Jamie Claire Outlander
Credit: Starz

Fans of the Fraser clan will soon be able to binge a whole lot more of the series they love.

Arguably one of the most binge-worthy series ever, Outlander, which is based on the incredible set of novels by Diana Gabaldon, is already filming its next season — its seventh — but that’s not the reason we’re promising much more of it. Oh no, as happens so often with the Fraser family, there’s an unforeseen plot twist coming…

Granted, the seventh season of Outlander will be longer than season 6 at 16 episodes. Happy news for fans frustrated by the offering of only 8 episodes during the last outing, as exciting as they were, which was a result of ongoing challenges related to Covid 19.

The sixth season may have been abbreviated, but it was still every bit the knuckle-biter we’ve come to expect from Outlander. The season finale brought a significant revelation — Roger was in fact the biological father of Bree’s son, Jemmy, which was revealed when the tot’s hair had to be cut off due to a lice infestation — and a hereditary birthmark was discovered on his wee head. A relief, as the alternative was that Jemmy was the offspring of the nefarious Stephen Bonnet.

The big story in the finale, however, was Jamie and Claire becoming trapped in the house by Richard Brown’s so-called Committee of Safety when they showed up looking to hold Claire to account for the murder of Malva Christie.

After a tension-filled stand-off, Jamie decided the only way out was to give themselves up, and they did so. This resulted in Jamie and Claire being carted off by the law & order crowd, who were bent on seeing “justice” carried out.

In a curious twist indeed, Malva’s father, Tom Christie, who was regularly at cross-purposes with the Frasers due to his puritanical stance on life, decided to accompany them, and stayed with Claire when she was separated from Jamie and taken to Wilmington to stand trial. His motives were murky, as he declared he would ensure justice was done, but Claire wasn’t entirely on her own at least.

Jamie, meanwhile, was freed by Ian, and the cliffhanger left us, erm, hanging, as to what would become of Claire at the trial and whether or not her devoted husband would be able to get to her before whatever horrifying fate she’s set to meet became a fait accompli.

As for what’s ahead in season 7 of Outlander, Sam Heughan teased in Entertainment Weekly that Jamie will do everything he can to free Claire, while Caitriona Balfe previewed: “A lot of new characters join that are going to be very meaningful to the series.”

Are the new characters coming on board because others are leaving? While Roger and Bree are planning on returning to the Ridge for the birth of their second child after their time at the seminary, it’s possible the family may once again travel to the future in season 7. Even so, as fans well know, that doesn’t mean they won’t be seen any longer.

While Outlander is bound to keep exciting its legions of fans in future seasons, a new announcement in our sister publication, Variety, spells out the reason that they won’t just be getting more, but a whole lot more of the series they love.

The Outlander prequel series is officially moving forward at Starz.

Yep, even as Diana Gabaldon labors away on the new novel, which will unravel the story of Jamie’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, a writer’s room has been assembled and Ronald D. Moore, who developed Outlander for television, has signed on to executive produce. Showrunner Matthew B. Roberts is also attached.

There’s no word quite yet on how soon we can expect to see episodes, but get ready fans, because Outlander: Blood of My Blood *is* coming as your next binge-worthy guilty (or not so guilty) pleasure.

Soap opera fan?! Take a look at our comprehensive list of potential love interests for Trevor St. John’s Young & Restless character in the photo gallery below.