Vive La France

Say goodbye to the Scottish Highlands and "Bonjour" to Paris. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) go undercover in the French court. Showrunner Ron Moore reveals, "If you think of this as the Scottish show, suddenly it’s going to be the French show because fully half of Season 2 takes place in Paris in the 18th century in the Court of Louis XV and the French aristocracy."

Less Kilts, More Couture

The French location changes the entire look of the show, including the fashion. "We pretty much had to reinvent the show in a production sense. None of the [Season 1] costumes worked in Paris," Moore explains. "We had to build new sets, new locations, and use a new style of cinematography. So, it’s going to look and feel very, very different."

Claire's elaborate gowns are nothing like the plaid, wool garments she wore in Season 1. According to Moore, "One dress of hers used 20 yards of fabric. I think that was an average. It takes a lot of fabric to make these dresses, and a lot of time."

Jamie Tarnishes His Halo

In Season 1, Jamie was a near-perfect hero who was always brave, chivalrous, and optimistic, until the final episodes when he was tortured and assaulted. Heughan reveals, "In Season 2, he's going to be changed. He's not the man he was. He's still dealing with the traumatic incident [in Wentworth prison]."

Jamie also has to develop new facets of his personality to fit in with France's aristocrats. "He's very well educated, and he's traveled. But he's thrust into a society that's very ostentatious and dangerous. He has to learn to be deceitful and to manipulate people, and that's not who he is," says Heughan.

Claire and Jamie Try to Change the Future

Jamie and Claire's sojourn in France has a higher purpose. The duo hopes to stop the Jacobite revolution which time traveler Claire knows will fail. Heughan explains, "They're there to change history. If they aren't successful, they know that their way of life, the people that they love, the whole highland culture is going to be eradicated. It's D-Day. They're fighting against everything to change history and time. And as they get closer to that, the stakes get higher, and they have to deceive and manipulate."

Fantasy Meets History

While Season 1 was pure fantasy, in Season 2 Claire and Jamie will encounter several real-life historical figures. "Bonnie Prince Charlie (Andrew Gower) is in the show. He was a leader of the Jacobite rebellion," Moore reveals. "King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) is in the show. One of our villains this season, the Count of St. Germain (Stanley Weber), is a real historical figure."

The Honeymoon Is Over

Claire and Jamie's mission, along with the fallout from the events at the end of Season 1, takes a toll on their relationship. Moore explains, "This season, she’s pregnant. They’re a married couple, and they need to work as a team on this very important mission. So, it’s the first time we see them operate as a couple and see the strains in their marriage and how they overcome that."

Frank and Claire Reunite

Claire's husband in the 1940s, Frank (Tobias Menzes), spent Season 1 searching for his missing wife. In the Season 2 premiere *spoiler alert* she reappeared in the 1940s while still pregnant with Jamie's child before the show flashed back to Claire and Jamie in the 1700s. Menzes reveals that Frank will continue to be a presence in Season 2. "After the [premiere] there will be smaller pieces of flashbacks of her and Frank’s relationship."

This season viewers will also see more of the other character Menzes plays, Jack Randall, when the diabolical villain reunites with his brother Alexander (Laurence Dobiesz.) Mezes explains, "They have a very tender, very loving relationship. His brother is the one functional relationship Jack has. So we see another side to Jack. We get to see his family and how he relates to that, and it’s surprising.