Why Diana Gabaldon probably won’t write all Outlander Season 8 episodes
The current writers strike is probably going to impact Outlander Season 8 production. Could Diana Gabaldon step in and write the episodes?
The regular break between seasons is happening right now. Pre-production work on Outlander Season 8 has started, but the series is likely to be impacted by the WGA writers strike.
For those who missed it, any writer who is unionized with the WGA is on strike. That includes the entire Outlander writers room except one person: Diana Gabaldon. She isn’t a member of the WGA, which means she doesn’t need to strike. Technically, she could step in to do the writing on the series while the writers are on strike to keep the work flowing.
That’s not going to happen, though. There are a lot of reasons why that would be inappropriate and unnecessary.
Why Diana Gabaldon shouldn’t write all of Outlander Season 8
Let’s just start with the fact that a lot of non-union writers are standing with the union writers at the moment. While Diana Gabaldon hasn’t been vocal about it on social media, we could see her standing with the writers.
Yes, there are some non-union writers are who taking advantage of the situation right now. There were some in 2008, too. They are known as “scabs” in the industry, and there is a problem if they decide to take advantage. The WGA keeps track and if these writers ever want to be unionized—and they would need to be to work on some of the biggest shows—the WGA would step in and say no in fair retaliation. I highly double Matthew B. Roberts and others would even want Gabaldon to step in, even if she had no plays to join the WGA.
Scabs cause a lot of problems for the union writers. It puts the pressure on them to accept unfair deals from the studios. Can you tell I stand with the writers?
Another reason against Gabaldon working on the season is that even when she does write a script, there is work from multiple writers to put the story together. Yes, she is the author of the books, but the TV show and the books are two separate entities. They have gone their own way in some aspects.
Then there’s the fact that she is busy with writing her own novels, doing tours, and more. There isn’t that much time to add in 10 scripts. And she’s not a script writer. That requires a different style and skill. While she does have some experience in writing scripts, it’s not as much as the other writers on the show.
Outlander is a group effort. The TV show that is. That’s the way it needs to stay for Outlander Season 8. So, if not all scripts have been written yet, don’t expect to see anyone step in to write them until the WGA strike is over.
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