Why we love that Diana Gabaldon wrote an episode of Outlander Season 5

It’s Diana Gabaldon’s birthday today. As we celebrate with her, we’re looking at why we’re so excited for the episode of Outlander Season 5 she’s written.

Jan. 11 is a special day in the world of Outlander. It’s Diana Gabaldon’s birthday. My younger daughter shares a birthday with her, so it’s even more special for me.

The author of the series has penned the penultimate episode of Outlander Season 5. It was kept relatively under wraps until closer to the time the cast and crew were filming it. Right now, we don’t know the title of the episode, but there’s no doubt that we’re excited nonetheless. In fact, it’s likely to be the best episode of the entire series.

Here are five reasons I’m so excited for the Outlander Season 5 episode Diana Gabaldon has written.

5. She knows her characters well

Who knows Claire, Jamie, and the others better than Diana Gabaldon? Okay, so the show characters have some personality differences to the book characters, but they’re not terribly far off. And so, Diana will know her characters perfectly. They are her babies.

There have been complaints in the past that things characters have done don’t match their personalities. We don’t have to worry about this in the episode.

4. She foreshadows beautifully

There will be elements of this episode that foreshadow things to come in the Outlander Season 5 finale. There may even be moments that foreshadow things to come in Season 6. One of the benefits of having two-season renewals is that storylines can bleed into the next seasons, expanding tales and offering more foreshadowing.

This is something Diana does brilliantly. We’ve seen it in the writing of her novels, and we’ll see it in the episode, I’m sure!

3. Diana is a team player

While it’s Diana’s story, she will be bound by the writing done around her episode. She’ll also need to make sure the writing is on point for the storylines that the showrunners and EPs want to tell. There will be bits that she doesn’t necessarily agree with, bit Diana Gabaldon is a team player.

This episode will stand out for greatness, but it won’t stand out because it doesn’t fit with the story. Diana is a team player and understands the way the TV shows need to work.

2. She brings heart and soul to the story

Diana’s words have come to life and we know that the heart of the story is because of her. Now we get to see that heart grow in her writing of the episode. This is something that we experienced in Outlander Season 2, Episode 11, another episode written by her.

The series needs the heart of the story. For some, this was missing in the fourth season, but with Diana writing an episode and Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe as producers, there’s a lot of hope for the fifth season.

1. She focuses on characters evenly

Hopefully, this is an episode with all four of our main characters involved. And yes, I include Brianna and Roger in this. They’re becoming main characters in the TV series because they started to become main characters from the second book.

Diana knows how to manage the focus of multiple characters. She’s fair to them and gives them all plenty of time to breathe and grow. While we don’t know the specific storyline for the episode, we do know that she’ll put the right focus on each of the characters in the episode.

What are you excited to see in Outlander Season 5? What are you excited about in Episode 11? Share your thoughts in the comments below.