Outlander's Caitríona Balfe Promises 'Revenge, Reunions, Revelations' From The Very Start Of Action-Packed Final Season

Wrap yer plaids tightly, lads and lassies: The final run of Starz's "Outlander" is nearly upon us, and series star Caitríona Balfe says that the season ahead is full of "revenge, reunions, revelations" for the Frasers and their friends. 

While I can't spoil which of those juicy teases apply to Balfe's Claire Fraser and Sam Heughan's Jamie Fraser specifically, I'm happy to share what Balfe teased when I caught up with her during her recent visit to New York City.

First, though, let's make sure everyone is up to date on their "Outlander" lore. After the time-travel drama spent some harrowing time in the field during the American Revolutionary War, Season 7 ended on a massive cliffhanger: An eerie interaction led Claire and Jamie to consider that maybe Faith, their daughter who was stillborn in Season 2, hadn't died after all.

"I think Faith lived," a highly upset Claire told her husband just before the episode's end credits rolled. "I think our daughter lived."

When Season 8 begins on Friday, March 6 (8/7c), Jamie and Claire are on their way back to Fraser's Ridge, the homestead they've established in North Carolina. The community of Ridge settlers has grown while Mr. and Mrs. Fraser were away, the official synopsis tells us, and "the Frasers are confronted with the question of what they are willing to sacrifice for the place they call home and, more importantly, what they would sacrifice to stay together." In addition, "family secrets finally coming to light threaten to tear them apart from the inside." 

Balfe and I spoke at length about the season's start; you'll see more of her insight regarding upcoming episodes — including the one she directed — as part of TVLine's robust "Outlander" final season coverage in the coming weeks. But ahead of the Season 8 kickoff, I wondered how we might see James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser and his Sassenach surprise each other this season.

"In some ways, Jamie takes on the worry of something a lot on his own this season," she said. "And Claire, even though she knows he's worrying about it, she realizes that he has to deal with this on his own a little bit. So maybe that's it. I feel like they've done that in different times, but it's sort of a new version of that."

And what about the time-traveler herself? "Well, Claire's learning that Jamie can't let things go," Balfe said, laughing wryly, then demurred for spoilers' sake. Though she did add this: "I think Jamie sees some new things in Claire this season as we go forward, some of her abilities, shall we say."

We've got so many more "Outlander" goodies coming your way — but until then, hit the comments with all of your thoughts, feelings, predictions, and wishes for the upcoming final season!