Entertainment NOW

2 • March 6 - 12, 2022 Entertainment Now By Rachel Jones TV Media S ince 2014, "Outlander" has swept up fans from around the globe and transported them to the Scottish Highlands. But if Book 5 showed viewers anything, it's that this idyllic life on the serene hillsides comes at a dangerous cost. Book 6 of "Outlander" pre- mieres on Starz on Sunday, March 6. "Outlander" follows the story of Claire Fraser, played by Caitriona Balfe ("Ford v Ferrari," 2019), who stumbled across a magical stone portal in Book 1 and landed in the 18th century — quite the shock for a married WWII nurse. Desperately search- ing for a way home, she soon met Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan, "The Spy Who Dumped Me," 2018) and threw caution to the wind, leaving the modern world behind in pursuit of love. Book 5 (beware of spoilers ahead) explored the couple's daughter, Brianna Fraser (Sophie Skelton, "Blackbird," 2016), and her relationship with a man from the 1960s named Roger, played by Scottish actor Richard Rankin ("American Odyssey"). Jamie's nephew, Ian, is played by John Bell ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," 2013). Even though Roger entered the stones with Brianna, they re- alize their place is at Fraser Ridge in the 18th century with their family. But with the Fraser clan living on stolen land in British North Carolina, Ian selling Roger to the Mohawk tribe after think- ing he raped Brianna, and the American Revolution looming on the horizon, the events of Book 6 are guaranteed to be some of the most intense the Frasers have seen to date. The American War of Inde- pendence is a tough position for this Scottish family to be in, especially considering Claire and Roger know the outcome of the war and are familiar with the heavy toll fighting takes on lives and society. The "Outlander" historical fiction series is inspired by the popular romance series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. Gabaldon's unique back- ground is far from the romantic reverie her series boasts. The au- thor holds a bachelor of science in zoology and originally wrote software reviews and technical articles for computer publica- tions. After seeing an episode of "Doctor Who," however, she was inspired with the idea of Jamie Fraser, and the rest is, well, his- torical fiction. Since Gabaldon's "Outlander" began its run on the small screen in 2014, it has been nominated for 70 awards and has won more than 30 in a range of categories from costumes, music and pro- duction design to, of course, act- ing performance. These awards span everything from Women's Image Network and People's Choice Awards to the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and highly cov- eted Primetime Emmys. There's no denying that the show's success is largely due to the chemistry between Balfe and Heughan. With 10 books in the series, the pair made a vow dur- ing filming that if they're going to make it through, they're go- ing to do it together — just like Claire and Jamie. In an interview with the U.K.'s Express, Balfe recalled her initial nerves about coming on set and meeting Heughan, who was al- ready fairly comfortable with his role in the show. Thankfully, the connection was there from the beginning. Cover Story Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan star in "Outlander" Beginning of Book 6: 'Outlander' turns a page on Starz Ready Rental 3 x 4 Hayley Siefert 3 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12.

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