Outlander renewed for season 5, season 6 — first thoughts and analysis

We’ve got a lot to get into over the next few days when it comes to the future of Outlander of Starz — but in this article, we want to set the table with the announcement that came out today. As expected, the series has been renewed for both a season 5 and season 6 by Starz; not only that, but the fourth season is officially going to be premiering come November.

In a statement confirming the renewal, Starz’s own President / CEO Chris Albrecht had the following to say:

“Fans can rest assured their beloved Claire and Jamie will be back facing new challenges, adversaries and adventures in seasons five and six as we delve into American history and continue the story of the Frasers as they settle in the New World.”

There is obviously so much to dive into and if you know CarterMatt, you know that’ll be spending a significant amount of time processing and discussing this information further in the weeks to come. For now, though, here are some early thoughts on some of the news we got.

Seasons 5 and 6 will be twelve episodes each – Why the deduction of one episode per season? This may feel like a bummer, but it does actually bring the show more in line with many other premium cable series like Homeland and Ray Donovan. Outlander still has longer episode orders than many other shows on Starz, including Power and American Gods. There may be some logistical reasons to cut down on the episode order as well.

The later premiere date – Why the move to November? One benefit to this is that it gives the post-production team more time to perfect things. It may also enable Starz, if they want, to air the show either during the holiday season or into the new year. It does offer them more flexibility.

The source material – Starz confirmed that season 5 and 6 will be based on the Diana Gabaldon books The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It’s certainly possible that each season will correlate with one book, but there’s nothing within the wording of the press release that guarantees that. There could be some combining or changing things up slightly. There has been a willingness by production to consider that in the future.

What does this mean for season 7? – It may be too early to tell, but there was nothing in this announcement to imply that season 6 will be the final one for the series. Starz can revisit this subject down the road once they see the trajectory and the path of Outlander in terms of where it is and where it will be.

Related – Check out some more recent news on the show, including a talk on marathons

Check out some more reaction in the video below; meanwhile, subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for more.

What do you think about the Outlander season 5 and 6 renewal? Be sure to share right now in the comments!

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