Outlander writers continue to work hard on Season 6
It’s only been two weeks of Droughtlander but it feels like it’s been so much longer, right? The length of time between seasons always feels like forever since Outlander is such a big production, and unfortunately we’re going to have to wait even longer than expected for Season 6 since filming has halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Though that’s the case, that doesn’t mean the talented team of writers of our favorite show has stopped working.
Sam Heughan confirmed in a recent podcast interview with the Los Angeles Times that they were supposed to start shooting Season 6 in the beginning of May, but have been pushed to the end of August/early September for now.
We were supposed to start this week. We have scheduled for Fall. Will just have to see... 🤞 https://t.co/NxLusL0hWV
— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) May 4, 2020
A return to filming is still unknown but the actor and producer said he’s read the first two scripts of the new season and has been communicating with the other producers on the show.
Once they get the green light to start filming again, it’s pretty obvious sets won’t be the same. Sam also mentioned there could be restrictions including a reduced crew, social distancing when possible, etc. But again, there haven’t been any set rules or even a confirmed date to return to filming yet.
I’m sure there are many factors and STARZ will take the best course of action for the show, but I would rather wait longer for the season to come out than have Jamie and Claire scenes where they’re placed a certain distance away from each other. We just can’t have a socially distanced Jamie and Claire!
On a positive note, Sam believes they’re in a good place right now and everyone will be ready to go once they can return to set.
Executive producer and writer Matt Roberts shared a similar thought in the season 5 finale’s Official Outlander podcast where he also confirmed the writers are still hard at work to bring season 6 to life and they will be ready to go as soon as they can.
Of course I don’t know the writers’ schedules, but it’s highly possible they’re taking a bit more time with the scripts and material. I’ve been reading “The Making of Outlander: The Series: The Official Guide to Seasons Three & Four” while in quarantine and learned something new about Season 4.
In the book, executive producer and writer Toni Grophia mentions that Season 4 was a struggle for the writers room. As the time came to start working on the scripts for that season, they were still in production for Season 3. This resulted in the writers being stretched thin and having to balance both seasons at the same time. (It’s on page 110 if you want to see what I’m referencing).
I’ll be honest, Season 4 wasn’t a favorite of mine. Though there were some great storylines and moments (especially Jamie and Bree!), I just didn’t enjoy it compared to the other seasons. After reading Toni’s comment it made a bit more sense to me that I felt that way about Season 4.
My point is that the writers might actually be taking a breather and instead of being rushed to finish the scripts as quickly as possible, they have some extra time to flesh out the newest season.
They did an amazing job with Season 5. It’s my favorite right after the first one, so I have very high expectations for Outlander Season 6 and I don’t think we’ll be disappointed!
Again, I don’t know if they’re actually doing this rather than work with their usual schedule. But I really doubt the writers aren’t taking advantage of this extended time, even if just a little bit.
It’s hard to tell when we can expect season 6, but a good guess is fall 2021. You can watch Outlander season 5 now on Starz.