Its appeal remains massive. Students of the Jacobite Rebellion, an admittedly small fan base, might tune in for the accurately portrayed history. Period drama aficionados will watch for the costumes – and Claire’s red gown in the second season, and the embroidery on her wedding dress in the first, are magnificent. This global fandom, however, is fuelled by something more primal than understanding history, appreciating exquisite needlework and watching a favourite book series blossom under creator Ronald D Moore (Battlestar Galactica).

It’s sex. The couple’s irresistible pull towards each other nearly broke the internet. Sure, we’ve been watching explicit scenes on television since premium cable began. Outlander is different, though. Their chemistry in steamy scenes is so intense that you feel you oughtn’t watch, yet you can’t look away.

The second half of the penultimate season returns on November 22 with eight episodes. The final season has already wrapped. This series changed their lives and fuelled the television and tourism industries in Scotland, notes Richard Rankin, who plays Roger, Claire and Jamie’s son-in-law.

“Outlander arrived with such impact in Scotland,” Rankin (Burniston) says. “Everyone was talking about it, everyone auditioned for it, everyone was meeting for it. You felt the shake-up in the industry in Scotland because we have a finite amount of crew and resources to support such a huge thing. I remember when it was starting up and the studio was being converted, and we found out that there was going to be a studio right in the heart of Scotland, which was incredible.”

Sophie Skelton (Stalker), who plays Brianna, Claire and Jamie’s daughter, auditioned for the first season but began working on it in the second. “We had the luxury of seeing what a phenomenon it would become and knowing exactly what we were diving into,” she says.

As life-changing as the series has been, none of the actors are clinging to it. Would it be possible to keep these characters going? Gabaldon’s rich sagas seem made for an industry tending towards bankable properties that support origin stories and spin-offs. That seems unlikely with this crew.

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“It’s been wonderful, but it has been quite consuming for a long time,” Skelton says. “And I think we’re very lucky that these characters, no matter how eight ends, I feel that they are quite at peace with themselves.”

This moment allows the actors to embrace the ending while cherishing the beginning.

“I had already sent in audition tapes, but when I found out they wanted to test, I went to my local bookstore in Los Angeles,” Balfe recalls. “The guy at the counter, as I was paying for it, was like, ‘You know, they’re currently going to make a series out of this.’ I was like, ‘Oh, really?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I did my thesis on Ronald D Moore.’”

Heughan bought his copy in London. A decade later, he reflects on the spark ignited when the Highland warrior espied the imperiled nurse from the future.

“The moment he sees her, he sees his death, his demise,” Heughan says. “He’s like, ‘I would die for this woman, and I probably will.’ And he’s prepared to. Over the seasons, he’s cheated death many, many times. I think he’s on his last lives. I think, as he’s gotten older, he’s certainly become more aware of mortality. And obviously, having lost Claire before, now he knows what he’s got to lose. So, I felt this season the fear of losing her again is definitely real. He knows he can’t live without her.”

Outlander season 7 part 2 screens on Binge from November 23.

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