The Tamesis
Sam Heughan and Caitriona BalfeJohn Nazion/Getty Images
There are TV love stories—and Outlander. For more than a decade, Claire and Jamie Fraser fell in love with each other across centuries, continents and wars; their devotion is as enduring as the Highland mist that originally enveloped their story. After countless episodes filled with romance, revolution and time travel, Outlander Now begins its final chapter — premiering Monday night at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
Since the show premiered in 2014, the seminal historical drama has transformed from a niche favorite to a global phenomenon with a fan base to match. Long before the cast arrived, die-hards had been camping out and praying through the night, hoping to score a ticket to the “fan pit” portion of the red carpet.
“We’re delighted to be here and see the fans,” Sam Heughan, a battle-hardened hero in his kilt, told us. Fashiongave his co-star Caitríona Balfe an emotional look. “This is what we’ve been doing for the past 12 years. But now, all of a sudden, this is it.”
Bittersweet nostalgia hung in the air as the stars of the show walked the red carpet, each aware that this would be the last time they would celebrate the new season together. This feeling of marking the end of an era also resonated with the cast. Sophie Skelton admits she has a deep kinship with her character Brianna Randall Frasier. “Brianna and I have a very close relationship,” she said. “You find yourself in your 20s and we did that together.”
The actors found ways to pay homage to their on-screen selves through their outfits for the night. Heughan and Richard Rankin (who plays Roger Wakefield Mackenzie) both wear costumes by contemporary Scottish designer Siobhan Mackenzie. David Berry paired his vintage Dior suit with his character Lord John Grey’s signet ring, which he kept on set. Balfe, meanwhile, opted for a custom silk gown by Louis Vuitton and a diamond necklace, eternity ring and signature gypsy hoop earrings by Jessica McCormack.
