time travel in outlander explained

Time Travel in Outlander, Explained

Grounded in folklore, Outlander's rules of time travel seem authentic but daunting. In short, getting from now to then is no sure thing.

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon's popular book series and the Starz drama based on it - might be marketed as a romance, but that's only one aspect of this unique, genre-blending crowd-pleaser. Both the novels and the TV show center on the love story between a 20th century nurse, Claire Randall, and the 18th century Scottish rebel, Jamie Fraser. This means a cursory understanding of world history and geography are helpful for getting into the story, and time travel (among other instances of magical realism and the occult) is also involved. Those elements are at least as interesting as the relationship drama, thanks to the mystical yet grounded mechanisms by which Gabaldon has her characters popping in and out of time and space.

The inciting incident happens when Claire, semi-happily married to a milquetoast man named Frank in 1945, accidentally transports herself to 1743 by touching the standing stones of the fictional Craigh na Dun. She gets involved with some rebel Highlanders during the Jacobite uprisings and marries the charismatic warrior, Jamie, to survive. Of course, it doesn't take long for real feelings to develop, and Claire's interdimensional love triangle becomes even more complicated when she discovers Frank's ancestor -- a sadistic British redcoat -- is her second husband's sworn enemy.

RELATED: Outlander: Now Is The Perfect Time To Catch Up On The Time-Traveling Romance

From there, Outlander whisks its characters (and readers and viewers) back and forth between the 1700s and 1900s, and bounces them between France, Boston, England, the Caribbean, Georgia, North Carolina, and (frequently) Scotland again. Along the way, Claire and Jamie get tangled up in everything from witch trials to the slave trade to the American Revolution. But for a story whose plot points often seem a little too convenient, Outlander provides its audience with complex but well thought out explanations for how it all works -- in short, not so easily, and due to a daunting list of rules and limitations.

To travel through time, characters in Outlander first need a vessel or a point of contact; Craigh na Dun is one, though it's implied many such places exist. As we see later on in the series, Abandawe cave in Jamaica and the Ocracoke stone circle in North Carolina will also serve this purpose, indicating that natural landmarks make good conduits. Chances of success are also improved depending upon the season, with most examples of successful time travel occurring on or near festivals that celebrate equinoxes or solstices, like Beltane and Samhain. That Gabaldon used the region's folklore (druids, stone circles, etc.) as a foundation lends an air of believability and authenticity to the process.

Stones come into play again in the form of useful jewelry. Just as some people believe certain stones and crystals possess special powers and energies, characters in Outlander believe precious gemstones prevent them from suffering injury or even death in the process of time traveling and help them "steer" through time. We know this from the research of Claire's frenemy, Geillis Duncan. Unfortunately, that research also suggests that blood and/or fire sacrifices will do the trick as well, which has darker reverberations for Geillis and any character with the ability to travel through time.

RELATED: The Best Time Loop Movies & TV To Watch After Palm Springs

That last part is important because the pivotal thing about time travel in Outlander is that not everyone is capable of it. In fact, only a handful of characters (conveniently, mostly the main characters) can do it. That's because the ability to time travel is passed down through DNA. The books don't delve too deeply into genetics, nor do they put forth an explanation for how Claire ended up with this extraordinary predisposition, but it's clear that she and her daughter, Brianna, both have the skill. Other time-traveling characters are linked through heredity, too. Jamie, however, was not born a time traveler, which has a tragic impact upon his and Claire's relationship throughout the series. It not only means that, at times, they can't be together; it also means they can never escape together to safety.

Another import thing to note about the mechanics of time travel in Outlander is that, no matter what era a character finds themselves in, time passes at the same rate. When Claire first falls back to the 1700s, she and Jamie spend about three years together before he sends her forward to 1948, at which point they'll be stranded apart from each other for about twenty years. Functionally, this rule prevents characters from using time travel as a way to defy aging or dying.

If there's a weak spot in the logic of Outlander 's time travel, it has to do with the "butterfly effect," which holds that any changes made in an altered past create a new, altered future. Claire fears exactly this when Jamie wants to kill Randall, but elsewhere in the books and the show, butterfly effect changes aren't apparent. Still, for a series whose creator cared more about the historical and romantic implications of time travel than the device itself, Outlander does the genre proud.

KEEP READING: Watchmen Fused History And Fantasy In A Way That May NEVER Be Replicated

Outlander Homepage

The Place For All Things Outlander: The Show, The Books, and More!

THE SPOILS OF MARRIAGE
DROUGHTLANDER SURVIVAL TOOLS SEASON 1, 2 & 3!
Sam Heughan's MyPeakChallenge
CHARITIES & OTHER GOOD WORKS
CAST PROJECTS
Outlander In The City Dinner Event June 3rd 2017
A NYC Voyage with Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan
Voyager season Three, episode recaps by Susie Brown with the Inside Look by Production team
After the explosion... Outlander Cast promotions, Red Carpet events..
Outlander Droughtlander! Related art, casting news, articles about season 3 Voyager, and season 4 Drums of Autumn! Plus, Interviews by our writers, Susie Brown (our Aussie blogging lass) and Nancy M Guillory (Whiskyisms) format by Dorianne Panich
Drums of Autumn season four episode recaps, with our Aussie Blogging Lass Susie Brown
Outlander Homepage Originals... CAST interviews with the actors bringing the characters to life!
RAFFLE ReTweet, sign up to be entered!!
FUTURE APPEARANCES
Outlander in the city, Dinner with Diana Gabaldon in Scottsdale
"An Evening with Graham McTavish " Thank you to all who participated! It was a success. ..
SUSIE BROWN, Recaps and Reviews Season Two! 13 Episodes...
Droughtlander for Season 5, Fiery Cross..... Here's the interesting bits, while we wait!
Where it all began... Outlander Premiers, Cast photoshoots and promotions...
The Fiery Cross, season five recaps by Susie Brown, The Aussie blogging Lass!
Droughtlander without Outlander... Waiting on season six!
Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, the last book (10) excerpts

Thursday, October 29, 2020

The outlander timeline and time travel rules, for all 8 books, davina porter adapts diana gabaldon's outlander story to audio, and now with the help of audible, the timetable of outlander is outlined... with changes for the show adaptation. .

Outlander Timeline Explained

Can’t keep the timeline of Outlander straight? Don’t worry-we’ve got the entire timeline explained, plus the rules on time travel in the popular series.

It seems like every day we see more and more streaming services and channels being added to the roster. And logic dictates that a larger number of services requires a larger number of offerings. In their quest for content, companies are increasingly turning to stories and plots from books. The number of books being adapted into movies and television series in the past decade has grown exponentially, often to great success and acclaim.

One of the most successful adaptations of the last several years is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Outlander is a historical romance time-travel series about British nurse Claire Randall who time travels from the 20th-century to 17th-century Scotland. There she finds love and adventure with the dashing Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior. The first book was published in 1991 to modest success, and with each addition to the series, its popularity grew. And the release of the television series on Starz in 2014 brought a whole new legion of fans.

There are eight audiobooks in the Outlander time-travel series, with more planned. Most of the audiobooks are more than 30 hours long, which means the series covers a lot of story. And since the series follows Claire back and forth in time, and sometimes covers both her and Jamie’s timelines simultaneously, it’s a lot to keep track of when you’re listening. It’s almost as dizzying as time traveling yourself!

So here’s a breakdown of the Outlander timeline for both new fans and listeners looking to refresh their knowledge of the events in the series. This chronicles the Outlander audiobooks in order. After, I’ll point out a few noticeable differences between the books and the show. Needless to say, even though this just brushes on the events in each audiobook, there will be spoilers. So if you haven’t yet finished the series, you might want to cover your eyes.

Diana Gabaldon

Davina Porter

https://audible.com/pd/B002V1CJ8W

The series opens in 1946: British Army nurse Claire Randall and her husband Frank Randall, a history professor, decide to take a second honeymoon to Inverness, Scotland. While there, Claire decides to go for a walk and pick wildflowers. She comes upon a circle of tall upright stones, a ruin dating from the Bronze Age. The stones seem to be making a subtle buzzing sound, and when Claire places her hand on one, she faints.

When you hear that the Outlander series includes time travel, you might be picturing an elaborate time machine. But the explanation for time travel in Outlander is much simpler, and much more of an occurrence of nature. It’s all in the standing stones. When Claire touches the stone, she is transported to 18th-century Scotland. There, she meets her husband’s ancestors. She also meets Jamie Fraser, a Highlander. Injured, Jamie has dislocated his shoulder, which she sets for him. Claire figures out she has traveled back in time. She pretends to be a widow traveling to France to see her family. Because of her medical knowledge, she is treated with respect by the MacKenzie clan.

But the evil Captain Randall suspects Claire is a spy. For her own protection, Claire marries Jamie. This isn’t a big deal because 1) her real husband is 200 years in the future, and 2) Claire and Jamie have incredible chemistry. She eventually tells Jamie the truth about who she is, and he believes her. He takes her to the stones and offers her a chance to return to her time, but she declines. At the end of the book, they escape to France with Jamie’s godfather to get away from Captain Randall. When they arrive, Claire tells Jamie she is pregnant.

Dragonfly in Amber

https://audible.com/pd/B002V1CN0G

In the second book, Claire has returned to Scotland with Brianna, her daughter by Jamie, whom she raised in the 20th century with her husband, Frank. After Frank’s death in 1968, Claire looks to find out what happened to Jamie’s people after the Battle of Culloden. She meets Roger, the son of a family friend, who helps Claire uncover Jamie’s headstone. Claire tells Brianna about her birth father, and understandably, Brianna doesn’t believe her. But then Claire tells them what happened during her time in the past.

Back in France, 1744: Claire had convinced Jamie to stop a Jacobite uprising, and he set to work putting his plans in motion. But Claire has a miscarriage and Jamie is imprisoned in the Bastille for dueling. Claire rescues him, but they are eventually banished from France and return to Scotland, where Jamie kills a man to protect Claire. He sends Claire to the standing stones to return to her time before anything else can happen to her; she is pregnant once again and the Battle of Culloden is upon them. That answers the question of how she ended up back in the present day at the beginning of the book. At the end of this installment, Roger informs Claire that Jamie did not die in the Battle of Culloden like she believes he did.

https://audible.com/pd/B002VA3LF8

This novel opens with Jamie’s timeline in Scotland in 1746. Though seriously wounded in the Battle of Culloden, Jamie does not die. (The same cannot be said of the evil Captain Randall.) He lives as an outlaw, and eventually a prisoner, before being released and fathering a child, William, who is raised by Lord Ellesmere as his own son.

Back in Scotland, 1968, Claire decides to return to the 18th century after learning Jamie is not dead. She and Jamie are reunited, though he has married again and now has stepdaughters. Jamie is almost killed by his wife, who is jealous of Claire and eventually takes a payoff to let Jamie out of the marriage. Now free to be together again, Jamie and Claire end up in Jamaica. There is more adventure and danger, and Claire and Jamie are forced to escape in a ship, which is blown off course and crashes in the American colony of Georgia at the close of the audiobook.

Drums of Autumn

https://audible.com/pd/B002V08BS0

Jamie and Claire, as well as Claire’s adopted son, Fergus, and Jamie’s nephew, Ian, make a new life for themselves on the coast of Georgia in 1766, where they are eventually joined by Fergus’s wife. Meanwhile in the 20th century, Brianna, who now knows her mother’s story of time travel to be true, learns something tragic about her parents’ history, and sets out with Roger, now her beau, to travel back in time to find them.

The Fiery Cross

https://audible.com/pd/B0061R8IP0

This book opens where Drums of Autumn left off: it’s 1771, and war is coming. Claire, having traveled back in time from the 20th century, realizes that she and Jamie and their family are now poised at the brink of the American Revolution. Brianna and Roger are married with a son, and many plot lines are drawn together as the Frasers wait for war.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

https://audible.com/pd/B004Y0IWL6

The revolution begins as the Frasers try to live peacefully in the foothills of North Carolina. But even there, war reaches them. Jamie has a hard time trying to reconcile his loyalty to the British crown with his newfound freedom in his new homeland with Claire.

An Echo in the Bone

https://audible.com/pd/B002V1LFU0

Brianna and Roger are back in 20th-century Scotland when an ancestor from Claire and Jamie’s timeline appears- and one of Brianna’s coworkers attempts a nefarious plot to find lost gold. Meanwhile, back in the 18th century, the American Revolution has started, leading Jamie’s son, Lord William Ellesmere, to the Americas to fight for the British. There are murders, accidental killings, and blackmail schemes. Claire and Jamie eventually return to Scotland, where they reunite with Jamie’s family, as well as his ex-wife. When it is reported that Jamie has been lost at sea, Claire returns to America.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood

https://audible.com/pd/B00JBKB7YI

It’s still the 18th century in America, and Claire has married Lord John Grey for protection. But then Jamie returns, and he and Claire are reunited. Claire is wounded in the Battle of Monmouth, and she and Jamie return to North Carolina. In the 20th century, their grandson, Jeremiah, is kidnapped, and after he is found, Brianna and Roger and their family travel back to the 18th century to be with Claire and Jamie.

And that’s it...or is it? A ninth book is reportedly in the works, but no release date has been set. For now, the Frasers are all reunited in America. Throughout the audiobooks, there’s a lot of time traveling happening between the two centuries by many characters-except for Jamie. He’s never made the trip to Claire’s original timeline in the 20th century, and Gabaldon has said that he never will. And who’s to say he could? The way time travel works in the Outlander series depends a lot on the members of the Fraser family, and certain times of year seem to be easier than others. Not just anyone can pull it off.

And speaking of that, while the television series has been largely loyal to their source material, it does diverge on certain matters, both big and small. Here are seven differences between the Outlander books and the show:

• In the audiobooks, Claire’s wedding ring is stolen from Frank by the pirate Stephen Bonnet; on the show, the ring that is taken belongs to Jamie.

• Frank, Claire’s husband, is not nearly as horrible and rotten on the show as he is in the audiobooks. He’s much more of a doting, caring husband on the show, which better explains why he was willing to raise another man’s child as his own. He is also a womanizer in the books; on the show, he has a mistress he cares for very much.

• Believe it or not, there are fewer racy sex scenes on the television show than you find in the audiobooks. These are romance novels, so they do get steamy.

• Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser does not die in the Battle of Culloden on the show like he does in the books. Outlander producer Maril Davis has said that he was just too great a character and an actor to let go after the first season.

• Points of view are captured on the television show that are not seen in the novels. For instance, Jamie’s imprisonment by Captain Randall in the first book is told from his perspective. Viewers are also shown Frank’s search for Claire after she goes missing.

• The second season of the show opens with Claire’s return to 1948 instead of her life in 1968, like the opening of the second book.

• Laoghaire MacKenzie, Jamie’s wife, appears earlier in the show’s storyline than she does in the audiobooks.

Liberty Hardy is a Book Riot senior contributing editor and velocireader in the great state of Maine, where she reads 500-600 books a year and lives with her three cats, who are too young to read the Outlander series.

More on Audio... Diana Gabaldon covers so much in her characters. She has made story Novellas for many Outlander characters... here are a few stories that help us understand the Outlander books with clues, backstories, and adds, that are not in the antagonist perspective.

Virgins Young Jamie Fraser sets out for Paris France after the death of his father. Ian Murray, his childhood friend is already there fighting with French mercenaries and together they go on an adventure.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Virgins-Audiobook/B01DYH4MY0

A Leaf On The Wind Of All Hallows Roger Mackenzie as a child. What happened during the war to his parents and that time travel gene!

https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Leaf-on-the-Wind-of-All-Hallows-Audiobook/B00AFDNTQO

The Scottish Prisoner Lord John visits Jamie Fraser on the property at Hellwater where he left him a paroled prisoner, and requests his help in Ireland.

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Scottish-Prisoner-Audiobook/B00687N33A

The Space Between Joanie MacKimmie, and Michael Murray set out for France. Somehow Time travelers Compte St Germain and Master Raymond end up involved in the middle of Michael's attempt to help Joanie figure out how she sees the future and who's going to die

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Space-Between-Audiobook/B00KN88PCY

Composed for Outlander Homepage and produced by Teddie Potter

No comments:

The Rules of Time Travel According to Outlander

Outlander returns on september 10th on starz..

Rule #1: Time Passes at the Same Time No Matter Where You Are

Rule #2: you need a precious gemstone for a successful trip through time, rule #3: time travel is most effective via specific locations and dates, rule #4: the ability to travel through time is inherited, outlander: season 3 photos.

Rule #5: You Only Get Limited Trips Through Time

Ign recommends.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Got an Xbox Store Page on April Fools Day and Fans Don't Know How to Feel

Time Travel

View history
1.1 A Practical Guide for Time Travelers
1.2 Genetics
2.1 Locations
2.2 Days of the Year
2.3 Aides to Travel
2.4 Special Abilities
3.1 Geillis's Grimoires
3.2 Robert Springer's Journal
3.3 Raymond's Knowledge
4.1 Fraser-MacKenzie Family Group
4.2 The Montauk Five
5 References

A Practical Guide for Time Travelers [ ]

Brianna and Roger MacKenzie begin to record everything they know – or at least suspect – about time travel in a journal, which they jokingly refer to as the "Hitchhiker's Guide" for time travelers. The journal includes exposition on ley lines and geomagnetism as part of a series of working hypotheses on how time travel works.

Genetics [ ]

The evidence to hand regarding time travel as an inherited ability is the correlation between parents and offspring, with regard to demonstrated ability to pass through known time portals: Claire Fraser and her child, Brianna , have the ability; Geillis Duncan and her descendants ( William Buccleigh MacKenzie , Jeremiah Walter MacKenzie , and Roger MacKenzie ) all have the ability; and the children of Brianna and Roger, Jeremiah MacKenzie and Amanda MacKenzie , have the ability.

The Comte St. Germain , another traveler, also seems to be aware of the heritability of the time travel trait, as he actively seeks others with the "blue aura" – an observed but somewhat mysterious trait of time travelers – in order to procreate with them.

Observed Phenomena [ ]

Locations [ ].

Craigh na Dun
Cave at Abandawe , in Jamaica
Stone circle on Ocracoke
Stone circle in the rhododendron hell
Tunnel under Loch Errochty
Stone circle near Hadrian's Wall

Days of the Year [ ]

Aides to travel [ ], special abilities [ ].

Healing [2]
Extrasensory perception [3]

Testimony [ ]

Geillis's grimoires [ ].

In October 1743, Claire looks at a volume in Geillis Duncan's attic room bearing the title L'Grimoire d'le Comte St. Germain . [4]

In late April of 1968, Claire steals Gillian Edgars' gray-covered notebook from the Institute for the Study of Highland Folklore and Antiquities. Claire recognizes it as not merely a collection of scholarly notes, but as a grimoire, and finds that the writing within is a mixture of myth and science, with sections headed by titles like "Observations", "Speculations", and "Conclusions". [5]

Three years later, when Roger realizes that Brianna has gone through the stones into the past, he asks Fiona about Gillian Edgars, and what there is to know about the stone circle on Craigh na Dun. Fiona admits that Gillian had left behind a book bound in green cloth and hands it over to Roger, who finds an account in Gillian's own hand. The book opens with, "This is the grimoire of the witch, Geillis." It goes on to describe the "Sun Feasts and Fire Feasts" and to document "Case Studies", or suspected instances of time travel as evidenced by disappearances and deaths in the vicinity of stone circles. The final section is headed by "Techniques and Preparations", concluded by the assertion that "sacrifice is required." [6]

Robert Springer's Journal [ ]

In 1772, when Young Ian returns from living among the Mohawk, he brings with him a journal written in Latin, given to him by an old Mohawk woman named Tewaktenyonh . Inside, Jamie and Claire find an account written by Robert Springer, also known as Ta'wineonawira or "Otter-Tooth". He describes his journey through a portal, recounts guidance he received from a man named Raymond about time travel, and lays out his mission to prevent the native peoples from trading and allying with the Europeans.

Raymond's Knowledge [ ]

Through a confused interview with Wendigo Donner , Claire and the others learn what a man named " Raymond " knew about the portals. According to Raymond, time portals tend to occur in groups, these existing all over the world: the Caribbean, the Northeast near Canada, the American southwest in Arizona and Mexico, and the British Isles to the French coast, possibly down into the Iberian peninsula. [7]

Known Time Travelers [ ]

Fraser-mackenzie family group [ ], references [ ].

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 All solstice/equinox dates in this section are based on northern hemisphere.
↑ Raymond, Claire, and Hector McEwan have demonstrated healing abilities which resemble the pseudoscientific practice of reiki .
↑ Jem and Mandy can, from varying distances, sense the presence of each other as well as that of other family members.
↑ Outlander , chapter 24.
↑ Dragonfly in Amber , chapter 49.
↑ Drums of Autumn , chapter 32.
↑ A Breath of Snow and Ashes , chapter 55.
↑ A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Estimate
↑ Robert Springer's journal lists his companions' names as Rains Hard, Talks With Spirits, Strong Walker, and Six Turtles.
↑ Voyager , chapter 60. Geillis says she'd been in the past five years when she met Claire in 1743.
↑ The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel
1 Jamie Fraser
2 Brianna MacKenzie
3 Claire Fraser

- Outlander - Follow 'Bees' Explained A Lot About How Time Travel Works In The Outlander Universe

When Claire accidentally fell through the stones at Craigh na Dun into the past, she had no idea that one day, her daughter would be working on a Time Traveler's Guide . But as in Outlander books past, the family has uncovered more about their time-travel powers in Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone . Now that Brianna is back in the past with her parents, she put her scientific mind to the task of figuring out more about this mystical ability. And with her theories and the wild events that took place in the ninth book by Diana Gabaldon, here's what readers — and the Fraser and MacKenzie gang — learned about time travel in the Outlander universe.

Spoilers ahead for Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone .

The Healing Blue Light

Roger tells Claire about Hector McEwan's blue light power and how the time-traveling doctor from 1841 helped to heal his throat and Buck's heart in 1739. Roger says no one else could see the blue light but him, and Claire confirms a long-running fan theory that she had emitted some blue light when trying to save Malva's baby in A Breath of Snow and Ashes , just like Master Raymond emitted when he saved Claire after she lost Faith.

Claire and Dr. McEwan's healing light stems from them having a blue aura that indicates that they are descendants of Master Raymond. (And despite an early theory, the blue light doesn't seem to have anything to do with blue light evangelists like Captain Cunningham .) Claire tries the healing method on Roger, but it's when she brings the Cloudtree twin sister back to life that she's really able to access her power. In Claire's explanation, she "pressed my heartbeat into her back." She considered herself as "the sound of a heartbeat," as she thought of fire, tapping, and blue light. When she brings back Jamie at the Battle of Kings Mountain, she uses the blue light — while pressing her own body into his and conjuring the sound of a heartbeat — to revive him. This time, she seems to be able to absorb some of the things ailing him into her since she somehow spits out a musket ball that had injured him.

Since her hair isn't completely white yet at the end of the Bees , she still has more blue light healing power to come... just as Nayawenne had told her all the way back in Drums of Autumn . And could the bluestone that Sipio Jackson's grandmother gave to Claire that "heals sickness of spirit and of body" come into play when she does reach her full power?

Moving Through Time & Space

Although Doctor Who may have inspired Diana Gabaldon to write Outlander , Brianna says how the MacKenzie family wasn't willing to risk traveling through time and space to reunite with their family. Since they had to go from Scotland in 1739 to the American colonies in 1779, Brianna, Roger, Jemmy, and Mandy took a ship in 1739 to the colonies and then time traveled through Ocracoke to get to Jamie and Claire at Fraser's Ridge.

Just because the MacKenzies weren't willing to risk their family to try it out doesn't mean time travelers can't make like Doctor Who and do both. For instance, if Ezekiel Richardson is really Mike Callahan, was he able to travel from 20th-century Scotland to 18th-century America in one shot?

As for future time travel (as in, time travel to a time period beyond a person's original timeline), the verdict's still out for the Frasers and MacKenzies. But Master Raymond and the Comte St. Germain move forward in time at the end of "The Space Between," (and Raymond was presumably in the 1960s helping Robert Springer, aka Otter-Tooth). So it may not be out of the question for someone as powerful as Mandy.

The Ability To Change The Future

Roger worries that the Time Police will come and get them if they find their bastardized versions of Dr. Seuss's books. (Are the Time Police like the Time Variance Authority, the TVA, in Loki ?) But, as of now, the time travelers' impact on the future has been rather negligible. Although, while a bootleg version of The Cat in the Hat may not have dire consequences, could Buck MacKenzie having sex with his own mother Geillis result in Roger ceasing to exist? And is there anything legitimate to Ezekiel Richardson's idea that if he changes the outcome of the American Revolution, slavery in America will end earlier? Well, since Claire and Jamie failed in changing the outcome of the Jacobite rising of 1745, as did Geillis, it seems more likely that Richardson is destined for the same.

Time Travel & Death

One of Brianna's working theories is that she introduces in Chapter 126 is the idea that the time travelers die when they pass through time. As Brianna explains to Roger, "everything is composed of the same infinitesimal bits of matter," or less formally, something like "stardust." She thinks the "time places" (where time travel occurs) could be where ley lines converge. ( Ley lines are a theory, but they're said to be electromagnetic energy running through the earth that connects ancient monuments.) And that when you time travel, "You dissolve into stardust ... and your particles can pass through stone, because they're smaller than the atoms that make up the stones." If she's right, could time travelers also have some sort of deeper connection to the afterlife, like the Sachem who came back to life and now sees ghosts walking among the living?

Along with molecules or subatomic particles breaking up, Bree wonders how mass is accounted for in time travel because of the law of the conservation of mass. She thinks that one way people may die while time traveling is "they're headed for a time that... that doesn't have room for them, in terms of mass." She also ponders that if you don't have the time traveler gene, you may be guaranteed to die during the journey like some of the people who traveled back with Otter-Tooth.

Time Travel Causing Health Problems

Another of Bree's theories is that gemstones are what keep the time travelers' bodies intact once they reach the other side after they've dissolved to time travel. But she notes that the bodies may not come out completely unscathed, like how Buck's heart condition was exacerbated by his time travel and how she now suffers from atrial fibrillation since coming through the stones in Ocracoke. Claire claims Bree's condition is not necessarily life-threatening, but it's further evidence of the physical strain that time travel puts on the traveler. But is the physical toll of time travel strictly heart-related or could it extend beyond that?

The Other Senses

Along with Jem and Mandy "hearing" one another (they can hear their parents as well, and also Claire, "but not so much"), Mandy can sense or "see" others in her mind. Like Master Raymond could see Claire's aura, it seems Mandy can spot auras too... and not just those of time travelers. As Jamie explains, Mandy told him that he's a different color in her head from the other family members and she "kens when I'm near her." Jamie is the color of water to Mandy, as is her little brother Davy, which is why she doesn't believe that Davy can time travel like the rest of the family.

Mandy Is The Most Powerful Of The Family

There was already evidence that Mandy was the most powerful of the time travelers in the family, but Bees seemed to prove it. When the family was struggling to focus on Fraser's Ridge while traveling through at Ocracoke, it was Mandy that was able to bring them through safely by connecting with Jamie and his book A Grandfather's Tales . That, plus her ability to identify time travelers by their auras, seems to indicate that Mandy must take the most after her ancestor Master Raymond and that she's got some really amazing powers.

More and more people are beginning to learn about Claire & co.'s particular set of skills. Fergus confirms he knows what Claire's capable of doing and Roger reveals to him that he, Bree, and the two kids are also time travelers. Young Ian tells Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) and Wakyo'teyehsnonhsa (Emily). Elspeth may have figured it out since she discovered Claire's Merck Manual (and she seems to be in touch with the supernatural herself). And Claire tells the Sachem.

Along with more people knowing, there's also more time travelers popping up. If you believe Ezekiel Richardson, then he's one. And if Fergus is the Comte's kid, maybe he is one too. Plus, there's the mysterious Amaranthus . So with more characters knowing and more characters with the gene, then perhaps the more Brianna and Roger will have to add to their Time Traveler's Guide in Book 10.

Images: Starz

Problems signing up? Contact [email protected] for support. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use

Discover More

The Entire Outlander Timeline Explained

If you're not familiar with Outlander , this historical drama — based on the series of books by Diana Gabaldon — follows Claire (Caitriona Balfe), an English World War II nurse who finds herself tossed 200 years back in time and falls deeply in love with a saucy Scotsman named James Fraser (Sam Heughan).

A romance with a sci-fi heart, Outlander finds its characters crossing multiple timelines in their quests for love and family. From 18th century fights for Scottish freedom to the opulent palaces of Paris and 1960s hippies and peace protests, this addictively twisty series covers a lot of ground. The relationship between Claire and Jamie is the constant beating heart of the story, no matter what time period or country the characters find themselves in, but even with that star-crossed bond rooting the show, things can get confusing. Whether you're a new viewer or you're looking for a refresher before diving back in, here's a comprehensive look at the complete, complex Outlander timeline.

Spring 1945: Scottish time travel

When Outlander begins its first season, World War II has ended, and nurse Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies). They visit the Scottish town of Inverness to search the records of Frank's family and learn more about his ancestor Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, an English officer who had a reputation for torture. Randall was also responsible for squashing the Jacobite uprising of 1745, in which Scottish rebels tried to reinstate Charles Stuart to the English throne.

While in Scotland, Claire and Frank visit the ancient Druid stone circle of Craig Na Dun, where they observe a ritual being performed by women who seem to be able to harness the stones' magic, or at least believe they can. When Claire returns the next morning to investigate a plant for her botanical healing interests, she hears a humming sound and finds herself drawn to the stone circle. She stumbles through the stones, tumbling 200 years into the past. When Claire wakes up underneath the circle, she finds herself in the year 1743.

Summer 1743: Thrown into the past

The first person Claire encounters after her incredible arrival in 1743 is none other than Black Jack Randall, her husband's evil ancestor. Randall attempts to take her prisoner, but she's saved by a group of Scottish rebels, including the dashing Jamie. Claire uses her advanced medical knowledge to heal his dislocated shoulder and endears herself to the clan by using her experience with 20th century medicine. She's taken in by Clan McKenzie to live at Castle Leoch, where she befriends a mysterious woman named Geillis (Lotte Verbeek) and learns of the brewing Jacobite uprising.

In order to stay safe from Black Jack Randall and prevent being turned over to his custody as a missing English woman, Claire marries Jamie — much to the chagrin of Laoghaire (Nell Hudson), the young Scottish lass who is madly in love with him. Even though Claire and Jamie's love grows over time, as is made obvious by their intense sexual relationship, Claire stills longs to return to her own time. When Jamie is off on clan business, Claire runs away and returns to the stones at Craig Na Dun to try and travel back to the future. Before she can use the stones to return to her own time, she's captured by Black Jack Randall.

Winter 1743: Witchcraft and Wentworth

Jamie manages to rescue Claire from Randall's clutches, but their problems don't stop there. Laoghaire's jealousy intensifies and she joins in a mob accusing Claire and Geillis of witchcraft. Jamie manages to rescue Claire again, but Geillis is carried off, presumably to be burned at the stake.

After the ordeal, Claire finally confesses her true identity to Jamie: She's from 200 years in the future, has a husband named Frank, and traveled through time using the stones at Craig Na Dun. He takes the whole thing rather well, considering it sounds more than a little bit crazy, and he brings Claire back to the stone circle so she can travel back to her own time. Black Jack Randall finds them again — only this time Jamie is taken prisoner, tortured and raped by Black Jack at Wentworth Prison. Claire organizes an elaborate rescue with the help of other clan members, breaking into the prison and freeing Jamie from Randall's grasp. The ordeal, however, leaves Jamie irrevocably changed.

Meanwhile, back in 1945, a distraught Frank continues the search for his missing wife.

Winter 1744: Allons en France

At the start of Outlander 's second season, Claire nurses Jamie back to health, rebuilding his confidence, healing his physical wounds and his mind after his extreme violation. Meanwhile, they have something to lean their hopes on when Claire informs Jamie that she's pregnant.

They then head to France, where the Scottish hero "Bonnie Prince Charlie" has taken up residence. Knowing the outcome of the Battle of Culloden, where Scottish rebels are massacred and the uprising crushed, Claire and Jamie work to subtly convince Prince Charles and his supporters that the rebellion might not be a good idea.

Claire and Jamie become a part of Prince Charles' social circle and even befriend King Louis XV. They take in a young boy named Fergus and Claire stops a case of smallpox from spreading through Paris. All the while, Claire earns a reputation as "La Dame Blache," and more witchcraft rumors begin to swirl. But their attempts to quiet the rebellion plans seem all for naught, as Prince Charlie and his supporters only grow more determined to take back the English throne.

Spring 1744: The past returns

The Frasers learn that Black Jack Randall didn't die during their raid at Wentworth Prison — in fact, he's in Paris. When they hear that Black Jack has attacked Fergus, Jamie challenges him to a duel. Claire begs Jamie not to kill him in order to keep the timeline in place and assure that Randall has children, and in turn, that Frank is eventually born. Jamie reluctantly agrees, but the duel still takes place, and Claire faints from a ruptured placenta just as Jamie approaches Randall with his sword.

Jamie is thrown in prison for dueling and Claire gives birth to a stillborn baby daughter that the nuns at the hospital name Faith. After her recovery, Claire appeals to King Louis for Jamie's release and has to endure a bizarre ritual followed by the King's sexual demands. Claire and Jamie return to Scotland, knowing that they've failed to stop the Jacobites from advancing their plots, and unsure what to do next.

Fall 1945: The Jacobite Uprising

Jamie and Claire have settled back into life in Scotland, residing at Lallybroch, Jamie's family home. They welcome new nieces and nephews and feel content in their life. But then a letter arrives informing them that Prince Charles has declared himself the rightful king and plans to come to Scotland to stage his takeover of the British crown. At first, the Jacobites make advances, taking various towns and cities for their cause. But the Battle of Culloden looms, and Claire knows the outcome isn't going to be good.

Rather than have Claire stay and try to survive the bloodbath, Jamie takes her back to the stone circle at Craig Na Dun. This time, their visit is successful — she walks through and finds herself in 1948. With three years having passed in 18th century Scotland, three years have passed in her time as well. Frank arrives back in Scotland to discover that his wife who was missing is now pregnant with another man's child, and although her story is unbelievable, he agrees to take her back and raise the baby as his own. They move to Boston, where Frank has gotten a teaching position at Harvard.

Meanwhile, Jamie fights in the Battle of Culloden and survives, finally killing Black Jack Randall.

Jamie's Timeline: 18th century Scotland

The third season of Outlander finds Jamie and Claire separated for 20 years, though their separation is thankfully limited to a few episodes. In Scotland, Jamie lays low, living in hiding near Lallybroch after the Battle of Culloden. When British troops start interrogating his sister Jenny, Jamie has her turn him in and is sent to Ardsmuir Prison. There, Jamie is reunited with Lord John Grey, who runs the prison and whose life he saved when Grey was just 16. They form a friendship that is somewhat complicated by Grey's enduring love for Jamie, but their bond is no less devoted for it.

When the prison closes, Grey has Jamie complete his sentence as a servant at the estate of Lord Ellesmere. Here's where Jamie's storyline gets a bit soapy. He's blackmailed into sleeping with Ellesmere's young fiancée Geneva and impregnates her. She dies in childbirth, and when Ellesmere tries to kill the baby, Jamie kills him instead. Grey then helps them cover up the whole affair, and the baby is raised by Geneva's sister Isobel. Grey then marries Isobel and raises Jamie's son as his stepson.

Once Jamie's parole is up in 1764, he sets off on his own and ends up marrying Laoghaire, now a mother of two, out of pity. But the two are absolutely miserable and eventually, Jamie leaves her to open a printing shop in Edinburgh.

Claire's Timeline: 20th century Boston

Claire and Frank live in Boston, raising daughter Brianna and attempting to rekindle their past love. But Claire's once-intense affections for Frank are tainted by her experiences with Black Jack Randall, and she can't stop thinking about or loving Jamie. Claire goes to medical school and becomes a doctor. She soon discovers that Frank is having an affair, but they stay married for Brianna's sake and come to an agreement that Frank is allowed to pursue his other relationship.

As Brianna grows into an adult, she figures out the truth about Claire's visit to the past. When Frank dies in a car accident, mother and daughter decide that Claire should attempt to find some closure by traveling to Scotland to see what they can learn about Jamie. Thinking that he may have died in the Battle of Culloden, they utilize the help of historian Roger MacKenzie to look into Jamie's story. When they discover that he survived the Battle of Culloden and would be living in Edinburgh, Claire decides to travel back in time through the stones once again to reunite with Jamie. They also learn that Geillis, Claire's friend from the past, was actually from the 1960s and had just used the stones to travel to the time when she and Claire first met — and that Geillis is an ancestor of Roger's, despite the fact that they both lived in the same time.

1766: A voyage across the sea

Jamie and Claire reunite in Edinburgh at Jamie's print shop. Though the two have aged 20 years, their love rekindles quite easily; Jamie is married to Laoghaire, but that marriage is quickly annulled considering Claire is "still alive" after Culloden. Jamie had been portraying himself as a widower, but Claire's return leads to an elaborate story that she was lost for 20 years. Laoghaire accepts the annulment but demands money from Jamie in return. He and his nephew Young Ian venture to a remote island so Jamie can procure some valuable gems stashed away after the Jacobite Uprising, but Young Ian is taken by pirates and put on a ship to the New World — Jamaica, to be exact. Jamie and Claire follow in another ship.

The rest of season 3 takes place in Jamaica, where Lord John Grey has become a governor and Claire discovers that her friend Geillis is still alive, not burned at the stake after all. She has become a type of local priestess who wishes to travel through time again, this time using Ian as a sacrifice. Claire tells her that she knows Geillis is actually from the 20th century, Grey helps them rescue Ian, and Claire and Jamie sail for Scotland, only to be shipwrecked. After surviving their ordeal, they wake up on the American mainland in Georgia.

1767: Claire and Jamie in the New World

Season 4 starts out with many characters divided as Claire and Jamie make their way up the coast of America to North Carolina. Along the way, they encounter Native Americans, redcoats, and hints of the budding American Revolution. But the most nefarious encounter they experience is with an Irish criminal pirate named Stephen Bonnet, who takes advantage of the Frasers' kindness and robs them.

They eventually arrive in North Carolina at Jamie's aunt Jocasta's plantation Riverrun, where they recover. Aunt Jocasta wants to make Jamie her heir, but he declines, saying that he could never own slaves. Though the two had their hearts set on returning to Scotland, Jamie is offered land and incentives that make staying in America more attractive. Jamie and Claire settle on some land, a beautiful hill that they name Fraser's Ridge, and begin to build the cabin that would become their family home.

1971: Brianna and Roger

Brianna and Roger grow close while in Scotland. He takes her to a Sottish festival and proposes marriage. Brianna rejects him, saying that she's not ready to get married just yet, even though she does want to have a sexual relationship with him. Roger, being a traditionalist, doesn't want to sleep with Brianna unless they're married.

Brianna learns through Roger's documents that her parents, Claire and Jamie, are killed in a fire at their home on Fraser's Ridge sometime in the 1770s. Brianna decides to head back in time to save her parents and travels through the stones to 18th century Scotland; Roger, realizing what she has done, follows behind her. The two are completely out of their element 200 years in the past, and Brianna continues her journey to America by ship with Roger just missing her every step of the way. He boards a separate ship, and the two land in Wilmington, North Carolina. Roger and Brianna are reunited in Wilmington. They decide to put their differences behind them and promise themselves to one another in a Scottish handfasting ceremony. But once Brianna learns that Roger knew about the fire and didn't tell her, she storms off, continuing her hunt for her parents. In her journey, Brianna, unfortunately, comes into contact with the pirate Stephen Bonnet, who violently rapes her.

1770: The Fraser family

Brianna eventually finds Claire and Jamie, and they bring her to live at Fraser's Ridge. When Brianna learns she's pregnant, she tells Claire that it might be Stephen Bonnet's baby. Jamie learns about Brianna's attack, but Claire withholds the information that Brianna's rapist was Stephen Bonnet. As an unfortunate result, when Roger arrives at Fraser's Ridge looking for Brianna, Jamie assumes he's her attacker and beats him to within an inch of his life and hands him off to the Mohawk tribe. Jamie and Young Ian then set out on a rescue mission to find Roger and bring him back to Riverrun. Young Ian stays with the Mohawks in exchange for Roger's release, deciding to take on a new life with the Native Americans. Brianna gives birth at Riverrun and Jamie returns with Roger, who then promises to raise the child as his own.

Season 4 ends with British soldiers arriving at Riverrun and requesting that Jamie, who had promised himself to the English crown in exchange for his land, start a militia in order to quelch the growing American resentment against the English that would lead to the American Revolution. With rebellion looming, the Fraser family has to decide how much they want to stay in the past.

Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.

Your Account
Newsletters

Outlander explained: Is Rob Cameron a time traveler? Here’s who can time travel

Only certain characters can go through the stones in the fantasy series - here's a look at which characters can venture through time., chris fulton joins outlander.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander season 7 and the Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander season seven saw Rob Cameron (played by Chris Fulton) appearing to stumble across Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna MacKenzie’s (Sophie Skelton) big time traveling secret.

In the latest episode of the Starz series, Rob handed Roger back his notebook in which he’d been detailing down everything he’d learned about time travel.

The notebook had accidentally fallen into his hands when Roger unwittingly left it in a pile of Gaelic songs sheets he was sharing with his class.

Roger tried to pass off the book as a science fiction novel he was working on and would let Rob know when it was ready.

Rob seemed to express an unusually keen interest to know more, claiming he was a sci-fi fans which unnerved Roger.

READ MORE Here's a look at the real history of the Jacobite gold mentioned in Outlander

Is Rob Cameron a time traveler?

Many are wondering if Rob could be a secret time traveler like Geillis Duncan (Lotte Verbeek), Wendigo Donner (Brennan Martin) and the Comte St Germain (Stanley Weber).

The Outlander novels may have some answers to this given An Echo in the Bone serves as the basis for the seventh season.

From the novel and the eighth book Written In My Heart’s Own Blood, it looks like Rob doesn’t have the ability to travel through time as there’s no mention of him going through the stones.

Don't miss... Outlander season 7 welcomes a familiar face back to the series [INSIGHT] Outlander’s Sam Heughan sparks meltdown as he announces new career move [UPDATE] Outlander' Season 7 character Buck MacKenzie is distant relative of Roger [EXPLAINER]

Roger, Brianna and Mandy are all time travelers

However, this doesn’t mean he might not be able to do so at some point.

Moreover, he may not realize he possesses the ability until it happens like with Claire Fraser ( Caitríona Balfe ).

The show’s writers may also decide to alter his story and allow him to go through time if they want to diverge from the source material.

But for now, it looks like Rob is stuck in the 20th century and won’t be venturing into the past any time soon.

The characters who are known to be time travelers thus far in Outlander include Claire, Roger, Brianna, Geillis, Wendigo Donner, Comte St Germain, Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon), Buck MacKenzie (Diarmuid Murtagh), Jemmy MacKenzie (Blake Johnston Miller) and Mandy (Rosa Morris).

Fergus Fraser (César Domboy) also has the power to time travel as the St Comte German is his father and would have passed on his time travel abilities to him.

Additionally, although Jamie Fraser ( Sam Heughan ) can’t physically go through time, it’s becoming evident he can visit the future in his dreams and might have the ability to astral project as a ghostly figure.

Outlander season 7 airs on Fridays on Starz and LIONSGATE+

Meet the new actor playing Buck MacKenzie in Outlander
Brianna feel energy in the tunnel in Outlander similar to Craigh Na Dun
Outlander's William Ransom star pays tribute to ‘great’ Sam Heughan
Sam Heughan fans defend Outlander star's habit as holiday snap sparks backlash
Outlander's Sam Heughan pays sweet tribute to Priyanka Chopra on her birthday

Would you like to receive news notifications from The Express?

How Many Time Travelers Do We Know About in Outlander So Far?

Here's who can move between centuries in the popular TV drama.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

While many watch Outlander for the romance, or the history, at its core, it's a science fiction story; the plot revolves around time travel. Here are all of the travelers who have been introduced up to this point on the television series.

Claire Fraser

She's the time-traveler at the center of this whole story. Claire first travels through the stones on the hill Craigh na Dun near Inverness on May 2, 1946. She arrives in the same spot in Scotland on May 2, 1743.

But that isn't the last time she travels. Claire, pregnant with Brianna goes back through the stones on April 16, 1746 and reappears in Inverness in 1948, still expecting her first child with Jamie.

Twenty years go by before Claire travels again, but in 1968 she goes through the stones for a third time to seek out her lost love Jamie. This time, in the show at least, she's better prepared, wearing a "bat suit" designed to help her survive in the 18th-century, and it certainly comes in handy when she ends up in 1766.

Otter Tooth

Nothing marks someone as being from another time period quite like their teeth. In season four of Outlander , Claire Fraser meets a fellow time traveler — or rather the remains of one.

After losing her way in the woods while searching for a mule during a storm, Claire discovers a skull next to a glistening gemstone. After touching the remains, she sees the ghost of a Native American man wearing the same gemstone around his neck, and the apparition silently leads her to shelter from the rain. The next day after reuniting with Jamie, Claire washes the skull in the river to clean it, and notices the teeth have silver fillings, a dental innovation, which, as she puts it "won't be invented for another hundred years." The remains must belong to a traveler: Otter Tooth, a Native American man who traveled back from the 20th century to warn his people of their fate.

Geillis Duncan

Not long after she first went through the stones, Claire meets Geillis, and the two women bond over their shared knowledge of medicinal herbs. But their friendship gets Claire into trouble, and eventually they're both arrested for witchcraft. Geillis later confesses to being a witch, calling the smallpox vaccination scar on her arm a devil's mark. She also more explicitly reveals herself to be a traveler to Claire by saying to her "1968," the year from which she comes.

Comte St. Germain and Master Raymond

It wasn't explicitly spelled out during the show's second season, but it was certainly hinted that both Comte St. Germain, a villain who tried to hurt Claire, and Master Raymond, an apothecary who helped Claire in France, are from another time.

Brianna Fraser

brianna traveling back through the stones in season four

In season four, Brianna travels back through the stones to warn her parents of a fire at Fraser's Ridge . Per Diana Gabaldon, the author of the book series Outlander is based on , being a time traveler is a hereditary trait. So in Brianna's case, she got it from her mama. In season five, she attempts to travel again, trying to get back to the 1970s. And again, she makes a journey in season seven to save her daughter.

Roger MacKenzie

Brianna went back in time to warn her parents, and Roger went back in time to protect Brianna. A distant relative of Gellis, Roger's abilities are also inherited.

Jemmy MacKenzie

In season five, the entire MacKenzie clan travels through the stones, proving that little Jemmy, too, is a time-traveler. His abilities, and the fact that Otter Tooth's gemstone burned so hot, perhaps indicate that he is the son of Roger, which would mean both his parents are travelers.

Mandy MacKenzie

When Amanda joins the MacKenzie family, and is in need of 20th-century medical care, the need for her to travel through time—and her ability to do so—become apparent.

Wendigo Donner

Native American activist Wendigo Donner traveled from the 1960s through time to try and save his people from genocide. In season six, he was among the men who kidnapped Clare Fraser, and in season seven, he broke into Claire and Jamie's home at Fraser's Ridge in an attempt to steal gemstones. He strikes a match, and the entire house explodes, killing himself in the process.

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series

Diana Gabaldon Outlander

Diana Gabaldon Dragonfly in Amber

Diana Gabaldon Voyager

Diana Gabaldon The Drums of Autumn

Diana Gabaldon The Fiery Cross (Outlander)

Diana Gabaldon A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Diana Gabaldon An Echo in the Bone: A Novel

Diana Gabaldon Written in My Own Heart's Blood: A Novel

preview for Outlander Season 7 - Official Trailer (Lionsgate+)

As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects

@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1jdielu:before{margin:0.625rem 0.625rem 0;width:3.5rem;-webkit-filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);height:1.5rem;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-transform:scale(-1, 1);-moz-transform:scale(-1, 1);-ms-transform:scale(-1, 1);transform:scale(-1, 1);background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-1jdielu:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/townandcountrymag/static/images/diamond-header-design-element.80fb60e.svg);}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1jdielu:before{margin:0 0.625rem 0.25rem;}} Everything You Need to Know About Outlander @media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-128xfoy:before{margin:0.625rem 0.625rem 0;width:3.5rem;-webkit-filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);height:1.5rem;content:'';display:inline-block;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-128xfoy:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/townandcountrymag/static/images/diamond-header-design-element.80fb60e.svg);}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-128xfoy:before{margin:0 0.625rem 0.25rem;}}

When Does 'Outlander' Season 7, Part 2 Premiere?

The Outlander Prequel Has Begun Production

How Lauren Lyle Got Ready for the 2024 BAFTAs

james fraser and claire on the set of outlander

All the News on Outlander Season 8

Jamie Fraser's Parents in 'Outlander' Prequel

outlander season 7 world premiere at tribeca film festival

Where to Buy Sam Heughan's Gin

Izzy Meikle-Small on Love and War in Outlander

outlander season 7 marketing photography 102122 102222

Outlander Season 7 Episode Guide

Outlander Season 7 Sneak Peek

Is Outlander's Lallybroch Real?

BTS of This Week's Explosive Ep of Outlander

Outlander Timeline Explained

Can’t keep the timeline of Outlander straight? Don’t worry-we’ve got the entire timeline explained, plus the rules on time travel in the popular series.

One of the most successful adaptations of the last several years is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series . Outlander is a historical romance time-travel series about British nurse Claire Randall who time travels from the 20th-century to 17th-century Scotland. There she finds love and adventure with the dashing Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior. The first book was published in 1991 to modest success, and with each addition to the series, its popularity grew. And the release of the television series on Starz in 2014 brought a whole new legion of fans.

By Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by Davina Porter

This stunning blend of historical romance and time traveling adventure has captured the hearts of millions of readers around the world....

Dragonfly in Amber

This sequel to Outlander sweeps listeners back into the past as Claire relates more of her perilous sojourn there with her Scottish warrior husband, James Fraser....

Set in the intriguing Scotland of 200 years ago, the third installment in the romantic adventures of Jamie and Claire is as compelling as the first....

Drums of Autumn

Twice Claire has used an ancient stone circle to travel back to the 18th century....

The Fiery Cross

The year is 1771. Claire Randall is still an outlander, out of place and out of time. But now she is linked by love to her only anchor: Jamie Fraser....

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

The year is 1772, and the rift between Britain and its American colonies has put a frightening word into the minds of all concerned: revolution....

An Echo in the Bone

Diana Gabaldon's immensely popular Outlander saga soars to new heights with this seventh novel, which takes listeners on a breathtaking journey to 1777 America....

Written in My Own Heart's Blood

Claire Randall finds herself caught in the midst of an unfamiliar world torn apart by violence, pestilence, and revolution and haunted by her growing feelings for a young soldier, James Fraser....

• In the audiobooks, Claire’s wedding ring is stolen from Frank by the pirate Stephen Bonnet; on the show, the ring that is taken belongs to Jamie.

• Believe it or not, there are fewer racy sex scenes on the television show than you find in the audiobooks. These are romance novels, so they do get steamy.

• The second season of the show opens with Claire’s return to 1948 instead of her life in 1968, like the opening of the second book.

• Laoghaire MacKenzie, Jamie’s wife, appears earlier in the show’s storyline than she does in the audiobooks.

The best Black audiobook narrators to listen to right now

From veteran narrators to celebrity performers, here are just a few of today’s outstanding Black voice artists with a gift for bringing life to the audiobooks they narrate.

The top 100 Audible Essentials

Beloved by our listeners and hand-picked by our editors, every title on this list is an audio experience for the ages.

Editors Reveal: The listens that got us hooked

From time travel to true crime to tech exposés, these are the listens that jump-started our audio journeys.

Sci-fi & Fantasy

Outlander's Caitriona Balfe And Sam Heughan Reveal Stars Returning For Final Season, And the First Look BTS Is Great

Prepare to see more of the Fraser family!

sam heughan and caitriona balfe in outlander season 7 teaser

Fans of Outlander have gone without any new episodes since back in August 2023, and the latest Droughtlander wait for the second half of Season 7 isn't ending any time soon in the 2024 TV season . Production on the eighth and final season in underway, however, and stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan shared a behind-the-scenes look at what's going on. While there's not much to glean from the set around them, they do reveal the exciting returns of two familiar faces: Lauren Lyle and César Domboy as Marsali and Fergus! And honestly, the first footage of them BTS is already making me excited to see them again.

Lyle and Domboy haven't been back as Marsali and Fergus since the back half of Season 6, which in Outlander teams means nearly two years ago. The characters had plenty to tend to off-screen while Jamie, Claire, and Co. were in the early stages of the American Revolution, but the stars are back in costume behind the scenes on Season 8. Take a look:

A post shared by Outlander A photo posted by outlander_starz on

An era truly is ending for Outlander ! While I of course love the banter between Lauren Lyle, César Domboy, and the actors who play their characters' adoptive parents, the moment that put the biggest smile on my face was seeing Lyle and Domboy playing a hand clapping game – known as "Slide" in my neck of the woods – in the background before Caitriona Balfe turned the camera their way.

That would be pretty cute for any co-stars behind the scenes, but it's particularly fun with Lyle and Domboy considering Fergus lost his hand back in Season 3 due to some violent English soldiers. His struggles with having to wear the 18th-century version of a prosthetic have been a continuing story for him , and that storyline got pretty dark for Fergus and Marsali in Season 6 . But the actors don't have the same issues to deal with together, and seeing Domboy playing a hand clapping game while wearing Fergus' fake hand definitely made me laugh.

Plus, the Outlander Instagram account hit the comment section to promise that the video is "NOT April Fool's" and therefore not a fakeout. I for one was more than ready for some exciting news on the Outlander front beyond just the upcoming Blood of My Blood spinoff , since the latest update on the second half of Season 7 was less thrilling. Also via Instagram , Outlander confirmed that Part 2 of Season 7 won't premiere until November, with no official date confirmed. So, that could mean as soon as just after Halloween or as late as nearly December.

The second half of the seventh season seems poised to deliver some good old-fashioned Outlander time travel . Although I wasn't 100% sold on the Jemmy plot twist in the midseason finale last August, I'm as bummed as anybody that Season 7B won't be back until November. The assumption had been that a supersized Season 7 would mean less of a Droughtlander between blocks of episodes, and that clearly won't be the case.

For now, you can revisit every season of Outlander so far streaming with the Starz add-on to a Hulu subscription and the first five seasons streaming with a Netflix subscription .

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).

NCIS Star Sean Murray Has Talked To Mark Harmon About The Prequel, But How Does He Feel?

The Euphoria Season 3 Delay Doesn't Bother Me For One Key Reason

Why The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner And Theresa Nist Are Allegedly Living In Separate Homes After Getting Married

Screen Rant

Every outlander character who can time travel.

Throughout Outlander, it is revealed that many, many characters can time travel - but exactly which characters have managed it (so far)?

The TV series Outlande r has brought a new perspective to the theories of time travel that fascinate many viewers. The dramatic story with lots of action and romance is based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, and continues to attract fans every season.

RELATED: Outlander: 10 Facts About Time Travel From The Books The Show Leaves Out

In the story, the theories of time travel are explained through a genetic predisposition that some of the characters in the TV show and the novels have. Not everyone can get through the stones, some have died trying and others simply cannot travel. Here is a list of all the characters in Outlander (TV Show and novels) who have traveled through time at some point.

Hector McEwan

This character traveled by accident from 1841 to 1737. He is a healer that Roger met when he was looking for his son Jeremiah in the year 1739. In addition to time travel, he has a kind of healing power: when he cures his patients, a blue light comes out of his hands, Roger notices this characteristic when he heals Buck and Brianna from injuries and health problems. In his own time, Hector has a wife and two children.

Comte St. Germain

Their origins and real life are unknown. Comte St. Germain appears in the series during 1744, when he was a member of the French court. He tries to take revenge on Claire when he loses a shipment of goods as a result of a smallpox epidemic that she tries to stop. He is also known to have lived in 1630 and to have tried to travel to the future.

RELATED: 10 Things From Outlander Books That Are Too Mature For The Show

As a curiosity, this character is based on the real Comte St. Germain, who is frequently annexed in novels, movies, and television for his particular life and his aura of mystery, where he is attributed with qualities of an alchemist, humanitarian, and healer.

Master Raymond

Claire meets a mysterious apothecary when she lives in Paris in 1744. His life is quite unknown, but it is known that he is a prehistoric time traveler and that he may have an ancestor in common with Claire, since he recognizes her as one of his descendants. He cures Claire of an infection when she suffers a miscarriage (of the first baby she was expecting with Jamie), after the Comte St. Germain tried to poison her.

Wendigo Donner

Wendigo Donner has been traveling through time since 1968 trying to stop the genocide that the Native Americans experienced. Along the way, he loses himself as he tries to survive and later attacks Claire's family when he tries to return to his time. This Native American activist reveals his ability to travel through time when he whistles the song "Yellow Submarine" to Brianna.

This character met Gillian Edgars (Geillis) in 1960 when they both shared an interest in the stone circles in the area, as well as being members of the Scottish National Party.

RELATED: Outlander: 10 Things You didn't Know About Clan Fraser

Kenneth travels from Craigh na Dun to the year 1743 trying to change the past of his country, in spite of traveling at the same time as Geillis she arrives 10 years earlier and he a few hours before Claire, managing to discover that she is a time traveler too.

Jeremiah Walter MacKenzie

Roger MacKenzie's father travels back in time by accident when his plane crashes during World War II. Disoriented, he arrives in a hostile 1739, where he is beaten and imprisoned. He is later rescued by two men who identify themselves as time travelers and help him return home, one of them is his son who tells him that he loves him before saying goodbye. Shortly after returning, Jeremiah dies, but minutes before, he can rescue Roger.

Amanda Fraser MacKenzie

Mandy is the daughter of Roger and Brianna and was born in 1776, after her parents traveled to the past to reunite with Claire and Jamie. The girl has a special bond with her brother Jeremiah, which allows her to find him when he disappears. Her family must travel through time when they discover that she was born with a heart condition, which cannot be treated by Claire and that can be fatal for Mandy.

Jeremiah Alexander Ian Fraser MacKenzie

Jemmy or Jem is the son of Brianna and Roger and was born in 1770. The boy has lived in different periods such as the years 1980, 1978 and 1770, and is characterized by being brave, stubborn and physically resembling his mother and grandfather (Jamie Fraser) with red hair and blue eyes.

Geillis Duncan

She traveled to 1733 from 1968 (where she had the named Gillian Edgars). Geillis planned her journey through time trying to change history . She married Arthur Duncan, the procurator fiscal, and started to work with medicinal plants, earning a reputation as a witch for selling spells for love, abortion, and poisoning.

RELATED: Outlander: 10 Best Quotes From Incredible Female Characters

Her lover is Dougal MacKenzie and she tries to make him assume the control of his clan. When Claire travels to the past for the first time the two women meet and Geillis suspects that the protagonist of Outlander comes from the future. While Geillis is expecting Dougal's child she is imprisoned with Claire during a witch's trial.

William Buccleigh MacKenzie

Geillis manages to have his son and give him up for adoption to William and Sarah MacKenzie in 1743. William Buccleigh or Buck is Roger's ancestor and they meet on a sea trip from Scotland to the United States. Buck travels to 1980 through the stones in Craigh na Dun and decides not to return and give his wife freedom, after they had problems.

Roger MacKenzie

After the death of his parents he is adopted by Reverend Wakefield and when he was 5 years old, he meets Claire, before she travels back in time for the first time. As an adult he falls in love with Brianna, Claire and Jamie's daughter. His ancestors are Geillis and Dougal so he has the genes for time travel and has used them to go to the 1770s and 1980s.

Brianna Randall Fraser

Brianna grew up thinking her father was Frank Randall, her mother's first husband. After Frank's death, Claire tells Brianna and Roger about her journey back in time to the 18th century and about Jamie. Brianna travels back in time for the first time from 1971 to 1769 and there she meets her aunt and cousins, and later, her biological father.

Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser

The story begins with Claire's journey through time, although it is believed that she may be the only time traveler, more characters who also have this ability begin to appear in the plot. Her journey to Scotland in the 18th century takes her to Jamie, with whom she falls in love and shares different adventures.

To save the life of the baby she is expecting, Claire must travel to the future where she raises her daughter Brianna with Frank Randall. When Brianna grows up, Claire decides to go back in time to be with Jamie again.

NEXT: Caitriona Balfe's Top 10 Outlander Costumes

an image, when javascript is unavailable

‘The Way Home’ Creators Break Down That Mind-Bending Season 2 Finale Twist

By Megan Vick

‘Good Trouble’ Co-Creator Breaks Down the Series Finale’s Emotional Farewell: ‘Will We Be Remembered?’ 4 weeks ago

"The Way Home" finale, Hallmark Channel.

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from “Bring Me to Life,” the Season 2 finale of Hallmark’s “ The Way Home ,” which streams on Peacock and Hallmark Movies Now.

Those flashbacks mean that Colton is a time traveler, and was using the pond long before young Jacob, Alice (Sadie-LaFlemme Snow), or Kat jumped into the mysterious water attached to the Landry farm. This revelation shifts a lot of things we thought we knew about the series, and raises a host of new questions.

In the finale, it also seemed like Elliot (Evan Williams) made a breakthrough episode about the rules of the pond, allowing him to travel back to 1999 with Alice to get his five extra minutes with Colton. Elliot postured that people can travel in tandem with the Landry women, but not go into the future. However, this Colton twist brings the second part of that theory into question.

But that wasn’t the end for Season 2 finale bombshells. The episode also raised questions about Casey Goodwin (Vaughan Murrae), who showed up miraculously to tell Del that the Goodwin family would no longer be purchasing the Landry farm. When they delivered the new paperwork, Alice noticed that Casey was wearing a ring around their neck that looked suspiciously like Brady’s (Al Mukadam) and Kat’s engagement ring that Kat had given to Alice earlier in the season. So now we must question whether Casey is also a time-traveler, and what is her true relationship to the Landry family.

How long have you been planning this Colton twist?

Alex Clarke: For a while. This show is so complex, and is three different shows at any given time. Everything has to kind of intertwine with one era informing another, so yes, you have to know the end before you begin. The idea of Colton as a potential time-traveler was in our minds in the beginning of Season 1. What is so nice is that Jefferson, who plays Colton, has always played the role in this incredibly enigmatic way where you are not sure if he’s recognizing people, if knows more than we’re sharing — and it’s really been such a gift to watch. Now, as we go into Season 3, you can look back and notice the little nuances that you don’t notice the first time you watch an episode. He did a miraculous job with that.

Does that mean he knew it was adult Elliot in the finale?

Clarke: We can neither confirm nor deny! That’s what’s so great about Jefferson’s performance. All we will say is that we will answer a lot of these questions in Season 3.

Are there any scenes that you recommend fans go back and rewatch in light of this twist?

Heather Conkie: I expect the audience will go back and do exactly as Alex said, and watch all of the Colton scenes and see them from a slightly different perspective now.

Clarke: I think one of the things we were heavily influenced by when we first got into the writers’ room was “The Sixth Sense.” Our goal was always that moment at the end of the season where you go, “Wait, what?!” And then you rewatch the whole thing with this new piece of information, and see things in different lights…

This massive revelation in Season 2 is not just that Colton is a time-traveler, but also why does Casey have a ring around their neck that looks like Alice’s?

What does the Colton revelation mean for Elliot’s “Flynn Factor” theory? Is that completely null and void, because Colton obviously can go into the future?

Clarke: Any rule that we explain in the show is usually the right one. At our core, we follow the rules of the pond, because the minute we stop following the rules is the minute we lose the trust of the audience. We have the whole list. We have them up in the office and are very, very careful not to stray from the rules. We can find loopholes, or we can approach that rule in a different way, and that’s hard. But Elliot’s Flynn factor is important to the series.

You also put in a scene between Del and Evelyn Goodwin a few episodes ago that felt ominous, and did not give a lot of context. Are we going to find out more about what happened between those two and Colton in Season 3?

Jacob returns to the present in the finale, but we do not see him reunite with Del. What made you decide to save that for later?

Conkie : It felt right. As Alex said, we only have a limited time and it felt like that moment [between Del and Jacob] was too big a moment to squeeze in. It is inevitable. It will happen.

Clarke : This season was also really a story about Kat bringing Jacob home. It was about her quest to save him and the ultimate question was, can she bring him home? That question we did answer:Yes, and now her quest is done. She achieved that moment. Any reunion with Del is obviously something we all want to see, but that’s another story. The story that we were telling this season was about Kat. As a result, that moment of them heading towards the house and her being the one to say, “I wish dad could see this,” propels us to these big reveal moments. It was her story. We told her story.

Obviously, with all of our stories, there’s never really an end, or every end creates a new beginning. That’s something that we were really mindful of going into Season 3. The idea that every ending is a new beginning is quite a theme.

Does ending this chapter mean that Kat won’t be tempted to go back to 1814 even if she now knows Thomas is still alive?

Clarke: We only give you as much as you need. That’s kind of the motto of the show. [Finding out that Thomas is alive] is a moment that raises a lot of questions for Kat, if and when she and Jacob walk through that kitchen door and what comes next.

Kat and Elliot kind of end on a question mark this season. What do those questions mean for their relationship?

Clarke: I think her closing that chapter is going to open up time for her and Elliot in a way that she never really has been able to give him. Kat is an incredibly impulsive person. She is someone that once she sets her mind to something, she won’t ever give up on it until it’s done, and potentially at the cost of a lot of other things that maybe she’s not even aware of. It will be interesting to see her character start to refocus her priorities.

Elliot has a “let there be light” epiphany at the end of the episode. Is he fully healed from the trauma of losing Colton now after getting to time travel?

Conkie: That was him breaking through not just a wall, but a whole way of thinking and regret. It may open him up in a different way. I think it will change that. He’s taking that step, and just bursting through that wall he put up around himself.

I think both Kat and Elliot are coming to each other with different perspectives now. Kat’s quest is done, but what’s next? Elliot also has way more understanding of why she has done what she’s done. That will leave them in a really interesting place next season.

Obviously, you can’t reveal who Casey Goodwin is to the Landrys, but what are your conversations like with your actors when you know there is going to be a major twist with their character? How much warning do you give them?

Conkie : I’ve always felt as a writer that it’s better to keep actors in the dark in a way, because they react to it immediately when it happens, as opposed to them thinking ahead of time. It’s always the case, but with Vaughan Murrae it was different. I think they had a theory when they got the role. They knew a little bit. They were a person who watched Season 1 with their mom, and they were a fan. So it was incredible for them to come play amongst people that they’ve been watching.

Clarke : To your point, Mom, I think even that very first day they kind of had an idea of where we were going with the character.

Del was developing a romance all season and was finally starting to really open up in these final episodes. What is reuniting with her long-lost son going to do to her drive to be with someone again?

Conkie: Alex and I have thought very hard about how would you handle that after 20-odd years of acceptance that it is never going to happen. It’s bound to change a person in a huge number of ways. Do you go back to treating that 32-year-old like an eight-year-old? Are you overly possessive? Do you push aside every single thing in your life? Other than that, just to get to know this person again, this adult, it’s bound to have a massive effect on Del. It’s going to have a massive effect on Port Haven, because they were such a part of this horrific disappearance and keeping her going in her time of absolute grief. It’s going to affect her relationships, for sure, with everyone.

Clarke: One of the things we always keep in mind is this idea of a happily ever after. That is such a happily ever after moment of a son who has been missing for 24 years walking through the door. What comes after that, though? It’s not like we freeze in time, close the book and we’re done. Happily ever after is a bit of a myth because there is always something after and inevitably it has its own challenges as much as it is a happy ending in the moment.

What is the overall percentage chance that we’re going to see Andie McDowell jump in this pond in Season 3?

Clarke: We are asking ourselves that exact question in the writers’ room. Never say never with anything on our show.We pride ourselves on jaw-drop moments, so there will definitely be more.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

More From Our Brands

Beyoncé tips her hat to innovators who defied ‘any label placed upon them’, puerto rico’s most expensive listing is a $49 million penthouse, mlb union head tony clark sees pay jump $2m to $4.25m, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, beyoncé receives innovator award from stevie wonder at iheartradio music awards — watch, verify it's you, please log in.

Baltimore bridge collapse: What happened and what is the death toll?

What is the death toll, when did the baltimore bridge collapse, why did the bridge collapse, who will pay for the damage and how much will the bridge cost.

NTSB investigators work on the cargo vessel Dali, which struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO REBUILD THE BRIDGE?

What ship hit the baltimore bridge, what do we know about the bridge that collapsed.

The 1.6-mile (2.57 km) long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed into the water overnight after a cargo ship collided with it on March 26.

HOW WILL THE BRIDGE COLLAPSE IMPACT THE BALTIMORE PORT?

Get weekly news and analysis on the U.S. elections and how it matters to the world with the newsletter On the Campaign Trail. Sign up here.

Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Lisa's journalism career spans two decades, and she currently serves as the Americas Day Editor for the Global News Desk. She played a pivotal role in tracking the COVID pandemic and leading initiatives in speed, headline writing and multimedia. She has worked closely with the finance and company news teams on major stories, such as the departures of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and significant developments at Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla. Her dedication and hard work have been recognized with the 2010 Desk Editor of the Year award and a Journalist of the Year nomination in 2020. Lisa is passionate about visual and long-form storytelling. She holds a degree in both psychology and journalism from Penn State University.

Hunter Biden appears for deposition with House Republicans in Washington

Australia says it is trying to confirm death of citizen in Gaza

Australia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it was seeking to confirm reports that one of its citizens died in a suspected Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

The body of a World Central Kitchen (WCK) worker is transported on a stretcher by paramedics in Deir al-Balah

Drones attacked industrial sites in Russia's Tatarstan, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday, citing local authorities.

Ukrainian lawyer Khrystyna Vrashchuk looks on at her office in Kyiv

Share full article

Supported by

Girl, 8, Is Sole Survivor of Bus Plunge: ‘No One Can Explain This Miracle’

Forty-five church pilgrims from Botswana, along with the driver, were killed when the bus plunged off an overpass into a rocky ravine in South Africa. The only survivor was a little girl.

A mourning woman sits on the floor, next to a seated man with his head in his hands.

By John Eligon and Yvonne Mooka

Reporting from Molepolole, Botswana

Lauryn Siako is the rare 8-year-old who springs out of bed to get herself ready for church, her family said. She loves the singing, the dancing, the worshiping.

So when leaders of her church announced that they were resuming the enormous annual Easter pilgrimage to church headquarters in South Africa this year, after a four-year hiatus for Covid-19, Lauryn pleaded with her mother to let her go for the first time.

Lauryn and her grandmother boarded a bus in their home village of Molepolole, Botswana, on Wednesday night with 43 fellow members of the St. Engenas Zion Christian Church, excited for the experience of a lifetime.

But by the following morning, Lauryn was the only one of the 45 passengers still alive.

The driver lost control of the bus on a sharp turn, and it careened off a high overpass on Mmamatlakala Mountain in northeastern South Africa, plunging 165 feet into a rocky ravine and bursting into flames. The driver and all of his passengers perished, except, inexplicably, the stringy girl who had just received her passport a week before the trip and had guarded it closely. She escaped with minor lacerations, South African health officials said.

“How did she come out of that bus?” Lauryn’s tearful mother, Gaolebale Siako, said on Friday, sitting in the modest home where Lauryn had lived with her grandmother in Molepolole, repeating a question she has been asking herself over and over.

“It’s hard to explain,” she added. “I’m hurt that I lost my mom and other people, but I’m also comforted knowing that my child is alive.”

As investigators continued searching for remains and answers as to what happened on Friday, church members questioned how the bus ended up on a treacherous, winding mountain road that they had never taken before in many journeys to the church headquarters in Moria, South Africa.

DESTINATION

Johannesburg

south africa

Kabelo Joseph Selome, a local ward councilor and a cousin of Lauryn’s mother, said in an interview in Botswana that the bus had been following two cars carrying church elders. But when the cars took a turn, the bus failed to follow — suggesting that the bus driver was lost, said Mr. Selome, who had spoken with the elders.

The police were investigating the crash as a case of culpable homicide, according to a statement, though they did not provide further details.

Emergency responders found Lauryn outside the bus with minor lacerations to her arms, legs, head and back, said Thilivhali Muavha, a spokesman for the chief health official in Limpopo Province, where the crash occurred. She was in stable condition on Friday, Mr. Muavha said.

Mr. Muavha said the authorities had not yet determined how the girl was able to survive such a devastating crash.

“All we can say is that we are happy that she was found alive,” he said.

The family has been speculating about how Lauryn survived, said Ms. Siako, 38. They wonder whether Lauryn’s grandmother, Onkemetse Siako, 61, threw her out of the window before the crash.

“No one can explain this miracle,” said Mr. Selome, the cousin.

The family learned at a briefing with police officials from Botswana on Friday, Mr. Selome said, that Lauryn had provided a lot of information to the South African authorities. She told them where the bus was coming from and where it was going, and even gave them her mother’s phone number.

The family now wonders whether God saved the young girl so that she could assist the authorities.

Lauryn was her grandmother’s favorite because she was so obedient, relatives said. The two lived together while Lauryn’s mother was away working, and they were inseparable. She got her cooking skills and independent mind from her grandmother, they said. She would wash and iron her own clothes and cook for the family — she baked bread the morning of the trip.

Lauryn was ranked second in her class, relatives said. She wanted to perform in a beauty pageant at school, but she was not picked because she walked too slowly and with her shoulders slumped, said her mother, who works as a safety and health official at a construction site.

Her mother told her to prepare not to sleep much at the Easter gathering. The praying, singing, dancing and prophesying happens on a field at night, and the energy is so high that the congregants rarely go to bed.

Ms. Siako said there was always a lot of excitement in simply traveling to the Easter gathering, which attracts millions of worshipers, and in seeing all the buses gathered at Moria.

The Zion Christian Church split into two branches in the middle of the 20th century after a dispute between the founder’s sons. Members of the St. Engenas branch wear a badge with a dove, while the other, larger branch, simply called the Zion Christian Church, wear a star. Their beliefs are virtually the same, said Joel Cabrita, a history professor at Stanford University in California, who has written a book about the church. They belong to a broader Zionist Christian movement in Africa that counts around 15 million members, the largest denomination in southern Africa.

While the St. Engenas branch decided to restart its pilgrimage this year, the other branch still has not.

The South African police confirmed on Friday that the passengers on the bus, along with the driver, were citizens of Botswana making the journey from Molepolole, a village that is considered the gateway to the vast Kalahari Desert.

As of Friday afternoon, 34 bodies had been recovered, the police said. Only nine of them were identifiable, with the others burned beyond recognition.

The tragedy cast a cloud over Botswana, a heavily Christian nation of about 2.5 million that was preparing to celebrate the Easter weekend.

Ms. Siako and other relatives said they worried about how this tragedy would affect Lauryn’s mental state. It is unclear when family members might be able to travel to South Africa to visit her in the hospital, or when she will be able to return home.

“I cry a lot,” Ms. Siako said. “I’m just worried, how is she right now?”

She said she pictured her daughter alone at the bottom of the ravine after the crash, and wondered whether she was scared and crying. “I’m asking myself,” she said, “did she even see what really happened?”

Ultimately, though, the miracle of Lauryn’s survival might be all this devastated community has to help it heal right now.

“This girl, just her being alive, is comforting the whole family,” Mr. Selome said. “This girl is giving us strength.”

John Eligon is the Johannesburg bureau chief for The Times, covering a wide range of events and trends that influence and shape the lives of ordinary people across southern Africa. More about John Eligon

Solar Eclipse 2024 Map Shows Where Sun Will Be Blocked by Moon on April 8

A total solar eclipse will pass over the U.S. in April, casting temporary darkness over more than a dozen cities during the middle of the day.

The total solar eclipse will begin just after midday in the south of the country on April 8, and will travel directly over 13 states . For astronomy enthusiasts, NASA has provided trajectory maps that show exactly where and what time Americans can view the rare phenomenon next month.

The eclipse, the first of its kind in the U.S. since 2017, will cross the continent of North America, starting in Mexico before entering the U.S. and leaving via the northeast into Canada .

Those in what is known as the "path of totality" will experience dark skies for several minutes as the moon blocks the light path of the sun for a few minutes. Those not in the direct path will still experience some effects, to a smaller degree.

Brian Lada, an AccuWeather astronomy expert, told Newsweek : "You definitely want to be looking at the sky on April 8th because if you miss the solar eclipse this year, you have to wait two decades until the next chance to see a total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States."

"Total solar eclipses themselves are not rare. They happen every year somewhere around the world. What is rare is to have them visible here in the United States."

Where Can the Solar Eclipse Be Viewed From?

A NASA map shows the full trajectory of the eclipse across the country and provides estimated times. Starting in Texas at around 1:30 p.m. CDT, the eclipse will occur in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and finally over Maine at around 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Some major cities will also turn dark on April 8. In the following cities, the maximum totality will begin at the following times, according to information provided by NASA:

Dallas, Texas - 1:42 p.m. CDT
Idabel, Oklahoma - 1:47 p.m. CDT
Little Rock, Arkansas - 1:52 p.m. CDT
Poplar Bluff, Missouri - 1:56 p.m. CDT
Paducah, Kentucky - 2:01 p.m. CDT
Carbondale, Illinois - 2:01 p.m. CDT
Evansville, Indiana - 2:04 p.m. CDT
Cleveland, Ohio - 3:15 p.m. EDT
Erie, Pennsylvania - 3:18 p.m. EDT
Buffalo, New York - 3:20 p.m. EDT
Burlington, Vermont - 3:27 p.m. EDT
Lancaster, New Hampshire - 3:29 p.m. EDT
Caribou, Maine - 3:33 p.m. EDT

NASA has warned anyone turning to the skies to watch the eclipse should take proper precautions to prevent potentially serious damage to their eyesight.

"When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses ('eclipse glasses') or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times," NASA said. "You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector."

Solar Eclipse to See NASA Send Rockets Into Moon's Shadow
Solar Eclipse Could Unlock 'Elusive' Knowledge of Sun
Solar Eclipse Warnings Leave Officials on Guard: 'I'm Scared As Hell'

Start your unlimited Newsweek trial

Stock image of a solar eclipse where the moon blocks the path of the sun. Next month's eclipse is the first since 2017 to be seen in the contiguous U.S.

What we know about Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after being hit by a cargo ship, with large parts of the bridge falling into the Patapsco River.

At least eight people fell into the water, members of a construction crew working on the bridge at the time, officials said. Two were rescued, one uninjured and one in serious condition, and two bodies were recovered on Wednesday. The remaining four are presumed dead. The workers are believed to be the only victims in the disaster.

Here’s what we know so far.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship . The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers , officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s , will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild , experts said.

Baltimore bridge collapse: Crane arrives at crash site to aid cleanup March 29, 2024 Baltimore bridge collapse: Crane arrives at crash site to aid cleanup March 29, 2024
Officials studied Baltimore bridge risks but didn’t prepare for ship strike March 29, 2024 Officials studied Baltimore bridge risks but didn’t prepare for ship strike March 29, 2024
Baltimore begins massive and dangerous cleanup after bridge collapse March 28, 2024 Baltimore begins massive and dangerous cleanup after bridge collapse March 28, 2024

IMAGES

Outlander's Rules of Time Travel, Explained
Outlander Timeline & Time Travel Explained
Every Time Traveler In Outlander Explained
Outlander Time Travel The Stones And All Theories Explained
Outlander Time Traveling Finally EXPLAINED..
The Entire Outlander Timeline Explained

COMMENTS

Outlander's Rules of Time Travel, Explained
The Rules of Time Travel in Outlander, Explained. A breakdown of the key facts about how, when and where it's possible. By Emma Dibdin Published: Jun 23, 2023 2:20 PM EST. Save Article.
Every Time Traveler In Outlander Explained
The Starz series Outlander has featured plenty of time-travelers and here's all of them, explained. Though Outlander is primarily a historical romantic drama, it's also considered magical realism fantasy due to the usage of magical time travel. Based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon, the Outlander TV show, which has been running since 2014, initially focuses on the time-traveling ...
Outlander Timeline Explained
Outlander Timeline Explained. Here is a complete breakdown of the Outlander timeline and its rules about time travel, including everything from seasons 1 through 6. Outlander timeline involves time travel using magic stones, with travelers ending up approximately 200 years in the past. Time runs consistently in both timelines and characters age ...
Outlander Time Travel: The Stones And All Theories Explained
These stones come into play time and again on Outlander: Claire travels through the stones at Craigh na Dun in 1746 when Jamie brings her back to them in order to keep their baby safe, and then ...
All The Established Time Travelers On 'Outlander' & What ...
The Season 5 finale introduced another time traveler — Wendigo Donner. As a member of Lionel Brown's gang that kidnapped Claire, he figures out Claire is from the future by her Dr. Rawlings medical advice and her use of Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ. After confirming that Claire knows who Ringo Starr is, Donner tells Claire that he had "traveled ...
Time Travel in Outlander, Explained
Time Travel in Outlander, Explained. By Rita Dorsch Published Aug 18, 2020. Grounded in folklore, Outlander's rules of time travel seem authentic but daunting. ... If there's a weak spot in the logic of Outlander's time travel, it has to do with the "butterfly effect," which holds that any changes made in an altered past create a new, altered ...
'Outlander' Time Travel Explained
by Perry Carpenter. Published on November 1, 2020. 3 min read. The epic love story in Outlander between Jamie and Claire Fraser (Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe) began in the pilot episode when ...
The Outlander timeline and time travel rules, for all 8 books!
One of the most successful adaptations of the last several years is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Outlander is a historical romance time-travel series about British nurse Claire Randall who time travels from the 20th-century to 17th-century Scotland. There she finds love and adventure with the dashing Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior.
Outlander explained: The rules of time travel in the Starz universe
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander. Outlander is a magical drama no doubt, however, there are a number of rules when it comes to time travel in the Scottish series.. The epic love story between Jamie (played by Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) began when the latter left her post Second World War life and travelled to 18th Century Scotland.
The Rules of Time Travel According to Outlander
Rule #1: Time Passes at the Same Time No Matter Where You Are. One of the most important time travel rules to understand on Outlander is that time travels at the same time no matter what point you ...
Time Travel
Time travel refers to the phenomenon of moving through time in a nonlinear fashion. The only known method of time travel in the Outlander series is traversing a certain geographic location, often indicated by a natural or man-made landmark. Brianna and Roger MacKenzie begin to record everything they know - or at least suspect - about time travel in a journal, which they jokingly refer to ...
Outlander explained: The rules of time travel in the Starz universe
Outlander is a magical drama no doubt, however, there are a number of rules when it comes to time travel in the Scottish series. The epic love story between Jamie (played by Sam Heughan) and ...
Outlander Time Travel Explained: How Does It REALLY Work?
Six seasons of Outlander, but still, there is yet to be an exact explanation of how time travel works. In this video, I delve deep into time travel and expla...
11 Questions About Outlander Time Travel, Answered By Diana Gabaldon
Spoilers ahead for Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. With Brianna and Roger's homecoming to Fraser's Ridge after three years away from Claire and Jamie, the time travelers stayed in place (time-wise at least) in the ninth Outlander book. But there's bound to be more time travel after Go Tell the…
Outlander: 10 Facts About Time Travel From The Books The Show Leaves Out
Blood is necessary for secure passage. It has been mentioned several times, throughout the books, that many people trying to travel through the portals, were found dead later, near them. It is a risky business. Sometimes, fire is required too and can help with arriving at the desired point of time safely.
Outlander explained: How does time travel work in Outlander?
Finally, it was easier to time travel at certain times of the year such as around pagan festivals like Beltane and Samhain. Users on Reddit shed further light on time travel in Outlander further with one fan called Fiction_escapist: "So what we know to be true, is its a hereditary ability, the default is 200 odd years travel to the past, gems can help change it from default, so you can ...
'Bees' Explained A Lot About How Time Travel Works In The Outlander
Time Travel & Death. One of Brianna's working theories is that she introduces in Chapter 126 is the idea that the time travelers die when they pass through time. As Brianna explains to Roger, "everything is composed of the same infinitesimal bits of matter," or less formally, something like "stardust." She thinks the "time places" (where time ...
The Entire Outlander Timeline Explained
The Entire Outlander Timeline Explained. By Casey Cipriani / Feb. 3, 2020 11:04 am EST. ... She has become a type of local priestess who wishes to travel through time again, this time using Ian as ...
Outlander explained: Is Rob Cameron a time traveler? Here's who can
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander season 7 and the Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon. Outlander season seven saw Rob Cameron (played by Chris Fulton) appearing to stumble across Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna MacKenzie's (Sophie Skelton) big time traveling secret.. In the latest episode of the Starz series, Rob handed Roger back his notebook in which he'd been ...
How Many Time Travelers Are There in Outlander?
Claire Fraser. She's the time-traveler at the center of this whole story. Claire first travels through the stones on the hill Craigh na Dun near Inverness on May 2, 1946. She arrives in the same ...
Outlander Timeline Explained
But the explanation for time travel in Outlander is much simpler, and much more of an occurrence of nature. It's all in the standing stones. When Claire touches the stone, she is transported to 18th-century Scotland. There, she meets her husband's ancestors. She also meets Jamie Fraser, a Highlander.
'Outlander' season 7 will return in November 2024. Here's ...
"Outlander" aired eight episodes of season seven in 2023 before taking a midseason hiatus. ... "One of the many joys of our epic story is the element of time travel which allows us to revisit some ...
Outlander's Caitriona Balfe And Sam Heughan Reveal Stars Returning For
Fans of Outlander have gone without any new episodes since back in August 2023, and the latest Droughtlander wait for the second half of Season 7 isn't ending any time soon in the 2024 TV season. ...
NYT 'Connections' Hints and Answers Today, Monday, April 1
Hints to help you solve today's word-grouping NYT's Connections game—including the answers for all four categories for #295 on Monday, April 1, 2024.
Every Outlander Character Who Can Time Travel
The TV series Outlander has brought a new perspective to the theories of time travel that fascinate many viewers. The dramatic story with lots of action and romance is based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, and continues to attract fans every season.. RELATED: Outlander: 10 Facts About Time Travel From The Books The Show Leaves Out In the story, the theories of time travel are explained through ...
'The Way Home' Season 2 Finale: Is Colton Landry a Time Traveler?
Those flashbacks mean that Colton is a time traveler, and was using the pond long before young Jacob, Alice (Sadie-LaFlemme Snow), or Kat jumped into the mysterious water attached to the Landry farm.
Baltimore bridge collapse: What happened and what is the death toll
Work is underway to begin clearing the wreckage of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge a week after a cargo ship crashed into it, sending the span crashing into the harbor and killing six ...
Girl Who Survived South Africa Bus Crash Is in Stable Condition
Forty-five church pilgrims from Botswana, along with the driver, were killed when the bus plunged off an overpass into a rocky ravine in South Africa. The only survivor was a little girl.
Solar Eclipse 2024 Map Shows Where Sun Will Be Blocked by Moon on ...
The eclipse, the first of its kind in the U.S. since 2017, will cross the continent of North America, starting in Mexico before entering the U.S. and leaving via the northeast into Canada.. Those ...
What we know about Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
The bodies of two victims have been recovered from the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship.