‘Outlander’ Star Caitriona Balfe Talks Sam Heughans Brutal Rape Scene, Spoilers For Season 2

The first season of Outlander featured all the elements it needed to make its first run a success. With the end featuring a mixture of drama and controversy, the finale left fans wondering where the series will go next. While Season 2 is currently in production, Caitriona Balfe took some time out of her busy schedule to chat with Gold Derby and discuss some of the controversies in Season 1 and what it was like playing Claire.

Outlander centers on the story of Claire, a young British nurse who travels back in time and begins a romance with an 18th century Scottish rebel, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). In the interview, Balfe discussed how the time travel aspect of the show impacts her character’s love life in both time periods.

“For Claire, there will always be this pull between two men who she loves in very different ways.”

At the same time, she added that playing in such a unique series has been a great experience for her. “The show is so theatrical that you get to play really big emotions and this heightened life,” she explained in the interview. “It’s wonderful.”

While Season 1 of Outlander was met with a fair share of critical praise, the season ended with a bit of controversy for its other main character, Jamie. The season finale saw Jamie’s run in prison end, but not without the character going through some terrible things. Before it was all said and done, Jamie was brutally tortured and sexually assaulted by Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies).

In regards to filming those more difficult parts of Season 1, including everything that happened to Jamie, Caitriona Balfe admitted it was a challenge. “It was very heavy stuff, but as actors we all relished the challenges,” she stated.

Balfe added that, despite the challenges, the places Season 1 took the characters were important for Claire and Jamie’s relationship.

“Tobias and Sam had about a week’s rehearsal with a lot of their more intense stuff and while that was going on I was shooting the ends of eps 13 and 14. They had some time to get into that mindset… I was a great place to bring the characters – so many changes for Claire and Jamie’s relationship. So many changes for Claire. It was really challenging material, but it was a nice place to go.”

Season 2 of Outlander, starring Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, is currently shooting and is expected to premiere sometime in 2016.

[Image Courtesy: Starz]