Outlander star Caitríona Balfe’s interview with the LA Times this week has revealed new insights into what will happen with Claire in the show's upcoming sixth season ahead of its premiere date in March 2022. It seems like our favorite Sassenach is still struggling with what happened to her in Season 5.
Balfe discussed much of her career during the interview, such as her childhood in Monaghan, Ireland, her first role as an actress in J.J. Abrams’ 2011 film Super 8, and her experiences filming her new movie Belfast, which was released on November 12. But the biggest reveal was in regard to her most famous character, Claire Fraser. Balfe discussed both the struggles Claire will be experiencing due to both factors in the coming season as well as how she went about depicting Claire’s menopause.
"Psychologically,” Balfe said, "she’s really struggling from having the attack at the end of last season. She’s someone who’s always been able to compartmentalize things and been able to put things in a box and move on. But this is something she’s unable to do that with. She’s really struggling emotionally and mentally to keep her feet on the ground and keep moving forward."
Balfe added that for her, returning to the character involved coming back to Claire at a time when she was "more destabilized than she ever has been before," adding, "That’s a lot to do with the events of last season, but I [also] talked to a lot of women and there’s a lot going on in the U.K. press in the last year about women who go through menopause and how that can really destabilize you [and] change your ability to cope with things. I was definitely bleeding that into what was going on in this season."
This reveal of Claire’s internal journey may shape the course of Outlander Season 6, which airs in early 2022. As Claire and Jamie battle against outside forces, this internal struggle may become a large factor in how they face that threat both together and individually.
Outlander Season 6 will premiere on Starz on March 6, 2022. The show has already been renewed for a seventh season on the network. Check out the first trailer for Season 6 below: