Recently the cast and executive producers Matthew B. Roberts and Maril Davis, met with a select group of journalists to discuss the final season and lament about the end of their journey together.

The series is based on the best-selling novels by Diana Gabaldon. Davis explained that they worked closely with Gabaldon during the process, and “looped her in the whole way, because I think we wanted her to be able to let us know if she wasn’t comfortable with something or- or felt like we wanted to do a few different things, so along the way we’ve kind of kept her in contact and just to make sure she was OK, which she totally was.”

Sophie Skelton who plays Brianna Randall Fraser recalled the time she was going to audition for the role. When she knew she was going to audition she immediately called her local bookstore to get the books asap. “I was so hooked,” she admitted. “I thought it was written incredibly [well] and I became quite protective over this character.”

The phenomenon of the books and series has captured a wide audience, both men and women. Focusing around time travel was a concept that was not too unusual and as Richard Rankin said, “I think my first thought was that it wasn’t an unusual concept. I think I thought ‘Oh, protagonist time-travels, falls in love,’ I felt like I’d heard a few times.” It is true that there have been movies and shows about relationships that transcend time, but there is something unique about “Outlander” that fans have taken to their hearts.

For Davis, the experience was more than simply creating a great series. The cast and crew grew into one big family. “I mean, for me personally, it has been such a huge part of my life. I mean, I’m not alone in saying so many of our crew and cast, had kids, maybe people got married, bought houses. So many big life moments happened during the course of the show because we’ve all been together for 13-plus years, and so it’s impossible to extract those big life moments from ‘Outlander.'”

This has been a “life-altering” experience for the cast and crew, as Davis acknowledged. The show is a timeless tale of love, even though it deals with time itself.

The historic details threading through the series were another aspect of the story that intrigued viewers. Scotland is rich in history, which the writers could draw from, and that touch added a mystique to the show, as fans can attest to.

The final episodes of the finale season of “Outlander” is streaming on Starz with the last episode dropping on May 8. The first season of the spinoff, “Outlander: Blood of My Blood,” is available on Starz, and the second season will be streaming later this year.