The historical time-travel drama series 'Outlander', adapted from the novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, is back with its fifth season after its longer than usual hiatus. It revolves around Claire Randall, a married former World War 2 nurse who in 1946 finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743. There she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

The return of Outlander brings with it some good news: In its fifth season, the time travel period romance has truly found its footing. While the early seasons had a habit of wavering in quality, especially when it came to the pacing and an over-reliance on voice-over, the series has now found a new level of maturity that matches its central characters.

The show's narrative thrust no longer revolves around the state of Claire and Jamie's relationship. However, while the series has reached a point of stability, one does wonder about what's to come in the future. The primary obstacles to Jamie and Claire's marriage have become external ones, like the looming Revolutionary War. The attention to detail across every level of production, from costumes to sets to cinematography, remains as impeccable as ever.

The first four episodes take their time with the plot, bad things clearly hover on the horizon. When stories end with a wedding, it's a sign of good things to come. When stories start with a wedding, it never bodes well for the future. However, Outlander has created a solid foundation of engaging characters and quality production design.

Outlander is developed by Ronald D. Moore and produced by David Brown, Caitriona Balfe, and Sam Heughan. It stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan. The first season of the television series is based on the first novel in the series, Outlander. The second was based on Dragonfly in Amber; third on Voyager and fourth on Drums of Autumn. The fifth season premiered on February 16, 2020. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Television and aired on 'STARZ'.