In the wake of the Outlander season two finale, “Dragonfly in Amber,” which debuted July 9, 2016, showrunner Ronald D. Moore is teasing the upcoming third season of the fantasy drama, based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series. Fans should be able to rest easy during this “Droughtlander” season, as Outlander has already been renewed for seasons three and four.

Expect spoilers for the second season finale and a hints of what is to come in Outlander, season three, after the jump. The series stars Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Duncan Lacroix. Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton, who appeared in the finale, join the Outlander TV series cast in the upcoming third season.

In 1968, Claire (Balfe), Roger (Rankin), and Brianna (Sophie) see Geillis Duncan/Jillian Edgars (Lotte Verbeek) go through the stones at Craigh na Dun. The Hollywood Reporter (THR) asked Moore about the final shot in the season two finale, as well as what is in store for season three.

What did you want to achieve with that final shot of Claire looking hopeful at the stones, realizing she has to go back in time?

We really wanted to set up the promise of season three with that shot. And of course, to make it cinematic. It turned out beautifully, having the show come full circle to Craigh na Dun once more and the fate of the characters and the future of the story depends once more on traveling through those stones. It was a great opportunity to do something really visually powerful and I love how it came out.

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In the finale we learn that Geillis believed you needed a human sacrifice to go through the stones, but with Claire, obviously she didn’t need that both times she went through the stones. How much of the rules of time travel did you discuss with Diana?

We did have a conversation with Diana and she explained her rules of time travel to us. We tried to translate that into something the audience can wrap their minds around on the show. Her rules of time travel have evolved and are spread out over many books and many characters and many scenarios. We needed to really understand both what Claire thought and what Geillis thought in this episode so we honed in on a couple of things. There are still a couple of things for Claire to figure out and discover as we move into next season though.

How far into planning season three are you?

We’re pretty well into it. We have scripts for the first few episodes and stories broken somewhere into 10 episodes. We’re already in pre-production in Scotland. We probably won’t start shooting until late August, early September.

What storyline are you most excited to bring to life in season three?

It would be great to do the ships. I’m a big ship person. I mean, my company name is Tall Ship Productions. It would be fun to get to do rigged ships and go on sea voyages and go to Jamaica. It will be a big blast to do this new chapter in the saga.

 

What did you think of the Outlander season two finale? How long do you think we will have to wait for the third season? Let us know, below.