'Outlander' season 3: Maril Davis gives production update; Preparation for season 4 underway already

“Heartbreak” is a word Co-executive Producer Maril Davis used to describe the premiere episode of “Outlander” season 3. Answering fan questions in a Q & A, she gave a production update and teased details about preparations for season 4.

After adapting the more challenging book 2 by Diana Gabaldon, Davis said that “Voyager” was much easier, comparatively, to adapt for the Starz TV series. In terms of the plot, the whole book is being covered this year, and nothing will be left for next season. So, the writers will move on to “Drums of Autumn” soon.

While creator Ronald D. Moore and author Diana Gabaldon have made cameo appearances on the show, Davis prefers to remain behind the scenes at the moment. The producer confirmed that she doesn’t have a cameo on the show this year.

A set of new actors have joined the cast this time around. Answering a fan question about David Berry (Lord John Grey), Davis said that the actor is “great,” and that he is exactly how she imagined the character from the books to be.

The producer confirmed that the character Hal Earl of Melton has been cast, but did not reveal the name of the actor playing the role. While new characters join the show, some may have to leave after the Battle of Culloden. One of the fans requested Davis to cast the talented Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh) in another role, in case his character dies in the upcoming battle. The actor has managed to win the hearts of the fans by his performance. However, the producer said that they may not take that route to bring him back on set.

Filming is taking place in South Africa, but Davis is no longer there. It was all work and no play for the producer, as she couldn’t get out and enjoy the country like a tourist. However, she did compliment the wine the country offers.

Only some of the crew members from Scotland travelled to South Africa. While Davis is happy with the crew in Cape Town, she does miss the people she worked with for over two years.

Cast member Sam Heughan (Jamie) also took part in the Q & A, and asked Davis if they can have dressing rooms in Scotland like the ones in South Africa. The producer gave a hard “no” to that question, and asked the actor to soak it all in while he can, till the production lasts in Cape Town.

One of the fans asked Davis how often Caitriona Balfe (Claire) hits Heughan on the “Outlander” season 3 set. The actress was seen kicking her fellow cast member in a behind the scenes reel before. “All the time,” the producer replied. The producer later added, in reply to another question, that both the main cast members are great to work with and fun to be around too.

Some of the fans may be concerned about not seeing enough romance between Jamie and Claire. Davis confirmed that there will be enough love scenes between the two characters when the show returns in September.

When asked about her favourite quote from the new season, Davis said that it is a line by Claire, but did not reveal what it is. The producer teased that the dialogue is featured in the third episode.

Production is almost complete for the new season. Davis revealed that episode 10 has been completely filmed. Readers should note that not all scenes are filmed in sequence, but it appears very little filming is left for the 13 episode season.

Another fan asked if they have filmed any scenes for season 4, for flashbacks. Davis said that they don’t do that, but added that they have filmed flashbacks that will appear later on in the current season.

Location scouting for season 4 has already begun, Davis revealed. However, they haven’t yet started the casting process. While some initial work has been done, they can start making preparations in earnest only after filming for “Outlander” season 3 wraps. With the scripts complete, and most of the filming done; Davis doesn’t anticipate any problems with the production of the current season. So, the show will be on air on schedule in September.