With just three episodes of “Outlander” season 4 released, the show has already tackled historically significant topics without it being explicitly political. And to Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, these scenes may have been difficult to film but these are what make the current season different than the previous ones.
When asked if scenes about the “controversial issues” were hard to shoot, Balfe told Global News that they were “always difficult” to film. Heughan’s on-screen wife cited, specifically, the ones that tackle slavery, Native Americans rights, and sexual violence are “always tough” adding that there were many considerations they had to discuss before these scenes make the final cut.
Caitriona Balfe explained that they have to find the balance in telling these stories with respect while also being “careful to not fall into the trap of telling it like we’ve always been told it.” However, she added that there is still the fact that she and Sam Heughan’s characters are “white settlers,” which means the story will most likely be told in their perspective.
Meanwhile, Heughan told Collider he sees the more complex portrayal of these topics as one of the major challenges and changes in “Outlander” season 4. As mentioned, the show has just started when his Jamie Fraser and Balfe’s Claire Fraser characters were already in conflict with the people in River Run for having a different outlook on the treatment of slaves and Native Americans.
In the series, Caitriona Balfe’s role already lived during the height of the civil rights movement in America while all these are new to Jamie. But his previous experiences, especially as a prisoner, helped the character deal with the slaves and the Native Americans with “a lot [of] understanding and empathy,” Sam Heughan explained.
Also, unlike the previous seasons, Heughan and Balfe have more screen times together as Jamie and Claire build a new life and their own home in America in “Outlander” season 4. On the other hand, the fans have a new budding romance to follow in Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton).
