‘Outlander’ Season 5 Star Richard Rankin Teases ‘Tricky’ Process Of Adapting Book

After four seasons, “Outlander” viewers know that the Starz TV show can’t follow every storyline in the books. Roger actor Richard Rankin hinted that there will again be some changes in Season 5, which adapts Diana Gabaldon’s “The Fiery Cross.”

“It’s all very early stages in terms of the adaptation. I know they’re compressing a lot of stuff but keeping the essence of it quite similar,” he told Syfy Wire.

However, he noted that “The Fiery Cross” is particularly “tricky” because there’s so much material. At 992 pages, it is longer than the four preceding “Outlander” books.

“Adaptations are always going to be tricky, especially with book five. There’s quite a lot of it in the first part,” he said. “There’s too much to transfer over to television anyway; half the season would be gone with just the Gathering alone. But they are doing a great job with it.”

“Outlander” Season 5 will pick up shortly after last year’s finale. Roger and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) were finally reunited, and they’ll be settling in at Frasier’s Ridge. Don’t expect happily ever after to come soon, though. The American Revolution is near, and Jamie (Sam Heughan) made a deal with the losing side.

Jamie is working for the British. He has been ordered to form a militia to stop the rebels. His first mission is to kill Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix). Heughan teased that it won’t be easy for Jamie.

“He’s made this deal with the Redcoats, the British Army, so he’s actually on the opposite side of the side where his allegiance really is and his loyalty lies, but he knows he needs to do it,” Heughan teased to Parade. “He needs to do it for his family and for his tenants. He has to secure this land and make it a safe place for them, so he goes in league with the British. For Jamie, that’s a pretty hard thing to do.”

“Outlander” Season 5 doesn’t have a premiere date yet.