The final season of Outlander is here, and fans aren’t the only ones feeling blue about the show ending. In a recent interview with People, Caitriona Balfe spoke of her “bittersweet” feelings regarding Outlander’s end.
She says that filming season 8 was “an emotionally taxing nine months” and that her last moments on set were “very, very emotional." She even confessed that she “burst into tears" after filming the final episodes of the series.
Outlander has been running since 2014. For over a decade, fans have watched along as the Frasers have fallen in love, fought against enemies, and founded a home on Fraser’s Ridge. Now all of that is coming to an end; it brings a close to a major chapter not only in the fans' lives but also in the lives of the cast who have been playing these characters for a decade of their lives.
"A decade on something is probably a good chunk of time," Balfe said. "But because it was that long, it was my life. It was a quarter of my life when we ended, that I’d been on that show. The relationships were so deep and strong."
To process the end of their Outlander era, Balfe and her co-stars each took time off to release and recharge once filming ended.
"I went off and did a retreat,” Balfe commented. She also added that Sam Heughan climbed the Himalayas, Sophie Skelton traveled to Africa, and Richard Rankin learned how to fly.
For the Balfe, she wanted to take some time to process the experience and honor the impact the show has had on her.
“I wanted to process it, and I wanted to honor the experience of the character by letting it go in a healthy way, It was so special to be part of something so beautiful and something that touched so many people’s lives. I think that’s one of the greatest things that is still happening all the time now, where you meet people, and they say, 'Oh, it was part of our life for this reason or that reason.' And that’s so special to be part of something that does that."
We'll get to see how season 8 comes to an end soon, as season 8 is fast approaching its finale. It's sure to be an emotional send-off for the fans, but we certainly are eager to see if Balfe bursting into tears after wrapping the show simply because of the emotion of finishing the series or if there could be an emotional ending coming our way.