Starz has debuted a new trailer for the second half of Foreigneron Thursday, as the cast shared reflections on their 10-plus year journey with the show at New York Comic Con.
During a 45-minute panel, stars Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin and John Bell appeared alongside executive producer Maril Davis and author Diana Gabaldon to tease what fans can expect from the Fraisers when new episodes will debut in November. 22.
Davis kicked off the panel by telling attendees, “Season seven is really emotional: death, loss, redemption. Everything is in the second half. It's even better than the first.” Gabaldon reinforced Davis' description, telling the convention: “It's a really great second half. I can't wait for people to see it.”
The episodes will see many of the characters return to Scotland, and Heughan reflected with Balfe on the “really special” return to the place where their characters began their stories. “Bring your whiskey, your handkerchiefs. It's pretty intense. So I think it's going to be talked about in a lot of ways,” Davis added.
While reflecting on the show's 10th anniversary, Heughan recalled feeling “really green” upon entering the show. “We were naive,” he told fans. “I think we both thought it would only last a season or two. Eleven years later, eight seasons, 101 episodes, we are so grateful.
Balfe reflected on growing with the characters over the past decade, reiterating the package she and Heughan made early on to always support each other during the filming process. “I think we stayed true to that, but it was an honor to be able to play the characters, to see them grow and to be able to build a life with them. Every time you shoot a scene, it's a memory. Every time you get to play them, you fill that memory again and, from that moment on, the character grows inside you.
Rankin and Skelton both spoke about their audition process, with Rankin recalling at one point seeing Jaime's parts and being separated from the rest of the cast for so long in light of time zone differences. “I remember when we got to the show, it was like it was kind of a movie in another TV show, because we were completely segregated from the rest of the cast,” Rankin said.
Bell expressed appreciation for being able to center an indigenous community throughout his character's arc. “Being able to be part of the Mohawk Nation, telling their stories and being part of that history has been the greatest privilege of my life,” he said.
The topic of Balfe's directorial debut this season was also addressed, with the actress noting that she found directing more challenging than acting, but encouraged other women to pursue filmmaking. “I was preparing myself to relax a lot, but I think it was amazing. My first day was with Sophie and Richard, and you guys were so amazing and so generous,” the actress-director said. “It's a nerve-wracking thing to stand in front of the crew and take on this new role, but going into contact with these guys – I know them so well as co-stars, and be like, 'Hey, try this or try that.' It was honestly a really incredible experience.”
At one point, Davis elaborated on comments made recently at PaleyFest that not everyone in the cast has seen the finale to avoid leaks about the finale. “[Producer] Matt Rogers didn't want everyone to get our normal distribution, so we didn't make the complete script available to everyone. We're not going to tell people the ending,” she said, before adding that Gabaldon is aware of how the series will end. “We talked about it with Diane. We were very careful. We didn't want to step on her toes. There is another book, so we close it as we have done.”
When asked what they might tease about what's to come, Davis got emotional as he talked about the show nearing its series finale. The eighth season was announced as the final season, although a prequel is currently in production.
“It was such a difficult season in so many ways,” she said. “I think this season is a celebration of our characters and an attempt to hit some of the high points and end on a note that hopefully people will be satisfied with. But I feel like it's impossible to please everyone because the show won't go on, and I think there's a sadness in that. So I don't know. This season had a vibe.”
Other cast members, including Bell and Heughan, reflected on saying goodbye and filming the end of the season. Both noted how emotional the many farewells on set were, even as there was “satisfaction” and “pride” in all their work. “It's been an incredible journey, and even getting to Comic Con, it's always a joy for us to come here. It's so fun to share this with you guys,” Heughan said. “This time, there's this bittersweet schedule of filming and then promotion and press as it's coming to an end.”
As they look to their lives beyond the series, many were looking forward to sleeping and finding time to travel, be with family and work on other projects. But everyone shared gratitude for the show's journey. “This show has built a legacy that continues, so we'll be talking about it for a while,” Bell added.