After witnessing the shocking ending of Outlander season 7, I’m more than ready to buckle in for the final installment of this iconic fantasy TV show. However, even though it’s exciting that Jamie, Claire, and the rest of the Frasers will be back before too long, it’s devastating to think that season 8 will be the last time we join them on their romantic adventures. Finding a series that scratches the same itch as Outlander will be difficult because few series understand how to handle the fantasy and romance angles of a story like Outlander with the balance required.
For a long time, I was hoping that the A Court of Thorns and Roses adaptation planned at Hulu would be the perfect follow-up to Outlander season 8. The series would also be based on a beloved romantasy book series penned by Sarah J. Maas and would have the right amount of drama and intimate scenes to match the legacy of Outlander. However, even though ACOTAR’s following hasn’t diminished in the years since the series was announced, plans have stalled for the TV show, making me nervous about romantasy’s future on television.
Outlander’s Ending Will Create A Huge Fantasy TV Gap After Season 8
Outlander has been the biggest romantasy TV series since 2014
While there are plenty of fantasy and romance shows available to watch on TV today, there are surprisingly few adult series that blend these genes, as well as Outlander. Recent TV shows that could’ve filled the gap left in Outlander’s wake, like 2024’s My Lady Jane, haven’t found a large enough audience base to warrant the budget and longevity of Outlander. I’m worried that in the wake of Outlander season 8, there will be no series readily available to step into Outlander’s shoes and give the series’ dedicated fanbase a new show worthy of obsessing over.
There are plenty of romantasy books that deserve TV adaptations, and the success of Outlander should be a solid incentive for studios and streamers to continue bringing these stories to life. It’s hard to say what makes Outlander’s legions of dedicated fans so captivated by the series. However, the way it centers romance while providing ample character development is no small part of this. While fantasy television has been having a renaissance over the past decade, I don’t want niches like romantasy to be overlooked when Outlander ends.
Hulu’s Court Of Thorns & Roses Show Would Be The Perfect Outlander Replacement
Bringing ACOTAR to life on screen would fill the gap Outlander is leaving
When thinking about what series would perfectly fill the gap that Outlander will leave in the television landscape, A Court of Thorns and Roses is the clear answer. In bringing ACOTAR to life, there wouldn’t be as much risk as other shows since there’s already such a significant following of book readers. Though A Court of Thorns and Roses show would require changes to the source material, Outlander got away with many similar alterations, and most viewers handled them well. I could see many Outlander fans easily transitioning to the ACOTAR fandom.
Despite being confirmed for some time, Hulu’s ACOTAR TV show is no longer in active development.
Despite being confirmed for some time, Hulu’s ACOTAR TV show is no longer in active development. Ronald D. Moore, the showrunner for many successful seasons of Outlander, was briefly slated as the showrunner of the ACOTAR series, but he left the show in early 2024 (via Entertainment Weekly). Even though there’s a significant demand for an ACOTAR show and Hulu has already started assembling a team to bring the story to life, there’s little hope that we’ll see an ACOTAR series hit screens before Outlander ends.
Losing Outlander Makes Me Even More Disappointed That The ACOTAR Show Is In Limbo
If Outlander ends before a worthy successor emerges, this would be a worrying development for romantasy TV
The fact that Outlander is coming to an end around the same time that ACOTAR is losing steam sets up a disappointing future for romantasy television. There’s still hope that Hulu will circle back to ACOTAR and make it a higher priority for the streamer, but with no showrunner and few positive updates in the past few months, things aren’t looking good. If Outlander were continuing for a few more seasons, then Hulu and ACOTAR would have plenty of time to set up a smooth transition from one show to the other.
Though the premiere date for Outlander season 8 hasn’t been confirmed yet, it won’t be long before the final season hits screens, and we have to bid farewell to the show. I wish that there were more positive updates about the A Court of Thorns and Roses, as when a series like this hits roadblocks, it could be years before fans see any concrete development. As fantasy continues expanding in the television sphere, overlooking romance as a space that many audience members gravitate toward would be a mistake.