- 10 hours ago
Outlander - Season8 Episode1 - Soul of a Rebel
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00:11First one on out is our executive producer and the brilliant mind of Meryl Davis.
00:24The man who made it all happen, creator and executive producer Ron Moore.
00:34The charming Richard Rankin.
00:50We paid them to do that.
00:53The fantastic Sophie Skelton.
01:05The one and only Sam Heughan.
01:20And the woman who needs no introduction, Katrina Bell.
01:34Hi, Sam.
01:35Oh.
01:37Hi, Mum.
01:38How are you?
01:39Thanks.
01:40Guys, how are you feeling tonight?
01:42You look lovely.
01:42Good.
01:44It's me.
01:44It's me.
01:45It's you.
01:47It's me.
01:47It's me.
01:48Did everybody have a snack?
01:50Yeah.
01:51Does anyone want a drink?
01:52We want a drink.
01:53Do we want a drink?
01:53Let's drink.
01:55I need a drink.
01:56Oh, yeah.
01:57It's Outlander.
01:58Oh.
01:58But I'm going to make you guys pour it because I'll spill it all over you.
02:02Yay!
02:02All over you.
02:03Start.
02:05Let's send it down.
02:06Thank you, Paley, for the whiskey.
02:07Send it on down.
02:08I'm going to have you just pass it on down.
02:10We're going to play a little game.
02:12Should I explain how the game works?
02:13Should we just...
02:14Right, you hold that.
02:15I'll hold that.
02:16Yes.
02:17Yes, Mum.
02:17Yeah, that works.
02:18Season four, this is what happens at home.
02:21We're going to do superlatives.
02:24We did these in high school, when I went to high school.
02:26But I'm going to make a statement.
02:28You guys are going to fill in the blank with the name of your colleague.
02:30The person whose name is said has to take a sip of their drink.
02:34Oh.
02:36Let's...
02:36Sam.
02:37I don't...
02:38Can I just...
02:41Let's run this.
02:43While we're doing this, are there any book readers here tonight?
02:48Unfortunately, we have to keep it spoiler-free.
02:50But maybe next time.
02:53Is Outlander or just books in general?
02:54Do you get one?
02:55Just books.
02:56I'll do it after.
02:57Okay.
02:57I have to keep this party under control.
03:00Yeah.
03:03All right.
03:04First question.
03:05What are we doing?
03:07Okay.
03:08Just say your name.
03:09Whatever she says.
03:10Just say your name.
03:11I'm going to make a statement.
03:12Yes.
03:12Make a statement.
03:14Whoever...
03:15Whichever colleague does that has to take a drink.
03:19Whichever colleague does that.
03:21I'm glad that we've brought down the tone of PaleyFest.
03:24I think we always do, though.
03:26We always do.
03:27So, cheers, PaleyFest.
03:29Slender.
03:29It's just a shot glass now.
03:30It's not a full glass.
03:32Don't take it all at once.
03:33All right.
03:33Okay.
03:34All right.
03:35Who's most likely to ruin a scene by laughing?
03:37Richard.
03:42We don't fail.
03:44Wait.
03:45Is there more than one?
03:46Can there be more than one answer to this?
03:47Absolutely.
03:48I mean, I feel like Katrina left.
03:52Oh, okay then.
03:53Yeah.
03:54It's pretty equal here.
03:56Huh?
03:57Sam?
03:59Oh, okay.
04:03Most likely to try to make their partner break in a scene.
04:06Richard.
04:09Richard.
04:09Richard.
04:10You literally do.
04:11You're just saying my name.
04:13You literally poked me in the back.
04:17Yeah, we'll just start out.
04:20I'm 47 and I'll pop.
04:22It's all right.
04:23We've got more here.
04:24That's great.
04:26Most likely to complain about the cold and cold.
04:27on location.
04:28Richard.
04:29Richard.
04:29What are you saying?
04:31What are you saying?
04:35I'm giving you a whole bottle.
04:36I'm giving you a bottle.
04:37I'm giving you a bottle.
04:38I'm giving you a bottle.
04:39Just drink.
04:40Just drink.
04:41Do you want to give me the glass and you just have this?
04:44I see a cup.
04:45I can't.
04:45You get drunk.
04:46Oh.
04:48Wow.
04:49I can't.
04:49Damn it.
04:51Just drink.
04:53Most likely to sneak a shot into their coffee.
04:56Richard.
04:56No, it's not.
05:01That would be Sam.
05:03Come on.
05:03Come on.
05:04Do we have to cancel the game?
05:05No.
05:06Because of Richard?
05:07I know.
05:07I feel a little bad for Richard.
05:08I feel like some people might not be telling the truth.
05:11Meryl, you have to take one for the team now.
05:12The first two were absolutely true.
05:14Would you like some more?
05:15You better fill that one up.
05:15Would you like some more?
05:16Before you carry on, Richard.
05:17Yep.
05:18Can you fill your room?
05:19Most likely to fall asleep on set or in their office.
05:22Sam.
05:23Sam.
05:27Who's the worst secret keeper slash spoiler revealer?
05:30Ron Moore.
05:31Ron Moore.
05:33Yeah.
05:34Yeah.
05:39Without objection.
05:42Who hits the catering table first?
05:44Could you not roll?
05:45No.
05:47Actually, no one hits the catering table.
05:50Sophie doesn't leave the catering table.
05:54No one is running to the catering table.
05:56Actually, these two steal our snacks.
05:58So...
05:58Whoa, listen.
05:59Wait.
06:01There are snacks first.
06:03That's true.
06:04That's true.
06:07Most likely to injure themselves while performing a stunt.
06:10Oh, my God.
06:12Most likely to injure your co-star during a stunt.
06:15That's good.
06:17Okay, what did you do?
06:20What haven't I done?
06:21Okay.
06:21Are you okay?
06:23Well, now I am.
06:24I mean, I've been flung across a room.
06:26I've been...
06:27You've had a...
06:28Punched in the face.
06:29In the water.
06:30He hit you with a...
06:30Oh, he...
06:31shoved me into a massive piece of wood.
06:34I hit you with my sword once.
06:35You did.
06:35A couple of...
06:44Oh, keep dreaming, baby.
06:46Keep dreaming.
06:47The whiskey was such a good idea.
06:49Last one, because we have a show on the road.
06:52Most likely to take an embarrassing photo of their colleague is blackmail.
06:58Some.
07:01I mean...
07:01I think we're all kind of guilty here.
07:03Nothing from the writers.
07:04Cheers.
07:05Cheers.
07:05Cheers.
07:07Cheers.
07:08Thank you for coming.
07:11All right.
07:12All right, guys.
07:12We're gonna start with a pretty obvious question, but I wanna hear all of your answers.
07:16For an inherently Scottish show, what's the biggest challenge of translating it to America?
07:21How do you retain the essence of something while, one, keeping it fresh, and two, avoid
07:28turning it into a wholly different show?
07:31Well, you know, there's two challenges.
07:33There's the challenge creatively, and then there's the challenge of physical production.
07:38You know, on the simplest level, visually, it was like a reinvention of everything we've
07:42done, because if you think about Scotland and the UK and the location shooting that we did,
07:49we would go out and shot on location a lot, but all the old buildings and all the old
07:53structures are made of stone.
07:55And in America, in our colonies, everything's made of wood.
07:58So, right away, it tremendously limited what we could physically shoot in Scotland.
08:03We had to build a lot more.
08:04We had to do a lot more visual effects work.
08:07Everything had to kind of be redone.
08:08You know, props, set decoration, new costumes, new visual landscapes, a lot more CGI.
08:14So, it was a tremendous sort of, you know, challenge, just on a purely production level.
08:18And then, creatively, you're also sort of bringing a different mythology, a different
08:23land, a different culture, a different style of storytelling.
08:27You're dealing with, you know, a polyglot sort of group of people that have come to the
08:32colonies at this time.
08:33And, yeah, the audience's perception is that this is a Scottish show.
08:38But in truth, the tale that Diana has given us is really, has always been broader than
08:43that.
08:44It went to France.
08:45It's gone to Jamaica.
08:46It's gone on the high seas.
08:47It's always kind of moved around the world.
08:49But we try to retain that sort of core of the Scottish idea at the heart of it.
08:54And I think we accomplished that because you're still focused on Claire and Jamie and their
08:59family as sort of everything springs from them overall.
09:02So, you always kind of have the heart and soul of the show and hearkening back to Castle
09:07Leak and hearkening back to Lolly Brook.
09:09And the roots, you know, are overseas, which is really the, that's the American story is
09:13people coming to these shores but having roots in the old world.
09:17I mean, I think also the thing we knew right off the bat is we'd never be able to recreate
09:22the southern heat that you would have in North Carolina and Scotland.
09:26It's just, I mean, I've said it before.
09:28You get a week of summer in Scotland and I put summer in quotes.
09:32So, I mean, right off the bat, we were like, we're not going to talk about weather.
09:35We won't be able to have everyone look glistening.
09:38Obviously, the actors, you don't want them to freeze to death.
09:41So, we kind of knew right off the bat that we wouldn't deal with the weather because
09:45we just couldn't, that's, you know, trees are trees and once you're in the forest,
09:49Scotland can look a lot like North Carolina.
09:52But there are certain things you can't recreate and weather is certainly one of them.
09:56Samick and Trita, did you find yourselves carrying yourselves differently on set?
10:00You're still in Scotland, but is there a conscious change you had to make for this season?
10:08No, I mean, I think people don't really change just because they change location.
10:13And I think, you know, what Ron said is really true.
10:16Like, we're telling the story of immigrants arriving in a new country.
10:19And, you know, generally, people, when they arrive somewhere, they retain so much of where
10:25they came from.
10:25It's that way of bridging that gap of who you were and this new place that you're in.
10:31So, I think, you know, certain things were different.
10:36Like, our costumes were different and the materials that were used were different.
10:39And that had a bit of a change.
10:42But, you know, Jamie and Claire are still the people that they are.
10:46But they are affected by the land.
10:48And I think there is a great positivity and a great freedom here.
10:52And for the first time, you get to see these characters settle, you know.
10:56And we're constantly dealing with the drama in previous seasons of sort of trying to,
11:01you know, trying to find each other or trying to find a place to stay.
11:04And here, finally, they find that.
11:06And the land of America seems to be a very, very positive place for them.
11:11I mean, there's a lot of danger, obviously.
11:12But, yeah, they're together at least.
11:15And they're finally settling down.
11:18I mean, they've got their home.
11:19They're building Fraser's Ridge after those two decades notwithstanding.
11:25After most of their relationship is on the road.
11:27How does this change for them?
11:28This is finally, they can tangibly say this is where we are.
11:32This is ours.
11:34Yeah, I think it's a very different dynamic this season.
11:36I mean, this kind of look at domesticity and them in their home.
11:41And it's a lot more, it's a lot calmer.
11:44But there's a strength to their bond now.
11:48They've been through the worst thing that they could ever go through, they think, thus far.
11:55But, you know, the separation, Claire coming back.
11:58I mean, she paid such a high price to come back.
12:01She left her daughter.
12:02And after that, I don't think you can really have a cliffhanger again.
12:05You know, they have to be solid at this point.
12:09There's a lot of, obviously, external stuff that is still going to happen.
12:13But I think, as a union, it's really strong.
12:17And there's a relaxed nature, I guess, to it.
12:21Which was, we've never really explored that, I think, before.
12:25Yeah, no, because they've grown up, you know.
12:26And they know each other better.
12:27And maybe their temperament has calmed a little bit.
12:30But also, I feel, and I might be wrong here, but I feel like we're setting up kind of the
12:36bigger story.
12:37You know, we were dealing with Scotland and sort of that period.
12:39And now it feels like we're doing something even bigger, which is the history of America.
12:43And as we know, there's a great deal more on the horizon that's coming.
12:47So this really feels for me like we're setting up maybe next season.
12:51If you guys like to employ us again.
12:55That would be great.
12:56Tell us about next season.
12:57So what's happening next?
12:58Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
13:01What?
13:03Do you guys think Claire and Jamie think about...
13:06I mean, obviously, I've seen the first few episodes.
13:09Claire knows what's coming.
13:10But that's really far away.
13:13Eight years feels like a long time.
13:15Is it weighing on them, the revolution, everything that's coming in a broader sense?
13:20Or is it more just like, let's get our home built first?
13:23I mean, for me, I think initially when they were trying to decide what their next step would be,
13:33I think that obviously weighed on Claire's mind.
13:36It's like, well, I know this is coming on the horizon.
13:38But I think like everybody, you know, the macro can feel far too big for anyone to deal with.
13:47And I think for her, you know, having this family unit and building a home has been something that she's
13:55never had a chance to really experience in this loving, positive way that she has with Jamie.
14:01And so I think that that's her main focus.
14:03And I think they, you know, they know that whatever comes down the line, they'll deal with it then.
14:08And so I don't think that she's thinking about it too much later on.
14:14And Jamie doesn't even really comprehend it.
14:17No, I mean, he's obviously told a lot.
14:19And you saw there in that snippet, you know, he understands what is coming.
14:23And I think, you know, the storm is coming and it's on the horizon.
14:28But for Jamie, you know, he's really got kind of got nothing here apart from the people that he loves.
14:34You know, he's away from the country that he loves.
14:38He doesn't really have many, he doesn't have any possessions.
14:40He really is actually trying to fight for the people that he loves.
14:45But for him, that's what it's about.
14:47It's about creating a home and an environment where he can be, you know, the layered or look after his
14:52loved ones.
14:53And without giving away, obviously, spoilers, but there are...
14:57But you just did.
15:00Hey, what are you guys doing here?
15:05There are a lot of surprises and a lot more of his loved ones.
15:09It's...
15:10They read the books.
15:13I definitely want to get to the two of you, but I don't know if I can talk about this
15:17part.
15:18Fraser's Ridge and dealing with the American wilderness, is it a more physical season?
15:23I mean, the last time we saw, you were getting the hell beat out of you off the Atlantic Ocean
15:29somewhere.
15:30Is it any different?
15:32You shot a gun?
15:33I mean...
15:34I shot a gun before.
15:36No.
15:39Claire...
15:40People forget things.
15:41Even when we were talking about that scene, people were like,
15:43oh, we need to show you how to shoot a gun.
15:45Are you going to be okay to shoot a gun?
15:46I was like, Claire and Jenny got on some horses with some guns.
15:52You know...
15:57But this is just a bigger gun.
15:58Yes.
15:59It was kind of fun.
16:00It was fun.
16:01That's what we need.
16:01We need a bigger gun next season.
16:03We just need a bigger gun.
16:04Next season's going to be an Uzi.
16:07They're going to run out of room in the armory.
16:09Is it more physical?
16:11I don't know that it's...
16:13I think the show's always been really physical.
16:15Yeah.
16:15I mean, we definitely shot outside a lot more this season, I feel.
16:19Yeah.
16:19I don't know.
16:20Maybe that's just a perception thing.
16:21And it was a pretty bad winter.
16:22I mean, we would talk about the weather all the time, but it was pretty bad.
16:24And yeah, we were, because we were establishing Fraser's Ridge.
16:27And for them, you know, there's nothing there.
16:29It is the wilderness.
16:30And there's, you know, nature's pretty dangerous, but also everything around them.
16:36But actually, the whole of the season, you know, it really is amazing to watch this settlement grow.
16:40And it's been, you know, by the end of the season, to see Fraser's Ridge really established and become this
16:48settlement.
16:49Heard rumors of a bear?
16:50It's marvelous love.
16:53It may be a bear.
16:55Maybe some fish?
16:57Yes.
16:58Oh, yeah, yeah.
17:02Though maybe not in the way you think.
17:04Yeah.
17:06Sorry.
17:07I'll stop.
17:08Jamie's...
17:08Yeah.
17:10I can see season four summarized now.
17:14And maybe nature is dangerous.
17:17Nature is dangerous.
17:19Here you go.
17:20Sophie and Richard, we're about to watch a clip of your characters, but before we do that...
17:24Are we good?
17:24We are.
17:25Woo!
17:27About time.
17:28I didn't know it.
17:30Nobody told Richard.
17:31I research.
17:34But excellently.
17:35Do you want notes?
17:36Nature.
17:37Mostly history.
17:38Yeah.
17:39Tell us where we find your characters when season four opens.
17:45Cool.
17:46I'll take this one.
17:48So, I mean, for Brie, we sort of find her dealing with sending her mother back.
17:52She's essentially, through that sacrifice, made herself an orphan.
17:57And she's moved away and changed from history to MIT.
18:00So she's managed to detach herself a bit and live a sort of different life, if you like.
18:05She and Roger are sort of going through that long-term, long-distance relationship.
18:11But I think for Brie, there's a line in the book where Brie says that she's known a marriage made
18:16of love and one made of obligation and she knows which one she does and doesn't want.
18:20And I think that's very much Brie's mindset from the beginning of this.
18:23You know, Roger's quite a forward, shall we say, person in a relationship.
18:29And I think for Brie, that's something that...
18:31Is he forward?
18:32I mean...
18:35Just traditional.
18:36I mean...
18:36You could argue...
18:38I would say traditional.
18:40Let's not relive this fight on stage.
18:42It's like you had traditional...
18:42Only values...
18:43Which...
18:44You know, I kind of, like, brushes against...
18:47Values which will...
18:50Values which will...
18:50You know, relationship's complicated things.
18:54Values which he'll only hold.
18:54This is why the show takes ten months to...
18:56This is why the show takes ten months to...
18:59A young love, huh?
19:00Yeah.
19:02Who...
19:02Sorry?
19:03You kissed him first.
19:05Obviously.
19:05Who's side are you on?
19:08Do you want to come...
19:10I mean...
19:10It was the sixties.
19:13Wait a minute.
19:14You kissed him?
19:18I don't know what she's talking about.
19:22Let's roll the clip.
19:30Does Brianna know how driving works?
19:34I mean...
19:35I'd use the excuse of it being the other side of the road.
19:37But it's...
19:39How many times did that scene take with those words?
19:42Cock...
19:42Cockedinious.
19:43It wasn't so much the language.
19:45It was more the placement of the ketchup.
19:47Yeah.
19:47That was very initial.
19:48It was like, how do we sell the fact that Roger's got ketchup?
19:51Like...
19:51Because you see, when Richard eats chips with ketchup, he gets it everywhere.
19:56So...
19:56It was narrowing it down.
19:58Turns out Roger's much more precise about where the ketchup goes.
20:00False.
20:02I have to...
20:03I have to talk about another trailer that shows Bri going near a couple stones.
20:11Ooh.
20:11Some what?
20:12You tell me.
20:14What?
20:14Yeah.
20:16Why would you do that?
20:22Just don't touch them.
20:26Do you know your mum has a thing about...
20:29That sounds...
20:30Never ends well.
20:33Frank's voice.
20:34Can we talk about that?
20:36Can we?
20:37What?
20:38Tell me more.
20:39It's just in Bri's head, right?
20:40Yeah.
20:41It's just something in Bri's head.
20:42It was just something we thought at that moment would work.
20:47But I don't think we can really talk about.
20:50Hard to...
20:50Yeah.
20:51Hard to say.
20:51But you are correct.
20:54Good.
20:54I didn't make it up.
20:57So we meet a whole new cast of characters this season.
21:01Particularly one Steven Bonnet.
21:06Who's laughing?
21:07See behind you.
21:08Okay.
21:10What is the challenge of bringing...
21:19Some people have told me that he's worse than Black Jack Randall.
21:22I have no idea.
21:23I don't do my research.
21:25But how do you place a new villain in here when you've already got somebody who was horrific?
21:32And how do you make him feel different?
21:35How do you make him scarier?
21:38I mean, this is...
21:39Well, you don't try to make him scarier.
21:41And you don't...
21:42You try very hard not to repeat those beats or try to compete with them and say,
21:47How can we make him even worse than Black Jack?
21:50Because that's just a losing game and no one wants you to go there.
21:53So you just try to carve out a different character and a different path.
21:57And, you know, you have the bones of the character and the idea that's in the book.
22:01And then you find the right actor.
22:03And you just, you know, the character starts to speak to you how this is going to be a different
22:08story than the story you told before.
22:09Because Black Jack is in a category by himself in the show and in the mythology of the series.
22:15So you shouldn't try to compete with that.
22:17This is a different character.
22:19And the expectations for the audience should not be that this is how we top Black Jack Randall.
22:24This is a completely different character and a completely different story.
22:29Interesting.
22:30Anybody have anything else to add there?
22:31I have to say that Ed Spielers.
22:33Ed Spielers.
22:34Or should I say Spielers.
22:35Spillers.
22:36Spillers.
22:37Spillers.
22:37Well, if you want to say it with an accent, but it's Spillers, I think.
22:40Spillers.
22:41He says it like that.
22:42It's Spielers.
22:42But he's wonderful.
22:45He's not giving me too much, but he's incredible and really went for it.
22:48And I think did an amazing job.
22:51We don't like him.
22:54But he's good.
22:55Did you haze him on his first day of set?
22:58We bullied him.
23:01Mercilessly.
23:01Yeah.
23:02He deserves it.
23:05It was the Irish accent, I think.
23:07Yeah.
23:09Spoiler.
23:11Oh.
23:12Is that a spoiler?
23:13Is that a spoiler?
23:13That's not a spoiler.
23:15Another character is Aunt Yocasta.
23:18Spoiler.
23:18Did I pronounce her name right?
23:19Yocasta.
23:20Sorry.
23:21I heard it in my head, Yocasta, when I was reading it.
23:25Let's talk about her introduction.
23:26This is Jamie's real family in America, but she's incredibly complicated.
23:33And she and Claire are going to butt heads a little bit.
23:36I kind of want to get everyone's opinion on this.
23:39What does she mean?
23:40What does her introduction to the story mean?
23:44For Jamie, it's just an incredible moment, I think, to see someone that is the last member of his close
23:53family.
23:55Someone that looks, sounds like his mother.
23:59And for him, it's a really touching moment and a really important moment.
24:03You know, the family for him is really strong.
24:04And so it's a lifeline, you know, in America.
24:07And she does offer him, without talking about too many spoilers here, but, you know, she gives him a place
24:13where he feels at home.
24:17I'm trying not to say too much.
24:19But, yeah.
24:20They literally arrive at her house.
24:22They arrive at her house.
24:23Okay.
24:24But it's, no, it was, for him, it's, you know, a really, really wonderful moment.
24:28And to be surrounded again by family and to introduce his new family to her.
24:37Yes.
24:37However.
24:38However.
24:40I think for Claire, it's quite complicated.
24:43I think, initially, when she sees how emotional Jamie is at seeing Jocasta and what that means to him,
24:50obviously, she goes in there wanting to have a good relationship with her and wanting the best.
24:56But, you know, I think the fact that Jocasta has a plantation is very difficult for Claire.
25:05I think seeing slavery firsthand, seeing it up close is, it's just, it's very difficult for Claire to get past
25:12that.
25:13And I think that that just creates this wall between her and Jocasta that can never really be bridged.
25:18Because they're just from two different times and they'll never understand each other's perspective.
25:25And that's quite difficult because, in many respects, Jocasta would be the solution to a lot of problems.
25:34But I think Claire just can't get past that at all.
25:39So.
25:39That's what we do with Outlander.
25:40You know, we do and have done it in past seasons.
25:43You know, show like the, you know, Jamie's time and the traditions and the social and moral codes.
25:49And then we see it through the eyes of, you know, a modern woman.
25:53And I think it's interesting that eventually, you know, Jamie gets to see, you know, her side of the situation.
26:01And realize that this is, you know, actually a poisoned apple or, you know, a bad place for him.
26:07But I'm trying not to give away too much.
26:11I put a call out on Twitter ahead of this panel asking for questions from the fans.
26:16And a lot of our book readers said, you know, this season goes into a lot of very timely topics.
26:21You have racism.
26:22You have xenophobia.
26:24You have natives' rights.
26:27Meryl and Ron, how do you approach these topics that are so incendiary even today?
26:33Making sure you are, you know, condemning past actions while also being truthful to a period of time.
26:40Well, you really try to play the story as truthfully as you can, you know.
26:44And to, the show is not a platform to go and make big statements.
26:50The show is a story.
26:52And it's a story about these people and these characters and different times and different mores.
26:57And so you try to tell the story in the most truthful way that it is and not to gloss
27:03over it and not to romanticize it and not at the same time to be strident and make judgments from
27:10the 21st century about it.
27:11You're trying to sort of look at it.
27:13But the focus of the show is not about the politics of the time or the statements of the time.
27:20You're trying to tell the story of Jamie and Claire and Roger and Brianna and all the characters.
27:24And as they move through this, how would these characters react to that situation?
27:29What is Claire's reaction to walking into a plantation?
27:32What is Jamie's reaction to walking into a plantation?
27:35Who is Jocasta?
27:36How does she live there?
27:37How does she, you know, run this place and why?
27:40And to try to go at it from the interior of the character's point of views and not the exterior
27:45about, well, let's talk about this world.
27:47Let's talk about why they were doing this and what we think about this today.
27:50Let's try to be interior and move outward.
27:55Yeah, not a lot to add because it's a pretty complete answer.
27:57But I mean, obviously, Claire is kind of our way into that world and seeing obviously how we feel about
28:04that.
28:05But as Ron said, I think it's important not to hang a lantern on anything.
28:10We're trying to depict it as it really was and not say, we think this is bad because slavery is
28:15bad.
28:16We don't need to tell people that it is.
28:18And, you know, someone like Jocasta doesn't see it's not that she sees slavery as bad or good.
28:23It's just her way of life.
28:25And that's how she views it.
28:26And she doesn't know anything differently.
28:28And so it's important to show that that is her reality.
28:31And obviously, Claire comes in and her reality is this is a horrible situation.
28:35And how can you do this?
28:36But for a Jocasta, that's just the way things are done.
28:39And she does not see that as being bad or good.
28:43And she thinks she's doing right by people.
28:45So I think, as Ron said, you just have to show it hopefully as it was.
28:50And the audience brings to it their expectations and judgments and realities of it.
28:56I think it's fair to say as well that Maria Doyle Kennedy does an amazing, amazing job as an actor.
29:02You're going to love her.
29:08And also, she's a Mackenzie as well.
29:11And a Frasier.
29:12You can't trust her.
29:14Oh, she's not a Frasier, actually.
29:19Marilyn Ron, you employed Canadian First Nation actors to play Cherokee and Mohawk natives.
29:25Can you talk about that process a little bit?
29:27Did they bring any of their own history or experiences to set?
29:32It was a tricky situation that obviously, ideally, we would have brought actors and background actors
29:40from the United States.
29:42But due to SAG rules, since we're non-SAG, that wasn't a possibility.
29:45But it was very important to us that we bring indigenous people to play those roles and not
29:51bring white people to play those roles, as sometimes it's done in history.
29:56And so we went to Canada where we didn't have the union rules and brought over 100 plus First
30:02Asian actors.
30:03And it was amazing.
30:06I mean, you know, certainly I can't talk too much about some of the things because it's a
30:10little farther down.
30:11But it was both an honor for us on the crew to work with people who taught us more about
30:21their culture.
30:22And Matt Roberts, who's one of our producers, went and met with one of the Cherokee leaders
30:27early on in the process to talk about the stories and make sure we were doing things the
30:33right way.
30:34And we had many people who instructed us on both the language and the cultural aspects.
30:40And for us, it was a huge learning experience.
30:42And I hope there are certain things we do in the show that, you know, we're trying to
30:48depict certain stories in certain ways, but I hope we were sensitive in some ways and
30:53depicted that culture in a way that we did right by people but still told Diana's story
31:00because it's very difficult because you're telling certain things the way she does it
31:03and kind of have to stay true to those stories as well.
31:06But it was an amazing experience for all of us.
31:08And I think certainly later on in the season, we just had some amazing experiences.
31:15Can't wait to see the end of the season.
31:17All right.
31:17Last one before we start.
31:18Audience questions.
31:19This is for everyone.
31:20Meryl, we can start with you and make our way down the line.
31:22Just on a personal level, what's the one thing that changed the most for you going into
31:27season four that differs from past seasons?
31:30It could be the way you approach something, a challenge you wanted to meet with your character,
31:34a challenge you wanted to meet with a script, anything that stands out to you?
31:39That's a hard question.
31:40I don't want to go first.
31:41Sorry.
31:42I feel like everyone goes, oh, is this season harder or easier than the last season?
31:46I've got to be honest, every season is harder than the last season.
31:50We think, oh, that season was so tough.
31:52But France, so hard.
31:54But this season is going to be so easy.
31:56This season, I think because of all of the challenges of trying to do North Carolina and
32:01Scotland was incredibly challenging.
32:03And there are also some key moments in this season that we know the fans are very excited
32:10about and we are very excited about.
32:12And there's a lot of pressure to get those right.
32:13And certainly in The Minister's Cat, things like that.
32:17I mean, little moments that maybe aren't huge story points but are nice moments to try to
32:23get in.
32:24And I think there were a few moments this season, there's spoilers, but that we hoped we met
32:30expectations and also kind of did it our way.
32:32And I feel like we really pulled that off.
32:36I think for me that it was more challenging on some story levels in terms of the translation
32:42of the book to the screen, trying to find the balance between the characters, trying to find the
32:47I always talk about the rhythm of the show.
32:50And I always think of music and sort of melody lines and bass lines that carry you through a piece,
32:54whether it's in a scene or episodically or over the course of the whole season.
32:58And finding the orchestration of this, of how these disparate elements of Roger and Brianna,
33:06Claire and Jamie, the people going into the Carolinas, Jocasta, when you were moving to certain instruments
33:13in the orchestra to really torture this metaphor, you know, it was a challenge.
33:18It was a challenge.
33:19It took a while to kind of hear what the rhythm of this particular season was.
33:23What was the melody line this year?
33:25What was the bass line that was driving you through the whole thing?
33:28That took a while, and it took a while on the script, and it took a while editorially,
33:32because in editorially you can really emphasize and move around puzzle pieces
33:36and sort of figure out how it worked.
33:38And ultimately I was very happy with how it turned out.
33:41I was like, oh, there it is.
33:42There's the piece of music.
33:43That works.
33:44But it was a different challenge this year than it had been at previous ones.
33:49Well, I think it's quite tricky for me because it's a bit of a change of scenery for Roger.
33:56He goes from Oxford to just outside the town.
34:02There are various challenges with that, you know, logistically, like moving all your shit,
34:08getting to just outside the town can be trickier than you might think.
34:14Where does he go?
34:15Where does he go?
34:16Yeah.
34:16It settles down with a lovely girl just outside in one of the home counties.
34:22It's beautiful.
34:22They let him have a happy life.
34:24No, but I think it's going back to that kind of fan perception and expectations, I suppose,
34:31of some of the characters going into season four and it being based, obviously,
34:35on Drums of Autumn and where those characters go and the evolution of those characters particularly.
34:39And there are certain things that you want to stay true to, I suppose,
34:43in terms of how those characters evolve and the journey that those characters go on.
34:47So for me particularly, I know that Roger's stuff is all going to be based in libraries
34:52and research and all that kind of thing.
34:55But I suppose it's, you know, keeping in mind that there are going to be, you know,
35:00things that people are looking forward to, expectations.
35:02Changes, I suppose.
35:03Changes to the character and how they evolve and how they move along on their journey
35:07and how they are different at the end of that, I suppose, for me was something that,
35:13you know, I kept in mind particularly through shooting season four and hopefully,
35:19hopefully I stayed on track with that.
35:21But we'll see.
35:26Yeah, I mean, a similar thing in that I can't really say too much of Bree's story
35:31from this season.
35:31But in terms of one of the biggest challenges, I think for me was just,
35:35from a research point of view, Brianna, she goes through quite a lot this season.
35:40And I wanted to make sure that I did enough research to play what she goes through
35:45and sort of the aftermath of what she goes through in a way that does justice to people
35:49who have been through a similar thing.
35:50So I suppose that was one of the biggest challenges, just putting yourself in that,
35:53in that headspace.
35:58That's, yeah.
36:01For me, this feels like Jamie's a lot of experience now.
36:08And certainly this season, I think you see, you know, elements of every season.
36:12You know, you see the young warrior, but you see, you know, the leader of men
36:16and the politician.
36:17And he's drawing on all that experience.
36:19And actually towards the middle of it, he becomes on the front foot.
36:23You know, it feels like last season, he's always trying to catch up to things
36:29and save his wife from something.
36:32But, uh...
36:32Or vice versa.
36:33Or vice versa.
36:36But, um...
36:37But, no, it feels, you know, like he does, for a moment at least,
36:40get into this place where he's drawing on his experience
36:42and really becoming, um, you know, the laird that he wanted to be,
36:47I think, in a way.
36:49Um, but it's Outlander.
36:52So things go wrong quite quickly.
36:56Um, I think for me, I definitely feel like this is,
37:01or I got to explore a completely different side of Claire
37:03that I don't think that I've had the opportunity to explore before.
37:08Um, given that they are setting up home,
37:14that it's a quieter part of their lives,
37:19it's a much more nurturing side to her.
37:22And it's not, you know, we've sort of done more career-driven Claire.
37:26And, again, I think Claire has been more on the front foot before.
37:30And this was an opportunity to explore this other side of her,
37:34which, you know, I think was really interesting.
37:37And it gave me a really new challenge.
37:39And that's kind of great after having already done three seasons,
37:43to go into a new season and be like,
37:44oh, this is a side of her that actually,
37:47I probably haven't considered enough before.
37:50And, um, yeah, it was nice to be able to examine that.
37:54Awesome.
37:55Okay, we're gonna do a couple audience questions.
37:57Um, from Deb.
38:00Hi Deb.
38:00Pickle pin gal from Pittsburgh.
38:02Who?
38:02There she is.
38:03Don't know her at all.
38:04There she is.
38:05I die.
38:07Yin's are good.
38:09Did you ever find that a certain proper costume
38:12helped you get into character for a difficult scene?
38:17What's the question?
38:18The gun.
38:20I had a scene with a gun and it was great.
38:36Like, if your costume doesn't do anything for you, it does it for me.
38:48Do you guys want me to, um, do you want to swap seats?
38:52Should I move?
38:52Yeah.
38:53Being dressed as Richard Rankin today, I think tomorrow you'll find that we swap,
38:57we just swap outfits.
38:59Yeah.
39:00Uh, what was the question?
39:04Is there a certain prop that helps you get in?
39:07A certain prop?
39:07Or a costume?
39:07Oh, a prop.
39:08Um, no.
39:11I can't think of one.
39:12I'm sorry.
39:13What?
39:13Nothing where you built that whole cabin with your bare hands and not one of those props?
39:18No, I mean, I haven't really thought about it.
39:21Um, a prop.
39:23Um, oh God, help me out here.
39:26Yeah.
39:26Let's move on, I'll think about that one.
39:27Let's move on.
39:28Richard and Sylvie, do you have anything to say about that question?
39:30A prop.
39:31I really do, but, um...
39:34You can talk around it, you don't have to say one.
39:35I can talk around it.
39:36I hear that Jamie's quite good with bindings.
39:39Generally.
39:41I mean, just generally.
39:43Just generally.
39:44Generally.
39:45Generally, yeah.
39:46Yeah.
39:46I hear he's great at tying people to horses.
39:51He's just walking on the street.
39:54Just rumors.
39:55He's good with rope.
39:56Rumors.
40:00Couldn't possibly see anything.
40:02Carol wants to know how much, um, research you did into early American history.
40:11I assume that was for the actors, right?
40:15I was curious.
40:16Yeah, Sam, how much research did you do?
40:17Yes.
40:18A lot.
40:19I mean, the fundamental research was done by Diana.
40:22Really.
40:22Yes.
40:23So you have that as a foundation.
40:25But in addition to that, the writers individually and as a group did their own research.
40:31Then we also had historical consultants.
40:35We had Native American consultants.
40:37I mean, but that's been a part of the show from the beginning.
40:39We've always kind of started with what Diana gave us.
40:42Writers in their individual episodes would go off and obsessively research particular things in their episode.
40:49Talking about you, Tony Graffia.
40:51You know, and then we would also hire outside consultants that we would literally call up and say,
40:56Hey, does this really happen?
40:58Or what?
40:58How did this work?
40:59Or then they would read scripts and vet them and send us notes.
41:02And it's an ongoing process.
41:04So there's a lot of, and all the individual departments do research.
41:07Costume department does its own research.
41:09Art department does its own research.
41:10There's a tremendous amount of digging through old books and trying to find things.
41:15And a lot of time on Wikipedia, I'm sure.
41:18And also there's actually, just for Jamie's side, that I think there's a, I think he sees a lot of
41:23similarities in his culture and the Native American culture.
41:27And I think there's a respect there.
41:29There's this warrior culture.
41:31And I think, you know, obviously he comes from a place where he has absolutely no understanding, like myself.
41:36But, but no, there, there definitely is a real similarity there.
41:41And I think there's an understanding between him eventually without giving away spoilers.
41:45But there is some sort of understanding ultimately.
41:49All right.
41:50Last.
41:51It's a long journey.
41:51Last question.
41:51Cause this is like the most important question of the night.
41:55Tell us about working with Rolo.
41:57Oh my God.
42:01Rolo's just a girl with that dog.
42:03Rolo's a complete CG creation.
42:05So don't get this.
42:06Yeah.
42:06It doesn't actually exist.
42:08It's actually John Bell in a suit.
42:11I will say the one secret about Rolo is, you know, we searched far and wide.
42:16This was a big priority for us, obviously, in season three of the search for Rolo and doing it early.
42:23Because you obviously have to get this dog as a puppy.
42:26So you can train this dog and et cetera.
42:28Find a dog that looks like a wolf.
42:30And, and we got two of the sweetest dogs in history that wouldn't harm a fly.
42:38Don't like to bark.
42:39Like to sleep.
42:42Our Rolo, whose name is McDew.
42:44We call him Dewey.
42:47He sleeps all the time.
42:50It's very hard to get him to act ferocious.
42:52When he's not eating horse dung.
42:54Yeah, I'm wondering.
42:56It's true.
42:57It's one of his favorite treats.
42:59I feel like.
43:01I feel like.
43:02He's sitting in person and he's like, Rolo's supposed to growl at somebody.
43:04Aw.
43:07We had a scene where he's supposed to bark at a door.
43:10And his trainer was on the other side of the door with a squeaky toy.
43:15So all you can hear is, Dewey, Dewey, sneak, sneak.
43:19You're supposed to be in the scene like very, you know, scared.
43:24And all of that's going on.
43:26You're just.
43:26Yeah.
43:27RAD team hates Rolo.
43:29I've got to be honest.
43:30Because the number of times Rolo is supposed to go that way and he goes that way.
43:35So he sleeps.
43:36Training is a loose term.
43:40He sleeps a lot.
43:41He eats a lot.
43:42I feel.
43:43And doesn't know what he's doing.
43:43I feel like he's learnt a lot.
43:48Who's more likely to ruin a scene?
43:51Dewey or Richard?
43:52Dewey.
43:55Even Richard's pants.
43:55I don't ruin scenes.
43:57Who wouldn't break a scene by laughing or causing a commotion?
44:01I think you've got the wrong impression of me.
44:03I mean.
44:04I think your co-stars have the wrong impression to you.
44:06I bring scenes to life, not ruin them.
44:09All right, guys.
44:10Isn't that right?
44:13No one is jumping to your defense right now.
44:16All right.
44:16We're all out of time, you guys.
44:18But thank you so much for coming.
44:19It's a really fun.
44:21It's a really fun.
44:27Thanks.
44:27You
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