<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for the season seven premiere of Starz drama, "Outlander."</li><li>Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe spoke to Insider about what lies ahead for the Scot and Sassenach.</li></ul>The premiere of "<a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-where-every-character-ended-up-season-six-guide-2023-6">Outlander</a>" season seven has brought a more than year-long "Droughtlander" to an end.When viewers last saw the former Highland hero and his time-traveling wife, they had been heartbreakingly separated once again.Claire (<a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-caitriona-balfe-claire-jamie-sam-heughan-vanity-fair-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitríona Balfe</a>), locked up in a cell in Wilmington, North Carolina, was awaiting her day in court to prove her innocence in the murder of Malva Christie (Jessica Reynolds).Meanwhile, Jamie (<a href="https://www.insider.com/sam-heughan-betrayed-on-outlander-unnecessary-penis-shot-2022-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Heughan</a>) was almost shipped back to Scotland by Richard Brown's (Chris Larkin) men before he was rescued by Ian (John Bell) and his Mohawk allies.The season seven premiere, which is now available to stream on the Starz app, sees Jamie make good on his promise to get his wife safely back home, but it's another man's love and devotion for Claire that ultimately allows her to walk free and return to Fraser's Ridge.<h2>Claire's 'shocking' moment</h2>However, the premiere's cold open teased a different fate for Claire, and in a stress-inducing 90-second scene that we soon learn is "Jamie imagining the worst," as executive producer Maris Davis puts it, we see her hanged in front of an expectant Wilmington crowd."We wanted a shocking moment to remind the audience that, actually, there is a time clock on Jamie rescuing Claire," Davis said in an interview with Insider over Zoom to discuss the season premiere. "She could easily, at any moment, hang."Davis added that the moment isn't meant to be interpreted as one of Jamie's dreams, which as one <a href="https://youtu.be/0f_T4AwYnwA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">season seven teaser</a> shows, have begun to provide him with his own way to travel through time and see events from a future that he's not in.<div type="image" title="Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe) is shown being hanged before a crowd in Wilmington." height="2000" width="2666" msid="101050904" hostid="261" sizebytes="126704"></div>"It's not a dream. We talked about it, like, 'Should it be a dream? What should it be?' And it is literally him thinking, 'The worst thing I can imagine is Claire being hanged and I won't get there in time,'" Davis said."It adds a little momentum to the story of Jamie getting back Claire."<h2>Who killed Malva?</h2>Claire is spared her fate after Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) confesses that he murdered Malva, who he reveals isn't his daughter but his niece. Tom's wife had an affair with his brother when Tom was imprisoned for supporting the Stuarts during the Jacobite Rising, something Claire cottoned on to last season.While Tom said he did it out of anger over Malva's promiscuous behavior, Jamie and Claire aren't convinced he could be capable of doing such a thing — and Davis warned that audiences shouldn't be either."The thing about Tom is that he's such an interesting character, and obviously Mark Lewis Jones, who plays him, is brilliant," Davis said.While he was the "villain" figure of season six, audiences will now see he has been misunderstood."We realize that Tom actually is a good person that he loves Claire, he makes the ultimate sacrifice for her. He says in that scene, 'Let me do this, it's the one good thing,'" said Davis.Daivs teased that it isn't the last viewers have seen of Tom and that the mystery of Malva's murder will be resolved before too long.<div type="image" title="Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones) intervenes to have Claire's murder charge withdrawn." height="1998" width="2664" msid="101050906" hostid="261" sizebytes="111612"></div><h2>Jamie has vengeance on his mind, says Sam Heughan</h2>Insider also caught up with Heughan and Balfe to discuss the episode and what lies ahead for the Scot and Sassanach now that the American Revolution has well and truly reached North Carolina."The war is something that has been looming for a while now," Heughan said. "There's been all these rumblings and a lot of tactical movements by Jamie, changing sides from the British to now being one of the rebels." Heughan said the war, which becomes its own character this season, will have "grave repercussions" for Jamie and Claire, even as they try their best to stay out of the conflict."They have no other choice but to be involved yet again. It's unavoidable," Heughan said. "Before they've tried to circumnavigate — you know, Culloden, and the history in Scotland — but this time, there's no avoiding this one."While Jamie isn't the one to lay down his life for Claire, he does manage to eliminate another one of the Frasers' enemies by the end of the episode.Once Claire has returned home and has fallen asleep, Jamie leaves the big house to go back to Wilmington on the hunch that it was Robert Brown's horse he saw waiting outside an inn. (He's pretty certain since, as he says, he "stared at his arse for 200 miles" after he and Claire were arrested.)<div type="image" title="Jamie Fraser in &quot;Outlander&quot; season seven." height="1200" width="1599" msid="101050907" hostid="261" sizebytes="83792"></div>"I think it's fortuitous that he notices Brown's horse and he's there," Heughan said.The actor describes Jamie's thought process towards Brown as being: "When the time is right, I will seek my vengeance.""He holds this grudge and he's going to deal with it when he can — it just happens to be in this episode," said Heughan.While Balfe pointed out that "the Browns have taken so much from" Jamie and Claire since they came into the story in season five, Heughan stressed that killing Robert was "not an emotional thing" for Jamie."It's a cold vengeance which I think is more scary," he said.<h2>What is still to come in season 7</h2>Looking ahead at what the seventh season will bring the Frasers, Heughan summed it up in one word: "Homecoming."<div type="image" title="&quot;Outlander&quot; season seven begins June 16." height="2000" width="2666" msid="101050909" hostid="261" sizebytes="255280"></div>He said that viewers can expect to see more of "Jamie's extended family," and that means both returning characters and new ones, including the introduction of William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart), the child Jamie fathered some 18 years ago.Now an adult, William has signed up to fight for the British Army in the war, putting the father and son on opposing sides.Balfe noted that their relationship, a microcosm of how once united communities now find themselves divided, will form a "strong thread" throughout the season."I think audiences are going to really, really love the storyline between William and Jamie," said Balfe."The repercussions of all of that, that's going to be something that people are going to be really excited about," she added.According to Davis, audiences can expect the first half of season seven to be "jam-packed" before it takes a midseason break until 2024. It will also end on another heart-stopping cliffhanger."The first episode kind of lulls you into thinking everything's going to be okay and then we're off to the races."The first episode of "Outlander" season seven is now available to stream on the Starz app, and also airs at 8 p.m. Friday on Starz.

'Outlander' stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe break down Jamie's 'cold vengeance' in the season 7 premiere, and the Frasers' 'unavoidable' fate

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"<keyword id="12897795" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="outlander" source="Orion">Outlander</keyword>" star <keyword id="11911969" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sam-heughan" source="Orion">Sam Heughan</keyword> told Insider the "majority" of fans of the Starz drama are "awesome." </li><li>"If there are one or two that are slightly on the fringes of society, then so be it," Heughan said.</li></ul>"Outlander" star Sam Heughan shared his thoughts on the Starz drama's devoted fanbase in a recent interview with Insider. "I think we've all had our own experiences and certainly some have been quite unique," Heughan said when asked about his experience with the show's viewers. "But the majority of our fans are awesome and we love interacting with them." "If there are one or two that are slightly on the fringes of society, then so be it," the actor continued, after reiterating that the show's fans are "just terrific." Heughan was referring to a <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-caitriona-balfe-claire-jamie-sam-heughan-vanity-fair-2022-1">small but passionate faction of "Outlander" viewers</a> who believe that he and costar <keyword id="12897794" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="caitriona-balfe" source="Orion">Caitriona Balfe</keyword> are secretly dating in real life.In a January <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/01/the-prime-of-caitriona-balfe-awards-insider">interview with Vanity Fair</a>, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/kenneth-branagh-belfast-review-jamie-dornan-oscars-glory-2021-10">"Belfast" actress</a> discussed how some fans are even convinced that the child she recently had with her <a href="https://www.insider.com/oscars-best-dressed-celebrity-couples-2020-2#tony-mcgill-and-caitriona-balfe-looked-chic-and-stylish-12">husband, Anthony McGill,</a> is really Heughan's, since bedsheets in the background of a baby picture were apparently similar to some in Heughan's photos. The former model also said in the interviews that fans called a church on her wedding day to ascertain whether her marriage to McGill was "real" and that some may have even hired private investigators to prove that Balfe and Heughan were dating. <div type="image" title="Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser on &quot;Outlander&quot; season 1." height="1334" width="1778" msid="90649836" hostid="261"></div>Heughan told Insider that he and Balfe were initially caught off guard by the passionate fanbase "Outlander" garnered soon after its release. "I think both of us were unaware of having more <keyword id="6355064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="celebrity" source="Orion">celebrity</keyword> status, or just interacting with fans, I think we were both very, very open," Heughan said, adding, "I think we've probably become a little bit more protective now." Elsewhere in the interview, Heughan said that filming some sex scenes during the show's first season <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-sam-heughan-sex-scenes-season-one-jamie-jack-randall-2022-3">wasn't always an easy experience</a>. "On a personal note, they are always pretty uncomfortable. It's not the most natural thing," Heughan said of the show's sex scenes. "Certainly for my character, having to go through the the assault and rape at the end of the first season, was pretty tough."<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g9JV04lv30w" frameborder="0"></iframe>

'Outlander' star Sam Heughan reacts to fans who are convinced he's dating costar Caitriona Balfe in real life: 'The majority of our fans are awesome'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"<keyword id="12897795" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="outlander" source="Orion">Outlander</keyword>" star Caitríona Balfe says the show's "crazies" don't believe in her real-life marriage.</li><li>Balfe, who plays Claire Fraser in the period drama, married music manager Anthony McGill in 2019.</li></ul>The "Outlander" star <a href="https://www.insider.com/golden-globes-2022-complete-list-of-nominees#best-supporting-actress-motion-picture-18">Caitríona Balfe</a> said certain diehard fans of the show <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/01/the-prime-of-caitriona-balfe-awards-insider">didn't believe in her real-life marriage</a> — and that they once even hired private investigators to prove she and her costar <keyword id="11911969" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sam-heughan" source="Orion">Sam Heughan</keyword> were together. In <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/01/the-prime-of-caitriona-balfe-awards-insider">Vanity Fair's new interview with Balfe</a>, she said a small but passionate subsection of "Outlander" fans were genuinely convinced that she and Heughan, who plays her love interest, Jamie Fraser, on the show, were in a legitimate relationship.Balfe <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/01/the-prime-of-caitriona-balfe-awards-insider">told Vanity Fair</a> that the recent birth of her son had caused her to become more wary of these overzealous fans. "When you have a kid, you become really protective. I don't want those crazies — because that's what they are — I just don't want them talking about him," she said. According to the <a href="https://www.insider.com/kenneth-branagh-belfast-review-jamie-dornan-oscars-glory-2021-10">"Belfast" actress</a>, there are some fans who are convinced that the child she recently had with her <a href="https://www.insider.com/oscars-best-dressed-celebrity-couples-2020-2#tony-mcgill-and-caitriona-balfe-looked-chic-and-stylish-12">husband, Anthony McGill,</a> is Heughan's, since bedsheets in the background of a baby picture were apparently similar to some in Heughan's photos. The former model also said fans called a church on her wedding day to ascertain whether her marriage to McGill was "real" and that some may have even hired private investigators to prove that Balfe and Heughan were dating. "It's sad, because you meet the loveliest people who are fans of the show and they're super supportive and they do the nicest things — and then you have that little thing, which just taints it," Balfe said of the "Outlander" fandom. Based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon, "Outlander" follows Claire Fraser (Balfe), a woman from 1940s Scotland who's magically transported back to the 18th century. While adjusting to life in 1700s Scotland, Claire meets and falls in love with Jamie (Heughan), a rebellious clansman from the Scottish Highlands.

Caitríona Balfe says 'Outlander' fandom 'crazies' may have hired private investigators to prove she and costar Sam Heughan are dating in real life — even though she married somebody else in 2019

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sam Heughan joked the new "Outlander" prequel series "better not be better" than his show.</li><li>Heughan stars as rugged Scotsman Jamie Fraser on the Starz period drama. </li></ul>"Outlander" star <a href="https://www.insider.com/sam-heughan-caitriona-balfe-dating-outlander-fans-interview-2022-4">Sam Heughan</a> weighed in on the recently-announced prequel series, "Blood of My Blood," during an interview with Insider earlier this year — and joked that while he's excited for the upcoming spinoff, it "better not be better" than the original."I knew it was in the works, I'm really excited for Diana [Gabaldon, author of the "Outlander" novels], and for everyone who stars as well," Heughan said. At the time Insider spoke with Heughan in March, the prequel series was reported to be in the works but not officially confirmed to be in development. Starz announced on Thursday that the show, titled "Outlander: Blood of My Blood," will be moving forward at the network.<div type="image" title="Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser on &quot;Outlander&quot; season 1." height="1334" width="1778" msid="93370286" hostid="261"></div>Heughan, who has played <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-sam-heughan-sex-scenes-season-one-jamie-jack-randall-2022-3">Jamie Fraser on the steamy Starz series</a> opposite <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-caitriona-balfe-claire-jamie-sam-heughan-vanity-fair-2022-1">Caitriona Balfe</a> as his wife for all six seasons, also joked about whether he'd be cast in the new show, which will focus on the love story between Jamie's parents, Ellen and Brian Fraser."I wanna see that story myself and I'm like, 'Am I in this? Am I not in this? Do I have to play a young version of myself?'" Heughan said in March of the planned prequel."I can't wait to see it," the actor told Insider, jokingly adding: "It just better not be better than our show." Per the press release from Starz, writing is already underway for "Blood of My Blood." "Outlander" showrunner and executive producer Matthew B. Roberts will also serve as showrunner and EP on the forthcoming show, and Gabaldon will serve as a consulting producer. A seventh season of "Outlander" is <a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/outlander-season-7-filming-begins-for-new-season-in-scotland-3644500">currently in production</a>.You can stream the both the upcoming "Outlander" prequel and the original hit series with a Starz subscription:

'Outlander' star Sam Heughan jokes that the upcoming prequel series 'better not be better than our show'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"<keyword id="12306690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="belfast" source="Orion">Belfast</keyword>" was written and directed by the acclaimed filmmaker <keyword id="12306691" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kenneth-branagh" source="Orion">Kenneth Branagh</keyword>.</li><li>It is the "Thor" director's best work yet.</li></ul>Kenneth Branagh's new film "Belfast" is loud and knowing, but there is one impressively deft moment near the beginning of the film where our young protagonist Buddy (the charming newcomer Jude Hill), is perched on a curb. He is quietly reading a copy of the Marvel comic Thor.As many commentators pointed out after the film's roaring premiere at TIFF in September where it won the coveted audience award, Branagh has personal ties to the Marvel superhero. He directed the 2011 film "Thor," the first big-screen adaptation starring Chris Hemsworth. This clever reference is one of the few moments where it is made clear that the story of Buddy and "Belfast" is also, in part, the story of Branagh.The year is 1969, and the emotional, loosely autobiographical story begins with Belfast, Branagh's childhood home city, gripped by The Troubles, a long and deadly conflict between mostly Protestant unionists determined for Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom and Catholic republicans desperate to break away and create a united Ireland.On Buddy's side of the city, Protestant and Catholic families had long lived together in harmony, but the increasing violence and intimidation - in this case, Protestants eager to clear Catholics out of their neighborhood - has shattered all tradition and forced families - even Protestant ones like Buddy's and Branagh's - to relocate in search of peace.But it is never easy to leave the place one might call home even when it no longer feels particularly welcoming. What about family, identity, history, community, solidarity? These are themes "Belfast" explores through the eyes of 9-year-old Buddy as his parents, portrayed by <keyword id="12306692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jamie-dornan" source="Orion">Jamie Dornan</keyword> and Caitriona Balfe (a distinctively beautiful Irish couple), decide they must leave their home and what's left of their family for what they hope is safety and prosperity in England.<h2>What's Hot: Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan</h2><div type="image" title="A picture of Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan in &quot;Belfast.&quot;" height="795" width="1194" msid="86995942" hostid="261"></div>"Belfast" opens with grand, sweeping shots of landmarks around the Northern Irish capital presented in color. And when the scene is set, the screen shrinks into taut shades of black and white through which the rest of the story is told.The digital black and white photography is luscious and will instantly remind viewers of Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón's similarly autobiographical black and white epic "Roma," which swept the Academy Awards in 2019. But Branagh's film is a lot less ambitious. There is violence in the film but it is only shown in glimpses. And the role of Britain and British soldiers in the conflict is only ever implied, never confronted.Branagh isn't really interested in the political projects of British colonialism or Irish republicanism but rather how sectarianism affects the home. At times, this can make the film's action sequences feel a little flat even when the lives of our protagonists are in immediate danger. But the audience receives its hearty fill in the back-alleys and doorways of the city's terraced houses where the kids play with their footballs and the adults chew the fat.The film's script - also written by Branagh - is sharp, witty, and expertly straddles what could be described as dark Irish humor and the codes of what audiences deem acceptable in contemporary <keyword id="11896019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">entertainment</keyword>. At one point, for example, Judi Dench, who is in fine form as Buddy's grandmother alongside the Irish great Ciarán Hinds who plays the grandfather, describes the absurdity of the divide between Catholics and Protestants by talking about the close friendship she has managed to foster with an Asian woman a couple of doors down who made her a curry that kept her in a "nappy for a week." Buddy's family are a struggling but resilient bunch. Dornan - unfortunately, best known for his work in the "Fifty Shades" series - is the young patriarch, but as soon as we meet him it is clear that he is losing control over the direction of his family's life.He is back and forth between Belfast and England, where he has found work. But the taxman, as well as the Protestant heavies who require his "cash or commitment" to the sectarian movement, have started to run him down. This crushing weight is visible on Dornan's face and he carries it throughout the film in a performance that is uniquely physical and emotional. He is matched only by Balfe who stays in Belfast with the kids and tries to keep them out of harm's way. As the film's climax approaches, the pair lean on each other more and their performances fold into one unified front against the war on their doorstep. Near the end, they even share the dance floor for a rendition of Love Affair's "Everlasting," which will play poorly with a more reluctant, hardened audience, but I found it to be deeply moving. <h2>Verdict: "Belfast" will be a certain awards favorite</h2><div type="image" title="A picture from Kenneth Branagh's film &quot;Belfast.&quot;" height="1139" width="2024" msid="86995944" hostid="261"></div>Earlier this week, <a href="https://variety.com/2021/awards/news/belfast-oscars-jamie-dornan-caitriona-balfe-awards-campaigns-1235086144/">Variety reported that Focus Features</a>, the studio releasing "Belfast," will give the film a widescale awards campaign with Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan submitted in supporting acting categories and newcomer Jude Hill as a leading actor.I also expect the film to garner significant awards attention for its writing and direction. Branagh - who was last seen on screen in Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" and has enjoyed one of the most acclaimed careers across the screen and theater as a writer, director, and actor - has never won an Oscar. That's quite a shocking omission considering Branagh has successfully adapted Shakespeare multiple times.Nonetheless, "Belfast" feels like a homecoming of sorts for Branagh. A tribute to the people of his city that have and continue to endure devastating political instability. And that's a narrative even the Academy can't ignore. "Belfast" screens at the London film festival this week and is released on 12 November in the US, and 25 February in the UK.<h2>Grade: A+</h2><iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nydCNUw7yZE" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Kenneth Branagh's 'Belfast' is a triumph and Jamie Dornan is destined for Oscar glory

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11911969" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sam-heughan" source="Orion">Sam Heughan</keyword> said he "didn't feel that supported" during <keyword id="12087762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sex-scenes" source="Orion">sex scenes</keyword> on season 1 of "<keyword id="12897795" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="outlander" source="Orion">Outlander</keyword>."</li><li>"We were in a different environment," Heughan told Insider of filming early seasons of the drama.</li></ul>Historical drama "Outlander" has featured lots of onscreen sex throughout its six seasons and counting. But Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie on the Starz show, revealed to Insider in a new interview that filming some of these sexual moments during the first season wasn't an easy experience. "On a personal note, they are always pretty uncomfortable. It's not the most natural thing," Heughan said of the show's sex scenes. "Certainly for my character, having to go through the the assault and rape at the end of the first season, was pretty tough." At the end of the show's first season, Heughan's character, Jamie Fraser — an 18th-century Scottish warrior — is captured by Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall (Tobias Menzies), a cruel and sadistic British officer.In exchange for letting Jamie's wife Claire (a time-traveling WWII nurse played by <a href="https://www.insider.com/outlander-caitriona-balfe-claire-jamie-sam-heughan-vanity-fair-2022-1">Caitriona Balfe</a>) escape, Jamie submits to Randall's demands, and ends up being repeatedly tortured and sexually assaulted by Randall. Claire, with the help of Jamie's Highlander kin, eventually rescues her husband, and the two flee Scotland at the end of season one. "I didn't feel that supported, looking back at it in hindsight," Heughan continued. <div type="image" title="Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser on &quot;Outlander&quot; season 1." height="1334" width="1778" msid="90059531" hostid="261"></div>The actor went on to clarify that working on season one of the period drama, which first aired in 2014 and is based on the bestselling series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, was a "new" experience for everyone involved. "We were making a new show, and I think... we were in a different environment," Heughan told Insider. "People were expecting more out out of the show. They wanted to see more." "I think now, maybe less is more," he added. For the sixth season of "Outlander," which premiered Sunday, Heughan, who is now also an executive producer on the long-running series, brought on <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-sex-scenes-are-filmed-normal-people-intimacy-coordinator-2020-4">intimacy coordinator</a> Vanessa Coffey to help with the show's sex scenes. "It's been fantastic having her on board," Heughan said of Coffey's involvement. "Not only to help facilitate those scenes, which can be kind of awkward and maybe even difficult, but actually, she's really helped to explore the relationship... and how do we take the audience on a journey and let them feel that they're getting a glimpse into a really intimate moment " And the actor emphasized that sex and physical connection are integral to Jamie's relationship with Claire. "It's a huge part of their relationship. It's how they reconnect with each other. And it's great to see a healthy relationship like that on screen," Heughan said. The new season of "Outlander" premiered Sunday on Starz, and will see Jamie and Claire (now living in colonial America) coming face to face with an old enemy. You can watch the trailer below.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4IoDqpeQrdc" frameborder="0"></iframe>

'Outlander' star Sam Heughan says he 'didn't feel that supported' while filming sex scenes on earlier seasons of the show

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5547e49069bedd6e3072e319-1198-798/outlander moms women ratings.jpg" border="0" alt="outlander moms women ratings">StarzCaitrona Balfe and Sam Heughan play the romantic leads on Starz's "Outlander."</img></div></div></div>Starz's new fantasy series "Outlander" is pretty popular with a lot of moms. Not only have we heard that anecdotally from those around us, but <a href="http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/outlander_the_game_of_thrones_of_soccer_moms_right-2015-04">Zap2it </a>even referred to it in April as "'Game of Thrones' for the soccer moms."So is it true? According to ratings statistics, there's some support for the theory. "Outlander" is watched predominately by women. According to Nielsen numbers, 64% more women than men watch the epic period drama. Drilling down further, you'll find an average 2.5 million women are watching the current season. One million of them belong to the older-skewing 25-54 year old demographic - which can be viewed as one indicator for the mom demographic.Why are women flocking to watch the romantic adventures of a woman sent back in time and forced to marry a man she barely knows?1.) Moms read the books and became hooked.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5547e95b6da811905282d330-594-297/diana-gabaldon-outlander.jpg" border="0" alt="diana gabaldon outlander">David Levenson/Getty ImagesAuthor Diana Gabaldon is writing a ninth "Outlander" novel.</img></div></div></div> Many of the series' fans started with the book series written by Diana Gabaldon. Spanning eight novels released between 1991 and 2014, the "Outlander" world has expanded to include short stories, <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/outlander-series/the-exile-graphic-novel/">a graphic novel</a>, and a <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/misc/outlander-the-musical/">musical album</a>. And Gabaldon is <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/misc/when-will-the-next-book-be-out/">writing a ninth book </a>for the series."It's the history. It's the story itself and the romance at the heart of it and it's just these characters," mom and "Outlander" watcher, Karen Mitchell, 60, told BI. "It's the whole package. I'm an avid reader and I've read so many bad books in my life. This is not it. This is a book series that can really engage readers on so many levels."Mitchell, who lives near Portland, Oregon, said there was a fear for her and within the books' fandom that Starz would make "horrible" casting choices. "Right with the first episode, even before, everyone became very happy with the way things were going," she said.Conversely, Mitchell's daughter is also a fan of the TV series, but that's where she discovered the story. She's now going back to read the books.A grandmother now, Texas native Connie Sandlin, 64, also read the books first and told BI she's very happy with what Starz did with the series and is prone to say, "If it's OK with Diana, it's OK with me."2.) Moms like the characters' family values.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5547e9826da811705182d330-1200-600/outlander-moms-women-ratings-1.jpg" border="0" alt="outlander moms women ratings 1">StarzFans seem very content with Starz's casting of Claire and Jamie on "Outlander."</img></div></div></div> Sandlin appreciates what the main characters Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jaime (Sam Heughan) stand for."They're good examples of the real values we should have: loyalty and being honest, standing up for your family, making sure your children are well cared for to the best of your ability. As a mother, that all appeals to me," she said.3.) Women find inspiration in Claire and Jaime's marriage.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5547ea92eab8eabf1033e4a4-959-479/outlander-moms-women-ratings-3.jpg" border="0" alt="outlander moms women ratings 3">StarzClaire is transported from 1945 to 1743 Scotland where she must marry Jaime.</img></div></div></div> "I like watching these two central characters," Mitchell said. "Jamie and Claire navigate the rocky shores of marriage at different places in their lives. All of us bring our own lives to the books and it's like watching, if you will, our lives in Jamie and Claire's. We learn something about marriage from them."Sandlin found herself in a unique position in which she pulled inspiration from the couple. "I started my life over again seven years ago with my husband when we moved to Costa Rica," she said. "I learned from Jamie and Claire about taking risks and that wherever we were, we were home with each other."4.) Moms appreciate the show's female point of view.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5547eba76bb3f76a1b844bcb-1200-600/outlander-lotte-verbeek-caitriona-balfe-starz.jpg" border="0" alt="Outlander Lotte Verbeek Caitriona Balfe Starz">StarzFrom left, Lotte Verbeek and Caitriona Balfe on Starz's "Outlander."</img></div></div></div> Aside from rare exceptions in which another character narrates an episode, "Outlander" is told primarily from Claire's point of view."One of the reasons that female viewers are so drawn to the show is because you're getting to see things the way a woman would see them," Mitchell pointed out.That's not only a gesture toward Gabaldon's books, but also a reflection of who's behind the camera on the Starz series."The presence of females in the writers room, female executive producers, and the fact that [executive producer] Ron D. Moore is so attentive to what women might be thinking, how women might be viewing it, what a strong woman looks like, how a strong woman sounds and that women at any age can have full lives," Mitchell said.5.) But, of course, Sam Heughan as Jamie doesn't hurt.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5547ec68eab8eaa21733e4a8-1200-600/outlander-moms-women-ratings-5.jpg" border="0" alt="outlander moms women ratings 5">StarzSam Heughan plays Scottish warrior and outlaw Jamie Fraser on Starz's "Outlander."</img></div></div></div> "I couldn't be happier," said Sandlin of the casting. "I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role of Jamie other than Sam Heughan. He has the right body type and a kind nature."Mitchell agreed. "Obviously, Sam's looks have drawn a lot of people to the show. The fact that he's an honestly decent, nice man really makes it a much worthwhile pursuit to watch.""Outlander" airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-stars-real-life-2015-4">Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NzaTRldDoXZcQw9XO6NGGy8J2dbDaF1A" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'NzaTRldDoXZcQw9XO6NGGy8J2dbDaF1A',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

5 reasons so many moms are obsessed with Starz's sexy new historical fantasy show 'Outlander'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56930338c08a8017028b856e-1993-1495/gettyimages-504392926.jpg" alt="kate winslet" data-mce-source="Jason Merritt/Getty Images" />Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesKate Winslet won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in "Steve Jobs".</div></div></div>The 73rd annual Golden Globes are taking place tonight. Hosted by comedian Ricky Gervais for a fourth time, the awards ceremony honors both film and TV from 2015."Carol" leads the film categories with five nominations, and six shows, including Amazon's "Transparent" and FX's "Fargo," landed three nominations each.As the winners are announced this evening, we'll be updating this list live.Check out tonight's big winners below in BOLD: Best motion picture, drama "Carol" "Mad Max: Fury Road" "The Revenant" "Room" "Spotlight" Best motion picture, comedy or musical "The Big Short" "Joy" "The Martian" "Spy" "Trainwreck"Best director Todd Haynes, "Carol" Alejandro Inarritu, "The Revenant" Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight" George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road" Ridley Scott, "The Martian"Best TV series, drama "Empire" "Game of Thrones" "Mr. Robot" "Narcos" "Outlander"Best TV series, comedy "Casual" "Mozart in the Jungle" - Winner "Transparent" "Orange is the New Black" "Veep"Best actor in a motion picture, drama Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"? Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant" ?Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs" Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl" Will Smith, "Concussion"Best actress in a motion picture, drama Cate Blanchett, "Carol" Brie Larson, "Room" Rooney Mara, "Carol" Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn" Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl"Best actor in a motion picture, comedy or musical Christian Bale, "The Big Short" Steve Carell, "The Big Short" Matt Damon, "The Martian" Al Pacino, "Danny Collins" Mark Ruffalo, "Infinitely Polar Bear"Best actress in a motion picture, comedy or musical Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy" Melissa McCarthy, "Spy"? Amy Schumer, "Trainwreck"? Maggie Smith, "Lady in the Van"? Lily Tomlin, "Grandma"Best supporting actor in TV miniseries or TV movie Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife" Damian Lewis, "Wolf Hall" Tobias Menzies, "Outlander" Ben Mendelsohn, "Bloodline" Christian Slater, "Mr. Robot"Best supporting actor in a motion picture Paul Dano, "Love &amp; Mercy" Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation" Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies" Michael Shannon, "99 Homes" Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"Best supporting actress in a motion picture Jane Fonda, "Youth" Jennifer Jason Leigh, "The Hateful Eight" Helen Mirren, "Trumbo" Alicia Vikander, "Ex Machina" Kate Winslet, "Steve Jobs" - WinnerBest actor in a TV series, drama Jon Hamm, "Mad Men" Rami Malek, "Mr. Robot" Wagner Moura, "Narcos" Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul" Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan"Best actor in a TV series, comedy Aziz Ansari, "Master of None" Gael Garcia Bernal, "Mozart in the Jungle" Rob Lowe, "The Grinder" Patrick Stewart, "Blunt Talk" Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"Best supporting actress in TV miniseries or movie Uzo Aduba, "Orange is the New Black" Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey" Regina King, "American Crime" Judith Light, "Transparent" Maura Tierney, "The Affair" - WinnerBest actress in a TV series, drama Caitriona Balfe, "Outlander" Viola Davis, "How to Get Away With Murder" Eva Green, "Penny Dreadful" Taraji P. Henson, "Empire" Robin Wright, "House of Cards"Best actress in a TV series, comedy Rachel Bloom, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" - Winner Jamie Lee Curtis, "Scream Queens" Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep" Gina Rodriguez, "Jane the Virgin" Lily Tomlin, "Grace and Frankie"Best TV movie or mini-series "American Crime" "American Horror Story" "Fargo" "Flesh and Bone" "Wolf Hall" - WinnerBest animated film "Anomalisa" "The Good Dinosaur" "Inside Out" "The Peanuts Movie" "Shaun the Sheep Movie"Best screenplay, motion picture Emma Donoghue, "Room" Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, "Spotlight" Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, "The Big Short" Aaron Sorkin, "Steve Jobs" Quentin Tarantino, "The Hateful Eight" Best actor in a TV miniseries or movie Idris Elba, "Luther" Oscar Isaac, "Show Me A Hero" David Oyelowo, "Nightingale" Mark Rylance, "Wolf Hall" Patrick Wilson, "Fargo"Best actress in a TV miniseries or movie Kirsten Dunst, "Fargo" Lady Gaga, "American Horror Story: Hotel" Sarah Hay, "Flesh and Bone" Felicity Huffman, "American Crime" Queen Latifah, "Bessie"Best original song "Love Me Like You Do," Fifty Shades of Grey "One Kind of Love," Love &amp; Mercy "See You Again," Furious 7 "Simple Song #3," Youth "Writing's On the Wall," SpectreBest original score Carter Burwell, "Carol" Alexandre Desplat, "The Danish Girl" Ennio Morricone, "The Hateful Eight" Daniel Pemberton, "Steve Jobs" Ryuichi Sakamoto &amp; Alva Noto, "The Revenant"Best foreign language film "The Brand New Testament" "The Club" "The Fencer" "Mustang" "Son of Saul" <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/reruns-sped-up-add-commercials-tbs-tvland-netflix-hulu-sinfeld-2015-12">Reruns on cable are not the same as the originals - check out these differences</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="F4dzJkeDpgyWlMcJK3weVmk8N5az4Wgq" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'F4dzJkeDpgyWlMcJK3weVmk8N5az4Wgq',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

You Searched For "caitriona balfe" and got 8 results

'Outlander' stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe break down Jamie's 'cold vengeance' in the season 7 premiere, and the Frasers' 'unavoidable' fate

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'Outlander' star Sam Heughan reacts to fans who are convinced he's dating costar Caitriona Balfe in real life: 'The majority of our fans are awesome'

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Caitríona Balfe says 'Outlander' fandom 'crazies' may have hired private investigators to prove she and costar Sam Heughan are dating in real life — even though she married somebody else in 2019

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'Outlander' star Sam Heughan jokes that the upcoming prequel series 'better not be better than our show'

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Kenneth Branagh's 'Belfast' is a triumph and Jamie Dornan is destined for Oscar glory

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'Outlander' star Sam Heughan says he 'didn't feel that supported' while filming sex scenes on earlier seasons of the show

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5 reasons so many moms are obsessed with Starz's sexy new historical fantasy show 'Outlander'

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LIVE: All the winners at the 2016 Golden Globes

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