The end is drawing closer for the hit historical sci-fi drama Outlander as it nears the premiere of its penultimate season this Summer. Starz finally announced an exact date of June 16 for when the first half of the extended 16-episode Season 7 will kick off and with that news comes the first set of images from the upcoming season that highlight the new and old faces fans will see in their return to Fraser's Ridge.
Based on Dana Gabaldon's beloved books, the long-running Starz series has told the epic love story of Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a WWII nurse who is flung back through time to 18th century Scotland and falls in love with a man named Jamie Fraser in a sweeping romance that will change history. Season 6 of Outlander left the family in a tense spot as Jamie (Sam Heugan) was nearly rescued from Richard Brown's (Chris Larkin) men in the final episode while Claire is still imprisoned in Wilmington and facing potential execution for murder. The situation calls for a rescue mission hearkening back to Jamie's rescue of Claire all the way back in Season 1, and it seems like it will be mostly successful as Claire is shown walking free once again. That's just the beginning of their troubles, however, as Season 7 has been heavily teased to take place at the beginning of the American Revolution with unrest growing throughout the nation. Fraser's Ridge will start the new season on shakier ground than ever as they face threats from all sides. On top of it all, the new season will debut a new, moving rendition of the opening theme "The Skye Boat Song" from the legendary Sinéad O'Connor.
Another image introduces Jamie's illegitimate adult son William Ransom, played by Season 7 newcomer Charles Vandervaart, as he speaks with Lord John Grey (David Berry). With his bright red coat, it's clear he'll be on the opposing side of Jamie as he joins the American side in the fight against the British and that means opposing John too. Roger (Richard Ranking) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton), meanwhile, seem to be in the middle of an argument in one of the images while the final two shots highlight Young Ian and Jamie as they prepare to strike back against their enemies.
What Else Is in Store for the Frasers in Outlander Season 7?
Outlander Season 7 will also welcome in Izzy Meikle-Small and Joey Phillips as the Hunter siblings Rachel and Denzell with Gloria Obianyo, Rod Hallett, Chris Fulton, Diarmaid Murtagh, and Kristin Atherton rounding out the newcomers. Returning cast members include Caitlin O’Ryan and Paul Gorman alongside Graham McTavish, Nell Hudson, Steven Cree, Andrew Whipp, Layla Burns, and Lotte Verbeek.
Starz is already locked in for an eighth season of the epic series that will bring this tale of love and time travel to a close, but the Outlander universe is far from finished. With the announcement of that renewal came word of the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood which was greenlit at Starz. It'll follow Jamie's parents on their own adventures across 10 episodes that will fill in some of the blanks about Jamie's origins.
The first half of Season 7 of Outlander will premiere on Starz on June 16 while the rest is slated to release in 2024. Check out the first images from the penultimate act below: