Outlander Season 8: Cast & Creators Reflect on Growth, Goodbyes, and Sticking the Landing

0:00 [SPEAKER_00]: It's easy to hear your favorite artist on WFPK from wherever you are. [SPEAKER_00]: Listen on your smart speaker, live stream from our website at WFPK.org from Louisville Public Media. [SPEAKER_04]: Welcome to another edition of Kyle Meredith with it's the interview series presented by WFPK at WFPK dot org consequence and the consequence podcast network Thanks for making your way here and check it out the episode if you're not already Please do hit that subscribe button you're gonna get new interviews just like this one every single week from Spotify Apple Podcast [SPEAKER_04]: NPR, wfpk.org, consequence, YouTube for the video versions, or anywhere you get your podcast from, you can subscribe to Kyle Meredith with, and please to give this series a rating and leave a review where every listing from, we've had some great guests drop them by lately.

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1:57 [SPEAKER_04]: And that's me, Kyle Meredith, today we are talking season eight of Outlander. [SPEAKER_04]: In fact, let's read about it here in the final chapter of Outlander, a heart-wrenching journey lies ahead for Claire and Jamie's enduring love story audiences can anticipate tender romance and the edge of your seat drama The Outlander fans have come to cherish over the past eight seasons as the celebrated and genre defining series approaches its epic conclusion.

2:22 [SPEAKER_04]: As series 8 begins, Jamie and Claire soon find that the war has followed him home to Frasures Ridge, now a thriving settlement that has grown and flourished in their absence. [SPEAKER_04]: When new rivals and changes made during their years away, the Frasures are confronted with the question of what they're willing to sacrifice for the place they call home, and more importantly, [SPEAKER_04]: what they would sacrifice to stay together while the frasers keep united front against outside intruders family secrets finally coming to light threat and a terrible part from the inside uh... and although they've left the war for america's freedom behind uh... their fight for frasers ridge has only just begun

2:58 [SPEAKER_04]: And today we get a crew of, we're gonna be talking with Sophie Skeleton, Richard Rankin, John Bell, Izzy, Michael Small, and also the showrunners, Matthew B. Roberts, and Merrill Davis. [SPEAKER_04]: We're gonna start though with Sophie Skeleton and Richard Rankin. [SPEAKER_04]: They drop by to reflect on Brianna and Roger's evolution over these past eight seasons.

3:21 [SPEAKER_04]: Brianna finally coming into her own [SPEAKER_04]: and Roger still searching for purpose, and the admits every new script came with that familiar what are they going to do to his now type of feeling. [SPEAKER_04]: So that's where we're going to start as we're talking season eights of Outlander.

3:39 [SPEAKER_04]: This is Kyle Meredith with Sophie Skeleton and Richard Rankin. [SPEAKER_00]: I go. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. [SPEAKER_04]: Great. [SPEAKER_04]: Congrats on not just a fantastic season 8 here, but an incredible series run that you all have performed. [SPEAKER_04]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.

3:56 [SPEAKER_04]: Sophie will start here. [SPEAKER_04]: Have you taken the chance to look back? [SPEAKER_04]: Is that happening? [SPEAKER_04]: Because I would actually love to get into this from both of you guys, too. [SPEAKER_04]: But how you play these characters at the beginning versus how you play them at the end?

4:09 [SPEAKER_06]: I haven't looked back, I think I think I would not enjoy watching backwards, but we were lucky when we came on to this and that we knew that these characters had a lot of growth based on the books. [SPEAKER_06]: So even when we did our auditions, we had sides from season 4, which obviously wasn't written yet.

4:26 [SPEAKER_06]: So I kind of knew that I had to give Brianna some way to go. [SPEAKER_06]: So she was always going to be this kind of younger [SPEAKER_06]: more confused teenage version of herself, but season eight is a place where I'm really proud of her. [SPEAKER_06]: I feel like she's finally coming to her own.

4:40 [SPEAKER_06]: So this is probably my favorite version of Brianna this season. [SPEAKER_04]: I'll be richer to me. [SPEAKER_04]: But watching Roger, I mean, this is a guy that's been sold to the Mohawk's, he's been hanged and seeing him try to find peace, I mean, is that available to this character? [SPEAKER_04]: Because even when he finds his faith, it seems like that there's something that's always being challenged.

5:02 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but I mean, I think that's just learned how really in general, isn't it, is sort [SPEAKER_01]: I kind of have a perpetual conflict, drama, looming, but I think that's just been one of the sort of character arts for Roger as he's always been trying to find his place and where he belongs and how he fits.

5:23 [SPEAKER_01]: I think he knows obviously, he fits with his family whatever he has right, but I think he has always looking to sort of be as much as he can be in any given time and sort of find his calling whether it be in the 18th century's, the sixties or the eighties. [SPEAKER_01]: So yeah I think that's just a thing that he's been not struggling with.

5:46 [SPEAKER_01]: I think his thing was history and then once he became part of [SPEAKER_01]: a bit more challenge and in terms of what's purpose was. [SPEAKER_04]: What a cool story to be a part of for that right there for someone to be a part of history in that way. [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, I like time travel anyway.

6:02 [SPEAKER_04]: When you all got the scripts, I mean, Sophie is in a bit of like, what will they do to us now? [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, I mean, I always say I feel like Brianna's been free pretty much everything a human could go through. [SPEAKER_06]: So it's always wonderful when they find new ways to put all characters through something instead of recycling things we've done before.

6:23 [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, which the show, it's got such a rich tapestry of storyline, so it never gets hold. [SPEAKER_04]: And Richard out, you know, this is the obvious thing outside of the crew. [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, what's going to be the hardest part to let go of? [SPEAKER_06]: Me. [SPEAKER_04]: Well, they go.

6:38 [SPEAKER_01]: Say it from the least. [SPEAKER_06]: No, I'm sorry, I ruined your question. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you're not a far-run, sorry. [SPEAKER_01]: I think the rest I think that's it. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean obviously there's a lot to be said about you know that sort of that security being a show that runs year after year for whatever it was we were involved nine or ten years.

7:06 [SPEAKER_01]: I think that brings a lot of [SPEAKER_01]: Security and flexibility just in life, so I think the short self. [SPEAKER_01]: If we're talking about things with the cast and crew, but [SPEAKER_01]: Really I think in the last year or two I think the castle become a became much closer, I don't think that made it a little bit more difficult to can it kind of say goodbye to everyone because we'll all stay in touch for sure and we do, but we're also all scattered to the four winds so it's a bit trickier to do that on a sort of a regular basis.

7:39 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah and we'll be right back right after this. [SPEAKER_04]: Welcome back. [SPEAKER_04]: It's Kyle Mayard. [SPEAKER_04]: We are talking season 8 of Outlander. [SPEAKER_04]: Now we turn our attention to John Bell and Izzy Michael Small to discuss young Ian stepping into fatherhood and Rachel becoming a fully part of the Frisiers Ridge family along with the emotional weight of filming a season that everyone knew could be the end.

8:04 [SPEAKER_04]: uh... this is part two talking season eight of outlander on stars it's kyle mirth with john bell and is a michael small hey it's been so great seeing this whole character arc rates i mean seeing everything but especially seeing young and becoming a dad this season [SPEAKER_04]: What's the importance that, I mean, how important is that to his story?

8:26 [SPEAKER_05]: Massively, I mean, it's probably on the game of life, it's a big moment, becoming a dad, feeling like he's got a complete family of his own. [SPEAKER_05]: He's always been young and he's always seen as, like, I think, the baby of the family. [SPEAKER_05]: So for him to have grown up, and [SPEAKER_05]: be taking all the life since they've learned from his uncle, an auntie, a mum of dad.

8:52 [SPEAKER_05]: I think it is exactly what Ian's wanted for a long time. [SPEAKER_05]: And yeah, I'm just super, you're just super happy for it. [SPEAKER_04]: And so my, is he, you got to play a much bigger part this season, which was great seeing, seeing Rachel out there, being part of the ensemble. [SPEAKER_04]: How did that change the experience for you?

9:10 [SPEAKER_08]: It was lovely to come back to a job I've never done that before. [SPEAKER_08]: I've never been on like a repeat cycle for a character. [SPEAKER_08]: So it was, first of all, really lovely to come back to Rachel herself and kind of get to delve deeper. [SPEAKER_08]: And second of all, you know, we are very close as a cast.

9:25 [SPEAKER_08]: So coming back as a family, when your character is also now part of the family part of the ensemble on Fraser's Ridge. [SPEAKER_08]: Everything about it was just like full of joy. [SPEAKER_08]: And it was very special. [SPEAKER_08]: And I think from the first week of shooting, [SPEAKER_08]: It was the final season, so everything was full of those last moments, which meant it was very emotionally charged.

9:46 [SPEAKER_08]: I'm relatively new in the grand scheme of things, but John Katrina, everyone's been on the show for such a long time that it felt really amazing to be able to be there to help close out that story for the more. [SPEAKER_08]: And yeah, it was a very, very emotional, very special time. [SPEAKER_04]: Just as soon as you get there, then it's time to wrap it up.

10:06 [SPEAKER_08]: I'm like, hey, good. [SPEAKER_04]: Go ahead. [SPEAKER_04]: John, have you ever taken the chance to look back and see like how you played the character early on versus how you would end up playing young Ian later? [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, bits and pieces. [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_05]: What's the biggest difference that comes to mind, I guess?

10:24 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I often kind of go, you know, I was 18 when I first pulled my head around that little door. [SPEAKER_05]: And, crazily, it's one of the, one of the, like the clearest memories is that first day. [SPEAKER_05]: so I do think of that moment often and reflect on it and see the development and the evolution that's happened so yeah yeah it's sweet so it makes it makes me feel very emotional, nostalgic, proud, lot of things now do you guys are you are you keeping up with the prequel do either one of you watched a blood of my blood that's their thing [SPEAKER_05]: We love them.

11:05 [SPEAKER_05]: We love them, they're great cast. [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, but yeah, let them tell you all about that. [SPEAKER_04]: Is it you get to keep it in the costumes or in the stuff that you want to keep? [SPEAKER_08]: Do you know what I tried to steal my bonnet on the last day and I got back to my trailer and my drivers said Costume are called and they know that you have your bonnet.

11:25 [SPEAKER_08]: You have to give it back and I was like this bonnet I did not want to work for the past three years now the one time I do want to wear I have to give it back guys [SPEAKER_08]: Ridiculous, but they did let me keep one of Rachel's little like neck and cheese, which I actually really love and do actually sometimes wear it's really soft, so that's quite nice Yeah, we'll be right back, ready to this Welcome back, all right time with the conclusion of this outlander season eight special [SPEAKER_04]: Now we turn to the creative side, Matthew B. Roberts and Meryl Davis, they're going to break down how to close out a decade plus story without turning it into a very special episode.

12:03 [SPEAKER_04]: Keeping things true to the show's roots while still delivering payoff. [SPEAKER_04]: Even up in the Annie with Annie Linux on the theme song this time around we're talking closure time travel rules And the meaning in the world of outlander. [SPEAKER_04]: It's Kyle Meredith with Matthew B. Roberts and Merrill Davis [SPEAKER_04]: Matt said that sounded so don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see it, don't see

12:46 [SPEAKER_04]: What did you not want to do? [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't want to do a very special episode of Outlander. [SPEAKER_02]: If you know what I mean, and that's from TV lower back on the day where, you know, you just have this one off that has nothing to do with the show. [SPEAKER_02]: And it just feels like, you know, and that's what I think, you know, I grew up watching television and I saw those very special episodes.

13:10 [SPEAKER_02]: And you go, hey, that's not the show I've been watching. [SPEAKER_02]: And I didn't want to do that. [SPEAKER_02]: And I think we all wanted to do something that would be, you know, was befitting to the show that you know, that we'd done for, you know, over a decade. [SPEAKER_02]: And so that's what we try to do is try to make the last season very authentic to what came before and then even the last episode I just wanted to do a really good episode of Outlander and not try to do that, you know, a very special episode.

13:37 [SPEAKER_07]: I mean the musical episode. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, the musical episode. [SPEAKER_04]: We're all waiting for that one. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it worked for Fuffy. [SPEAKER_04]: But not many others. [SPEAKER_04]: I speak in a music, a mural who's doing the theme this time. [SPEAKER_07]: any Lennox, which is so easy.

13:52 [SPEAKER_07]: Like I think when we did Shenato Connor, we were like, well, we've kind of hit the pinnacle of like rock legends. [SPEAKER_07]: And then we were talking about like how to up it after Shenate. [SPEAKER_07]: And we were talking with Bear McCurrie and someone throughout Annie Lennox. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, we wanted to do something.

14:09 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we wanted to do something to who, you know, we were thinking about Scott's, you know, who's a huge Scott, Scott's star. [SPEAKER_07]: And somehow Barrenu has been her manager or something. [SPEAKER_07]: So we were like reach out to, as we were shocked as anyone when she was like, she was, you know, really excited to do it.

14:31 [SPEAKER_04]: So what does she think of it and, yeah, you kind of come back. [SPEAKER_04]: I'm admirable. [SPEAKER_04]: There was an amazing. [SPEAKER_04]: Matthew, when we talk about this ending, though, knowing that there's now, you know, there's going to be another book. [SPEAKER_04]: And does that play into how we get closure at all?

14:50 [SPEAKER_04]: Do you keep that in mind that there's more story maybe still to come beyond what you're showing this here? [SPEAKER_02]: I think without lander, what it's proven over the years is we never say never. [SPEAKER_02]: And we've seen characters literally die on camera and then still come back.

15:09 [SPEAKER_02]: So in flashbacks in in different ways, I think there's a ton of story for outlander that can be told. [SPEAKER_02]: even past season eight if it if that if everything fell into place but um because of the time travel because of the way we have constructed the show is we go backwards just as much as we go forward sometimes so I'll leave it at that yeah would you all do time travel again outside of this [SPEAKER_07]: I love period stuff.

15:46 [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, everyone says period doesn't sell anymore, but I, you know, all of it into the contrary, there's so many shows on. [SPEAKER_07]: I think we kind of love to look to the past to inform the future, and especially with everything going on right now, it's a crazy world. [SPEAKER_07]: I think the past gives us some comfort in some ways.

16:02 [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, in some ways, it's not great, but there are other things that weren't easy or simpler time. [SPEAKER_07]: And so I think there's some comfort sometimes and looking at the past and once again, [SPEAKER_02]: And there's this whole other show called Blood of My Blood, it is in the past and a time travel on that show.

16:20 [SPEAKER_02]: So if you're anybody wants the time travel, you can just go right over there. [SPEAKER_02]: It's also on star. [SPEAKER_02]: So take it right on. [SPEAKER_04]: Congrats to the both of you and thank you so much for taking the time to talk. [SPEAKER_04]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_04]: And there you have it.

16:33 [SPEAKER_04]: My thanks to Sophie Skeleton, Richard, Rankin, John Bell, Izzy, Michael, Small, Matthew B. Roberts, and Merrill Davis. [SPEAKER_04]: And of course, thanks to you for checking out the episode. [SPEAKER_04]: The final season of Outlander, in fact, all seasons of Outlander, you can watch on stars.

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17:56 [SPEAKER_04]: Consequence as your music and film news, you can also find any of the social media sites he dresses always at Kyle Meredith, please do like, follow along. [SPEAKER_04]: That does it for another edition. [SPEAKER_04]: I'm Kyle Mereethel, see you next time. [SPEAKER_03]: Consequence podcast network.

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