***WARNING: Contains possible Outlander Season 6 Spoilers and mentions of alcoholism and assault***
The "Droughtlander" has finally come to an end for Outlander fans who have been patiently awaiting season 6 for two years now. Last season was supposedly taking place during the Fiery Cross book storyline, but also drew much inspiration from A Break Of Snow And Ashes.
With the story skipping around and making deviations from the Outlander books to advance the plot, book readers and devout show-watchers alike are uncertain of what this season will bring. After all, the first episode titled "Echoes" implies the show will be heading into the An Echo In The Bone plotline. On Reddit, fans of the show are questioning what may come next this season.
Are Roger And Brianna Going Back To The Future?
Roger, Brianna, and Jemmy tried to return to the 20th century in season 5. Fortunately, it didn't work, and Bree and Roger were there to help with Claire's rescue at the end of the season. However, some fans think that they might try the journey again and actually make it this season.
On Reddit, bdx11 guessed as much, writing, "Starz has been posting so much about how Bree and Roger belong in the past that I think they are actually leaving this time." To certain fans, it's a case of "the lady doth protest too much," and that Starz's comments are a deliberate misdirect prior to Bree and Roger making their way back to the 1970s.
Will Ian Reveal More About Emily?
One of the biggest questions fans had going into season 6 of Outlander centered around Ian and why exactly he chose to leave the Mohawk and come back to Claire and Jamie. Ian is a fan-favorite character, so viewers were happy to see him return to the core cast, but there were a lot of unanswered questions about Ian's change in disposition.
Redditor YOYOitsMedRup thinks that the show will delve more into his story this season. They said, "I think we'll see flashbacks of Ian's life with the Mohawk/Emily." Ian only very briefly mentioned his wife, Emily, last season, and fans are desperate to know what really happened between them.
Will Next Season Will Be Longer?
Some fans were shocked to see that season 6 is only slated to have 8 episodes. The season premiered with an hour and a half episode, but that is not the trend for the rest of the season. Considering COVID and Catriona Balfe's pregnancy during filming, it's understandable that the filming got cut short, but fans are still wondering what this means for future seasons.
However, some fans are wondering if this means that next season will be longer to make up for the lack of episodes. Redditor somethingnerdrelated commented, "I think they said that season 7 will have something like 16 episodes, though, to make up for only having 8 this season." Whiskeynwine questioned, "Covid delayed filming but they finished season 5 in November '19 and had it out by the following February. It's not a criticism, I'm just a naturally curious person."
What Is Going On With Fergus?
To those that are familiar with Fergus's character, his most recent character development is totally jarring and confusing. Although he briefly mentions that he feels guilty about Claire's abduction and Marsali's attack, his belligerent alcoholism and domestic abuse don't seem like an appropriate response.
Redditor Bc2193 had a list of reasons that they were questioning Fergus's behavior. They wrote, "He's always been lovely. They have a good marriage. He made weird comments about being one-handed--this has never been an issue before. What has led him to drink?! I loved his character. Why have they done this to my boy?"
What's The Reasoning Behind Claire's Ether Abuse?
No one could fault someone for coping mechanisms after going through what Claire experienced at the end of season 5. She was seriously traumatized. However, a constant in her character has been her dedication to conducting as a medical professional. She never lets her own personal feelings get in the way of her medicinal code.
Justice was served in season 5 in an outstanding moment for women when Marsali protected her family and Claire by lethally injecting Brown--but Claire refused to do it. One Redditor, ritatherosy, pointed out how out-of-character this is for Claire. they wrote, "It set up the audience in a sense to believe that she was true to her code despite the trauma. Then-whiplash-few months later and she is doing something unethical to her code with the ether."
Why Doesn't Jamie Send Christie Away?
It seems, again, more trouble has been brought to the Ridge in the form of Thomas Christie. One of the saddest things that happened to Jamie was being a wanted man and imprisoned in Ardsmuir for years of his life. After dealing with the Browns and all of their drama, a ghost from Jamie's past is threatening to make life difficult for him again and fans are wondering why.
Jamie is a man of honor, but fans are questioning why he didn't put his foot down with Christie settling on the Ridge in order to keep the peace. Redditor JJMcGee83 commented, "Why didn't they just send Mr. Christie away? Why couldn't he just say, 'look, this is my land and you should not have come here. You know why. I'm not looking to fight with you every day, so just go somewhere else.'"
Will Malva Cause Problems?
A brand-new character, Malva Christie, has settled onto the Ridge with her family. She's also expressed interest in Claire's medical work, even though Thomas Christie would be vehemently against it. Although Malva seems innocent enough, fans are picking up something off about her.
Specifically, Redditor Dethmoose asks whether Malva will cause problems for Claire. They wrote, "Malva will let a thing slip that could easily trigger Tom's god-fearing wrath. Claire, thinking Malva is innocent and malleable still, will try to teach her things that when interpreted by scripture will cause trouble."
Are The Wigs Going To Get Better?
A major complaint that fans have had in the recent seasons of the show has been the quality of the wigs used on the main cast. Outlander is one of Starz's biggest shows and undoubtedly has a sizeable budget. After all, they had some amazing dresses when the show was in Scotland.
But, the style and colors of the wigs have been subpar and fans are wondering why more effort isn't being put into them. On Reddit, Jennifoto asked, "Why oh why did they make Tom Christie's hair color and Mr. Brown's so similar to Jamie? These wigs went from bad to worse." Monstera372 chimed in, "Especially Claire's! Who has that much hair? Especially since they're supposed to be aging."
Is Murtagh Going To Make A Flashback Appearance?
Murtagh Fitzgibbons was a fan-favorite character and had some iconic scenes over the course of Outlander. Unfortunately, fans had to say goodbye to Murtagh last season--although, he did stay present longer in the show than in the books. When season 6 started with a flashback to Ardsmuir, viewers were hopeful they would get a glimpse of Murtagh again, but didn't.
Redditor HurtingToes asked the thread, "Why wasn't Murtagh in the Ardsmuir scenes?" Some fans guessed it was because he hadn't arrived at the prison yet, but there has been disappointment across the board. Perhaps, if there are additional flashback scenes, he will make his way onscreen.
Does The Music Mean Something?
Not only is there a new intro song this season featuring a duet and new lyrics, but fans have also noticed a change in the tone of the background music during the scenes of the new episodes, and they are wondering if there is substantial meaning behind it.
Speaking about the change in the intro song lyrics, Redditor Pretty_Please1 wrote, "I wondered if the change from 'lass' to 'lad' was intentional as a hint of something to come in this season." Kydyer on Reddit commented on the season 6 premiere, saying, "The tone and music in this episode was ominous, menacing, and foreboding."