Caitríona Balfe Says ‘Outlander’ Could End After Season 7: “Feels Like a Nice Kind of Time Frame”

Although the “droughtlander” will end in just a few months when Outlander finally returns, lead star Caitríona Balfe has teased some unfortunate news for all fans of the hit period drama. The Belfast actress opened up about the future of the show in a profile for Vanity Fair, but the prospects don’t seem so bright. While no one has confirmed any exact timeline for the rest of the series, Balfe explained the show might be heading towards an end soon — and there’s a distinct reason why that may be.

Luckily, the ending doesn’t seem too near. The show has already been renewed for a seventh season ahead of the sixth season’s debut on March 11, so there are still two more seasons coming without a confirmed end in sight. Still, Balfe seems to think that Season 7, which shoots later in 2022, could be it for the beloved Starz series.

“We will have hit the almost 10-year mark by the end of that, which feels like a nice kind of time frame, but we don’t know,” Balfe said. “Those decisions are far above my pay grade.”

On top of that, Balfe seems to be getting a bit tired of Outlander‘s demanding shooting schedule. While she’s been able to shoot films like Belfast and Ford vs. Ferrari, her availability has been so slim that it’s been tricky to find other work. In addition, Outlander‘s filming schedule has required her to stay put in Glasgow for the time being.

“The beauty of this show is that it’s opened a lot of doors,” she explained. “The tough part about it is that we don’t have any time to really take advantage of it.”

The kicker is that Balfe still yearns to direct an episode of Outlander, but her efforts are “falling a little on deaf ears.” In the profile, she pointed out how inspiring it was to see a women-led crew behind the scenes of Belfast, something she wish she saw more of in Outlander.

“I think on one hand there’s sort of this idea, ‘Well, Scotland’s a very predominantly white place and it’s an industry that traditionally is much more male-skewed, so it’s tough to find these people,’” she continued. “I’m not sure that’s necessarily true. I think there’s ways of finding people to bring in.”

Outlander Season 6 will premiere on Starz on March 11.

Where to watch Outlander