Outlander Season 5: How could Claire be in 1968?

By Alexandria Ingham | Jul 20, 2019

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room /

Photos from Outlander Season 5 filming show Caitriona Balfe in her 1968 costume and wig. How is it possible that Claire could be in her time and not the 18th century?

There are lots of rumors circulating that Claire will be traveling back through the stones to 1968 in Outlander Season 5. This likely isn’t the case. While we still have no idea what the series is going to deliver and the series has made some changes to the story, making a substantial change like that would be crazy.

The rumors started when Caitriona Balfe was spotted filming in Paisley last weekend. She was wearing her 1968 wig and clothing, and she was spotted getting into a 1960s car with the steering wheel on the U.S. side. This suggests that Claire is heading back to 1968 Boston.

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But that likely isn’t the case. Well, she’s not likely stepping through the stones and leaving Jamie.

In the novel, “The Fiery Cross,” Claire certainly doesn’t go back to her own time. There’s no reason for her to go back through the stones. So, it would be a major deviation for the show if it chose to do that.

Instead, it’s likely that the show is giving us another flashback. This would make a lot of sense since the series has included flashbacks not in the novels before. In Season 4, we got a string of flashes from Brianna’s point of view of Frank Randall before his death. These were important for Brianna’s mindset and character development.

Of course, the scenes may not even make it to Outlander Season 5. It’s possible that they’re filmed as an idea and then left on the cutting room floor.

Another option is that they’re filmed as Outlander Untold episodes, which we know are going to be happening. The Untold stories are filmed with no intention of ever being added into the series. They’re extras on the DVD and Blu-ray collections.

I doubt that Claire is heading through the stones. What we’re getting is flashbacks and possibly connected to Frank’s letter brought up at the end of “Drums of Autumn,” which still hasn’t been seen in the show.

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What do you think about Claire traveling back to 1968? Why do you think Caitriona Balfe is filming in that costume? Let me know your thoughts below.

Outlander Season 5 filming continues. Follow Claire and Jamie on Twitter for the latest updates straight to your feed.