Should ‘Outlander’ receive season 5 renewal — while season 3 is airing?

This story came courtesy of the “crazy ideas” part of our brain, but there may be some interesting merit to discussion.

As of right now, “Outlander” is wrapping up work for the year on the third season. There is more still to be done, but that will continue in the new year as we prepare for the series launch in the spring. At that point, the show will get a chance to air on Sunday for the first time, presumably to a larger audience than the one that it has ever had to date.

Through most of this season, the series will have a luxury of not having to worry about its long-term future, given that Starz already renewed the show through season 4 earlier this year. This is a luxury that season 2 did not have, which led to many a communication with worried fans wondering if the network would do the unthinkable. It’s hard to imagine that ever happening; while “Outlander” may not be the network’s highest-rated show in terms of live viewers, it performs well, inspires subscriptions, and also generates mass critical acclaim.

So what’s the reason for giving the show an early season 5 renewal at around the time season 3 airs? The easy response to that is “confidence.” It continues to show that the network loves the series and wants to ensure that it is around for a long time. Also, it may prove value as you continue to plan ahead in terms of locations. (Warning: Book spoilers ahead.) This is not a show that stays in Scotland or even Europe moving forward, so one of the key elements of intrigue is going to be seeing how they choose to cultivate versions of America. We already know that South Africa will stand in for the Caribbean, but what about the soon-to-be United States on the brink of revolution? A little bit of extra time never hurt anyone to prepare, and the location scouts and set designers so far are proving to be some of the best in the business.

Obviously, the hope is that there will be one season for every book Diana Gabaldon writes in the series, though it may be a little too early to guarantee that. For the time being, getting a guarantee for a fifth season in 2017 would be a cause of celebration on its own.

If you missed it, we wrote a lengthy piece earlier this week over here regarding why this fan base in particular is so passionate. Hopefully, you will find it a worthy read! (Photo: Starz.)