Logo text [This story contains major spoilers from the season seven finale of Outlander, A Hundred Thousand Angels.]

In seven seasons of Outlander, Claire (Caitrona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) have endured enough trauma to last multiple lifetimes. While they have always found their way back to each other and the family theyve created together across centuries, Claire and Jamie, now in middle age, are perhaps more aware than ever about what they stand to lose.

Jamie is very much aware of his mortality. Hes talked about it multiple seasons, about his nine lives, and hes right at the end of them, Heughan tells The Hollywood Reporter in a joint interview with Balfe about the season seven ending. He didnt want to be involved in this [Revolutionary War], but his choice now is that he has to be involved to protect those he loves. I think [Jamie and Claire] are aware that they cant exist without each other and theyd rather not. So what does that mean for the future? I think if one loses the other, then I dont know if theres much hope for them. Despite that bleak outlook, Claire and Jamie have reason to be hopeful heading into the eighth and final season of the fantasy historical drama. In the season seven finale, as Claire recovers from being shot again and undergoing a life-saving surgery at the hands of Denzell (Joey Phillips), she and Jamie discover that their first daughter Faith, who they believed died in childbirth, had actually survived and was the mother of their new ward Fanny Pocock (Florie Wilkinson) and her late sister Jane (Silvia Presente), who Jamie and his biological son William (Charles Vandervaart) were tragically unable to save from captivity just days earlier.

That shocking cliffhanger which was not in Diana Gabaldons Outlander novels sets up the final 10 episodes, which Balfe and Heughan have already finished filming. Given that the show has remained a constant in their lives for 11 years, the actors, who both became producers during the fifth season, admit they are still in the early stages of grieving that loss and figuring out how to fill that new void.

Im reading a lot, Im writing a bit, Im watching so many movies at the moment all of these things that I just didnt have time to do, Balfe says. I feel like as an actor, when youre working, youre on output mode all the time, and its so important to feed your soul as well. I want to take my time, wait and do things that really mean something to me.

Below, the actors behind one of the most beloved TV couples of all time open up to THR about the evolution of their onscreen and offscreen relationships, how they chose to play the key moments from the latest chapter of Claire and Jamies love story and the one genre they would love to collaborate on in the future.

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Having played Claire and Jamie for over a decade, what new layers were you able to find in the playing of these characters in the seventh season?

SAM HEUGHAN Jamies gone from being this tempestuous, impetuous highland warrior with very little responsibility to becoming a laird, and now hes responsible for not just his men in battle, but everyone on Frasers Ridge. Hes essentially a landlord or a clansman. But what I think is really interesting as well is that over the past couple of seasons but this one in particular Jamie realizes what hes got to lose. I think now he realizes he cant have a life without Claire; he knows that life isnt worth living without her. I guess being more fragile is whats interesting about him, which I think comes with old age as well. Hes not as hotheaded, hes definitely more experienced, and with age comes perhaps more insight into mortality.

CAITRONA BALFE Seasons five and six were such a huge shift in who Claire was. Going through the attack and then the ether storyline, it wasnt like [she became] two different people, but Claires whole structure and her coping mechanisms had to change. In season seven, it was this tentative rebuilding of who she was, which was really interesting because I feel like up until that point, there was a lot of compartmentalization she would do things, but it was put away in a box and she wouldnt really deal with it. In season seven, there was a maturity to her, but it came with this new layer of vulnerability, especially the beginning of the second part. I think it just made everything much more porous and much more fragile.

As youve played these characters from their earlier adult years into middle age, how have you found ways to deepen the palpable sense of intimacy and chemistry between them?

BALFE One of the things that Sam and I were very interested in working out and exploring was this difference in intimacy. People talk about the passion of Claire and Jamie, and that is always a through line, but it cant feel like those first throes of lust. You want to find something that has more depth, more maturity and more nuance. So we didnt want to be chasing something that we had done in season one; we didnt want to be always trying to replicate that. We wanted to find new ways of doing it and we did.

We had those conversations for most of the sex scenes, and we had chats with the writers about how to find those intimate moments when theyre in conversation and when we see them working out issues in their marriage. It was really important to us to develop that as the seasons went on because sometimes, theres a call from the fans, and they want to see those sex scenes, and they want the passion. And we want to give you that, but we want to give it to you in a more honest way.

HEUGHAN I think youre absolutely right. Over the years, theyve both had to accept each other and their failings, and all these things that have happened either together or separately. And it cant be like season one because XYZ has happened, so therefore, whos this character? Whos this person in front of you now? If anything, theyve become more understanding of each other, and I think that comes with just playing these characters over time when theyve been assaulted and lost and found each other again.

BALFE There was a vulnerability to them in the beginning because everything was so new and they didnt know if they could trust each other. As we were in the mid-seasons, it felt like they had really come into their own and there was a strength. In the later seasons, there was this new and very different vulnerability. With the precariousness of life that they were experiencing, there was this whole new set of fears and vulnerabilities that came up. That wasnt something that I expected or imagined would happen, but it naturally happened that way.

Lord John Grey (David Berry), left. Starz Caitrona, grief is already a tricky emotion to play, but you had the added challenge of having to make the audience believe, even if for a little bit, that Claire had really lost Jamie in episode 10. How did you want to play the different stages of her grief?

BALFE It was really tough, because I feel like there is that sense of, Does anyone really believe that Jamie Fraser is dead? But you have to go for it. I had just lost my dad, so the last thing I wanted to do was go into work and feel these feelings. It was not my favorite couple of weeks at work. I worked really hard with the writers to craft a bit of a journey, and there was that [line] that I held on to as well: I would know [if he died]. I would feel it. She feels betrayed by herself because she feels like it should feel differently. So theres the anger and the disbelief that comes with what it feels like when you cant even trust your own emotions.

And then, of course, the added implication of Lord John Grey [David Berry] was a curveball. (Laughs) David Berry was an amazing scene partner in those scenes. To do intimate scenes with somebody other than Sam usually all my stuff is with him, so it was like an added unknown territory. But what was also good was we approached it in a very different way to how Sam and I approached things. Sam and I have this shorthand its very organic, and we dont have to plan out things as much whereas David likes to [plan]. Im glad he did because I was quite lost about how we were going to achieve it, but I think in the end it worked quite well.

Claires grief-stricken hook-up with John during which they were both picturing Jamie has to be one of the most shocking moments of the series. How did you justify Claires actions in that moment for yourself?

BALFE I suffer from a real need for things to be logical, which drives the writers crazy, because for me to be able to play it, I need to be able to understand the journey. I think in the final edit, things are quite cut up and its not as linear as how we played it. But I think it was great that David and I found a linear journey into it so we could understand that [moment], because its also two people who are drunk.

When youre drunk, there isnt always logic, but there has to be those moments of, how do you get from A to B? How do these two people who arent sexually attracted to each other, who dont have a history together, go from being alone, drunk and in pain to then being together? So it was finding that shared pain, that shared anger. Lord John was almost needing this kind of consolation in the beginning, and then its just the anger and the passion and it had to come out in some way. So thats how it happened.

But I think that morning after scene that gorgeous story that Lord John had and the insight into his life is so much more intimate than the stuff before. The intimacy the next morning is where you really see these two people form this bond that isnt sexual, but its a friendship and a deep understanding of each other, which I thought was quite beautiful.

In episode 12, Jamie makes his feelings about Claire and Johns entanglement clear in a long, heated sequence where Jamie and Claire are working through their own emotions in real time. How did you each approach that fight?

BALFE Well, Sam had COVID. Do you remember? (Laughs)

HEUGHAN Yeah! It was certainly very challenging. In some ways, it was [shot] like a play, but I think we shot one direction, then I came down with COVID. I think quite some time later we shot the rest of it, and we shot it in two sections because it moves all around the house. I suppose [that sequence shows] why this couple are still together. They manage to work through it, to hear each other and to communicate despite Jamies stubbornness, anger and jealousy.

BALFE But neither are wrong, really. This was a situation that is so unusual and unique, so its totally understandable why Jamie would be so upset and angry, but its also totally understandable why Claire would defend herself. I think whats great is you get this tension of these two people who ultimately love each other so much, but theyre going to stand their ground. I think both Sam and I relish when we do get to do scenes like this. Theres certain days when youre on a show and youre just sitting at a table and somebodys passing somebody coffee, and it doesnt necessarily feel like the most rewarding acting day. But when you get big scenes like this, you really feel like you have to work hard, give it your all, and make it work.

Sam, do you think Jamie could ever bring himself to forgive John?

HEUGHAN I think what Jamie did [to John upon learning what happened] is it justifiable? No, from [the viewers] point of view. But for Jamie, probably. But what he did to him is horrific and certainly has broken their bond. John Grey comes back and does justify it, and I think we hope that they will become friends again, but I think itd be a lot for them to get over. Jamie is going to have to admit his wrongdoing, and I think thats probably the hardest thing for Jamie to do. Its certainly put a rift in that relationship, and Im sure for Claire and John Grey as well, its also a pretty weird situation. (Laughs)

In episode 15, Claire gets shot in the battlefield and Jamie desperately searches for any kind of way to save her. Sam, how did you want to play Jamies inner turmoil?

HEUGHAN Jamie has always been in control in situations, and I thought it was really interesting in the script that he loses it and hes lashing out. I think the only other time where weve seen him like that is when he lost Murtaugh at the Battle of Alamance. I think that moment was close because Murtaugh was his godfather, a father figure to him, but this is even bigger. Its like, How do you react in that moment when your universe has just imploded? I didnt want to plan it; I just wanted to go for it and see what happens. I think whats cool about the writing and the space I got in the performance was that hes not Jamie. Hes out of control, and hes pleading with everyone, with God. He knows hes on the edge of losing his entire universe.

How did you react, then, to Jamies decision to write his notice of resignation using Claires blood on the back of one of his soldiers?

HEUGHAN Look, its a really hard one to get your head around. Its a book moment, and even in discussing the practicality of that [moment], we were talking about What is the way to write on this guys back? and we realized its actually very difficult. But I think its just sheer desperation; its a moment where hes completely at a loss. I think he cant work out how to get his message through to these people, and he just goes for the nearest thing. Its a really dark idea. Its amazing that after eight seasons well, seven at this point that these characters still surprised us as actors, and theres so many times weve had these book moments where Im like, Jamie wouldnt do that. Jamie knows better. And then, Im like, OK, lets see what happens. And actually, you get this really dramatic moment which is shocking, and I think thats what makes Outlander perhaps still resonate.

Caitrona, on the flip side, what was it like for you to play the aftermath of Claire getting shot?

BALFE It was very funny because they were very concerned about how comfortable I would be lying down for that long, and I was like, Guys, Im going to be lying down. Its going to be very comfortable! But they made a prosthetic for my stomach so they could do the operation. Look, Ive never been shot. You can watch things, but sometimes we joke about it, like, Am I just playing my version of what Ive seen other actors do in movies? (Laughs.) But you have to trust the director and everything thats going on in the scene and go with it. Im not going to lie: I dont mind playing sick and half-dying. (Laughs.) You get to let other people do all the hard work, and you just get to lie there and moan a bit. But the set was amazing. When you have all of those things around and Sam was incredible in those scenes it makes your job very easy.

After theyre unable to save Jane in the finale, William has a heated confrontation with Jamie about Williams late birth mother, and William ends the conversation with the line, I will never call you father. The hurt on Jamies face is obvious, but what is going through Jamies mind in that scene?

HEUGHAN Jamies never been able to be a father to William, and I think hes always wanted to be from a distance. Heres a moment where Jamie doesnt really know how to be a father. Hes been a father to other people. Hes got so many surrogate sons from Fergus to a bunch of people that hes brought into this extended family that hes got but with William, its a really tough one. I think its great because you can see Jamie and his son are very similar; they both have that fire in them. And without giving away spoilers, its definitely something that plays out a lot [going forward].

But its also interesting because he is John Greys son in a lot of ways. Hes been brought up by John Grey, and that adds another dimension to that trios relationship. Jamie has all this pride, hurt and longing that he could be [Jamies] father, and also jealousy that John has been his father but also thankful [at the same time]. Certainly, its going to be a tough one for [Jamie and William] to both overcome their pride.

Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and his biological son William (Charles Vandervaart). Starz In the final scene, Claire overhears Fanny singing I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside, a 19th-century song Claire sang to her and Jamies first daughter, Faith. After learning that Fanny and Janes mother was also named Faith, Claire now believes that Faith wasnt actually stillborn and had somehow lived to have children of her own. How does that set up their journey in the final season?

HEUGHAN Its a huge moment for them to find out that their daughter potentially lived, and now they have this grandchild in their life. Its a great cliffhanger one that I think book and non-book fans are going to be surprised by. I think it was beautifully done with the song. Its interesting because even playing [Faiths death] way back in season two, we played the truth of it; we had no idea ourselves. So it was a shock for us as actors reading it and learning about it, as it was for the characters. I think the thought process for Jamie is, How is it possible? The elation, the happiness that, actually, it could be possible. And then, who is this young girl in front of us right now?

BALFE I just love it when you are given a scene and you read it, and its like, Ooh, thats really good. But in the playing of it, when the hairs on your arms are standing up, its pretty brilliant. Florrie is so amazing. Every time we have a scene with her, youre just so blown away by how brilliant she is. Its such an interesting cliffhanger because it just opens up this whole other world of questions, which leads us so brilliantly into the next season. I think for Claire, its like her heart stops, her heart breaks and her heart sings all at the same time.

Youve seen each other through just about everything in the 11 years that youve worked together. Looking back, how has your working relationship evolved over time, and what do you think has stayed the same?

HEUGHAN (Laughs) Thats a cool question!

BALFE Well, I think our childish sense of humor has stayed the same.

HEUGHAN I was going to say our humor, silliness. When were in the shit and its a tough day, or were in the dark and its cold, weve always had each other. Im very fortunate to have spent so much time with such an amazing person and also managed to laugh a lot as well. But whats changed, Cait?

BALFE I think when we first started, the job was our lives. We lived it, breathed it. Our schedules were so insane. We really didnt do much of anything else. I think as weve gotten older, our lives have gotten so much busier and you have obviously a wealth of experience to fall back on with your character. So its not that were not as invested as much, but the show isnt just the only thing going on. I think, in that way, maybe our approach to things is slightly different. Would you agree, Sam, or no?

HEUGHAN Yeah. Its not sustainable to be all-consumed by something for that long, but in some ways, perhaps having a bit more space or a life outside of it, it also influences the work itself. Weve just both grown over time, and I guess its depressing but also an amazing opportunity that weve got to live with these characters for so long.

What would it take, then, for the two of you to work together again? Maybe in a more modern story without wigs or period costumes?

BALFE Id love to do a comedy with Sam.

HEUGHAN Yeah, that would be a lot of fun. And as you said, yeah, no wig. Well, actually

BALFE The wigs would be alright. No corset for me.

HEUGHAN Id wear a corset, so maybe theres the comedy right there.

BALFE Ill wear your wig. There you go!

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All seven seasons of Outlander are now streaming on Starz.