Outlander Crushes Its Racy Streaming Rivals

Well, here we are: after eight seasons of time-travel, bodice-ripping, clan wars, and enough smoldering stares to fog up your TV, Outlander is heading into its series finale. The show's final season started up on March 6, and in case you've lost your way in the standing stones, only six episodes are left before it's all over on May 8. Not that you’d know it's close to the end if you look at the numbers—the show’s still sitting at the top of Starz’s streaming charts, outpacing competitors (and yes, even the raunchy Spartacus: House of Ashur, which is all the way down in ninth place).

For a series that first hit the airwaves back in 2014—yep, a full twelve years ago—Outlander is still pulling ridiculous loyalty from its fanbase. According to Flix Patrol, it’s managed to hang around in the U.S. Top 10 for a staggering 614 days. Let that sink in: 614 days in the Top 10.

What’s Kept People Hooked?

The show’s core pitch is one of those classic 'wait, seriously?' TV hooks: A former WWII nurse (Claire Randall, played by Caitriona Balfe) gets zapped back to 18th-century Scotland thanks to some mysterious standing stones and is thrown into a world of Jacobite revolt, clan politics, and—of course—a burly Highlander (Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser) who becomes both her protector and her great love. Oh, and did I mention she’s already married in her original time? That’s just the beginning of the complications.

There’s more: Outlander is actually remarkably faithful to the original novels by Diana Gabaldon, which is getting rarer for adaptations these days. Creator Ronald D. Moore and his team never shied away from the ripped-from-history drama or, frankly, the ripped bodices. And that seems to be working, since hardcore fans and even some skeptical critics have stuck with it through all kinds of wild time jumps and character arcs.

Outlander vs. The Rest: A Streaming Breakdown

• Outlander: #1 TV show on Starz right now
• Spartacus: House of Ashur: #9 on Starz (yep, not even close)
• Outlander Days in US Top 10: 614 (per Flix Patrol)

So if you’re wondering if the show is limping towards the finish line, it’s not. It’s basically staking out its own tartan picnic at the top.

How Does It All End? Apparently, Not Even the Stars Know

Here’s where things get juicy behind the scenes: Not even Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have any idea how their decade-long story ends. In an interview with Parade, Balfe admitted that showrunner Matthew B. Roberts has been playing it so close to the vest that the cast filmed multiple endings and haven’t been told which one is real. Balfe bluntly put it:

'Matt's kept everything so close to his chest, so I worried about what we were going to be doing. I'm also such a control freak, I like to know. And we didn't know, so it drove me crazy. Also, because I'm just so nosy.'

(Honestly, I relate.)

And, just to make things more complicated, Diana Gabaldon still hasn’t finished the tenth and final book of her epic saga. So the show's ending might have nothing in common with the eventual ending in the books, which should make for some excellent fan debates (and maybe a few angry tweets).

Did Outlander Actually Get Better With Age?

It’s rare for any show to avoid a slow decline as it nears its end, but Outlander is bucking that trend. The series is still sitting pretty with a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes even after all these years, and—get this—Season 8 is pulling a perfect 100%. If you’re wondering whether the finale will live up to the hype, let’s just say the odds are better than good.

The Takeaway

So as the finish line approaches, Outlander is leaving its mark as not just a steamy genre juggernaut, but a legit TV landmark. The final episodes are almost here, but you wouldn’t know by looking at its numbers or its rabid fanbase. Whether the ending lands or leaves fans shouting at their TVs—well, even the actors are waiting to find out.