dougal, although these unexpected family reunions keep throwing him for a loop. Dougal then gives him a charm that he says belongs to the fairy man and features the name Jeremiah. After flirting with Geillis, she and Dougal leave the room (presumably to start working on Buck’s conception), and Roger, baffled, explains to his “cousin” that the charm is in fact a set of military tags that belonged to his father who went missing in action during World War II. The fairy man then isn't Rob Cameron, it’s Roger's dad.

From surgeon to spy

Back in Philadelphia, Claire operates successfully on Henry with the help of Denzell and Mercy. After the operation, Claire praises Mercy’s job as an improvised nurse and they talk about Mercy’s husband dying at Fort Ticonderoga.

Having some free time now, Claire goes to an herb garden to gather supplies and notices the British soldiers hardly bat an eye at her coming and going. When she returns home, she learns a letter from Jamie has arrived saying Old Ian has passed away and that he is now on his way back to America after making a trip to France (where he apparently hung out with friends of Benjamin Franklin).

Happy her husband will soon be by her side again, Claire accepts a side job from Mercy, who explains to her she has been spying for the Continental army but that her contact has been arrested. She needs help to deliver a letter and, saying the British never stop her from going about her business, Claire offers to fulfill this mission and seem to manage it with flying colors.

But when she returns home, she finds Lord John waiting for her with a grim look on his face and the captain of a ship by his side. They tell her the ship Jamie was on was lost at sea and that there were no survivors. Claire refuses to hear it, arguing Jamie cannot be gone because she would know if his heart had shopped, as hers would have too. Lord John insists that Jamie is dead and we later see Claire in bed, crying herself to sleep as she thinks about her husband.

In the following days, John receives the visit of Captain Richardson who has come to ask him about Claire because he wants to arrest her as a spy (turns out her delivery mission didn’t go so well and her message was intercepted). John pretends Claire isn't there but in mourning at church and, respecting John’s position and reputation, Richardson decides to give him time before he arrests Claire.

As Richardson leaves, Lord John rushes to Claire’s room and barges in, telling her to marry him right away because he can protect her from being arrested, and it’s the last thing he can do for Jamie. Claire ponders letting the British hang her but John says Ian and the others would be suspects too, so really, Claire doesn't have much of a choice here.

That concludes this rather eventful episode of Outlander and to find out whether Claire will marry Lord John or not, tune in next week for a new episode of the series on Starz and MGM+.

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 9, 'Unfinished Business'.

It has been a long Droughtlander but at last, our favorite time-traveling, warfighting and hard-loving characters are back with the second half of Outlander season 7.

And to start things off on a nostalgic note, 'Unfinished Business' brings us back to the place where it all began: Scotland.

Let’s recap what happened to Claire, Jamie and the rest of their family in this mid-season premiere of Outlander.

If you recall the events of 'Turning Points', the 8th episode of Outlander season 7, it was Simon Fraser’s wish to be buried in Scotland and Jamie accepted to take his body back to the motherland. He, Claire and Young Ian are now back and have fulfilled Simon’s last request, so they are now free to return to the Fraser’s ancestral home they have not seen in years: Lallybroch.

There, they are greeted by Jenny Murray, Ian’s mother and Jamie’s sister, who is very happy to see them again. Also in residence are Ian’s brothers, Michael and James, who he finds out are here because their father is not doing so well. Indeed, Old Ian is plagued with a bad cough but is nonetheless delighted to see his youngest son again, as well as Jamie and Claire. Asking Jenny how long Ian has been sick, Claire ends up identifying that her brother-in-law is suffering from consumption.

Later, in the laird’s chamber where Claire and Jamie first confessed their feelings to each other all those years ago, Claire tells her husband she knows well the disease that is affecting Ian, but that there is unfortunately nothing she can do about it in the 18th century. All she can do is ensure Ian is as comfortable as possible for his remaining days.

It’s overall a sad homecoming for the Frasers, and Jamie explains he now doesn't feel the same way he used to about Lallybroch. It’s still his home, but he can now see that their life really is in America.

Beyond the stones

While this is happening for Claire and Jamie, Roger and Buck have made their way through the stones and are back in the past. While the former wakes up from the time travel with a splitting headache, Buck’s heart is pounding in his chest and Roger wonders for a moment if he would cease to exist if his ancestor died then and there.

They are in a hurry to catch up with Rob Cameron and Jemmy though, so Roger doesn't have time for Buck potentially dying on him. They agree to split up and Roger decides to go to Lallybroch, assuming home is where Jemmy would go if he managed to get away from his kidnapper.

In a welcome change for the show, Roger’s voiceover is used throughout the episode to express his inner dialogue and how he works through his feelings about the situation he finds himself in. Concerned about Jemmy’s safety, he makes his way through the Scottish countryside hoping he will find him soon enough and thinking he cannot return to Brianna without their son.

Speaking of his wife, we see her driving back from the stones with Mandy in the 1980s, obviously worried about her son, her husband, and unable to do anything else than sit, wait and pray for their safe return.

Reunions all around

While Ian's nieces and nephews are curious to learn about his time with the Mohawks, his siblings are interested to know more about the war going on in America, and Michael points out such “unrest” would not happen in France where the Fraser business is going very well. Old Ian, on the other hand, wants to hear all about his son’s life in America and asks him about his ex-wife. Young Ian tells him about how they did end up having a son after all and how he named the lad Ian James, which warms his father’s heart.

Ian also tells him about Rachel and how he didn't gather up the courage to tell her he loves her (at least, not in English) before leaving her to dog-sit Rollo. Old Ian wants him to promise he will not miss a chance to tell her how he feels but Ian says he cannot leave him.

As Ian reconnects with his parents, Jamie tells Claire that he needs to go see Laoghaire and when she wonders why, he explains he has unfinished business with the woman he married. When Jamie arrives at Laoghaire’s place, he runs into her farmhand and new lover, Joey Murray, before seeing his ex. She isn’t particularly pleased to see him and asks why he bothered to come see her.

But as much as Jamie tries to explain to her that he wants to apologize for the way he treated her in the past, Laoghaire is not in the mood to forgive and forget. She tells Jamie that he never truly looked at her or tried to understand her. All he did was pity her, ever since they met, and she is clearly still mad about things that happened at Leoch a long time ago. In fact, Laoghaire gets so worked up that she starts hitting Jamie. When Joey comes to her help, Jamie hits him, which aggravates Laoghaire even more and she asks him to leave.

Back at home, Jamie tells Claire about what happened and while she isn’t surprised by the way Laoghaire reacted, she also points out that the woman had a point in her assessment of the way Jamie behaved with her. And speaking of telling the truth, Claire informs Jamie that she wants to tell his family about being a time traveler because there are things she knows about France’s history that might save Michael.

The thing about time travel

The next day, Claire explains to the Murrays that unrest is coming to France through a time called The Terror and tells Michael that he should not stay there past 1788. When they ask how she knows this, Claire reveals that she is from the future. Young Ian and Jamie vouch for her, and while Old Ian, Jenny and the others are shocked, they don’t have much time to react as a knock on the front door interrupts them.

That’s when the show resorted to a clever montage between the Claire and Jamie storyline and the Roger storyline, and alternated between showing Roger arriving at Lallybroch in hopes to find Jemmy, and Jamie going to answer the door. Except when he did, he did not face Roger, and Roger did not see a familiar face opening the door.

In Claire and Jamie’s time, the laird of Broch Tuarach finds Joanie MacKimmie at the door, Laoghaire’s daughter. In Roger’s time, he encounters none other than Brian Fraser, Jamie’s father. Roger then realizes that he is 'in the wrong time' and not when he thought he would be after traveling through the stones.

After explaining to Brian that he is looking for his missing son and meeting a young Jenny, Roger comes to the conclusion that he is in 1739 or 1740 and wonders if his son is too. The next day, he and Brian go ask around about a strange 'fairy man' who has been seen in the area, and Roger thinks it could be Rob Cameron. He then finds out from Jenny that Buck has taken ill on his way to Lallybroch and she tells him about a nearby herbalist that might be able to help him.

Making amends

Joanie has come to see Jamie in hopes he can help her convince Laoghaire to let her become a nun. The problem is that Laoghaire will not release her daughter’s dowry to marry Christ, and the Church frowns upon the fact that her mother lives in sin with her farmhand, Joey. Why doesn’t Laoghaire marry her lover then, Jamie wonders having seemingly forgotten that he made an arrangement with his ex years ago, stipulating he would provide for her as long as she remained unmarried, otherwise the estate of Balriggan would cease to be her property. All in all, Joanie just hopes Jamie can sort this pickle out and find a way for everyone to be happy.

Towards the end of the episode, Laoghaire comes to Lallybroch where Jamie proposes an amendment to their agreement (drawn by Ned Gowan, who is toothless but still alive). If she marries Joey, she will get her estate and Jamie won't have to pay alimony to her anymore (but will contribute to Joanie's upkeep at the convent of her choice). Laoghaire accepts, Joanie is happy, and the unfinished business is at last concluded.

Finding a way to go on

Jenny accepts the truth about Claire and decides to ask her if she could save Ian. When Claire explains there is nothing she can do for him, Jenny wonders if she still holds a grudge against her for telling Jamie to marry Laoghaire all these years ago. It’s water under the bridge for Claire who tells Jenny she would help Ian if she could, but Jenny isn’t convinced and leaves her angrily.

Later on, Jamie finds his sister screaming with despair in the woods. Jenny is gutted about Ian dying and doesn't know how she will go on without him. Her brother tells her she will find a way to carry on because she always has, and he reminds her of everything she has been through and how strong she is.

Back at the house, a letter arrives from Lord John Grey asking for Claire’s help: his nephew has been shot in battle and he needs her to perform surgery on him back in Philadelphia. Given Old Ian's condition and the fact that she cannot do anything for him, Jamie and Jenny encourage Claire to go and help save the man’s life.

Meanwhile, Ian has written a letter to Rachel telling her to forget about him because he cannot leave his parents again. When he tells Jenny that he must let Rachel go, she tears the letter and takes him to the graveyard where she shows him a gravestone they made for his late daughter Iseabail. She thought he would want a place to visit her and adds that Ian will always be a part of Lallybroch, whether he is there or not. “All is well” she tells him and when he says he cannot leave Ian, Jenny argues that his father wants him to go and live the rest of his life so he should go back to America with Claire.

When the time comes for goodbyes, Jenny apologizes to Claire for being hard on her before old Ian comes out of the house in his full regalia, kilt included. He wants to see his son off and they share an embrace, both of them fully aware that this is the last time they will ever see each other again. And there is not a dry eye in the audience.

As the episode reaches its conclusion, Outlander has one more surprise up its sleeve as Roger arrives at Cranesmuir to see the herbalist Jenny told him about... and who is none other than Geillis Duncan. Roger’s reaction in his voiceover then mirrors the viewers’ as he gasps “Oh Christ!”

Tune in next week to find out how that encounter will go in a whole new episode of Outlander, on Starz and MGM+.

The final episodes of Outlander season 7 are heading to Starz beginning November 22. The time travel romance features an epic love story that spans centuries will soon be fading off into the mist, but not before cementing the unshakeable bond between Claire (Caitríona Balfe) and Jaime (Sam Heughan) one last time.

Outlander season 7 premieres Nov. 22 at midnight Eastern time on the Starz app and all Starz streaming platforms. The episode will be available for Starz cable subscribers at 8 pm ET/PT. New episodes will be available to stream weekly at midnight on Friday.

Outlander, which boasts a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, follows Claire's journey from the 20th century to 18th century Scotland, where she falls in love with Jaime Fraser. The couple is torn apart by the sands of time, with Claire always finding Jaime as her life continues in two distinct time periods. The series is based on the bestselling novels from Diana Gabaldon.

The synopsis below paints a picture of where Claire and Jaime are heading into the final episodes of the series and where they're going: "Coming off the first half of Outlander season 7, we find Claire, Jamie and Young Ian leaving the colonies and arriving in their beloved homeland: Scotland. The perils of the Revolutionary War force them to choose between standing by those they love and fighting for the land they have made their new home. Meanwhile, Roger and Brianna face new enemies across time, and must battle the forces that threaten to pull their family apart. As loyalties change and painful secrets come to light, Jamie and Claire’s marriage is tested like never before. With their love binding them over oceans and centuries, can the MacKenzies and Frasers find their way back to each other?"

Though the journey is coming to an end for Claire and Jaime, a new story set in the same universe is about to begin with Outlander: Blood of My Blood. The prequel spinoff will explore the love stories between Claire and Jaime's parents. There's no release date for the spinoff yet but we suspect the new series will arrive in 2025.

New episodes of Outlander season 7 part 2 air Fridays on Starz.

It’s been more than a year since historical drama Outlander season 7 took a mid-season break, but it resumes this week with the remaining eight episodes.

When we last saw 18th-century Scottish soldier Jamie (Sam Heughan) and his 20th-century-born wife Claire (Caitriona Balfe), they had left the American Revolutionary War behind them to travel back to Scotland and return Jamie’s late uncle Simon (Angus Macfadyen) to homeland soil after he died in battle.

Jamie’s nephew Young Ian (John Bell) has also made the journey with them, so when they return to their ancestral home Lallybroch, he’s reunited with his mum Jenny (Kristin Atherton) and dad Ian (Steven Cree).

But back in America, trouble looms because he’s left behind love interest Rachel Hunter (Izzy Meikle Small), to look after his dog Rollo, while his enemy Arch Bug (Hugh Ross) is out for revenge after Young Ian accidentally killed his wife Murdina (Sarah Collier).

Meanwhile, as Jamie and Claire settle back into life in Scotland, it’s not long before the couple’s marriage is put to the test…

Elsewhere, in the 1980s, Jamie and Claire’s daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) has been left wondering if she will ever see her husband and child again after Roger (Richard Rankin) traveled back to the 18th century where their son Jemmy has been taken by Rob Cameron (Chris Fulton), who reckons the youngster holds the key to giving him the family gold.

"There’s a lot of drama," says Sam. "There are going to be a lot of shocking moments for the fans and a few goodbyes to certain characters and we might see some returning ones, too!"

We caught up with Sam and Caitriona to talk about the new episodes of Outlander…

Where do we find Jamie and Claire when the season resumes?

CAITRIONA: "We find our characters back in Scotland at the beginning of this part of the season. There’s a homecoming reunion, but events will perhaps separate our heroes and as we know with Outlander, anytime there’s a separation things don’t also go so well."

SAM: "For Jamie, coming back to Scotland is a huge part of his heritage and to return to his ancestral home means so much to him. To see his family, his extended family."

Can you give us a few hints about what to expect in the new episodes?

CAITRIONA: "I definitely feel we see Claire behave in ways we haven’t seen before. As always, circumstances test our characters and push them to do things that we aren’t expecting. I think this season is no different, especially in this second half. And I think that’s a great thing. It’s nice to be challenged and surprised by your characters."

SAM: "I think Jamie is more fragile in some ways. He has more to lose. He’s more aware of what his life would be like if he lost Claire. And this season in particular, he reacts in some ways that are surprising. Without giving away the ending of this season, there’s a lot that puts us to the test."

Do you have a particularly memorable scene or moment from this part of season 7?

CAITRIONA: "For me, episode 11 was probably the most impactful emotionally on Claire. You know I think it’s sort of one of the darkest points of her life she’s been in for quite a few seasons. It was challenging material. They were quite tough days at work."

You have played Jamie and Claire since Outlander began in 2014. What’s it like to play the same character for so many years. Does it get easier?

CAITRIONA: "I think in the beginning you’re trying to create an interior world for your characters. You’re trying to create a backstory, fill in all the gaps for yourself by trying to imagine what they have been and what they have done, but over the years you’re living their life, you’re living their memories, so you don’t have to fill in all that stuff anymore because it’s within you. One of the great things about this show is you might think you know your character and their life, but it’s always throwing us these curveballs and surprises. It’s been so amazing to live this character’s life but still be surprised by what happens to her."

SAM: "As actors we were here multiple series ago and now our characters are reminiscing about the things we filmed. I guess it’s a gift of playing a character for a long time, their memories become your memories."

This is the penultimate season of Outlander and you have already filmed the eighth and final series. How does it feel now that it’s come to an end?

CAITRIONA: "It’s been a quarter of our lives. Eleven years, eight seasons, 101 episodes. It’s been quite the journey and wrapping it up was very emotional. It felt like a huge achievement and so there was a lot of crying and gratitude for what we had done. It was bittersweet because we were sad about it, but excited for the future and what we do next."

SAM: "Series seven, part two is one of my favorite parts of the season and after this comes out, we have another season on the way. So despite it being over for us, it’s not over for the fans yet as they have more to look forward to. Not only our show but also our spin-off show, Blood of my Blood, which I think the fans are really going to enjoy."

Is it going to be difficult to let go of these characters after 11 years?

CAITRIONA: "I don’t think it’s hit us yet because we are still doing press and there’s a whole other season to be shown. It’s going to be very strange to wake up in a few months and not go back to this show that’s always been there for us. It will take some time for the reality of it all to hit us."

What has been the most challenging aspect of filming the series?

SAM: "It’s all consuming and has taken over our lives. I don’t want to sound ungrateful for that but it has been a gruelling experience. It’s so intense. There’s so much going on, whether it’s rehearsals or just shooting. For me, it’s the daily challenge. It does grind you down. I think that’s probably why it feels right to be ending now. We’ve put our hearts and souls into this show, but I don’t know if it’s sustainable. I don’t know if I could do another 11 years!"

CAITRIONA: "You do end up having to sacrifice time with your family or your friends. I have a young family, so one of the things I’m looking forward to is seeing more of my son and getting to spend a little more time as his mum. If you’re leaving home at 5.30am and not getting home until 7.30pm or 8.00pm, Monday to Friday, that’s a lot of time away."

Before we sign off, is there anything else you would like the fans to know?

SAM: "There’s a lot of drama this season. Honestly, I think this is an incredible second half. There’s going to be a lot of shocking moments for the fans and a lot of goodbyes to certain characters and we might see some returning ones, too. There’s plenty to look forward to!"

The second half of Outlander season 7 premieres Friday, November 23, on MGM Plus in the UK and Starz in the US.

Once again, writer, director, actor and producer Tyler Perry has taken a streaming service by storm. This time I’m talking about Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black on Netflix.

The new drama follows two women living in two different worlds who ultimately are caught in the same chaotic web of lies, betrayal and danger. On one hand, you have Kimmie (Taylor Polidore Williams), who is being forced to work in a strip club and be a sex worker to pay her alleged debt to a man named Jules (Charles Malik Whitfield). On the other hand, you have Mallory (Crystle Stewart), who rose from a difficult childhood to become a corporate powerhouse helping to run her father-in-law’s beauty business. With each episode that goes by, it becomes clear that the pair of women are tied to a ruthless and criminal family that has plenty of secrets and is willing to do nearly anything to protect them and the beloved wealth they hold dear.

If you’ve already powered through the first eight episodes of Beauty in Black, you probably find yourself clamoring for more. And with part two of the debut season not scheduled to premiere until spring 2025, you have quite a bit of time before you see what happens next with Kimmie and Mallory in this saga. With that being said, allow me to suggest a similar series to dive into while you wait… the Starz drama P-Valley.

P-Valley centers around the fictional strip club The Pynk, which is in the heart of the Mississippi Delta and a hotbed of mayhem and intrigue. The owner, Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), tries to keep the popular club open, which isn’t easy to do when faced with a corrupt police force, even more criminal politicians and overall moral outrage. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that each of the dancers, and some of the patrons, also have their own personal drama that often spills into The Pynk.

Comparing the two shows, I tend to prefer P-Valley. The characters are a bit more complex and the dialogue strikes a stronger chord. P-Valley also offers grittier storylines, which is often nice to have in dark dramas. Plus, P-Valley has two seasons under its belt with a third season on the way.

Are you ready to give P-Valley a shot? P-Valley seasons 1-2 are currently available to watch on the Starz App in the US, which you can get a subscription to as low as $2.99/month. In the UK, episodes are available for purchase on services like Prime Video.

The landscape of diverse storytelling on TV looks brighter than ever as numerous streaming platforms and television channels are making more strides to share programming featuring and about people of color. The Black diaspora, in particular, is reflected in some of today’s most talked about shows, which is great news for everyone looking to immerse themselves in the richness of the culture.

We’ve taken the liberty to compile a list (in alphabetical order) of some of the best Black shows on streaming platforms and television. Take a look.

1. Abbott Elementary 

The now Emmy-winning sitcom is a crown jewel of the ABC network. The series follows a group of elementary school teachers as they try to shape the young minds at a Philadelphia school. At the heart of Abbott Elementary is the overly optimistic Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) who is constantly trying to find her way as a new teacher and as an adult. Thankfully for her, she has her coworkers to help her along the way.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Hulu and Disney Plus.
Where to watch in the UK: watch seasons 1-3 on Disney Plus.

2. All American

All American continues to be a show that can captivate fans. Much of the series is inspired by the real-life of NFL player Spencer Paysinger, and yet, also deeply rooted in the fictional storylines created by the writers. With each season the show further blurs the lines between the haves and the have-nots as lead character Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) and his friends continue maturing into adulthood. However, All American season 7 strikes a different chord as Spencer and most of the original friend group are no longer the focal point of the series.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1-7 are available to stream on Netflix.
Where to watch in the UK: seasons 1-5 are available to stream on ITV/ITVX in the UK.

3. Bel-Air

When it was announced that Bel-Air would be a dramatic version of the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, there were plenty of skeptics who wondered what the new show would look like. However, the series is one of Peacock’s biggest hits and it continues to collect fans. With that said, Bel-Air certainly gets our vote of confidence as the reimagined characters have layers that weren’t present in the original show. We're sad to say, though, the upcoming season 4 will serve as the series' last.

Where to watch in the US: Seasons 1-3 are available on Peacock.
Where to watch in the UK: Seasons 1-2 are available on Sky.

4. The Chi

The Lena Waithe series The Chi continues to be a hit with critics and viewers alike. The show follows multiple characters in the city of Chicago as they try to better themselves in their hometown while avoiding the dangers that exist all around. On a side note, the drama does a great job of highlighting the spectrum of sexuality and sexual orientation.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1-6 are streaming on Paramount Plus with Showtime. The Chi season 7 premieres on May 16.
Where to watch in the UK: The Chi episodes are available on Apple TV.

5. Cross

Cross was a suspenseful ride that crime drama fanatics will love. Based on the Alex Cross novels by James Patterson, Aldis Hodge does an exceptional job of taking the hotshot detective Cross (once played by Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry), and truly makes the role his own. You literally hang on the edge of your seat waiting for each plot twist.

Where to watch in the US and UK: season 1 is streaming on Prime Video.

6. Forever

Forever is the brainchild of Girlfriends creator Mara Brock Akil and is based on the classic novel by Judy Blume. It follows the coming-of-age story of Justin and Keisha as they navigate their way into adulthood, while exploring their epic young romance. Forever is ranked as one of the best new shows of 2025 in our opinion, and we're eagerly hoping for a Forever season 2.

Where to watch in the US and UK: season 1 is on Netflix

7. Godfather of Harlem

The dramatized story of Harlem legend Bumpy Johnson is one of the most exciting stories on TV. Starring Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker, Godfather of Harlem takes place in the 1960s in New York City and shows the intersection of The Civil Rights Movement and the underworld’s drug trade.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1-3 are available on Hulu and seasons 1-4 are available on MGM Plus.
Where to watch in the UK: seasons 1-4 are available on Lionsgate Plus in the UK.

8. Harlem

If you liked Mara Brock Akil’s Girlfriends, you'll love Harlem. The Prime Video sitcom follows four friends as they do their best to navigate relationships, friendships and the path toward their professional ambitions.

Where to watch in the US and the UK: Seasons 1-3 are available on Prime Video.

9. How to Die Alone

How to Die Alone is a brilliant new comedy starring Natasha Rothwell. It follows her as an airport employee who has a brush with death and uses the occasion to shake up her life. As she tries to elevate her career and figure out love, she hits some bumps in the road, but of course, in a comedic way. If you were a fan of Rothwell on Insecure, you should love this new series.

Where to watch in the US: season 1 is available on Hulu.
Where to watch in the UK: season 1 is available on Disney Plus.

10. Lupin

Lupin’s Assane Diop (Omar Sy) has easily become one of the world’s favorite gentleman thieves. His superior intellect and suave ability to talk himself out of most bad situations have made him an exceptional criminal. Although to be fair, he’s ironically committing crimes to expose bigger crimes that claimed his father as a victim. The series is recorded in French but is dubbed in English.

Where to watch in the US and the UK: seasons 1-3 are streaming on Netflix.

11. The Ms. Pat Show

Ms. Pat is not your traditional TV matriarch, which is partially why the series continues to grow its viewership. The wife and mother never bites her tongue when talking to anyone and will give her all to make the best of any situation. Even if that situation is being stuck in a small Midwest town where there are only a handful of minorities.

Where to watch in the US: Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on BET Plus.
Where to watch in the UK: Sadly, it's currently not streaming in the UK.

12. The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

When the Proud Family premiered on the Disney Channel in 2001, the cartoon instantly grew fans among kids and adults as it showed how Penny Proud dealt with middle-school angst and her interesting, yet funny family. So when Disney Plus debuted The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder reboot series, viewers were full of praise for the brand new episodes with an older Penny.

Where to watch in the US and the UK: Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Disney Plus.

13. Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Hailing from the Power universe comes the prequel series Power Book III: Raising Kanan. It's a gritty show detailing how Power's Kanan came up in the fictional New York City drug world. However, as much as the drama is his coming-of-age story, it's also a tale about how his mother Raq balances motherhood and her own power in the underworld. There's plenty of plot twists and suspense to hold one's attention.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1-4 are available on Starz.
Where to watch in the UK: seasons 1-4 are available on MGM Plus.

14. P-Valley

P-Valley has certainly earned its place on this list. The drama focuses on the various criminal elements and manipulation that occur behind the scenes of one of Mississippi’s premiere clubs, The Pynk. As the series continues to increase in popularity, we applaud the writers and producers for bravely showing the spectrum of sexuality that truly exists in the Black community.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on the Starz app.
Where to watch in the UK: you can find seasons 1 and 2 on MGM Plus.

15. Reasonable Doubt

Reasonable Doubt is a new drama executive produced by Kerry Washington that made quite the impact on viewers in its freshman season. The show follows a brilliant attorney as she represents some interesting clients, all while dealing with her personal life that is in disarray. For those that like soapy dramas, this is a must-watch for you.

Where to watch in the US: seasons 1-2 are streaming on Hulu.
Where to watch in the UK: season 1-2 streaming on Disney Plus.

16. Survival of the Thickest

When Survival of the Thickest season 1 debuted, it was a breath of fresh air on the streaming landscape. It stars funnywoman Michelle Buteau as someone trying to hit the restart button in love after her tragic breakup and in her career as she tries to professionally untie herself from her ex. It's a great comedic story showcasing it's never too late. Thankfully, a season 2 is forthcoming.

Where to watch in the US and in the UK: seasons 1-2 are streaming on Netflix

17. The Upshaws

The Upshaws provides a nice laugh for those fans of comedians Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps. The series centers around a working-class blended family as they try to navigate their family drama and financial woes. The banter between Skyes and Epps’ characters alone is enough reason to tune in.

Where to watch in the US and in the UK: seasons 1-6 are available on Netflix.

18. Young Love

Young Love is a an amazing animated comedy from Oscar-winner Matthew Cherry. It follows a millennial couple as they try to pursue their dreams while parenting their young daughter. Issa Rae, Kid Cudi and Loretta Devine are just a few of the actors voicing characters in the series.

Where to watch in the US: season 1 is streaming on Max.
Where to watch in the UK: we are waiting to receive official word as to when/if season 1 airs in the country.

As Outlander celebrates 10 years since it premiered on August 9, 2014, I figured it was as good a time as any to ease this lengthy Droughtlander by rediscovering the beginnings of Claire and Jamie's story,

Revisiting that first season, I could not help but think of the similarities the upcoming Outlander spin-off, titled Blood of my Blood, will have with these early episodes. For one, Blood of my Blood is set in Scotland just like the mother-show, and it will tell the love story of Jamie's parents, Ellen Mackenzie and Brian Fraser.

While Brian briefly appeared in season 1, during which viewers witnessed his death, Ellen was only talked about on Outlander. It will therefore be fascinating to get to know her in the spin-off and to learn more about her than the breadcrumbs given to us by Jamie in the main show.

We do know some things, like the fact that she and Brian ran away together when Ellen was supposed to be married to someone else. That is a tale Jamie tells Claire about on their own wedding night, and something that we will now get to see unfold in great detail in Blood of my Blood.

But aside from Ellen and Brian, this new show will also be the opportunity to discover many characters, that fans of Outlander are familiar with, through a new lens. The casting announcements made so far indicate we will indeed get to see the youth of the MacKenzie brothers, Dougal and Colum, but also Murtagh Fitzgibbons and Ned Gowan. We'll even get to meet a young Jocasta and encounter another MacKenzie sibling we’ve never seen before, Janet.

Based on the relationship Dougal and Colum have in the first season of Outlander, which can only be described as incredibly tense, Blood of my Blood has the opportunity to dig deep into what forged those later interactions. What led them to this point? Their Outlander version portrays a war chief and a laird, brothers who seem to envy one another, so who were they before Colum inherited the title of his father?

Speaking of which, we'll get to meet Red Jacob MacKenzie in Blood of my Blood as well, and his own relationships with his different children will certainly also inform who they are and why they feel the way they do about each other.

Then there are the marriages showcased on Outlander. Dougal, when we meet him in season 1, is married to a woman named Maura. We never get to see her, learning that she lives on their estate and rarely has contact with her husband. However, when she succumbs to illness halfway through the season, Dougal is quite distressed. Blood of my Blood could take the time to explore that relationship. Hopefully, we will get to meet Maura and learn what made Dougal ultimately think that she deserved better than him.

Similarly, Blood of my Blood might dive into Colum's relationship with his wife Letitia. How did that begin? And what of Colum’s battle with Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome? Surely, we will see when the disease first started to affect him, or at least how he had to manage it as he became laird of Castle Leoch.

Indeed, was Colum always a powerful laird as he appears to be in the first season of Outlander, or was he ever perceived as a weak man, which perhaps later forced him to lead with an iron fist? What role did his friendship with Ned Gowan play into it all? As the lawyer will also be seen in Blood of my Blood, we should get to learn more about his personal and professional relationships within clan MacKenzie.

While the first half of Outlander’s first season hints at what could be explored in Blood of my Blood on the MacKenzie front, the second half leans a bit more into the Fraser side of the story.

Again, thanks to what Starz has already revealed, we know that we will not only meet Brian in the spin-off, but also his father, Lord Lovat. Now that’s a character we don’t learn much about in season 1 of Outlander, but who appears in season 2, and who is pretty much described by Jamie as a monster.

Blood of my Blood will therefore introduce us to Brian’s not-so-nice dad, as well as his mother, Davina Porter, and a whole new cast of characters the main show never really talked about.

Down the line, should it have multiple seasons, it could also take us all the way to the birth of Lallybroch, Jamie's family estate, as he explains to Claire in season 1 that Brian built it himself.

But there is another Fraser-related character that fans of Outlander will be delighted to see again in Blood of my Blood, and that is Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser. Murtagh is a cousin of Brian, and will later swear to Ellen that he will forever protect her son, Jamie.

A certain pair of bracelets seen in the first season might even make an appearance. In fact, in the main show, it is no secret that Murtagh was in love with Ellen MacKenzie before she married Brian. In one episode, he tells Claire about a time he killed a wounded boar with only a dagger in order to impress Ellen and fashioned the tusks into bracelets that he ended up giving her as a wedding present.

Murtagh's love for Ellen will undoubtedly be showcased in Blood of my Blood, and it would not be surprising to see it be a source of conflict between him and Brian. Even if we ultimately know that he'll step aside and watch Ellen marry Jamie's dad, it will be interesting to meet a younger, perhaps even softer Murtagh. Who knows, we might also eventually get to see the early signs of the future romance between him and Ellen’s sister, Jocasta.

All in all, Blood of my Blood promises to be full of easter eggs for Outlander fans. From the most obvious aspects of its storytelling to the simple use of special objects here and there, fans of the main show will delight in seeing things from the very first season make their way into the spin-off.

However, Blood of my Blood will not only be about the Scottish characters related to Jamie Fraser. The creators have confirmed it will also feature the love story between Claire's parents, Julia and Henry Beauchamp, in 20th-century England. Rewatching the first season of Outlander, I noticed mentions of those two were sparse and did not give us much to go on. How their story will be woven around the one of Ellen and Brian therefore remains to be seen.

You too can rewatch all of Outlander season 1, either on Starz in the US or MGM+ in the UK.

It seems impossible but those "Wax on, wax off" words of wisdom from Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) are officially 40 years old—yes, the 1984 martial-arts classic The Karate Kid is celebrating its big quadrennial anniversary on Saturday, June 22, which means it's high time to revisit the memorable coming-of-age flick. And you can have yourself a The Karate Kid movie marathon this weekend, with showings of both the original as well as the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid Part II airing today on TV. 

Written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen, The Karate Kid tells the story of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), an Italian-American teenager from New Jersey who moves with his widowed mother (Randee Heller) to Southern California. There, he soon becomes the target of a group of bullies who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo, led by black belt Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the ex-boyfriend of the girl Daniel likes. Daniel soon learns to defend himself, however, thanks to the help of his apartment handyman Mr. Miyagi, who just happens to be a martial arts master. Through training, Daniel learns how to defend himself and compete against his brutal Cobra Kai bullies. 

One of the highest-grossing films of 1984 (it made more than $130 million at the global box office), The Karate Kid was both a commercial and critical success. It earned Morita an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and kicked off a media franchise that spawned video games, action figures, numerous movie sequels, a 2010 remake starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, and the popular Netflix spinoff series Cobra Kai, which re-examines the "Miyagi-Verse" narrative from Johnny's point of view three decades later. (Cobra Kai will debut its sixth season on Thursday, July 18.)

To celebrate The Karate Kid turning 4-0 today, Starz Encore is showing both the 1984 original as well as the 1986 sequel. You can tune into the former at 2:53pm or 7pm Eastern Time on the premium television channel; airings of The Karate Kid Part II will directly follow at 5:03pm or 9:10pm ET. Cable-cutters can also tune in online with a live TV streaming service that carries Starz channels, such as Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and Philo TV. 

Check out the official trailer for The Karate Kid before revisiting the martial-arts favorite tonight on Starz Encore. 

We're fully aware that Station 19’s cancellation is still quite the sore spot for fans of the season. When the series wrapped with the Station 19 season 7 finale, many found themselves disheartened by the fact they’ll no longer get to see all the antics of the firehouse. They won’t get to see Jack (Grey Damon) go rouge on a mission, or Maya (Danielle Savre) and Carina (Stefania Spampinato) expand their happy little family or Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) explore what’s next in her career. Ben (Jason Winston George) at least will be spotted back at Grey Sloan when he returns to Grey’s Anatomy season 21. 

With all that being said, and no signs of Station 19 returning despite all of the petitions to bring it back, we’ve looked through Rotten Tomatoes to find some first-responder dramas worth watching that could help ease the sadness of Station 19 being off the air. Check out what we’ve come up with, including one show that has a 100% rating. 

Rescue Me

File this one under oldies but goodies, as Rescue Me is a firefighting drama that ran from 2004 to 2011. The series follows firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) as he tries to continue on in his public servant duties in New York City post-9/11. Unfortunately, the events of that infamous day haunt him, which often leads to him getting into some self-destructive antics. The series is not all drama though, as it’s speckled with dark humor. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Number of seasons: 7
Where to watch: on Hulu in the US and Prime Video, and Disney Plus in the UK 

The Responder

This UK drama takes you out of the realm of firefighting and out of the US. The Responder focuses on Martin Freeman’s Chris Carson, a police officer in Liverpool who’s been demoted, and yet remains committed to serving and protecting. As he tries to do what's right but wrestles with childhood trauma, things get complicated, especially when the officer responsible for his demotion gets involved. Oh, and he also has quite the dynamic family situation that’s taking a toll on his mental health. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Number of seasons: 2
Where to watch: on The Roku Channel and Brit Box in the US, and BBC iPlayer in the UK

Only the Brave (2017)

Now Only the Brave is from the movie world, but is a remarkable watch if you’re looking for a quick firefighting drama fix. The film focuses on the Granite Mountain Hotshots, one of the most elite firefighting teams in the US. This heroic bunch tends to run toward danger to help the citizens of their community, and they find themselves in the ultimate fight when they have to battle one fateful fire in Yarnell, Arizona. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Movie rating: PG-13
Where to watch: on Starz in the US, on Apple TV Plus in the UK

If none of these shows sounds like a good fit, then perhaps Fire Country on Paramount Plus, Chicago Fire on Peacock and 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star on Hulu are more up your alley. 

The old saying says "long live the Queen," but what happens when Queen Mother Catherine de Medici of France faces off against Queen Elizabeth I of England? Well, that's what we'll see in The Serpent Queen season 2. 

After the success of the first season of The Serpent Queen, Starz quickly granted the series another season with two-time Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton returning to the role of the infamous Serpent Queen herself. Not only will Catherine have to deal with her son, Charles IX, coming of age, but she'll also have to deal with a prophet causing problems and the arrival of England's new queen. 

Here's everything we know about The Serpent Queen season 2.

Next episode of The Serpent Queen season 2 

The Serpent Queen season 2 premiered Friday, July 12. The series airs Fridays at 8 pm ET/PT on Starz in the US, and it is available at midnight on the Starz app wherever the Starz app is available.

Here's what we know about the next new episode airing August 30:

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 8: "All Saint's Day"
"Catherine's actions lead to chaos and bloodshed, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake; Catherine's desperate measures may prevent total war, or they could unleash forces beyond her control."

The Serpent Queen is a STARZ original. If you have a cable package, you can add it as a premium channel through your cable company or you can subscribe to STARZ directly and watch anywhere. Once you have a STARZ subscription you can watch anywhere, including Roku, Apple TV, Android, Prime Video, XBOX, Samsung, LG or Vizio.

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode guide

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 1: "Grand Tour"
"Catherine aims to unite France under King Charles IX, pushing her agenda of a secular state; the Bourbons present an ambitious trade deal with Protestant England; as tensions rise on the Privy Council, the Guise's plan to reignite religious conflict."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 2: "With peace lying on a knife's edge, Catherine attempts to calm tensions by allowing the Bourbons to pursue the trade deal with England, and she halts the investigation into the Duke of Guise's arson involvement."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 3: "Death of a Prince"
"News of Edith's miracle spreads throughout Europe; the Bourbon's leverage an opportunity for England to exploit France; Catherine must return urgently to France when Anjou's temper causes damage."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 4: "Charles is ready to make his own rules, rejecting his mother's influence; with a rebellion on the rise, a mysterious plan is set, but when loyalty can be so easily swayed…miracles can happen."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 5: "Catherine relinquishes her seat on the Privy Council, but not before securing a place for Anjou; a religious war is on the horizon as Queen Elizabeth lands in the Netherlands; France's saving grace may be a marriage."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 6: "Courting the Valois"
"Queen Elizabeth's arrival sparks manipulation and intrigue within the Valois Court. A dramatic fencing match for the Queen's affections ends in a shocking revelation, leaving the Court in turmoil."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 7: "A House Divided"
"Tensions escalate as Edith and her followers wield newfound power while Catherine grapples with political manipulations and betrayals; as Queen Elizabeth's schemes unravel, Catherine must strategize to secure power and navigate a web of deceit."

The Serpent Queen season 2 premise

Here's the official synopsis of The Serpent Queen season 2 from Starz: 

"In season two, Catherine de Medici is Queen Regent of France now that her son, Charles IX has come of age. Distracted by the personal conflicts of the Valois children, a new mysterious prophet named Edith gains a loyal following who vows to challenge the current religious establishment, sparking tension across the country. Feeling threatened by the rising strain, the divided court turn to their own schemes for selfish benefit. The Guises commit unholy acts while the Bourbons turn to a familiar foreign sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I of England in hopes of personal gain.

"As France falls into political and religious turmoil, Catherine struggles to maintain her power, but The Serpent Queen will do whatever she needs to regain control."

The Serpent Queen season 2 cast

Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) returns to the role of The Serpent Queen, Catherine de Medici. Joining her this season is Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Chevalier) as Queen Elizabeth I. 

Here's a look at the returning cast:

• Danny Kirrane (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Don’t Forget the Driver) as Louis de Bourbon
• Ray Panthaki (Away, Colette) as Charles Guise
• Raza Jaffrey (Homeland, Code Black) as Francoise de Guise
• Enzo Cilenti (Free Fire, The Last Tycoon) as Ruggieri
• Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones, The Good Karma Hospital) as Aabis
• Ruby Bentall (Firebrand, Industry) as Angelica
• Beth Goddard (Manhunt, Des) as Antoinette Guise
• Ludivine Sagnier (Lupin, The Young Pope) as Diane de Poitiers
• Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Adult Material) as Charles V

Joining the cast as series regulars are Angus Imrie (Emma, Fleabag), Emma McDonald (Moonhaven, Low Rider), Stanley Morgan (I Used to Be Famous, The Sandman), and Philippine Velge (Station Eleven, Summer of 85). 

Rosalie Craig (1899, Macbeth), Isobel Jesper Jones (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), Bill Milner (Son of Rambow, The Flatshare), Ashley Thomas (Them, 24: Legacy) and Alexandre Willaume (The Wheel of Time, 1899) join in recurring roles.

The Serpent Queen season 2 trailer

Take a look at the trailer for The Serpent Queen season 2 below:

As the calendar flips to June, we once again recognize Pride Month, which salutes the men, women and non-binary persons who are brave enough to be their true selves. Throughout the month, there are going to be a number of new shows and movies debuting with gay/queer characters and themes that viewers can watch to commemorate the occasion. Plus, streamers like Paramount Plus, Netflix, Peacock and Hulu are offering a special selection of classic LGBTQ+ titles for subscribers to enjoy.

Pride Month finds its origins in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, and in honor of that fateful summer event, the US has officially been celebrating the LGBTQ community in June since 1999, with the UK and other countries following suit. 

We've combed through the programming being offered and have selected a few things we think are worth watching during Pride Month 2024. Without further delay, here's the list we've come up with. 

Am I OK?

Am I OK? is an offbeat comedy starring Dakota Johnson as a woman trying to find herself. Given she already "colors outside the lines" with her unique personality, exploring her sexuality makes for quite the interesting story. If you're a fan of "awkward" self-exploration, the movie is one to look at. 

The movie streams on Max on June 6 in the US.

Becoming Karl Lagerfeld

We can't pretend that in real life legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld didn't have his share of controversies in addition to his famed designs. However, in the new series Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, viewers get an insight look into the Parisian designer, learning what went into him building his grandiose persona, navigating his sultry romance with Jacques de Bascher and competing with longtime rival/friend, Yves Saint Laurent. 

Streaming on June 7 on Hulu in the US and on Disney Plus in the UK. 

Couples Therapy 

Couples Therapy technically debuted on May 31, but it's worth a watch during this year's Pride Month. The docuseries gives a unique look into the lives of several couples, including a few of the same sex, as they dive into the woes that often plague relationships. The lives are explored in a unique way and through a nonfiction lens. 

Available on Paramount Plus with Showtime in the US and UK. 

I Kissed a Boy

It's not every day that a reality TV show comes along and features gay men searching for love. That's exactly what I Kissed a Boy is, a dating show for those interested in dating the same sex. While the series debuted in the UK some time ago, it makes its US debut this June. 

Streaming on June 15 on Hulu in the US. It's already available on the BBC iPlayer in the UK. 

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution 

If you're looking for something educational yet funny, look no further than the Netflix documentary, Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution. The movie highlights the contributions of comedians who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum to the world of stand-up comedy. It features interviews from Wanda Sykes, Rosie O'Donnell, Sandra Bernhard and more.  

Streaming on Netflix on June 18. 

Queer Planet 

In the "first-of-its-kind nature documentary," Queer Planet takes a look at the animal kingdom and its not often spoken about LGBTQ+ community. Scientists provide expertise on what transpires in the wild as it pertains to sexuality, most likely providing information that will shock viewers. 

Streaming on Peacock on June 6 in the US. 

Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home

For fans of the Trixie Motel series, we have some good news as Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home premieres this Pride. The spinoff series follows American drag queen Trixie as she and her partner, David Silver, work to develop their dream home.  As they undergo renovations of a property they've purchased, both drama and laughs ensue. 

Streaming on June 26 on Max in the US. 

Other content for Pride Month 2024

In addition to these new releases, streamers are highlighting special LGBTQ+ content this month worth checking out. Here are few standout picks from some of the major streaming services. 

Disney Plus

• Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts
• Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper
• Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium
• Pride from Above
  

Hulu

• Station 19 season 7
• 9-1-1 season 7
• Grey's Anatomy season 20
• Abbott Elementary season 3
• The Freedom to Exist — A Soul of a Nation Presentation
• Theater Camp (2023)

Max

• The Stroll (2023)

Netflix 

• Baby Reindeer (2024)
• Sex Education season 4
• Never Have I Ever season 4
• Big Mouth season 7

Paramount Plus

• Mean Girls (2024) 
• Noah's Arc
• Special Ops: Lioness

Peacock 

• Queer as Folk
• The Best Man: The Final Chapters
• Couple to Throuple

Prime Video 

• Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
• My Fake Boyfriend (2022)
• The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022)

Tubi

• RUMORS (Also available on YouTube and Prime Video in the UK)

Once again, TV viewers are getting a gift from a network/streaming service as P-Valley season 1 is now available to stream for free, following in the footsteps of a similar move by Starz when BMF season 1 streamed for free a few months ago. 

P-Valley season 1 episodes becoming available to wider masses comes just in time for the kickoff of Pride Month. All eight episodes of the provocative and thrilling drama are available to watch right now on YouTube via the Starz channel. 

For those not as familiar with the series, it follows the adventures of the employees of The Pynk, a strip club down in the Delta of Mississippi. Led by their fearless and bold leader, non-binary Uncle Clifford Sayles (Nico Annan), the dancers at his club know how to entertain the customers, as well as balance their work life with their personal lives and ambitions. With all the dynamics at play among the intriguing characters, there's plenty of drama that unfolds. 

So far in the show's short tenure on the air, the series has left quite the impression on critics and fans alike. As of publication, season 1 was labeled "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% rating. The Washington Post stated, "P-Valley achieves that rarest of balancing acts: It is a thoughtful immersion into an overlooked culture and community... The show excels at both tawdry entertainment and meaningful moments of character study."

Additionally, the series has received a number of nominations from the NAACP, GLAAD and other award platforms

Now if you're already a fan of the show, you may be asking a big question beyond season 1 episodes. With seasons 1 and 2 already down in the books, when will P-Valley season 3 premiere? 

While we don’t have a concrete answer to that question, we do know filming got started for season 3 in May according to The Hollywood Reporter. Production for the upcoming season was delayed due to the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood. So it's possible the new season will arrive in late 2024 or early 2025. 

So now would be a great time to catch up with anything you've missed over the course of the series on the Starz app. While P-Valley season 1 is again streaming now on YouTube, if you want to watch season 2 episodes, you'll need a Starz subscription.  With a Starz subscription, you'll also have the chance to watch shows like BMF season 3, Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 and Power Book II: Ghost season 4, which debuts on June 7. 

The message ahead of Outlander season 7 is: "Dream not only of the past but also of the future."

Fans have been on edge waiting for the newest season of the beloved series. Thankfully, Starz announced that Outlander would return for a seventh season ahead of the season 6 premiere.

Several new faces join the Outlander season 7 cast, along with a few returning actors who are not only familiar to fans, but they're also fan favorite cast members. They join Caitríona Balfe (Clare Fraser) and Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) in the award-winning series inspired by Diana Gabaldon's internationally bestselling series of books.

Starz recently announced that Outlander will come to an end in season 8, and that between season 7 and 8 there will be a total of 26 episodes to bring the story to an end. However, Variety reports that there will also be a new prequel series with a story from author Diana Gabaldon, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, featuring Jamie's origin story as seen through the eyes of his parents. So while the main show is ending there are more stories to tell.

Here's everything we know about Outlander season 7.

Next episode of Outlander season 7

The second half of Outlander season 7 premieres Friday, November 22, on Starz in the US and MGM+ (via Amazon Prime Video) in the UK.

Outlander season 7 will be available exclusively on Starz. You can catch up on the first six seasons of Outlander on Starz in the US and internationally on Lionsgate Plus (formerly known as STARZPLAY).

Outlander season 7 episode guide

Keep track of the Outlander season 7 episodes with our handy guide:

Outlander season 7 episode 1: "A Life Well Lost"
Outlander season 7 episode 1 recap
"Jamie races towards Wilmington to rescue Claire from the gallows, only to discover that the American Revolution has well and truly reached North Carolina."

Outlander season 7 episode 2: "The Happiest Place on Earth"
Outlander season 7 episode 2 recap
"Claire makes a startling discovery about Roger and Brianna's newborn daughter; a familiar face returns to the Ridge with explosive consequences."

Outlander season 7 episode 3: "Death Be Not Proud"
Outlander season 7 episode 3 recap
"Jamie discovers Arch Bug has been keeping a dangerous secret; in the 20th century, Roger and Brianna find a link to Jamie and Claire."

Outlander season 7 episode 4: "A Most Uncomfortable Woman"
Outlander season 7 episode 4 recap
"On the way to Scotland, Jamie is pulled back into the Revolutionary war; William is sent on a covert mission; Roger and Brianna struggle to adapt to life in the 1980s."

Outlander season 7 episode 5: "Singapore"
Outlander season 7 episode 5 recap
"At Ticonderoga, Jamie and Claire prepare for an imminent British assault; Roger compiles information about time travel while Brianna earns the respect of her co-workers."

Outlander season 7 episode 6: "Where the Waters Meet"
Outlander season 7 episode 6 recap
"Jamie and Claire help civilians flee Ticonderoga after the fort falls into British hands; Roger discovers the identity of the mysterious 'Nuckelavee.'"

Outlander season 7 episode 7: "A Practical Guide for Time Travelers"
Outlander season 7 episode 7 recap
"Jamie prepares to face British forces in battle. Roger and Brianna question Buck MacKenzie's intentions in the 20th century; William fights in the First Battle of Saratoga."

Outlander season 7 episode 8: "Turning Points"
"Jamie fights in the pivotal Second Battle of Saratoga; Roger and Brianna search for Jemmy."

Outlander season 7 cast

Caitríona Balfe (Belfast) and Sam Heughan (Suspect) return as Clare and Jamie Fraser. The star-crossed lovers are once again placed in jeopardy as the world changes around them.

Graham McTavish (House of the Dragon) reprises his role as Jamie's uncle, Dougal MacKenzie; Jamie killed Dougal prior to the battle of Culloden. Nell Hudson returns as Laoghaire Fraser, Jamie's ex-wife, while Steven Cree (A Discovery of Witches) once again plays Old Ian Murray, Jamie's brother-in-law. Andrew Whipp (The White Princess) returns as Jamie's father Brian Fraser and Layla Burns (She Will) returns as Joan MacKimmie, Jamie's stepdaughter. Lotte Verbeek (The Book of Vision) returns as Geillis Duncan, Claire's former friend who is also a time traveller from the 1960s.

Additionally, Starz announced other new cast members including Gloria Obianyo (Dune), Rod Hallett (The Last Kingdom), Chris Fulton (The Witcher), Diarmaid Murtagh (Vikings), Kristin Atherton (The Show Must Go Online), Charles Vandervaart (Holly Hobbie), Izzy Meikle-Small (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Joey Phillips (Doctors). Hallett, notably, is playing Benedict Arnold, the Revolutionary War soldier who turned on his country and became a traitor. Atherton is set to play Jenny Murray, taking over the role that Laura Donnelly played during the show's first three seasons.

Thanks to the show's fluid chronology and some characters' ability to move through time, it's possible to bring back beloved characters when it fits into the story.

"One of the many joys of our epic story is the element of time travel, which allows us to revisit some of our favorite characters in different times and places, and we’re thrilled to welcome back so many familiar faces for season seven," said Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, writer and executive producer in the press release. "In addition to our returning cast, we're also excited to welcome several new actors to the Outlander family and cannot wait to introduce them to fans in our extended season."

Outlander season 7 plot

Despite the release of a teaser and the announcement of new cast members, Starz remains mum about the plot for the upcoming season of Outlander. The new season is based on Gabaldon's 2009 novel An Echo in the Bone, which follows Clare and Jamie in the 18th century and Brianna and Roger in the 20th century.

We'll be sure to update this spot as more information becomes available.

Outlander season 7 trailer

After lots of build-up and anticipation, Starz released the official Outlander season 7 part 2 trailer. Take a look:

One of the best rom-coms of all time, Notting Hill officially turns 25 this year—it hit theaters on May 28, 1999, and raked in a whopping $363.8 million at the box office. And you can celebrate the sweet cinematic occasion by tuning into the Richard Curtis-penned, Roger Michell-directed romantic comedy today on TV.

Starring two of the genre's biggest names—Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, Ticket to Paradise), who plays Hollywood film star Anna Scott, and Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary), as British bookseller William Thacker—Notting Hill has been an enduring favorite thanks to the chemistry between its two megawatt leads, its cheeky humor courtesy sidekicks like Will's roommate Spike (Rhys Ifans) and its fairytale version of the titular London neighborhood. 

"A chance encounter over spilled orange juice leads to a kiss that blossoms into a full-blown affair," reads the film's official synopsis. "As the average bloke and glamorous movie star draw closer and closer together, they struggle to reconcile their radically different lifestyles in the name of love." Along with the aforementioned actors, the Notting Hill cast includes English performers like Emma Chambers, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, and Hugh Bonneville 

Though Roberts and Grant have gone on to star in plenty of rom-coms since—the latter will return to the Bridget Jones franchise for the upcoming fourth film, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy—Notting Hill is one of the most beloved and acclaimed movies (it earned several BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations) of their respective resumes. And you can revisit the charming romance between Anna Scott and William Thacker by tuning into Notting Hill today, Sunday, June 2 on Starz Encore (West) at 10:50am Pacific Time. 

If you don't have access to cable, you can celebrate the 25th anniversary of Notting Hill by watching the rom-com on demand with an MGM+ subscription, which costs $6.99 per month. Cable-cutters can also tune in online with a live TV streaming service that carries Starz, such as Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and Philo TV. 

Watch the trailer for Notting Hill above before tuning into the classic '90s romantic comedy on TV today. 

If you're like many BMF fans, you find yourself eagerly waiting to see what happens in the BMF season 3 finale. Across nine episodes this season, Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory (Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory Jr.) and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory (Da'Vinchi) have been dealing with problems coming at them from all sides as they try to maintain control of their illegal drug empire in Detroit while branching out to Atlanta. So how will the eventful season end? We don't have the answer to that, but we do know fans won’t be able to find out this week as BMF is not new tonight, May 3. 

What to Watch reached out to Starz representatives for an official reason for the break in the BMF release rollout, but as of publication have not heard anything back. The break in schedule comes at a very pivotal point in the season as the Flenory brothers look to once again scale their illegal operation and neutralize oncoming threats. Plus, they have a bit of family business to take care of as well. 

On another interesting note, when BMF does eventually go off for the season, just a few weeks later Power Book II: Ghost season 4 premieres on June 7, taking over BMF’s timeslot. The long-awaited return of the hit show, in what is officially its final season, is sure to be a must-watch for Power universe fans this summer. 

So when does the BMF season 3 finale air? The much-anticipated episode titled "Prime Time" airs on Friday, May 10, at 8 pm ET/PT on Starz. Like the episodes before it, the season finale becomes available to stream earlier at midnight on the Starz App. Here is a synopsis of what you can expect to see: 

"Meech and Terry return to Atlanta. The brothers work together to retrieve everything they have worked hard for and plan to expand to St. Louis and other cities with Miami as a hub. Meech and Terry are in for one of their greatest adventures."

Looking for a little more insight into what’s to come? Check out this promo clip for the episode below. 

As you wait for the BMF season 3 finale, remember you can catch up with anything you've missed this season or your favorite moments on the Starz app. You can also catch up with Power Book II: Ghost season 3 ahead of the season 4 premiere. 

Just like that, a new Power series is being added to 50 Cent's hit TV universe and fans already can't wait to see it — for good reason. 

On March 13, 50 Cent took to X (formerly Twitter) to make the special announcement for the new series titled Power: Origins. As shown in the post he states, "You asked, I answered. Young Ghost and Tommy coming your way. Power Origins now in development."

In a statement, Kathryn Busby, Starz programming president said: 

"As we approach the 10-year anniversary of Power it is incredible to witness the enormous connection our fans have with the Power universe. We can't wait to see how Origins will further evolve this dynamic franchise while bringing fresh, gripping and expansive storytelling to our audience." 

Again, the show is in development, so it's too early to know many particulars about Power: Origins. Considering 50 Cent himself teased the series follows a young Ghost and a young Tommy, we're pretty confident that would-be viewers will get to see how the dynamic duo featured in the original Power came to be kingpins. 

However, in terms of a release date and casting, that information has not yet been made public. That means there is no word if Omari Hardwick, who played Ghost in the original series, will be making an appearance in some capacity in the new spinoff (although, we should again point out this series focuses on a young Ghost). 

While viewers wait in anticipation, they have several options to choose from to help with any Power cravings. Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 and Power Book IV: Force season 2 just wrapped and the episodes are available on the Starz App. Plus, Power Book II: Ghost season 4 is set to debut later this year. 

If you're comfortable stepping outside of the realm of Power, then allow us to suggest another 50 Cent show, BMF. BMF season 3 is currently in the midst of airing new episodes. 

Fans react to news of Power: Origins

Fans have already taken to X to express their thoughts on the new series. Some are excited about Power: Origins, while others are wondering about the crossover potential with Raising Kanan. 

Every now and then, streamers and networks give a gift to TV watchers, and Starz is doing just that ahead of the BMF season 3 premiere on March 1. In an effort to garner more viewership and drum up more anticipation for BMF season 3, Starz has made BMF season 1 available on YouTube. 

That’s right, season 1, episodes one through eight, are available to stream on the platform at no cost to viewers. That’s fantastic news for those who have yet to dive into the crime drama. BMF has become a popular staple for Starz, which recently wrapped Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 and eyes to release Power Book II: Ghost season 4 in the future. 

Now if you haven't heard of BMF, here is a synopsis of the series and season 1: 

"BMF is inspired by the true story of two brothers, Demetrius 'Big Meech' Flenory (Demetrius Flenory Jr.) and Terry 'Southwest T' Flenory (Da'Vinchi) from the inner-city streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s, who fostered the most prominent drug trafficking organization in the U.S., known as ‘Black Mafia Family.’

"This series explores the brothers' lives, their family dynamics and their relationship with the community, in an authentic manner that highlights their upbringing in a traditional family unit. Their parents, Charles Flenory (Russell Hornsby) and Lucille Flenory (Michole Briana White), as well as their spiritual advisor, Pastor Swift (Snoop Dogg), push the brothers to pursue formal educations. The tension between Meech and Terry's blood family and the criminal family they formed to eradicate themselves from poverty, create inner conflict as the brothers pursue the ever-elusive American Dream."

With all that being said, we should warn you that BMF season 2 is not available on the Starz YouTube channel. So if you binge through season 1, you'll need to get a subscription to Starz, which will come in handy to watch BMF season 3 as well. 

In the US, Starz is a premium cable channel. If you cut the cord to traditional cable/satellite TV, Starz is available as an add-on service on live TV streaming platforms like Fubo and Hulu with Live TV. You can also purchase a subscription to the standalone Starz App, which is currently running a special that allows new subscribers to get a subscription for as little as $3/month for the next three months.

In the UK, episodes of the series stream on Lionsgate Plus. 

BMF season 3 is officially underway. The hit series is inspired by the real-life rise to power of brothers Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory (Demetrius 'Lil Meech' Flenory) and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory (Da'Vinchi) in the 80s. Through an illicit drug business, they were able to build a powerful criminal enterprise, which of course was peppered with danger for not only them but also for those caught in their world. 

After last season saw the Flenory family fall victim to various temptations as it pertains to matters of lust and love, and the brothers continue to expand their operation to Atlanta, many fans are waiting to see what happens next. 

With that said, here’s everything we know about BMF season 3.  

The BMF season 3 finale

We've finally arrived at the BMF season 3 finale. 

The season finale episode titled "Prime Time" airs on Friday, May 10, at 8 pm ET/PT on Starz. The episode airs a little earlier at midnight on the Starz app. Here is a synopsis of what's to come: 

"Meech and Terry return to Atlanta. The brothers work together to retrieve everything they have worked hard for and plan to expand to St. Louis and other cities with Miami as a hub. Meech and Terry are in for one of their greatest adventures." 

BMF is a Starz Original program. New episodes first air live on the Starz channel. If you’re someone that has gotten rid of cable/satellite television, Starz is available as an add-on service on live TV streaming platforms like Fubo TVand Hulu with Live TV. Episodes of BMF also become available to watch on demand via the standalone Starz App. 

UK would-be viewers can watch episodes by utilizing a subscription to Lionsgate Plus. 

BMF season 3 plot

Here is an official brief synopsis of what fans can look forward to in season 3:
"Inspired by true legends, BMF continues the story of brothers Demetrius 'Big Meech' Flenory and Terry 'Southwest T' Flenory, who rose through the illegal drug trade from the depths of poverty in Detroit to the heights of fame and fortune across America. In season three, Meech moves to Atlanta to expand their empire, facing rival crews and crossing paths with burgeoning hip-hop legends, while Terry holds down the fort in Detroit, facing formidable rivals, old and new."

Additionally, in an interview with Variety, series showrunner Heather Zuhlke stated of season 3:

"What you’re going to see is the fallout and somatically all of our characters are in a season of reinvention across the board – Charles, Lucille, Meech, Terry, Bryant and Jin. There’s consequences to all these things. So you’re going to see all of that dramatized moving forward." 

BMF season 3 cast

Let’s start with a bit of casting news. Given Goldie died before the final moments of season 2, Mo’Nique is not returning for season 3 to reprise the role. However, while the Precious actress may be gone, some big names are guest-starring in the new episodes. The lineup includes Dominique "Lil Baby” Jones as Payne, NE-YO (Stomp the Yard) as Rodney 'Greeny’ Green, 2 Chainz (The Enforcer) as Stacks, Saweetie (Grown-ish) as Keeya and Cynthia Bailey (The Real Housewives of Atlanta) as Gloria.

Furthermore, the series regulars remain unchanged in season 3, and they are: 

• Demetrius 'Lil Meech' Flenory (Euphoria) as Big Meech
• Da'Vinchi (All American) as Southwest T
• Russell Hornsby (Fences) as Charles
• Michole Briana White (Dead to Me) as Lucille
• Laila Pruitt (Secret Headquarters) as Nicole
• Steve Harris (The Practice) as Detective Bryant
• Kelly Hu (The Orville) as Detective Jin
• La La Anthony (The Chi) as Markisha

By the way, check out this fun video featuring the main cast members playing a game. 

BMF season 3 trailer

Here's the trailer for what looks to be an explosive new season. 

Mary & George is a historical drama with Julianne Moore as its lead and is based on the true story of a scheming mother and son who clawed their way from humble beginnings to the heart of the British monarchy in the 17th century. 

Inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s non-fiction book The King’s Assassin: The Plot to Murder King James I, the series shows how Mary Villiers, played by Moore, groomed her son to seduce King James I and as a result, they became one of the richest, most titled and important mother and son partnerships England had ever seen. 

"Mary Villiers was a woman who through her own actions rose to become a powerful and influential figure in Jacobean London," says Moore. "It's a daunting but exhilarating challenge to bring her to life on screen."

Here's everything you need to know about Mary & George.

Mary & George release date

Mary & George premieres Friday, April 5, on Starz in the US. It is available to stream immediately on the Starz app, but is also going to air on live TV on the Starz cable channel at 9 pm ET/PT on April 5. New episodes of the eight-part series will premiere weekly.

The show has already premiered in the UK, airing on Sky Atlantic.

How to watch Mary & George: stream the historical drama series online

Is there a trailer for Mary & George?

Yes, Sky and Starz have released an official trailer for Mary & George. Plus, an earlier teaser trailer shows all the scheming going on in and around the court of King James I. It looks deliciously wicked. Do take a look bith below...

Mary & George plot 

Mary Villiers was the penniless second wife of George Villiers, who on his death became the Countess of Buckingham. She very quickly realized her beautiful second son George had the ability to become an influential political figure. She scraped together the money to send him to the French court and then to the English court, where he became the favorite of King James I. 

As he rose through the ranks, so too did Mary and her family, and she then engineered his marriage to Katherine, Baroness de Ros, who was said to be the richest woman in England. Mary was disliked but used her incredible intellect to get where she wanted to be, despite being a woman in a man’s world. 

It begins with Mary finding herself in dire financial straits and seeking a secure future for her family, so she hatches a scheme for her handsome son George to become the King's new favorite.

Although King James I (Tony Curran) was married to Queen Anne of Denmark (Trine Dyrholm), his intimate relationships with his closest male advisors were rumored to be sexual. Sensing an opportunity for George to capitalize on his good looks, Mary conspires to ensure the King catches sight of her son. Sure enough, King James is soon smitten with the young man.

As George is elevated into a powerful position as a royal favorite, Mary and the rest of the family enjoy the benefits of his proximity to the throne. But this soon creates tension between mother and son.

Mary & George cast — Julianne Moore on playing Mary Villiers

In Mary & George, Julianne Moore takes on the role of greedy, ambitious Mary Villiers. "Mary was incredibly ambitious on behalf of her children," says Julianne. "In educating her sons, she learned that George was utterly charming. He wasn't great at academics, but she sees his great beauty, and how attractive he is to other people.

"Mary feels this is something she and George are creating together. But as George gets older and gains more influence, he starts to chafe under her direction. It ends up becoming a power struggle between the two of them."

Moore won an Oscar for her role in Still Alice, about a professor who has early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. She's also starred in Hannibal, A Single Man, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and The Woman in the Window.

Nicholas Galitzine on playing George

British star Nicholas Galitzine plays Mary's son George, who she wants to seduce King James I. 

"The genesis of it is transactional for George," says Galitzine. "I don't think he develops feelings until a few months, perhaps years, into the relationship, but there ends up being this sincere love between them."

Galitzine has previously starred in Prime Video's Red White & Royal Blue and Cinderella, plus High Strung, Purple Hearts and Handsome Devil.

Who else is starring in Mary & George? 

Further casting for Mary & George, includes Tony Curran (Mayflies) as King James I.

Tony Curran says: "The sexuality and sensuality in the show isn’t crass in any way – it’s there because it’s a part of these people’s lives. It was certainly interesting for me. I’d ask the producers, “What am I wearing today?” and they’d reply, “Your birthday suit, pal!”’

Nicola Walker (The Split, Unforgotten, Marriage) is playing Lady Hatton, Niamh Algar (The Wonder, Malpractice) is Sandie, Trine Dyrholm (The Legacy) plays Queen Anne and Sean Gilder (Sherwood, Slow Horses) as Sir Thomas Compton

Also look out for Adrian Rawlins (Chernobyl) as Sir Edward Coke, Mark O’Halloran (The Virtues) as Sir Francis Bacon, Laurie Davidson (Masters of the Air, Guilty Party) as Somerset, Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) as Prince Charles, Jacob McCarthy (SAS: Rogue Heroes) as Kit Villiers, Tom Victor (Consent) as John Villiers, Alice Grant as Susan Villiers, Amelia Gething as Frances Coke, Mirren Mack (No Escape, The Nest) as Katherine Manners, Rina Mahoney (Happy Valley, Cobra) as Laura Ashcattle, and Simon Russell Beale as Sir George Villiers. 

Mary & George episode guide

Mary & George episode 1
Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, plots to transform the fortunes of her family forever, but she must first convince her troublesome son George to rise to the occasion.

Mary & George episode 2
Mary wants to boot out King James' favourite, Sir Somerset, and she asks for an audience with Queen Anne in order for her son George to get the chance to attract the king.

Mary & George episode 3
Somerset puts obstacles in George's way, whereupon Mary decides to intervene. However, her intervention ends in a debacle: Mary and George become the laughingstock of the court.

Mary & George episode 4
King James travels to Scotland, George and his younger brother Kit are allowed to accompany him.

Mary & George episode 5
England is in trouble because Sir Walter Raleigh has attacked Spanish troops in South America. As a diplomatic newcomer at the English court, George finds himself caught between the fronts.

Mary & George episode 6
While the people become dissatisfied with the king and make demands for war with Spain, James' lack of money for the queen's funeral leaves her lying dead in the palace for weeks.

Mary & George episode 7
George travels to Madrid with Prince Charles to ask for the infanta's hand in marriage. Meanwhile, in London, Mary succeeds in becoming a close confidante of the now seriously ill king.

Behind the scenes and more on Mary & George

Mary & George is a Sky Original and Starz drama produced by Hera Pictures. Oliver Hermanus (Living, Moffie) helms the series as lead director alongside second and third block directors Alex Winckler (Somewhere Boy, This Way Up) and Florian Cossen (Deutschland 86, The Empress). 

The seven-part series is written by acclaimed playwright DC Moore (Killing Eve, Temple), inspired by the non-fiction book “The King’s Assassin” by Benjamin Woolley. 

Liza Marshall is the executive producer for Hera Pictures alongside DC Moore and Oliver Hermanus. Sam Hoyle serves as Executive Producer for Sky Studios. 

Before there was Claire and Jamie, there were Claire and Jamie's parents. Outlander: Blood of My Blood is a prequel series that will explore the love stories between these two couples whose children end up in a love story for the ages.

"We're thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples. The origins of their relationships explore universal themes that transcend time periods and we’re so excited for fans to discover and fall in love with these characters and their love stories the way they have with Claire and Jamie," said Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, executive producer and writer on Outlander and the new prequel series, in a press release from Starz.

The 10 episode prequel series is filming in Scotland, with production having begun in February 2024.

The prequel series gets underway as the final eight episodes of Outlander season 7 debut later this year while production is about to begin on season 8 of the epic series, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer.

Here's everything we know about Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood release date

Outlander: Blood of My Blood will premiere Friday, August 8, on STARZ.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood will be available exclusively on Starz. While you await the premiere, you can catch up on the first seven seasons of Outlander on Starz in the US and internationally on Lionsgate Plus (formerly known as STARZPLAY). You can also watch multiple of seasons of Outlander on Netflix.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood plot

Here's the synopsis of Outlander: Blood of My Blood from Starz:

"Outlander: Blood of My Blood will explore the lives and relationship of Jamie's parents, Ellen MacKenzie (Slater) and Brian Fraser (Roy). STARZ confirmed today that the series will also explore the origin story of Claire's parents, Julia Moriston (Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Irvine). The series will center on these two parallel love stories set in two different time periods, with Jamie's parents in the early 18th century Scottish Highlands and Claire's parents in WWI England."

Outlander: Blood of My Blood cast

The primary lead roles for Outlander: Blood of My Blood have been cast.

Claire's parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, will be played by Hermione Corfield (The Road Dance, We Hunt Together), and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again).

Jamie's parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, will be played by Harriet Slater (Pennyworth, Belgravia: The Next Chapter) and Jamie Roy (Condor's Nest, Flowers and Honey).

Other cast members include Sally Messham (A Small Light) as Mrs. Fitz, Terence Rae (Black Dog) as Arch Bug, Sadhbh Malin (Conversations with Friends) as Jocasta Cameron, Alisa Davidson (Halo) as Janet MacKenzie, Annabelle Dowler (The Suspect) as Lizbeth and Harry Eaton (Eastenders) as Private Charlton.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood trailer

Check out the trailer and teaser of Outlander: Blood of My Blood below.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 explores the early years of Kanan Stark, with Mekai Curtis (Arrested Development) once again playing the young version of the character made famous by Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson. With the Power franchise on a roll (Power Book IV recently wrapped its second season), season 3 of the Power prequel was another explosive instalment.

You can watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan S3 on Starz in the US and Lionsgate Plus in the UK. But don't worry if you're abroad while it's on — you can watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 from anywhere with a VPN.

The close of Raising Kanan season 2 saw Kanan’s eyes fully opened to the nature of his mother’s business, with Raq’s (Patina Miller, The Hunger Games) secrets starting to spill out. With relationships between the two fractured, outside forces conspired to prevent a reconciliation. In season 3, Raq rebuilds after the devastating finale while Kanan, no longer blind to his family's true nature, grapples with who he is and who he wants to be. We know Kanan will eventually become the ruthless gangster seen in Power, but his journey there is unmissable television. 

Back in the cast for season 3 are London Brown (Ballers) as Raq’s older brother Marvin and Malcom Mays (Them) as younger brother Lou Lou. Alongside them, Joey Bada$$ (Creed) and Hailey Kilgore (Respect) are also back as Unique and Jukebox as well as Shanley Caswell (The Conjuring) as Burke. Joining the cast for this season are Grantham Coleman (The Americans) as Ronnie Mathis, Wendell Pierce (The Wire) as Ishmael "Snaps" Henry and Tony Danza (The Good Cop) as mob boss Stefano Marchetti.

Ready for more drama from the Power Universe? Read on for how to watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below.

How to watch Power Book III season 3 in the US

In the US, you can watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3, in full, using the Starz streaming service, which is also where you'll find previous seasons and the rest of the franchise. 

Starz will set you back $8.99 per month or $74.99 annually, whichever you'd prefer.

Starz is also a premium cable channel available through traditional pay-TV subscriptions and live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

How to watch Power Book III season 3 in the UK

Lionsgate Plus (formerly Starzplay) is where to head for Power Book III fans in the UK, and there you'll find all of season 3 as well as all previous iterations of the franchise. 

Lionsgate Plus costs £5.99 per month after a seven-day free trial. 

If you're a Prime Video subscriber, you can watch Raising Kanan by adding the Lionsgate Plus channel for £5.99 monthly (after a free trial) and you can browse all the streaming service's content alongside all your others on Prime Video. You can find the Lionsgate Plus Prime Video channel here.

How to watch Power Book III season 3 in Australia

The new season of Power Book III premiered on Stan on Friday, December 1 with the whole season 3 available to binge now. 

Stan prices start at $10 a month and go up to $21, depending on your package. There's also a free trial to get you started.

How to watch Power Book III everywhere else

If you're going to be overseas when the Power Book III: Raising Kanan finale airs, you might run into some problems trying to access your usual streaming service. Thankfully, these can be solved with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite shows like Power Book III or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 trailer

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 trailer

Power Book III: Raising Kanan S3 schedule

Power Book III: Raising Kanan S3 episode guide

• Episode 1: "Home Sweet Home" - December 1, 2023
• Episode 2: "Flipmode" - December 8, 2023
• Episode 3: "Open for Business" - December 15, 2023
• Episode 4: "In Sheep's Clothing" - December 22, 2023
• Episode 5: "Brothers and Keepers" - December 29, 2023
• Episode 6: "Into the Darkness" - January 5, 2024
• Episode 7: "Where All Are Guilty" - January 12, 2024
• Episode 8: "Reckonings" - January 19, 2024
• Episode 9: "Home to Roost" - January 26, 2024
• Episode 10: "Made You Look" - February 2, 2024

Power Book III: Raising Kanan S3 FAQ

The Couple Next Door is a dark psychological drama about chasing your desires.

Set in England, The Couple Next Door revolves around Evie and Pete, a young couple who make the move into an upscale, suburban neighborhood. There, the pair quickly build a bond with their new neighbors, Danny and Becka. 

Following a tragedy, the two couples develop a swift, strong bond. On one fateful evening, the tension between them fizzes over, tangling them together and forever changing their lives. 

Below, you can find out a little bit more information about The Couple Next Door cast, including who they play, and where else you might have seen them. 

Meet The Couple Next Door cast

Sam Heughan as PC Danny Whitwell

Sam Heughan stars as Danny Whitwell, a motorcycle-loving traffic officer who appears to lead a charmed life with his wife and son. Under the surface, he is wracked with self-doubt; he's scared about losing his partner, whom he adores, and is harboring some big secrets about his financial situation and his past.

Where else have you seen Sam Heughan? Heughan is best known for playing Jamie Fraser in Outlander, but he's also starred in Love Again, Suspect, SAS: Red Notice, Bloodshot, and Doctors.

Eleanor Tomlinson as Evie Greenwood

Eleanor Tomlinson plays Evie Greenwood, a primary school teacher who has led a somewhat sheltered life. She grew up in an evangelical household and used university as an escape from her life in the Yorkshire Dales. There, she fell for Pete, her first (and only) boyfriend, and the pair have been together for 17 years. 

Where else have you seen Eleanor Tomlinson? She's probably best known for starring opposite Adrian Turner in Poldark, but Tomlinson has also appeared in The Outlaws, A Small Light, The War of the Worlds, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Intergalactic, and The Nevers.

Alfred Enoch as Pete Thomas

Alfred Enoch plays Pete Thomas, a journalist, and Evie's partner. He works for a failing local newspaper in Leeds where he's trying to land a career-defining story. He also views himself as more "worldly" as Evie, but when her more adventurous side comes to the fore, he doesn't cope all too well.

Where else have you seen Alfred Enoch? Harry Potter fans might recognize Enoch as Hogwarts student, Dean Thomas, but Enoch has also featured in Foundation, The Critic, This is Christmas, How to Get Away with Murder, Trust Me, and Broadchurch.

Jessica De Gouw as Becka Whitwell

Jessica De Gouw plays Becka Whitwell. She's a fitness instructor with an impressive online following and is married to Danny. The pair have a ten-year-old son together, and she's doing her best to embrace suburban life. However, she isn't wholly satisfied with their situation; although she and Danny have a non-monogamous marriage, she longs for more freedom and excitement. 

Where else have you seen Jessica De Gouw? De Gouw has appeared in Dracula, Arrow, Underground, Vienna Blood, Operation Buffalo, Pennyworth, The Secrets She Keeps, The Portable Door, and C*A*U*G*H*T, among others.

Hugh Dennis as Alan Richardson

Comedian Hugh Dennis plays Alan Richardson, a bookkeeper and nosey neighbor who lives in the neighborhood. He spends his days upstairs in his house, away from his partner, where he watches the neighborhood through his telescope and indulges his obsession with Becka. According to his character bio, Alan's obsession will soon take a darker turn.

Where else have you seen Hugh Dennis? Dennis is probably best known either for being one of the many hilarious stars to appear on Mock the Week or for his roles in Not Going Out, Outnumbered, or Fleabag. He's also appeared in No Time to Die, Murder, They Hope, Housebound, McDonald & Dodds, and Ballot Monkeys.

Kate Robbins as Jean Richardson

Kate Robbins plays Jean, Alan Richardson's wife. Due to her mobility issues, she has had to move downstairs. She has been asking Alan to have a stairlift installed so that she can get back to life with her husband.... unbeknownst that he's developed an obsession with their much younger neighbor. 

Where else have you seen Kate Robbins? Robbins has also appeared in Unforgotten, Silent Witness, The Walk-In, After Life, Mandy, EastEnders, Casualty, and Midsomer Murders, among others.

Who else stars in The Couple Next Door cast? 

In addition to the above stars, The Couple Next Door cast also includes: 

• Joel Morris as PC Gary Hudson
• Ioanna Kimbook as Sophie Foxton
• Deirdre Mullins as Lena
• Janine Duvitski as Gloria
• Katie Clarkson-Hill as Rachel
• Anastasia Hille as Susan
• Andrew Woodall as Brian
• Mark Frost as Robbie Spencer

The Couple Next Door starts airing Monday, November 27, at 9 pm on Channel 4. All six episodes are available to stream on the Channel 4 website and is available to stream on Starz and in the US. 

The Couple Next Door explores suburban claustrophobia and the consequences of chasing your darkest desires, so this will be an emotional rollercoaster of a drama on Channel 4 in the UK and STARZ in the US. 

Set in the UK, it stars Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson and Harry Potter actor Alfred Enoch as Evie and Pete, a couple who move into an upscale neighbourhood. They grow close to their neighbours Danny and Becka (Sam Heughan and Jessica De Gouw) and on one fateful night they become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever. 

Here’s everything you know about the thriller series The Couple Next Door….

The Couple Next Door release date

The Couple Next Door is a six-part series that starts in the UK on Channel 4 on Monday November 27 at 9pm, then the following evening Tuesday November 28 at the same time. The six episodes play out in weekly double bills. Traveling abroad? You can always use a VPN to watch Channel 4 from anywhere in the world. The Couple Next Door is released on STARZ in the US and Canada in early 2024 (we will update with a US air date soon), as well as on Lionsgate+, their international premium streaming service in Latin America, including Brazil.

How to watch The Couple Next Door online or on TV

Is there a trailer for The Couple Next Door? 

Yes a trailer for The Couple Next Door has arrived, and it's intense. Do take a look below...

The Couple Next Door plot and episode guide

The Couple Next Door follows teacher Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and journalist Pete (Alfred Enoch) when they move into a posh neighborhood and find themselves in a world of nosey neighbors and battles for status. They make friends with the couple next door, traffic cop Danny (Sam Heughan) and his yoga teacher wife Becka (Jessica De Gouw) and the two couples become increasingly close. Then one night, the sexual tension bubbles over and the consequences look set to last a lifetime. 

When a tragedy leaves Evie struggling with grief, she and Pete rely on the support of their new pals. But sparks start to fly between Evie and Danny after it emerges that he and Becka have an open relationship…

Click on the links below for The Couple Next Door episode guide...

The Couple Next Door episode 1 recap: a gunshot

The Couple Next Door episode 2 recap: tensions rise

The Couple Next Door episode 3 recap: a steamy spa trip

The Couple Next Door episode 4 recap: secrets are spilled

The Couple Next Door episode 5 recap: Pete hits boiling point

The Couple Next Door ending explained

The Couple Next Door cast — Eleanor Tomlinson on playing Evie

Playing Evie in The Couple Next Door is Eleanor Tomlinson who shot to fame as Demelza in the hit series Poldark. 

"Evie and Pete have been together since university and are settled into life," says Eleanor, 31. "Evie’s brilliant with children and wants to be a mum herself.

"Evie is stuck in a rut and she wants to rebel because she’s not happy. Becka and Danny show her a different way of life but it spirals out of control. The wheels come off, and once that line has been crossed, how far do you go? There are twists and turns and it becomes dangerous.

"The series shows the claustrophobia where people are watching and everyone seems to know your business,’ she adds. ‘But we don't know what’s going on behind closed doors."

* Eleanor Tomlinson also starred in The Outlaws, Jack the Giant Slayer, The White Queen and The Nevers. Earlier this year she played Tess in A Small Light, about the people who risked their lives to hide Anne Frank and her family. 

Alfred Enoch as Pete

Playing Pete in The Couple Next Door is Alfred Enoch, best known as Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter movies. He’s also starred in This Christmas, Foundation, How to Get Away with Murder, The Fall Of Troy, The Critic and A Picture of Dorian Gray. 

Sam Heughan on playing Danny 

Sam Heughan plays cop Danny, neighbour of Evie and Pete, who's in an open relationship with Becka, while struggling with some problems...

"Danny adores Becka but struggles with their open relationship,’ Sam says. ‘He’s also got financial and personal problems he is keeping from her and he gets embedded in nefarious operations. Everything implodes."

* Sam Heughan is known for his role as Jamie Fraser in the hit period drama Outlander. He’s also starred in Island at War, Suspect, To Olivia, Love Again, Doctors and A Very British Scandal. 

Jessica De Gouw as Becka 

Danny's partner Becka in played by Jessica De Gouw, who stars in the series Arrow and has had roles in The Secrets She Keeps. Pennyworth, The Portable Door, Dracula, The Hunting and The Crown. 

Who else is starring in The Couple Next Door? 

Also starring in The Couple Next Door are Hugh Dennis, Kate Robbins and Benidorm star Janine Duvitksi as some of the curtain-twitching localsl Stephanie Street (Holby City), Katie Clarkson-Hill (Hanna), Deirdre Mullins (The Drowning) and Robert Whitelock (Becoming Elizabeth) also star. 

* The Couple Next Door cast: Who's who in the tense thriller

Behind the scenes, locations and more on The Couple Next Door?

Filming of The Couple Next Door took place in 2023 in Leeds and Belgium. Jo McGrath, Walter Iuzzolino, Alison Kee serve as executive producers and the producer is Jen Burnet. 

Produced by Eagle Eye Drama (Suspect, Professor T, Before We Die), The Couple Next Door was commissioned for Channel 4 by Rebecca Holdsworth, Drama Commissioning Editor. Karen Bailey, EVP of Programming is the executive overseeing The Couple Next Door for STARZ.

Caroline Hollick, Head of Drama, Channel 4 said: “This series is an addictive, emotional roller-coaster with something to say about modern sexual mores, with an electrifying cast that will set our screens on fire.”

Jo McGrath, Executive Producer and CCO of Eagle Eye Drama, commented: “At the heart of this series are two couples who get increasingly close to each other, and one fateful night become sexually entangled in a way that will change the rest of their lives forever. You never really know what goes on behind closed doors but this series sets out to make you wonder.”

With Kanan’s (Mekai Curits) eyes more open than ever before as it pertains to Raq’s secrets, Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 should prove to be very explosive for the son and mother. Season 3 of the series comes on the heels of Power Book II: Ghost season 3 and Power Book IV: Force season 2. 

As Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 2 wrapped, Kanan was fully aware of the cutthroat criminal component of his mother’s life and resented her for it. Additionally, he had to figure out what the concept of “right and wrong” means going forward. Meanwhile, deep down, Raq wanted to restore her relationship with her son, but she had to deal with a lot of enemies which was taking up her time. Unfortunately for her, one major enemy still looms. 

So what else should you know about Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3? Keep reading and find out. 

The Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 finale

It's time for the Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 finale. How will things wrap up Raq and Kanan this go-around? 

The episode titled "Made You Look" airs live on Friday, February 9, at 8 pm ET/PT on Starz. The episode becomes available earlier at midnight on the Starz App. Here is a synopsis of what's to come: 

"Desperation sets in as Howard tries to evade the Task Force and Ronnie goes on the attack, leaving Raq and Kanan to make some fateful choices."

Check out this preview of the episode. 

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 plot

 Here is the official synopsis of Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3: 

"Over the last two seasons of Raising Kanan, Kanan Stark has slowly learned the truth about not only his mother, but also himself. It has been a tortuous journey for him and everyone around him. With each new revelation, Kanan has been forced to confront his family’s seemingly never-ending web of secrets and lies. He has spent much of this time in a state of denial, but now, Kanan’s blinders are finally off, and he doesn’t like what he sees. 

"In season three, Kanan finds himself grappling with the very notions of right and wrong. Good and evil. Fidelity and disloyalty. And he’s not alone. Every member of the Thomas family must confront an existential crisis that challenges their very identity. Whether it’s Marvin, who’s still trying to redeem himself, or Raq, who’s finally coming clean, or Lou, who’s wrestling with his own evil, or Jukebox, who’s simply trying to break free from her family’s pathology, they are all attempting to redefine and reinvent themselves. They won’t all be able to complete this intensely personal quest, but for those who do, the destination may reveal the most terrifying secret of all. There is no right and wrong or good and evil. There are no absolutes. In the end, there’s just you."

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 cast

Again starring as the titular character Kanan is Mekai Curits. To date, Curtis is best known for his role in Power Book III: Raising Kanan, although he’s also appeared in Girl Meets World and Arrested Development. Portraying Kanan’s mom, Raquel "Raq" Thomas, is Patina Miller. The actress is a familiar face in Hollywood having starred in projects like Madam Secretary, The Many Saints of Newark, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. 

Helping to round out the cast are: 

• Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?) as Stefano Marchetti
• Wendell Pierce (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) as Ishmael "Snaps" Henry
• Erika Woods (FBI) as Stephanie "Pop" Henry
• Omar Epps (House) as Detective Malcolm Howard
• London Brown (Ballers) as Marvin Thomas
• Malcolm Mays (Snowfall) as Lou-Lou Thomas
• Hailey Kilgore (Respect) as Jukebox
• Joey Bada$$ (Grown-ish) as Unique
• Shanley Caswell (NCIS: New Orleans) as Detective Burke
• Antonio Ortiz (High Fidelity) as Famous

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 trailer

Judging by the trailer, it’s going to be a very interesting season for the mother/son duo, Raq and Kanan. Take a look at the clip below. 

How to watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 3 

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a Starz original series. Those in the US hoping to catch new episodes as they become available can watch them live on the Starz channel. If you’ve gotten rid of cable/satellite television, Starz is available as an add-on service on live TV streaming platforms like Fubo TVand Hulu with Live TV. You can also watch new episodes on demand via the standalone Starz App. 

The new episodes become available to stream on MGM Plus in the UK. 

Once considered to be Ghost's (Omari Hardwick) right-hand man, Tommy (Joseph Sikora) has managed to break out on his own and become a boss in Chicago in Power Book IV: Force. Considering how season 1 saw the death of fan-favorite Liliana (Audrey Esparza) and alliances shift in a major way, there's a lot for viewers to look forward to in Power Book IV: Force season 2. Especially, with Tommy ready to level up and reassert his power in the city. 

So as the new episodes kick off, let's take a look at the Power Book IV: Force season 2 cast.  

Joseph Sikora as Tommy Egan 

Tommy is back in Chicago and has a renewed sense of determination in the wake of his loyal associate Liliana being murdered. Plus, there's now somewhat of a void in the Chicago underworld due to shifting alliances. So will he have what it takes to solidify his place in the drug game? That's a question that has yet to be answered, and given the enemies that put a bullseye on his back, it may prove harder for Tommy to achieve. 

Joseph Sikora has portrayed the character Tommy since his days on the Power. He's also appeared in Ozark, Fear and other projects.  

Lucien Cambric as Darnell 'D-Mac' McDowel 

Darnell is from the Southside of Chicago. He's incredibly loyal and yet a bit childish, wanting someone to take care of him. However, going forward, he looks to Tommy for guidance as he hits a crossroads in life that can have major consequences on his future. 

Power Book IV: Force is Lucien Cambric's most notable role. He's also been spotted in things like The Last Shift and Holiday Heist.  

Anthony Flemming III as JP Gibbs

JP is an accomplished jazz musician who owns a blues club with his sick father. Unfortunately, the club has been the target of several gang attacks. On top of that, JP is bothered by his strained relationship with his son. Once JP crosses paths with Tommy, the former's life is radically shaken up. 

Anthony Flemming III stars as JP, and he’s previously been featured in episodes of Prison Break, The Beast and Chicago Fire. 

Shane Harper as Vic Flynn 

The heir apparent to Chicago's largest crime family has a unique ability of networking with the most formidable drug dealers in the city and rubbing elbows with the wealthiest socialites. Although Vic's father imagined handing over the family business to his son, Tommy's rising power has made the patriarch take notice, leaving Vic to feel a bit threatened. Vic hopes to recapture his father's attention in the new episodes. 

Outside of Power Book IV: Force, Shane Harper's most notable work is in Hightown and A Teacher.  

Miriam A. Hyman as US Attorney Stacy Marks 

US Attorney Marks is from Chicago and managed to rise up the ranks in her career without the favors of nepotism and privilege. The ambitious attorney is eager to make an even bigger name for herself in her career and looks to the city's underworld to do that. 

Miriam A. Hyman is a familiar face to fans of The Chi, as she's starred as Dre in the series.  

Isaac Keys as Diamond Sampson 

Diamond Sampson is both a gentle giant and a brilliant tactician, two traits that served him well as head of his drug-running crew before he was locked away. After 15 years in prison, he's out and on a quest to reclaim his leadership role in the gang that's currently being held by his younger brother. As Diamond's complicated family ties continue to get even more complex, he at least has his "friend" Tommy. 

Isaac Keys has previously appeared in episodes of Get Shorty, The Oath, The Rookie and more.  

Kris D. Lofton as Jenard Sampson 

While his brother Diamond was on his way to prison, Jenard was weighing his options about whether or not to attend Brown University. Ultimately, Jenard chose to take over his brother's crew, leading with his academic mindset and his ruthless hand. 

Kris D. Lofton has starred in projects like Snowfall and Ballers.  

Manuel Eduardo Ramirez as Miguel Garcia 

Despite being a stone-cold killer, Miguel's still too squeamish to inject himself with insulin as a diabetic. His fondness for making money has helped him become the top connect/distributor among the Latino underworld community. 

Manuel Eduardo Ramirez isn't new to the world of crime dramas, having appeared in Snowfall and Queen of the South. 

Lili Simmons as Claudia Fylnn 

Claudia is the only daughter of the largest Chicago kingpin, and she is both book-smart and street-smart. As one of the few women in this underworld, she is determined to prove she can be on top in the male-dominated arena while saving her family. 

Lili Simmons has previously been spotted in episodes of True Detective, Banshee and Ray Donovan.  

Adrienne Walker as Shanti 'Showstopper' Page

Shanti is a former prize fighter who now runs her own gym, and also moves drugs. She is a faithful lieutenant and friend of Jenard, having grown up with him. Will she continue to be loyal and feed her friend's ego? 

Adrienne Walker has had roles on other shows like FBI and Law & Order: Organized Crime.  

Carmela Zumbado as Mireya Garcia 

Mireya is the younger sister of the most dangerous Mexican drug dealer in Chicago. Unlike some other family members with drug ties, Carmela wants nothing to do with the family business and opts to stay focused on her nursing career. However, will she remain on the straight and narrow? 

Carmela Zumbado has been featured in TV series such as Chicago P.D. and The Rookie.  

Tommy Flanagan as Walter Flynn

Walter Flynn is the leader of the Irish crime family in Chicago. He's more of a traditionalist in terms of his underworld code of honor, but he is adamant about keeping his family relevant. 

Tommy Flanagan is perhaps most known for his role in Sons of Anarchy. 

New episodes of Power Book IV: Force season 2 air on Starz and stream on the Starz App. 

This article contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 8, "Turning Points".

The first Battle of Saratoga left James Fraser unconscious on the battlefield. This week's new episode of Outlander season 7 — the last one we're getting until the series returns from it's mid-season break at a later date — picks up right where we left Jamie... and that's only the very beginning of what the cast has to face in "Turning Points". 

So, what happened in the latest episode of Outlander? Let's recap.

Recovering from battle

In Outlander season 7 episode 7, Claire told Jamie she would come find him if he didn’t return from battle, and that is exactly what happened. Fending off a mother and child who are robbing the dead on the battlefield, Claire finds a barely conscious Jamie. 

He is alive but Claire discovers he has a nasty cut on his hand. As Jamie awakens, his wife lets out her fury on him: she’s been looking for him all night, terrified of what she might find, and she is beside herself to observe that he was in the midst of the battle rather than in the back as riflemen are supposed to be. 

Blaming his “stupid hero complex,” Claire admits she is mad at him because she was scared, and reminds him that they should be in Scotland, and no longer fighting this war. 

After the opening credits, we find Claire and Jamie back at camp as she is patching him up. Reassuring him that Ian was unarmed in the battle, she tends to Jamie’s hand while explaining the British claim to have won the battle when in fact they faced many losses. Jamie expresses his concerns about William but Claire points out that his son being at Ticonderoga doesn’t mean he now is at Saratoga. 

Whilst Jamie rests, Claire goes off to care for the other injured soldiers. Denzell Hunter eventually comes to see her, the weight of the war casualties burdening him. He has never lost so many patients so quickly, and he questions whether he can handle it, not only as a doctor but also as a Quaker. 

Asking Claire if all this death and suffering is even worth it, she assures him she believes it will be. It helps, of course, that she knows the future and the outcome of this war.

When Claire goes back to tend to Jamie, she gives him the last few drops of laudanum she has to help with the pain and inquires about a visitor she saw coming out of their tent earlier. 

Jamie explains it was Colonel Johnson and that he came to say that Jamie’s actions during the battle allowed his company to breach the British line and ensured their survival. Soon after, Jamie falls asleep mid-sentence as he tells Claire about how good men are worth losing a finger or two, and she sutures his hand before lying down by his side.

Preparing for another conflict

Two weeks later, Jamie’s hand is healing quite nicely, but that doesn’t necessarily make Claire happy as she knows he'll rejoin the fight. Telling Ian she expects another battle — one that will be decisive in drawing the French into the war — Claire changes the subject when she sees Rollo gulping down some goose grease she had set aside for Denzell’s patients. Ian volunteers to go get more grease and she asks him to bring it to Rachel Hunter.

Feelings have been growing between Rachel and Ian. When he brings her the goose grease, their hands touch and the attraction between them is palpable. Ian even dares to kiss her, but if she seems to return the kiss at first, she then slaps him for it. 

He apologizes, but the desire is strong. He argues she loves him and Rachel is defiant, but it is clear they are both fighting their feelings. Ian is worried, because of the threat of Arch Bug, that loving him would mean death for Rachel, and she has concerns that being with him is incompatible with being a Quaker. When she discusses the subject with her brother later, Denzell warns her that she would definitely be rejected by their community if she married someone like Ian.

Meanwhile, a soldier comes to trade supplies with Claire. They have a nice chat and he gives her laudanum before Jamie joins them and Claire inquires about the gentleman’s name. It turns out he is none other than Major General Benedict Arnold and Claire is stunned. 

Soon after, she tells Jamie that Arnold plays a key role in the war: he will eventually turn toward the British, betraying the Continental Army and be remembered as a traitor, but she explains that it will actually help their side. 

We later find General Daniel Morgan reading an update about the conflict and the position of the British army to his men, and Claire and Jamie watch as he details why he hates the British. Taking his shirt off, Morgan shows a completely scarred back, the result of a harsh lashing by the Redcoats, very similar to what Jamie’s own back looks like. 

The Second Battle of Saratoga

The episode continues and takes us to October 7, 1777, the day of the second battle of Saratoga. This time, Jamie is fighting alongside the other riflemen. Spotting General Simon Fraser on the British side, Morgan orders him shot but Jamie is clearly hesitant as Simon Fraser is his cousin. 

Instead of firing at Fraser, he shoots the hat off of a soldier’s head, and when the soldier turns, he is revealed to be William. Jamie is shaken off and while he gathers himself, another rifleman shoots Simon Fraser. Ordered to follow after the British who are falling back, Jamie dodges explosives and climbs barricades as he frets about William.

The battle won for the Americans, we later find Claire tending to an injured Benedict Arnold. He shares with her his frustration with Morgan and other generals who keep leaving him out and diminishing his contribution to the war. He wonders if history will remember him and Claire reassures him, although she leaves out the traitor bit.

Afterward, Jamie tells Claire he nearly shot William and that it shook him up when a British soldier comes to find him: General Fraser is dying and is asking to see him before it’s too late. When they get to Simon’s side, Claire confirms nothing can be done and Jamie goes to talk to his cousin. They reminisce about the last time they saw each other. While Jamie is sorry that his cousin is dying far away from Scotland and his family, Simon says he is okay with being surrounded by him as kin and by his comrades. 

Outside the tent, Claire runs into William and they talk about war being a terrible business, as she can see the young man has been changed by the conflict. After Jamie pays his last respects to Simon and the latter dies, Claire tells him William is here. Jamie then goes to his son and gives him a hat, admitting that he is responsible for shooting his other one-off during the battle. As hard as it is for Jamie to see William, he tells Claire he wanted to try to speak to him once in case it would be his only chance. William watches as Jamie walks away, pondering the actions of this man he knows and yet doesn’t know, and another soldier comes up to him to tell him he has been made captain. 

As the terms of surrender of the British are being negotiated after the battle, Jamie finds out that part of the conditions is that the soldiers who participated in that combat are no longer allowed to fight in this war, which means William will now be safe. However, Jamie is informed of another specific term that changes things for him and Claire: Simon Fraser had requested that, in the event of this death, his body be taken back to Scotland, and a colonel comes to ask Jamie if he will make the journey with his cousin. 

Arrangements are made for Claire and Jamie to go back to Scotland, and it means Ian will be going too. He asks Rachel if she can watch over Rollo while he is away and she agrees because it means he will come back for him. Later, we see Rachel walking with Rollo and she runs into Arch Bug, who recognizes the dog and understands that if she is taking care of him, it must mean Rollo’s owner must love her very much. Given that he has threatened Ian to kill whoever he loves, their encounter doesn’t bode well for Rachel.

Towards the end of the episode, we find Claire, Jamie and Ian aboard a ship traveling to Scotland. The latter misses his dog while Jamie is seasick but before they know it, a bell rings signaling land. They all go on deck and tear up at the sight of a place they have all dearly missed: Scotland. 

Meanwhile, in the 1980s

Just like the previous episode of Outlander spent a lot more time with the Mackenzies than with the Frasers, this episode reverses things and gives us just a little more of the plot in the 1980s. 

After trying to get to Rob Cameron before he went through the stones with Jemmy at Craigh na Dun, Roger comes home to tell Bree he was too late. She’s figured out Rob’s motivations are related to the Spanish gold and tells Roger the letter from Jamie that mentioned it is missing. Roger is beside himself and as Bree asks what they should do, he announces he is going back to chase after Rob. Buck volunteers to go with him, because he wants to help his kin, and Bree gives them gems she has been setting aside in case they would ever need to go back to the 1700s.

We later find Roger, Bree, Mandy and Buck going up to Craigh na Dun. The Mackenzies share a tearful goodbye as Roger promises to get Jemmy back. Mandy and Bree watch as Roger and Buck go through the stones and can only hope for their safe return.

Will Roger run into Claire and Jamie now that everyone is in Scotland? What will happen to Jemmy? We’ll have to wait and see as the first half of Outlander season 7 is now over. In the meantime, you can rewatch past seasons on the Starz app and Lionsgate Plus. 

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 7, "A Practical Guide for Time-Travelers".

It is time for Outlander to return to the battlefield as the historical events depicted on the show are reaching a turning point. The Battle of Saratoga is just around the corner, and the Frasers have to face their fates. Meanwhile, in the 1980s, Brianna and Roger are encountering a new foe.

What happened in the latest episode of Outlander, “A Practical Guide for Time-Travelers”? Let’s recap. 

Meet the Nuckelavee 

In the comfort of Lallybroch, Bree is reading a letter written by Claire explaining how she and Jamie are now at the Continental Army camp by Bemis Heights, NY, not far from Saratoga. Bree barely has time to learn that Claire has seen William again when she is interrupted by Roger bursting into the house, with Buck Mackenzie in tow. 

The latter tells them about how he was minding his own business back in 1778 when he and his family passed by Craigh na Dun and he heard the buzzing from the stone circle. He went to check it out and next thing he knew he was in the 1980s, getting acquainted with cars. As Bree wonders how he ended up at Lallybroch, lurking around their house, Buck explains he saw Roger go into a shop in Inverness and recognized him, but that he didn’t know how to approach him. Since the last time he saw Roger, he hanged him, not knowing how to break the ice is understandable.

Later on, feeding Buck with a stack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Bree and Roger learn a bit more about why he tried to hang Roger in the first place: he thought Roger had his eyes on his wife, Morag. Why else would have he been so nice to her? Roger then explains it was because Morag is one of his direct ancestors, and that he and Buck are related. However, before Buck can fully wrap his mind around the whole time-travel thing, they are interrupted by Rob Cameron who’s decided to show up for dinner, unannounced, and they take Buck out of sight.

Readying for battle

In 1777, William is at the British army camp near Stillwater. Hanging out in a tent with his friend Sandy Hammond and a bunch of higher-ranked soldiers, he listens as generals discuss how they are waiting on reinforcements and that a lot of British soldiers are deserting. 

Despite their situation, the British seem confident they can win the war; before William can hear more, a messenger arrives and unnecessary soldiers are dismissed from the tent. Soon after, Captain Richardson comes to find William with a new mail delivery mission for him, but William is not keen on missing out on the next battle against the Continental Army.

At the rebel camp, Claire and Jamie are also expecting things to heat up. While she is writing to Bree, Jamie comes up to Claire and gives her a book he found. Watching her look at it, he comments that she needs glasses. He then tells her that the riflemen are being mustered for battle in three days, and the Frasers have to start preparing for the worst. Claire and Jamie have been in this situation before, facing the dangers of war, but this time around seems to have them more worried than ever.

On the Redcoat side, William and Hammond are eating when they are joined by General Simon Fraser, and William takes this opportunity to request a change of plans as far as he is concerned. He doesn’t want to go on another dispatching errand, he wants to fight in the upcoming battle, and General Fraser allows him to do so.

A most unwanted guest

At Lallybroch, Rob Cameron hardly cares that he is imposing on Bree and Roger. He shares a wee dram with them before asking Roger to see Reverend Mackenzie’s hymns. Obliging, Roger takes him to his office, the very same room where the letters from Claire and Jamie are stored along with all kinds of other information relating to time travel. Given that Rob has already had a look through the “Practical Guide for Time-Travelers” by accident, one would think Roger would be careful about leaving the man alone in a room where he can learn a lot more about it, yet he isn’t. His mind is on Buck and he just isn’t fully in the moment.

After dinner, Bree and Roger are eager to get rid of Rob and get back to the Buck business, but Rob is just a lonely divorcé in no rush to go home. As he finally makes his way to the front door, however, he offers to take Jemmy to the movies with him and his nephew Bobby the next day, and the Mackenzies agree that it would be nice.

Once Rob is gone, Roger looks for Buck and finds him watching TV with Jemmy and Mandy. The children are already making friends with “Cousin Buck”, saying he isn’t as scary as he seemed when they thought he was the Nuckelavee, and even Roger is coming around to his ancestor’s side. Only Bree is still unsure about Buck’s motivations, wondering how come the stones took him to their time, and having resentment towards him because he tried to kill her husband. However, Roger explains he has forgiven him and that he wants to help Buck go home.

The following day, Bree takes Buck with her to work as she doesn't want him to stay alone at Lallybroch. The two of them talk about how traveling to the future means everyone they love is now dead, and there is a shared sense of loss between them. She then questions him about what went through his mind when he traveled to the stones, looking for a reason why he is in the 1980s, but before they can dig into it, they are interrupted by Rob Cameron (again). 

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Going from bad to worse

After his day at school, Roger comes home to find Buck in their caravan, looking at a toy plane. Buck warns Roger that he thinks Rob Cameron has a “hot eye” for Bree after seeing him touch her arm at work, but Roger dismisses him, arguing Buck thinks every has a “hot eye” for other men’s wives. He decides, however, to also be honest with Buck and reveals that he saw his death date on the Mackenzie family tree. It’s 1778, which means that either Buck never makes it back to his own time and is presumed dead by his family, or that he does make it back, but not for long.

Later on, Roger teases Bree about what Buck said regarding Rob Cameron, and the conversation leads them to bed while Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” plays in the background. The night goes on and Roger wakes up in the middle of it. He decides to go to his office and, sitting at his desk, notices the box of letters from Claire and Jamie has been disturbed (duh!). Before he can look into it any further, a strident scream from Mandy has him rushing out to the caravan. 

He finds Bree consoling their daughter who starts telling them that Jemmy is gone. They understand that something is up with the special connection she and Jemmy share and that something is wrong. Jemmy is supposed to be at a sleepover with Rob Cameron’s nephew, but they quickly gather that not only was there no trip to the movies or sleepover, Rob Cameron has instead taken their son to Craigh na Dun. Roger realizes Rob knew all along that the “Practical Guide for Time-Travelers” was no work of fiction and that he has also read Claire and Jamie’s letters. He and Buck rush to the stones in hope to catch him, but while they hear their familiar buzzing, all that is left of Jemmy is his scarf.

Back in 1777, both Jamie and William are going to battle. While Claire and Jamie share a poignant goodbye, William experiences his first true loss when his friend Hammond is shot in the head right as the battle starts. He hardly has time to realize what happened before he has to charge the Continental army with his men. William slashes at the enemy with his sword and it is clear the horror of war is finally hitting him. After the fight, he orders the dead to be buried properly and as the rest of the army celebrates a win, William cannot help but feel rather deflated. “You’re a different man now,” General Fraser tells him. And speaking of Frasers, the last shot of the episode shows us the fallen on the battlefield, and amongst them, face down and presumably unconscious, is none other than Jamie Fraser.

Why did Rob Cameron kidnap Jemmy? Will Claire find Jamie injured on the battlefield, or worse? Tune in next week on Starz and Lionsgate Plus to find out in the mid-season finale of Outlander season 7. 

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 6, "Where the Waters Meet".

The American Revolution is heating up on Outlander season 7 as the show takes us slowly but surely towards the Battle of Saratoga. But before we get there, Claire and Jamie have to deal with the aftermath of Fort Ticonderoga falling into the hands of the British army, with whom William has been reunited, while in 1980, Brianna and Roger are investigating the ins and outs of time travel.

What adventures await for the character in the latest episode of Outlander, titled “Where the Waters Meet”? Let’s recap.

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Custody of the British army

As this new episode of Outlander opens, we find William arriving at Fort Ticonderoga. He meets with General Simon Fraser and learns that Captain Richardson, who sent him on the letter delivery mission a couple of episodes ago, will arrive soon. He also finds out that the British army is concocting a plan to isolate New England from the colonies. 

Not far from the fort, Claire, Jamie and several others have managed to make their escape safely, but they need to keep moving if they want to put the British soldiers behind them. However, their group is partly made up of people who are not in great shape for traveling and Claire is worried. When soldiers try to draw them out by pretending to be Native Americans shouting, Young Ian and Jamie go take care of them while Claire has to go looking for Mrs. Raven, a woman who is particularly afraid of the natives. She finds the poor lass but without enough time to reassure her and cannot do anything when Mrs. Raven brings a gun to her head and pulls the trigger. Before she can’t even make sense of what just happened, Claire is taken prisoner by the Redcoats.

After getting rid of several British soldiers, Jamie and Ian run into Denzell Hunter who tells them that Claire is missing. Jamie realizes she has been taken back to the fort and sets off with Ian to get his wife back.

From time-travel investigator to school teacher

After learning that his son had been mistreated by his teacher for speaking Gaelic in the last episode, Roger pays a visit to Jemmy’s school and has a word with the headmaster. It turns out the latter is on the same page as Roger when it comes to the importance of preserving Highland culture and he explains that Jemmy’s teacher’s reaction was a symptom of a bigger problem: people insisting that their children speak “good English” to be able to get a good job and get out of the Highlands. Roger thinks it’s a shame and that Highland culture should instead be celebrated, and the headmaster agrees. So much so, in fact, that he offers Roger to teach a class on the topic.

Later on, we find Roger and Brianna at Lallybroch discussing the portal-looking thing she spotted in the dam’s tunnels in the previous episode. Bree does her best to describe the buzzing she heard and what she saw while Roger is taking notes in what he jokingly refers to as the “Hitchhiker’s Guide” for time travelers. They come up with a working theory that a ley line converging with a nearby stone circle is what created this portal. As Roger puts it, their guess is as good as any… And they do not have time to investigate this further because Roger is late for his Gaelic class at school.

Wearing a kilt, Roger teaches a mix of children and their families about “the Gaelic” and the songs that are associated with Highland culture. After class, the headmaster offers him a regular opportunity to champion Gaelic at the school and Roger welcomes it gladly. He then makes the acquaintance of Rob Cameron, one of Bree’s coworkers who was responsible for her hazing. He hands Roger his time-travel notebook which somehow got mixed up with the hymns Roger was passing around during class. Taken aback by the fact that Rob read the notebook, Roger isn’t too impressed with the man yet somehow the latter manages to invite himself over for dinner at Lallybroch. Surely that will make for an interesting scene in the future!

Back to Fort Ticonderoga

Claire does not miss a beat when she is brought back to Fort Ticonderoga and immediately starts caring for the other prisoners there and asking the British soldiers for some food and water. She is even reunited with Walter, the patient she previously tended to when the fort was in the hands of the rebels. But poor Walter is not doing so great and Claire figures out that an embolism, caused by a complication from his amputation, is probably what is making him ill. Claire does her best to help him, but eventually Walter doesn’t make it.

Meanwhile, William has a chat with Captain Richardson and confesses he wasn’t able to complete his mission as he lost his horse and the letters that he was meant to deliver with it.

The captain admits it is unfortunate as the recipients of the letters were actually spies who needed the information enclosed in those messages, but he reassures William that he surely will have the opportunity to make up for it as “war is long.” 

Back in his redcoat, William then runs into Claire, who is hellbent on getting supplies for the other prisoners. He recognizes her from visiting Fraser’s Ridge back when he was a young lad, and promises he will do his best to help. Later on, Claire receives a delivery of herbs, supplies, and even a dram of brandy, all fetched to her thanks to William.

Outside the fort, Jamie and Ian are making a plan to retrieve Claire. While Jamie is ready to storm the place himself under the cover of darkness, Ian offers to go inside the fort for him, pretending to be with the Mohawks who have allied themselves with the British army. He manages to convince his uncle and we later find him within the walls of Fort Ticonderoga, where he is spotted by William. 

At first their exchange is pleasant and William thanks Ian for saving his life and tells him he owes him one. However, William eventually puts two and two together: he recalls Ian telling him they first met at Fraser’s Ridge, that his uncle is James Fraser which means Claire and he are related. Figuring out Ian is here to rescue Claire, William comes in between them but, outside the walls, Jamie is creating a distraction by shooting fire-lit arrows inside the fort. Ian and Claire beg William to let them escape, which he does not only because Ian has saved him, but because Claire has also saved Lord John’s life in the past. He insists, however, that the next time he’ll cross paths with Ian, he may not be as accommodating.

Facing new problems

Several days later, Claire, Jamie and Ian arrive at the camp where the rebel army gathered after fleeing Fort Ticonderoga. There, Ian is reunited with his beloved dog Rollo, and with Rachel Hunter, whom he seems very into but cannot quite articulate it yet. 

While Jamie’s contract with the Continental army is almost over, which means they could set off for Scotland, he meets Colonel Daniel Morgan, who is impressed with Jamie’s skills with a rifle and offers him to join his group of riflemen. Later that day, Jamie tells Claire he accepted and that Scotland will have to wait a bit longer, as he doesn’t feel like he can quit the rebel fight just yet. Claire knows the Battle of Saratoga is coming and that it is a turning point for the Americans, so she understands Jamie’s will to be a part of what’s next.

Although Claire is reassured by the fact that, as a rifleman, Jamie will be further from combat, the two discuss one’s willingness to fight for what they believe as well as their thoughts on potential death. Jamie explains he isn’t as afraid of dying as he once might have been, having lived a fulfilling existence, but rather worried about shortening the life of a young man who would be on the receiving end of his gun. With that scene, Outlander seems to be once more alluding to the fact that Jamie will have to fire at a young soldier and it raises the question of whether that might be William.

However, it isn’t on this worrisome thought that the show left us this week. Instead, we find Roger in the kitchen of Lallybroch, having a fine time dancing around to the beat of Scottish music when he notices someone watching him through the window. This must be the person Jemmy and Mandy have seeing around the grounds before, so Roger rushes outside to catch them. When he does, he is in for a baffling surprise, as the man he grabs is none other than Buck Mackenzie, illegitimate son of Dougal Mackenzie and time traveler Gellis Duncan, and a distant ancestor of Roger’s. 

How the heck did Buck Mackenzie get here? How lost and confused might he be by the 1980s? Tune in next week on Starz and Lionsgate Plus to find out.

No one is spared from trauma on Outlander, and it is the least that can be said about Ian Murray, Jamie Fraser’s nephew and most loyal acolyte. Young Ian has been kidnapped, sexually assaulted, lost a child, and is now being threatened by a new foe.

In the latest Outlander season 7 episodes, “Death Be Not Proud” and “A Most Uncomfortable Woman,” Ian has to grapple with the consequences of his actions while making decisions about his role in the revolution that is shaking America.

Scottish actor John Bell has played the role of Young Ian since season 3 of Outlander and quickly became a fan favorite. He took time to answer some of our questions about the changes his character is going through this season and the part he will play in the upcoming episodes of the Starz/Lionsgate Plus series.

Episode 3 and episode 4 of this new season of Outlander were big for Ian. Let's first talk about what happened with the death of Murdina Bug… 

"I love how you say 'death', let’s call it what it is: murder." 

It is… I mean he was trying to protect Jamie but that backfired. Maybe someone should take his bow away from him? 

"I think so but then he probably would just resort to his tomahawk. Take all weapons out of Young Ian’s hand, he is a liability (laughs)." 

True. So he murdered Murdina, then he offered his life to Arch Bug who refused but threatened to take away someone he loves. So how is Ian coping with that trauma that’s piling up on top of him? 

"First of all, he is awfully dramatic, isn’t he? He is offering his own life and his uncle and auntie are there, just a couple of feet away. I’m like 'Are you going to step in, guys? No? Okay, kill me' (laughs). He is very loyal, bless Ian. I think this is really a huge catalyst for Ian’s story going ahead. The ripples of this murder are going to be felt throughout the whole season and I think you’re going to see a break in Ian’s usual stone-cold 'when things need to be done it gets done' way he presents himself. You’re going to start to see this little worm wiggle its way in and break him down a little bit, which is really fun to play." 

We start seeing that in the scene in the woods in Episode 4, where he is paranoid that Arch is following him around. 

"Yes, for somebody very capable of killing, an elderly man is putting the fear of God into him. People have asked me why I think that is, what’s different about Arch Bug, and I would say that there is nothing scarier than someone who has nothing to lose. So here he is, going against someone who’s directly threatened not just his dog but the people he loves the most, and also has nothing. Arch has no home, no wife, he is completely wild, he’s gone feral (laughs). That’s a tough adversary for Ian. 

"You’ll be feeling the pressure of that, and I joke about Ian being a murderer but he does have a conscience. He is broken by Murdina’s death, someone he respected and loved on the Ridge too. All of those things, that guilt, the anxiety, the paranoia, that’s all going to sort of start to unravel Ian and bit and we’re going to see him fight tooth and nail to keep his resolve and remain a rock."

By now, Ian has still lived in Scotland longer than he has lived in America, but he has gone through so many life experiences in America that it’s a bit unclear whether Scotland is still home for him. Where do you think he belongs? 

"Ian belongs in a nice, quiet little cottage, with someone he loves and his dog by his side, just farming and chilling out. That’s where Ian deserves to live. But this is Outlander (laughs). 

"It’s a big question for Ian, isn’t it? Where is home to him? What is home? Who is home? It’s something he’s struggled with throughout the seasons, about finding not just his identity but where he feels safe and comfortable. Family is so important to Ian but I think home will never be too far away from his uncle. That’s the big thing for him. 

"Lallybroch, as you say he was a boy, 16 years-old when he was kidnapped and taken away to America and decided to stay over there. It’s not how much you’ve lived, it’s how much you’ve done with your life and Ian has done so much in his time in America that the version of himself in Scotland feels like a stranger now. So to be thinking of going home and not knowing what to expect when he gets there, that shakes Ian, more than having to kill somebody."

Speaking of America, why does Ian want to fight in the revolution? 

"Two reasons I think. One, he has fallen in love with America. He is America’s number one fanboy, he has fallen in love not just with his place on the Ridge in North Carolina but he’s also with the indigenous people that have lived there for many, many centuries before the Europeans arrived. So the ideals of America, the adventure of America is something that has struck him to his core and his heart so he believes in that. He is a man that fights for what he believes in. 

"And number two is that I think he will follow his uncle to the end of days, and if his uncle is going into battle, you’ll be knowing that Ian is by his side. And honestly thank God, I think Ian has saved his uncle’s life multiple times now!"

Yes, and Ian turns out to also be instrumental in William’s survival in this episode. So are Ian and William going to become best friends? 

"Ian and William are going to have an interesting relationship. As you can see by their initial meeting there is a power dynamic there because Ian knows so much more about who William is than he does himself. At the end of the day he is family, and Ian loves his family so of course he wants to support him and protect him. But as Ian’s priorities change this season a bit, a certain somebody may be turning up that may change his viewpoint on a lot of the world, and that certain somebody may be getting in between him and William and lead to some tension."

Well, we could see some sparks flying between Ian and Rachel Hunter in this episode… 

"Sparks were flying!" 

And that goes back to Arch’s bug threat. Is Ian afraid now to get close to anyone now? 

"I think he has been afraid for a long time, not just because of Arch Bug but because of what love has meant to him in the past. Love has meant loss, great loss, so I don’t think he is keen to repeat that again. But he wears his heart on his sleeve so I think he can’t help it. We don’t choose who we fall in love with, neither does Ian. When he meets Rachel there’s that instant chemistry and as the season develops those two will only get closer. And as much as he probably wishes he could back out, and run away from it and protect her because of what Arch Bug has said, the heart wants what the heart wants. Love makes him vulnerable but we know Ian, he’s capable of dealing with the business (laughs)! He can handle himself. "

Outlander season 7 is currently airing on Starz in the US and streaming on Lionsgate+ in the UK. 

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Outlander season 7 episode 4, "A Most Uncomfortable Woman".

Time jump alert! While the part of Outlander season 7 that is focused on the Frasers is still set in the 1770s, the lives of Brianna, Roger, and their children have been fast-forwarded. Their adventures are now taking place in 1980 Scotland which begs the question: how will the show approach further time travel on their side of History? 

But until that comes back into play (because it will, there is no way Bree and Roger will stay in the future forever, right?), Outlander has more stories to tell about Claire, Jamie, and the rest of their family. Let us find out what happened to them in “A Most Uncomfortable Woman”. 

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Welcome to 1980

This episode of Outlander opens with a wee time jump. The last time we saw them, Bree and Roger were checking out Lallybroch and finding out it was for sale. Now, they’ve bought it, and a few years have passed. It’s 1980, and the Mackenzies are living in a caravan while the family domain is being renovated. 

Jemmy and Mandy are now a few years older and spend most of their time fighting with one another, as siblings do. However, it turns out that Bree and Roger have burnt through their savings to get Lallybroch to where it is now, and further construction will require an astronomical amount of money the couple simply doesn’t have. So, as their contractor hands them a new estimate, they decide they will make do with what’s been updated so far. After all, a functioning 1980s kitchen and running water is much more than what they had in the 18th century. 

One would think that going after the Jacobite gold that Jamie has hidden in North Carolina could certainly be the solution to Bree and Roger’s financial struggle, but things are not that simple. Brianna doesn’t want to ask Jemmy about the location of the treasure, not wanting to stir the pot of memories the wee lad has of the past. In fact, she and her husband already have their hands full with Jeremiah, as he keeps making up stories that puzzle them. 

First, he claims that pixies are responsible for his mother’s broken radio. Then he argues that a nuckelavee, a horse-like demon, has threatened to hurt Mandy if he didn’t give it food. Brianna and Roger wonder where he is getting all those stories from and why since it’s not like him to lie. While Bree would like to put an end to it, Roger argues that it makes sense that the boy believes in magical creatures. He’s traveled through time after all.

Woman of the family

With the Jacobite gold remaining out of reach, someone has to be the money maker in this family, so Bree goes for a job interview at a nearby dam. She is there to apply for a plant inspector position, but Mr. Campbell, the man who interviews her, thinks she is there for a secretarial job. What else could a woman do, right? Reminding him that no aspect of being a plant inspector requires a penis, she proceeds to lay down all the things she’s noticed are wrong with the dam and ends up getting the job. You go girl.

When she returns home to share the good news with Roger, Bree is disappointed to see that he isn’t thrilled. It isn’t that Roger isn’t happy for her, but on one hand he didn’t think they would give the job to a woman, and on the other he feels bad that he is not the bread maker of the family. He explains he promised Jamie and Claire he would take care of her and the kids and he feels like he is failing. Plus, while he once wanted to become a minister, he now doesn’t know where to stand with God. 

Roger used to think the Almighty was in control, that everything was planned, but then he and Bree traveled to the past and actually changed history (by saving Claire and Jamie from the fire at the Ridge, more on that later). Now not only is Roger unsure what to believe, he also feels like he can’t take care of his family properly.

No choice but to fight

Back in the 1700s, Claire, Jamie and Ian are on their way to Wilmington and taking a break in the woods when Ian hears a noise and starts freaking out about Arch Bug being there to act upon his revenge. Ever since the old man threatened to kill someone Ian loves, the lad has been terrified of it actually happening. Jamie reassures him that Bug is nowhere near and reminds Ian that making him paranoid is exactly what the old man wants.

When they arrive in Wilmington to prepare to set sail for Scotland, the Frasers’ plans are derailed. Indeed, Jamie runs into Cornelius Harnett, a member of the Sons of Liberty which Jamie joined in season 6. Upon learning that Jamie is not joining the revolution but instead getting ready for a trip to Scotland, Harnett decides he cannot let him go. He means to conscript Jamie or have someone else sent to fight in his stead, leaving Jamie with no choice but to join the rebels. 

Back at the inn where they are staying, Jamie tells Claire he wants to enlist, mainly because he wants to protect his family, but also because he cannot ask anyone to fight in his place. Claire understands and says she will go with him as the war efforts will require doctors. And of course, Young Ian decides to join as well because Scotland can wait. He has come to love America and its people and wants to fight for it. He hopes to offer his services to the revolutionary cause by trying to convince the few Native American tribes who haven’t picked a side to join them. 

 Back from the dead 

Going about her business in Wilmington, Claire later runs into Tom Christie (him again!). He is so stunned to see Claire that he kisses her, and she can’t believe he is alive either. Tom heard about the fire at the Ridge and thought she had died in it, and Claire was convinced he had been executed for Malva’s murder. 

They go for a cuppa and Tom explains how his literacy ended up saving his life. After regaining his freedom, he decided against returning to the Ridge and when he heard about the fire, he placed an obituary in the paper about it. That is the obituary that Bree found in the papers all these years later, the one that led her to travel to the past in season 3, which means that while Roger is convinced they managed to change History, it was in fact meant to be. Perhaps God is in control after all?  

After meeting with Tom Christie and hearing him once again express how in love with her he is, Claire tells Jamie about the encounter. While he teases her about the kiss, Jamie has sympathy for poor Tom who he believes would not hesitate to risk his life for Claire again. Their conversation eventually leads to some intimacy, which is no doubt what the couple needs as their next stop is Fort Ticonderoga, where their participation in the revolution will truly begin. 

A mission goes awry

While the Frasers and the Mackenzies are busy with their own problems, a new player comes into the fold: William Ransom (Jamie’s secret illegitimate son). After showing his true colors to his superiors by going against some soldiers who burnt a prostitute alive, William is given a mission. The young soldier has been waiting to be assigned a posting and fight the rebels, but so far he has been on the sidelines. Now an officer is giving him an opportunity: there are three letters he needs to deliver and then he can go up to New York and join the fight.

William sets off on his post delivery mission, going through the Great Dismal, a large swamp between North Carolina and Virginia. It’s a particularly inhospitable area and when a snake spooks his horse, William suffers a bad fall and an injury to his arm that puts him in a very difficult position. With his horse gone, William has no other choice but to continue on foot, yet his wound worsens. He eventually crosses paths with none other than Young Ian, who does not hesitate to help him once he realizes that the young man is his secret cousin.

Meet the Hunters

After doing his best to tend to William’s wound (and telling him about Mohawk death songs), Ian rushes the young man to a doctor. They come across the house of Denzell and Rachel Hunters, Quaker siblings who can (miraculously) help as Denzell is a physician. When he first looks at William’s arm his prognosis is not good: amputation is needed. William is not keen on it but when Ian reminds him he has a full life to live, the soldier accepts. But when Denzell presses his saw against the arm, pus comes leaking out and the physician rejoices: turns out an abscess just needs to be cleaned up and William can keep his arm.

While William rests, Ian chats with Rachel Hunter and the two quickly seem to have a connection. Unfortunately, Ian announces he has to leave and while Rachel appears disappointed, she recovers by taking care of William instead. As the lad’s injury is getting better, we later see Rachel give him a shave and there again sparks seem to be flying between the two young people. She tells William that she and her brother will have to move soon because Denzell has spoken in favor of independence and they are no longer welcome in their community. It so happens that they are going in the same direction where William needs to go to deliver his messages, so he offers to go with them.

Will William and the Hunters see Ian again soon? What will happen at Ticonderoga for Claire and Jamie? Tune in next week on Starz and Lionsgate Plus to find out.

While Outlander mixes time travel with historical fiction, the show has always made clever use of Scottish and American history to elevate its narrative. Now into its seventh season, the Starz series is also going back to some of its older storylines to add new layers to its plot. 

The third episode of Outlander season 7 piggybacks on something that was featured in the second season of the series: the lost gold that was sent by the French to assist the Jacobite rebellion. In "Death Be Not Proud",  Jamie (Sam Heughan) confronts Arch Bug (Hugh Ross) about a gold bar that was found in the Bugs’ possessions and that appears to be part of that lost treasure.  

What happened with the Jacobite gold in Outlander?

When Jamie looked at the gold bar that was in the Bugs’ belongings, he noticed something: the gold was marked by a fleur-de-lys, a French symbol that indicated this gold was the missing French gold that was sent to the aid Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite rebellion in Scotland in the 1740s. Baffled by the discovery, Jamie asks how it ended up in the hands of the Bugs and in America.

Here’s what happened to the French gold: three men were present when the gold arrived in Scotland from France. Arch Bug was one of them as a tax man to Michael Grant, along with Dougal Mackenzie and Hector Cameron. However, since the money came too late to make a difference for the Jacobite cause, they decided to divide the gold. But while Arch took his third for Grant to use for the good of his clan, Hector fled Scotland with his share. Cameron used some of the gold to build the plantation at River Run and later on, when Bug went there, he started looking for the rest of it. Bug came to realize that Cameron had buried himself with it, so with each visit to River Run, piece by piece, he took back what Cameron had stolen “from Scotland.”

In the episode “Death Be Not Proud,” Jaime finds out the gold is at Fraser’s Ridge, and was buried under his house. Knowing it is too dangerous to keep around, he decides to melt half of it, turning it into bullets, and to hide the rest in a secret cave he once found while hunting with his grandson. He then sends a letter to his daughter explaining what he discovered and where the lost Jacobite gold can be found. 

Who was Bonnie Prince Charlie and what was the gold for?

Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Young Pretender, was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart. He led the Jacobite rising of 1745 in an attempt to restore the Stuart monarchy to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. 

During the rising, the Jacobite forces led by the Bonnie Prince scored several victories in the field, including the Battle of Prestonpans, which is also featured on Outlander season 2. However, war costs money and the Stuart cause relied heavily on France, Spain and other catholic states for support. Before the battle of Culloden in April 1746, Charles was expecting a shipment of gold from the French that would help finance his rebellion. 

What really happened to the so-called French gold?

More than a million livres, a combined payment from both France and Spain, arrived on two French frigates, the Bellona and Mars, two weeks after the crushing defeat at Culloden. Unaware that the rebellion had been extinguished, the ships decided to set sail in the middle of unloading the money when they realized they might get attacked by the British army. Only seven caskets of Spanish money were in fact delivered to the shores of Scotland.

As the Jacobite cause was now lost and Bonnie Prince Charlie went into hiding, the money was to be used for the benefit of remaining Jacobite clansmen and to help Jacobite leaders flee to the continent. One casket, however, was stolen by McDonald of Barrisdale's men. The remaining six were brought to Loch Arkaig, near Fort William, and hidden. Their location was a secret first kept by Murray of Broughton, who then started distributing the gold amongst clan chiefs before being arrested by the British Redcoats. The Jacobite gold was consequently entrusted to Donald Cameron of Lochiel, chief of Clan Cameron before going to Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, head of Clan Macpherson, who spent some of it to try to finance other uprising attempts.

Was the lost Jacobite gold ever found?

Ultimately, after fleeing Scotland and returning to France, Charles Stuart tried to get the gold back. According to experts, he enlisted the help of Charles Shelby, a English Catholic sympathetic to the Jacobite cause, to retrieve what was left of the gold. Eventually, a decent chunk of it was shipped back to London where it was then converted to paper money and returned to the Bonnie Prince in France. The rest of it had already been spent so in the end, not all of the Jacobite gold was lost, only some of it. 

Many treasure hunters have since tried to find the gold that the clans hid from the British, because when Cluny was responsible for it, he could not account for all of it. Perhaps then there actually is still a stash of gold hidden somewhere within the Scottish Highlands, but it is the stuff of legends.

Is Outlander based on real events?

The gold seen in Outlander is therefore far removed from the real deal. For one, the caskets may have been delivered by the French but they contained both French and Spanish gold coins, not fleur-de-lys marked gold bars. Also, the real lost gold arrived after Culloden, while based on Arch story, the gold in his possession arrived before the battle (since he said Dougal Mackenzie was there and that character died before Culloden). 

In the end, Outlander does use many real events and historical figures in its story, but it heavily fictionalizes its depiction of what actually went on in Scotland and America in the 1700s. 

How to watch Outlander season 7

All sixth seasons of Outlander and its currently airing seventh season are available to watch on Starz in the US and Lionsgate Plus in the UK.