Watch the New Opening Credits for Outlander Season 5

Photo credit: Aimee Spinks
Photo credit: Aimee Spinks

From Town & Country

After a long Droughtander between seasons four and five, Jamie and Claire's time traveling love story is returning to the small screen in just a few short weeks.

With that in mind, here's what we know so far about what's to come:

Season five won't premiere until Sunday, February 16, 2020.

Starz broke the news this summer that the show would return for another chapter in early 2020. And in late August, it was announced that the show's fifth season will officially premiere on Sunday, February 16, 2020.


But for those who can't wait, Starz recently published a first-look at what's to come:

Season 5 has a new opening credit sequence.

As has become a tradition, the show's iconic Skye Boat Song theme got a makeover, and a number of the images in the credits have changed as well. Watch it here:

The stars of the show recently also premiered the season's opening scene.

In December, Starz shared a first look at what's to come for the Fraser family with two new scenes, one of which opens season 5. "To help all of our dedicated fans get through Droughtlander [the clever portmanteau fans use for the period between seasons of the popular series Outlander], we are going to give you a little peek of the first episode of the new season," Balfe says in the video above.

The first scene sets up a major conflict for Jamie in the forthcoming season: his relationship with Murtagh, who is on the run from the Brits. (Jamie, of course, has pledged his loyalty to the British colonists.) And the second clip previews Brianna and Roger's wedding day.

The first trailer for season five teases more potential time travel for the Fraser family.

The clips reveal how dangerous the American revolution is becoming, and Claire says it's "safer in the future."

"I'll do what must be done," she says adding, "If I am to keep us safe here, then time, space, history be damned."

Watch the full teaser above.

New photos tease what's to come for the Fraser family.

Photo credit: MARK MAINZ
Photo credit: MARK MAINZ
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz
Photo credit: Courtesy of Starz

The season will be based on Diana Gabaldon's novel The Fiery Cross.

Starz has confirmed that the show's next chapter will be based on Gabaldon's fifth book in the Outlander series.

“In season four, Jamie and Claire’s decision to remain in the New World changes the course of their life together. After being struck by the beauty of the North Carolina wilderness – untamed and uncultivated – they choose to call it home: Fraser’s Ridge." executive producer Matthew B. Roberts said in a statement.

"However, what is a ‘dream’ for some is a ‘nightmare’ for others. Being at the center of the birth of America is often a bloody and violent and heartbreaking matter. Now, in Season Five, Jamie and Claire’s duty is not only to their loved ones, but to the community of settlers forming part of the ever-increasing Clan Fraser."

If you're not too worried about spoilers, Gabaldon's website features a summary of the book here.

There's also a small chance that the show's writers will deviate from the one-book-per-season model.

“Every year we approach it fresh,” Moore told EW in March of last year. “Should we keep it a book a season? We’ve done that up until now. But we’ve talked about splitting books, and we’ve talked about combining them. We want to be free in the writers’ room to pick and choose and do what feels most comfortable that year.”

But the story will continue to stray, at least in part, from the books.

Notably, Murtagh, a character who was killed off in the book series will continue to play a role on-screen. And as always, there's more in Gabaldon's story than there is time to cram in to a 12-episode season.

"What we realized after keeping [Murtagh] alive is, it does affect a lot of the story going forward," producer Matthew Roberts told Parade.

"At the end of four, when he’s still alive and he’s a regulator and he’s being hunted, it shades how we tell the story in season five, and I will say that it definitely is a part of season five."

Diana Gabaldon herself recently weighed in on changes from the book in the forthcoming season.

"Naturally (given the length of FIERY CROSS), they can't stick exactly to the book, but what they've essentially done is to take specific pieces and do those quite faithfully (original dialogue and all), with smaller bridges to make it coherent, but not wild-ass whole-scale invention," she said in a post on TheLitForum.com.

"(And they did have to do stuff with Murtagh, having decided to keep him, but you know, decisions have consequences...

Expect the Frasers to get caught up in the American revolution.

As always, Claire and Jamie's story is intertwined with history, and in season five, that means a rebellion in the colonies.

"Last season was the bridge between our old world and this new world, and now that we're settled in, there's a lot of events ramping up," explains Balfe in the clip below. "You know, history has a way of pulling the Frasers into it."

But Jamie might not be on the side you'd expect. After fighting against the British in Scotland, he will side with the red coats in the war.

"He’s actually on the opposite side of the side where his allegiance really is and his loyalty lies, but he knows he needs to do it," Heughan told Parade. "He needs to do it for his family and for his tenants. He has to secure this land and make it a safe place for them, so he goes in league with the British."

The cast for season five includes a furry new member.

In May, the official Outlander Twitter account revealed a new member of the Fraser clan: a cat named Adso. Get all the detail on the kitten here.

In addition to the kitty, most of your favorite Outlander actors—including Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, David Berry, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, and Duncan Lacroix—are all expected to return to the series for season five.

As are a few new faces. It's been announced that Leonard Cook and Mark Barrett are joining the show though at this point, it's unclear which roles they will play.

Similarly, a set of twins has also been cast, likely to play one of Jamie's grandchildren.

Balfe and Heughan are taking on new roles this season.

Don't worry, they'll still be playing Claire and Jamie, but they're also serving as executive producers on the series.

"It's important to have a say. We've built these characters from day one, and I think we feel—especially when so many of our core writers are not on the show anymore and we've got new writers coming in—it's [important] to retain that through-line throughout all the seasons," Balfe told Harper's Bazaar of the change.

Actress Sophie Skelton suggests that there's still drama to come for Brianna and Roger in season five.

Photo credit: Aimee Spinks
Photo credit: Aimee Spinks

If you recall, season four ended with an emotional reunion for the couple, but they might not have found their happily ever after just yet.

"I have a feeling there will be some difficulties, but obviously we don’t know any of that yet,” Skelton shared in an interview with TV Line.

"They haven’t really sat down and had any conversations yet," Skelton said. "They left on a big fight, and they haven’t even talked that out, and now they’ve got a baby to think of, too…They could put everything that happened aside, or it could complicate things and make things harder."

But in a new photo (above), the family of three looks to be pretty happy, so hopefully things all work out.

Unfortunately season five will only have 12 episodes.

It'll be a bit shorter than previous seasons, which featured 13.

Need to catch up on previous seasons?

We'll be sure to update this post as soon as we know more about season five, but in the meantime, click the link below to watch previous episodes of Outlander, or, count down the minutes until Sam Heughan's new podcast-turned-TV-show about Scotland launches:

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