Since Starz released the new Outlander opening credits for Season 6 on Thanksgiving, you've hopefully recovered from hearing the male voice of Griogair Labhruidh singing "The Skye Boat Song." Because it's time to take a deeper look at the images. The Outlander Season 6 opening credits provide some significant clues about what will happen in the long-awaited season that will premiere on March 6, 2022. Below, I break down the Outlander Season 6 credits frame-by-frame.
If you haven't read the sixth book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and don't want spoilers, this article isn't for you. (Though you can still enjoy the lush glimpses of Jamie and Claire's life on the Ridge in Season 6!) But if you've been diligently trying to figure out which book storylines will make the cut this season like I have — well then, the opening credits are chock full of glorious hints.
Ignoring the recycled clips from credits' past — like Claire running and druid women dancing by the stones — here's a look at every shot in the new opening credits and what book storylines they could signify.
Warning: Major spoilers for A Breath of Snow and Ashes ahead.
Bald Eagle
A bald eagle marks that the American Revolution is here. There was an eagle in the Season 4 premiere title card when the Frasers settled in America, so this majestic symbol of American independence is fitting. America! And the snow represents the snow in the sixth book's title. OK, this one's not so juicy, but who doesn't love a good nature shot?
Jamie On Horseback
Jamie is seen riding toward the Big House while wearing a tricorn hat. It's not that illuminating, but it confirms that even as Jamie rides off to do important duties (perhaps as an Indian Agent to the Crown?), he'll always come home.
Target Practice
The people practicing their shooting in front of the Big House are difficult to make out, but there's definitely Bree and Roger. (Bree, who's a good shot, hits her pot while it looks like poor Roger misses — a great attention to book detail.) But there also seems to be a Redcoat on the far right. Jamie initially helps out the British soldier Major MacDonald by becoming an Indian Agent to the Crown. Jamie keeps it quiet that he's going to be on the Patriot side of the Revolution until later on in the book. Since it appears Major MacDonald is there, this is probably earlier on in the season and shows that Jamie is preparing the people of the Ridge for the impending war.
Roger Walking To Church
Roger becomes a minister in A Breath of Snow and Ashes, providing religious support to the new settlers — the Fisher-Folk who are Presbyterians and suspicious of Jamie, Claire, and their Catholic ways. The building of an elaborate church on the Ridge — and Roger walking up to it — is proof that Roger will find his calling this season.
A Native American By A Fire
A Native American is shown by a fire and this could be one of two book plots. The show has set up that viewers will learn about what happened to Young Ian when he lived with the Mohawk, so it could be a flashback to that. The other major plot would be Jamie becoming an Indian Agent to the Crown, where he acts as an ambassador to the local tribes and forms a relationship with Bird-who-sings-in-the-morning, the peace chief of the Snowbird Cherokee. The actor names that appear during this scene are newcomers Glen Gould and Simon Baker — two First Nations actors. The names featured in the opening credits change from episode to episode, but they must play a large part in at least one episode. And since Sam Heughan follows Gould on Instagram, I'm thinking this represents Jamie visiting the tribes as an agent.
A Boat In The Mountains
I guess this could technically be the mountains of North Carolina, but c'mon — these are the Highlands. (Possibly the Glencoe area where Season 6 appeared to have filmed.) And though Scotland always fills in for North Carolina on the set of Outlander, this looks very intentionally like the Highlands. But Jamie and Claire aren't in Scotland in A Breath of Snow and Ashes, so what's the deal?
Although Diana Gabaldon confirmed an Ardsmuir flashback (yay!) during the virtual Random House event for the release of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, I have another guess at what could be happening here. If Flora MacDonald's barbecue will be portrayed and the rumors are true that Andrew Gower (aka, Bonnie Prince Charlie) returned, then this could be a flashback to Flora helping Prince Charles Stuart escape to the Isle of Skye. That certainly would explain the lyrics in the theme song going back to the original "Skye Boat Song" opening line of "lad" instead of "lass."
Hands In Jail
One person ends up in prison and that's none other than Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. Richard Brown arrests Claire for the murder of Malva Christie and — after separating her and Jamie — dumps her to a prison in New Bern to await trial. So that's Claire's hand holding onto the jail bars in the first image above. The male hand who comes in and places his hand over hers isn't Jamie's though — it's probably Tom Christie's. That's fitting since Claire performs surgery on Tom's hand this season. But it's also an indication that Claire won't end up on Governor Martin's boat and instead, Tom will come into the prison and falsely confess that he killed his daughter to free Claire.
Jamie & Claire In Bed
Jamie and Claire usually are shown being intimate in the credits (Season 5's an exception), so a brief love scene is pretty standard. But Jamie's scars being so prominent is probably no accident. Tom Christie makes an insulting comment about "honorable scars" in the book, referencing Jamie's flogging scars. It leads Jamie to tell Claire about their history at Ardsmuir together, so that may be one reason they're on display here.
Jemmy Playing With A Wooden Plane
Wee Jemmy gets some screentime as he runs through the woods with a wooden airplane. An airplane in the 1700s?! What is this witchcraft?! The airplane could be filling in for the "vrooms" that Roger makes Jemmy and the other children in the book — wooden toy cars. But I assume the switch from car to plane is because wee Roger once held a toy plane in an opening credits title card, which was referenced twice more in the series when adult Roger holds the toy plane. Planes have a melancholy meaning to the McKenzies since Roger's RAF pilot father went missing during a mission in WWII. Book readers might be disappointed that the "vroom" was replaced with a "vruhm," but at least there's significance to the change.
Claire Carrying A Gun
In a less peaceful scene, Claire comes storming out of the surgery with a gun in hand, approaching men fighting outside at Fraser's Ridge. This may be when Richard Brown comes to arrest her since Claire and Jamie have to hole up inside of the Big House with weapons. And note that Caitriona Balfe's producing credit comes up during this scene.
Marsali Sitting At A Spinning Wheel
Marsali sits in a sun-soaked room at a spinning wheel. No children are visible, though there's a basket on the ground that could hold the newest addition expected to the family — Henri-Christian. But this scene also seems to be teeing up...
Fergus Drinking Alone By The Fire
It's telling that Marsali and Fergus are alone in their shots because the actors have been teasing that the couple will be tested this season. But while Marsali is in the sunlight, Fergus sits in the darkness, drinking. César Domboy said at New York Comic Con that Fergus will be "deciding to drink his way out of sadness." That sadness is most likely due to the fact that Henri-Christian is born with dwarfism, which exacerbates Fergus's depression and his feelings that he can't take care of his family.
Bree Lighting A Match
Matches weren't invented until the 19th century. But just like her mother, Bree can't help herself bring a little bit of modern technology to the past. So the engineer learns how to make matches in Book 6. But while the technology is helpful, it also leads to some trouble down the line in the form of a house fire — yes, the house fire. Mark me, the Big House is going up in the flames at the end of Season 6!
Roger Praying
If the shot of Roger walking up to the church wasn't enough, this additional scene of him praying shows how important religion will be to Roger this season. In the book, he never officially becomes a Presbyterian minister due to Bonnet kidnapping Bree. But since the show moved that plot up to Season 5, perhaps Roger will become ordained, which would be a notable change in the story. As for what he could be praying about, perhaps he's consulting God on what to do about his and Brianna's daughter Mandy, who was born with a heart condition that can only be taken care of in their time.
Horses On The Beach
This shot of horses on the beach is most likely is about Jamie riding to free Claire. Though I doubt that Claire will go on the Cruizer with Governor Martin, she could still be imprisoned near the coast. And so Jamie is coming to her rescue after Richard Brown's gang knocks him out. The visible people in this shot fit with that as well. It looks like Jamie is leading a group of men that includes Young Ian, John Quincy Myers (who is more prominent on the show as a trusted ally of Jamie's), and some Native Americans.
Because of the Native American men featured, this could be Jamie doing his Indian Agent duties. But because of the location, my money is he's riding to rescue Claire... not knowing that Tom is doing the rescuing this time around.
Jamie & Claire In The Snow
Like with the opening credits of Seasons 4 and 5, the last shot before the stones at Craigh na Dun is Jamie and Claire standing off looking off toward Fraser's Ridge. That indicates that the Ridge is still the main setting of Season 6. But the addition of snow adds a layer. The "snow and ashes" in the title comes from the end of Book 6 when the Big House burns down. The fact that it's snowing on Jamie and Claire — just like in the Season 6 poster — is another signifier that the house fire is happening.
Enjoy the time on the Ridge because this season will mark some changes for Jamie and Claire. But they'll stick together through it all — come what may.
Images: Starz