The Starz hit television series Outlander will return in 2022 — but why is season 6 only eight episodes long? Fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of beloved characters Jamie (Sam Heughan), Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Brianna (Sophie Skelton), and Roger (Richard Rankin), especially in the wake of the emotionally charged Outlander season 5 finale. The official season 6 teaser trailer hints at trouble to come for the inhabitants of Fraser’s Ridge in the form of the beginnings of the American Revolutionary War.
With no exact release date confirmed yet, the Outlander season 6 release is at least scheduled for sometime in early 2022, a full two years after the premiere of season 5 in February of 2020. In addition to the unfortunate break between seasons, Outlander season 6 will also be the shortest of any other season. Why has the show’s sixth season been delayed for so long, and why will it be the shortest Outlander season to date?
It most likely comes as no surprise that the main reason for Outlander season 6’s delay was the coronavirus pandemic and resulting quarantine. Matthew B. Roberts, writer and producer for the show, cites an “unprecedented set of challenges” that led to the decision to shorten the next season of the time-travel romance Outlander to just 8 episodes, compared to the usual 12-13 episodes per season. However, to counteract the shortened season, Roberts says they plan to “film an extended season 7 with 16 episodes next year as life returns to normalcy.” The premiere of Outlander season 6 will also be longer than average, with a 90 minute run time.
In addition to having to contend with coronavirus safety protocols on set, Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser, has also discussed the difficulties of having to film during a troublesome Scottish winter: “We started in January and it's going well; obviously it's been tough with COVID protocols, but also the weather in Scotland has been pretty horrendous,” he said. Furthermore, Heughan discussed his co-star and on-screen wife, Catriona Balfe, who was pregnant at the time of filming. Balfe has since given birth to a baby boy, but during the filming of Outlander season 6, Heughan revealed that it was a challenge to film Balfe at certain angles where her baby bump would not show. Heughan claimed that many episodes had to be shot out of order, and some scenes had to be reshot because Balfe's baby bump had become too obvious.
Producer Roberts promises that despite its shortened length, Outlander season 6 will be “vibrant and dynamic,” and that the decision to shoot a shorter season was vital in putting a prompt end to the so-called “Droughtlander” that fans have endured for the last two years without new content. Despite all these obstacles, fans can expect to see Outlander season 6 in the early months of 2022, putting an official end to the unfortunate delay between seasons 5 and 6.