2025 Year in Review

As we prepare to close out 2025, here's a look back at some of the notable events in OUTLANDER fandom over the past year. Here are some of the highlights:



January 16 - STARZ released the first official "teaser" video from the new prequel TV series, OUTLANDER: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD.



January 17 - OUTLANDER Season 7B concluded with Episode 716, "A Hundred Thousand Angels". The final scene, with Fanny singing a 20th-century song, caused a huge uproar in the fandom. For the most part, though, it was a good season, staying reasonably close to the books. You can see my OUTLANDER episode recaps here.



March 4 - I posted an in-depth look at the evolution of Jamie and Roger's relationship over the course of the series. I was delighted by the positive response to this piece, and especially by Diana Gabaldon's reaction. She called it a "fantastic exegesis", which is high praise indeed!



March 29 - After Season 7B ended, I began a Very Slow Re-Listen of GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE (Book 9 in the OUTLANDER series), taking the time to pay close attention to the details. It took about four months to get through the whole book, but I definitely think it was worth it! I noticed so many details that I hadn't understood or paid attention to before. Starting in late March, I shared my reactions in a series of Re-reading BEES blog posts. Hope you find them helpful!



April 29 - Recorded Books released an all-new unabridged audiobook of OUTLANDER, read by Kristin Atherton, who played the older Jenny in OUTLANDER Season 7. Over the course of this year, they've released Kristin Atherton's versions of most of the other books in the main OUTLANDER series, with the rest to come soon. I haven't had a chance to listen to the new versions yet myself, but I plan to start after the first of the year. Everyone I've heard from says Kristin Atherton is a terrific narrator!



May 1 - Big news in honor of Jamie's birthday: Diana Gabaldon announced the title of Book 10 of the OUTLANDER series: A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT. Diana also confirmed that this will be the final book in the main series. Look here for more information about the title and what it might mean.



May 17 - I spent the day at Alamance Battleground in Burlington, NC, where they held a re-enactment of the Battle of Alamance to commemorate the 254th anniversary of the battle. I had a great time! You can see my account of the visit here.



May 27 - The Complete OUTLANDER Season 7 Blu-ray, DVD, and Collector's Edition (covering all 16 episodes of Season 7) was finally released, almost two years after the first part of Season 7 premiered.



June 23 - STARZ announced that the upcoming prequel TV series, OUTLANDER: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD, has been renewed for a second season, and production has officially begun on Season 2! I was surprised to hear this, considering that none of the fans had actually seen Season 1 yet.



July 17 - STARZ released the opening credit sequence for OUTLANDER: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD.



August 8 through Mid-October - OUTLANDER: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD Season 1 aired on STARZ! I had a very mixed reaction to the prequel TV series. While I did enjoy some parts of it (for example, I thought the casting was excellent, and Rory Alexander as Murtagh stole every scene he was in), as the season progressed, the show became much too grim and depressing for my taste. I also didn't care for the way Brian and Ellen's relationship was treated as almost an afterthought, compared to Henry and Julia's storylines, when all of the marketing indicated that this was going to be the story of BOTH couples.

I didn't do detailed episode recaps for most of the BOMB episodes (except for Episode 109, "Braemar", which Diana Gabaldon wrote), but you can see my general impressions of each episode below. Please keep in mind that these are my own personal reactions, and I don't mind if you disagree!

Episode 101: Providence
Episode 102: S.W.A.K. (Sealed With a Kiss)
Episode 103: School of the Moon
Episode 104: A Soldier's Heart
Episode 105: Needfire
Episode 106: Birthright
Episode 107: Luceo Non Uro
Episode 108: A Virtuous Woman
Episode 109: Braemar
Episode 110: Something Borrowed



August 28 - I celebrated TWO blogging milestones: the 17th anniversary of Outlandish Observations, and my 2000th blog post!! (Believe it or not, on both counts!)



September 17 - Diana Gabaldon posted a comment on TheLitForum that absolutely made my day! As many of you know, I've been moderator (aka "Chief Bumblebee-Herder") of Diana's section of the forum since 2008. I had posted on the forum stating my opinion that it's totally fine to post in a long thread (discussion) without reading all of the previous messages. I said, "I'm sure Diana Gabaldon will back me up on this." And boy, did she ever! Look here for her response, which made me laugh out loud.



September 18 - STARZ released a new teaser video for OUTLANDER Season 8!



Oct. 3-6 - I took a road trip to South Carolina, to see some of the historical sites related to the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. I had a very successful trip! My itinerary was a modified version of the one shown here, carefully researched ahead of time, because I was traveling by myself in an area I'd never been to before. I saw everything I wanted to see, except for Kings Mountain National Park and Cowpens Battlefield, which were unfortunately both affected by the government shutdown. Still, I was really happy with the way everything worked out! It was by far the most complicated trip I've ever done on my own, and as with all of my travel adventures, every trip gives me more confidence!



October 28 - December 4 - The Wake County Public Libraries (my local public library, serving Raleigh, NC, and its suburbs) held a series of eight OUTLANDER-themed virtual programs on various topics. All of the speakers were excellent, and I was glad to be able to help facilitate Diana Gabaldon's appearance in the final session! (Check out the wee giftie I received from Erin and Heidi, the librarians who put these programs together, in appreciation of my help!)

If you missed any of the sessions, you can see the videos here.



November 10 - STARZ announced that OUTLANDER Season 8 will premiere on STARZ on Friday, March 6, 2026! I think it's very appropriate that the final season of OUTLANDER will premiere on the 38th anniversary of the day that Diana Gabaldon started writing the "practice novel" that eventually became OUTLANDER.



November 11 - I posted an in-depth look at Young Ian Murray, focusing in particular on how his experience living with the Mohawk has affected him. I was delighted by the reaction!



November 13 - Diana Gabaldon received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) in Inverness, Scotland. Look here for details. Congratulations, Diana!



November 16 - The long-awaited Ken Burns documentary, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, premiered on PBS. I thought this 6-part documentary was really interesting, and I learned a lot. Highly recommended for OUTLANDER fans who want to learn more about the historical background!



November 20 - We learned that Diana Gabaldon has chosen Texas A&M University's Cushing Memorial Library, located in College Station, TX (pictured above) as the permanent home for her archives! Look here for more information.



December 17 - STARZ released the opening credit sequence for OUTLANDER Season 8! It looks great, and I can't wait!



December 20 - Matthew B. Roberts, executive producer and show-runner for OUTLANDER and BLOOD OF MY BLOOD, posted some very thoughtful comments on Instagram, about the OUTLANDER TV series coming to an end. I would encourage all of you to read what he has to say, and keep it in mind as we look ahead to OUTLANDER's final season, and to the eventual publication of A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT.

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I hope you enjoyed this look back at 2025. Wishing you all a Happy New Year, and all the best in 2026!