‘Outlander’ Stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Hueghan on the Frasers’ Quest for Peace Amidst War

There is never a dull moment on Outlander, and Season 6 shows Jamie and Claire Fraser inching closer and closer to the American Revolution. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe have played these beloved characters for years now, through seasons of hardship and trauma, and they’re hoping that this time-traveling couple gets the break they so richly deserve. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon.

“I think what they really want is some peace. I think they realize that there’s this looming war ahead that they are trying to straddle these alliances or these two loyalties,” Balfe explained in a recent roundtable interview with PopCulture.com and other media, pointing out that the conflict between the Americans and the British creates tension, particularly for the staunchly Scottish Jamie. “They know what the eventuality is going to be, who’s going to be the final winner. But, they’re not sure of the steps that’s going to take. Not only do they get pulled into having to decide much sooner than they probably would’ve wanted to about which side they’re going to declare their loyalty to, but their actual home turns against them, the people in their community turn against them. So, they definitely don’t achieve their goal. They get anything but peace, I think this season.”

Heughan agreed. “Everything around them is just forcing them to make a decision,” he said. “They’ve tried to stay out of the harm’s way, they’ve tried to not be on the losing side when it comes to the war, and it’s out of their control now. They’ve always tried to control time or change fate, but it’s not happening and they’re being forced to show their hand.”

Despite playing these characters for years and knowing them inside and out, Balfe and Heughan are pleased that they can still be surprised by Claire and Jamie. “I feel very grateful,” Balfe said. “I feel like I was really surprised by Claire last season. I feel like I got to explore her in a completely different way than she’s ever been explored before. And, I don’t think that is something that you always get being on a long-running show, to be challenged and to be surprised by your character every season.”

The Frasers are constantly evolving over the course of decades, and Heughan loves the fact that they’re still adapting. “Especially Jamie, he’s been so many characters in a certain way,” he reflected. “He’s had so many different lives, but in this season, unlike the others, he’s a lot more political and being pulled in different directions. The fact that he and Claire both lose track of each other is something that really unsettles him. There are so many exterior forces pulling at his responsibilities. It’s every season, every episode, there’s always a challenge. This season isn’t any exception to that.” Outlander premieres on March 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET on Starz.