Is Starz waiting on ‘Outlander’ episode 9 far too long?

For a handful of weeks this summer, Starz had us eating out of the palm of their hand with “Outlander.” This was a show that was at times disturbing and often shocking, but it delivered some of the best ratings that the network has seen. Other than “Spartacus,” has there been a franchise that has given the network so much buzz?

This is why we’re sitting here and feeling somewhat-perplexed over just how long the wait really is to see the final eight episodes of the season. April is so far away, and so far removed from the first half of the season, that it may as well just be labeled “season 2.”

From the network perspective, we understand in a way that they had some other series on their Saturday schedule for the next few months, whether we are talking about “Survivor’s Remorse,” “Black Sails,” or others. Given that you run so few scripted series, you want to make sure that something is almost always on.

With that being said, couldn’t you have waited on one of the other shows? We mean no disrespect to any of them, but the concern here is that April rolls around, and the show loses some of its momentum courtesy of it just being off of the air for so darn long. It has a challenge reminding casual fans of everything that happened at the same time.

Regardless of when the show airs, the one thing that “Outlander” does probably still have going for it is its timeslot. Other than partying outside, what else is there to do on a Saturday night in the spring? You don’t have football to worry about, and that may help to make your viewing decisions easier.