Outlander Is Going Further Back In History With New Spinoff Series
With how common it is that breakout shows create their own universes, it is no shock that Outlander is set to have it's own prequel spin-off.
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It’s not at all uncommon for breakout shows to create their own universes or mini universes. If a show gains massive popularity, it often results in the said show getting some sort of prequel or spin-off series. Look at Yellowstone. That show now has two spin-offs going. That is certainly the case for the Starz hit series, Outlander. Outlander is now gearing up to have a prequel series, which is going to be helmed by series showrunner, Michael B. Roberts.
Outlander first aired on Starz back in 2014 and is heavily based on the books, which were written by Diana Gabaldon. Gabaldon wrote a prequel novel back in 2013 called, Virgins, which focused on a younger version of Jaime Fraser and Ian Murray. Although details of the upcoming prequel story are being kept under wraps, plenty of speculation is being thrown at the new spin-off following the above-mentioned storyline. Gabaldon also teased another prequel earlier this month, and that might also be what this new spin-off series is concerning itself with. Either way, it could mean the period in which Outlander exists, might go back even further.
Outlander follows the life of Claire Randall, who is a Scottish World War military nurse in 1945. She finds herself time traveling back to 1743 where she is thrust right into the Jacobite rising. Claire meets Highland warrior, Jaime Fraser, and they fall in love with one another. The series’ first season was broken up into two eight-episode parts, which follows Gabaldon’s book, Outlander. The second season follows Dragonfly in Amber, the third season follows Voyager, the fourth follows Drums of Autumn, and the fifth is based on The Fiery Cross. The sixth season is based on A Breath of Snow and Ashes, with the already announced seventh season being based on An Echo in the Bone.
Unfortunately, the sixth season has been delayed plenty of times due to complications with the current pandemic, but it is set to air on March 6, 2022. The prequel series being developed could be a stopgap in case the Outlander show is delayed by any further complications. Either way, fans will be happy to know that the series is certainly going to continue past the upcoming sixth season. The series has garnered plenty of praise and has been nominated for plenty of awards. It currently holds a critic rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with a slightly higher audience rating of 90%. Even though the show first aired in 2014, it is Starz’s current longest-running series.
With so much hype behind the show and plenty of books to back up the drama in the show, the hope is that Outlander won’t eventually pass the quickness in which Diana Gabaldon can write. It would be tragic to see this show go out the way Game of Thrones did. However, now that a brand-new spin-off series is in development, that also might give Gabaldon to write more storylines that could be involved in the potential eighth season and beyond. There are no details yet about the spin-off, but fans of the show can rest easy as the sixth season premiere is right around the corner.
