Eyes are certainly back on Outlander. The cast have marked another milestone with the final table read.
When looking at Caitriona Balfe’s video, there is one thing to take away from it in the script. It says “written by Diana Gabaldon.” Fans want to know whether this means she’s written the final episode or not.
She probably hasn’t written the series finale. However, there’s a good chance that she penned the penultimate episode of Outlander.
Diana Gabaldon’s name is likely on Outlander Season 8, Episode 9
The table reads are done in blocks. This is the way filming happens with Outlander. It’s usually the case that two episode are done in one block, and we know that Sam Heughan made it clear that the final table read was for the final block, and not for the final episode.
So, this suggests that the table read would cover Outlander Season 8, Episodes 9 and 10. The script in front of them when the video was taken was likely Episode 9.
We can see “Written by Diana Gabaldon” and “based on the novel by Diana Gabaldon” clearly on the script. It’s not clear what’s just above that, but it could be the title of the episode. There is no episode number clearly listed in the video.
Why Diana Gabaldon likely wrote the penultimate episode of Outlander
It doesn’t make sense for Gabaldon to write the series finale. Sure, she is the creator of the books, but she is not the creator of the TV series. She consults on it, and the show will listen to her suggestions but not always follow through with them. They have their own story to tell.
By Outlander Season 8, there is going to be minimal source material to work with. The show needs to craft an ending that works for it. The series finale is usually written by the showrunner, which is Matt B. Roberts now after Ronald D. Moore stepped back from everyday showrunning duties. However, the penultimate episode is still an important one, and it makes sense to have Gabaldon write it.