Outlander season 5: Sam Heughan on expansion of Fraser’s Ridge

When Outlander season 5 premieres on Starz, there are going to be a lot of things that feel pretty similar to what we’ve seen to date. After all Jamie, Clare, Roger, and Bree are all staying put now in the past, and in North Carolina to go along with it. (Of course, we know full well that it’s not exactly as though Jamie can transfer himself anywhere else.)

This new season is going to pick up at least reasonably soon after the events of season 4, and that means that Jamie is going to have a lot on his plate. He’s going to find a way to try to fend off the British, as the war between them and the Regulators is starting to heat up. All of this is getting us ever closer to the Revolutionary War, and a lot of chaos that is probably going to come along with that.

But, for the sake of this article, can’t we just talk about Fraser’s Ridge for a moment? This iconic location is going to see a bit of an expansion in season 5, as Jamie and Claire welcome more and more people to the area, both in terms of family and complete strangers. It’s going to be more of a community than ever before, and we’ve already heard that the production designers are making the Big House, an iconic location from The Fiery Cross, into a reality on the upcoming season. It’s going to feel a little bit less like a place that is out in the middle of nowhere, and instead, a place where a lot of people are going to want to call home.

For some more news on this, just take a look at what Sam Heughan had to say in a new interview with Parade while at the Starz Emmy event at Westfield Century City over the weekend:

We’ve only shot two and a half episodes, but so far, the challenge is that we have this whole new settlement. Fraser’s Ridge has really flourished. There’s a lot of towns nearby and you can feel the buildup of it. There are the clouds in the distance gathering for the great war. Jamie and Claire are really fighting to make sure that they’re on the right side. I think the sheer size of what we’re dealing with now and the sheer numbers of cast and of locations, as well, is a challenge. We’re still shooting in Scotland for America, so that’s a challenge, too.

We’ve already heard from some stars of the show that both Fergus and Marsali are going to be heading out to Fraser’s Ridge this season, but we’ll probably meet some new faces along the way as well — how can we not? There are always going to be new settlers! (Maybe we’ll get casting news before long…) Based on where Sam says the show is right now in filming, there is a pretty long ways to go until they shout “that’s a wrap,” possibly at the very end of this year. We are certainly expecting that Outlander season 5 is going to premiere in 2020, and with that unlock a whole new chapter of this story that brings us to the midst of America’s birth as an independent country.

Ultimately in season 5, you should certainly expect bloodshed. However, combine that with family, love, and people being there for each other no matter the cost or the circumstance. Outlander will remain the epic love story that you’ve come to appreciate for so many years, but there is a constant evolution. As with life, you never want to see the same thing play out time and time again … unless, of course, it’s Groundhog Day. Outlander is not Groundhog Day

What makes you the most excited about the Outlander season 5 story at the moment? Be sure to share right away in the comments.

Photo: Starz