“There’s always that light that Jamie and Claire, Roger and Bree, and Fergus [César Domboy] and Marsali [Lauren Lyle] can bring to it, that shines a light into that darkness and drives it out,” Roberts recently told Parade. “But I think in the story you must start in a dark place and then let the light shine.” One way the light will shine this season is the continued passion that Jamie and Claire feel for each other. Even though they’ve been reunited for the 10 years since Claire returned to Jamie in 1766 after a 20-year separation, their love is as strong—if not stronger—than when they first met and married. And, as a result, Season 6 will include several intimate, passionate moments between them. “For me it’s never a choice to put it in or not put it in; it’s who the characters are,” Roberts pointed out. “It’s one of the ways Jamie and Claire speak to each other. They communicate in a physical way. It’s unique because other couples don’t do it. In joyous times, they connect physically. After traumatic times, certainly in the books, a lot of times they connect physically. And that’s something that I don’t think is a choice that we can make and just take that out of who they are.” Roberts (who, of course, has read the entire Outlander series of books) knows that readers will be expecting those scenes as laid out by bestselling author Diana Gabaldon, even as he creates new private moments between the couple especially for the series. “That is their character and that’s how they communicate, so we find those moments during the season to go, ‘This is a moment that helps tell a story, but it also helps evolve their characters,’” Roberts continued. “Certainly, for book readers who know that’s how they communicate, but for people who have never even picked up a book, what they should be getting that out of this is, ‘Oh, this is a time that they should connect physically.’ And if they don’t, maybe the audience would go, ‘Oh, something’s wrong because they’re not.’” As for the darkness this season, some of that is carried over from the Season 5 attack on Claire by the band of men led by Lionel Brown (Ned Dennehy). Despite the fact that Claire knows they’re all dead, she’s now having flashbacks. But, in addition, some of this season’s darkness will be brought to Fraser’s Ridge by the Christie family: father Tom (Mark Lewis Jones) and his children Allan (Alexander Vlahos) and Malva (Jessica Reynolds), who is, biologically, actually his niece. Tom and Jamie crossed paths in Ardsmuir Prison in the years following Culloden and were natural adversaries–Jamie being Catholic and Tom Protestant, but when Jamie was granted the land that he named Fraser’s Ridge, he issued a standing offer to help former Ardsmuir prisoners settle in the hills of North Carolina. So, when the Christies arrive at Fraser’s Ridge, Jamie takes them in despite some misgivings. According to Roberts, basing their differences solely on diverse religious beliefs is too easy and naïve. “That’s way too simple in the sense that Jamie knows who Tom is under pressure, how Tom acts under pressure, and when Tom doesn’t get his way how he acts,” Roberts said. “And Jamie’s hoping against hope that that’s not who Tom is after all these years. That maybe Tom has turned over a new leaf and is a different person.” But Tom’s attitude of superiority hasn’t really mellowed during the years he spent in the New World as an indentured servant after being released from Ardsmuir. Jamie, however, has expanded his horizons, thanks to his time-traveling family members and, in this case, particularly his relationship with Roger. “Whether it’s Protestant or Catholic, Jamie knows that they can get together,” Roberts said. “His son-in-law is a Protestant, and they love each other, and they respect each other, so he knows that that can happen. And he’s hoping Tom is going to be the same way even though, I think, deep down Jamie knows this guy hasn’t really changed. And that’ll bear out over the course of the season.” Outlander season 6 premieres Sunday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Starz. Next, Check Out the Latest Sneak Peek From Season 6 of Outlander and Find Out Which Cast Member Calls It His Favorite Season Yet
