Lord John Grey and William arrive in Fraser’s Ridge at the start of Outlander season 7, and the secret of William’s true parentage is looming over Lord John and Jamie. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with David Berry about the weight of that secret moving forward.
![David Berry](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/outlanders-david-berry-starz-embed.jpg)
“The fact that William is around Jamie and any proximity that he has definitely causes a bit of drama there because the secret could be revealed at any time,” David said. “We’re all trying to keep this secret from William about his true parentage, and there are some people who are really keen to have that secret exposed, so Lord John has to fight and make sure that secret doesn’t get exposed.”
Lord John and Jamie will have a reunion when they cross paths, but William isn’t exactly the “main source of conflict,” according to David. “The conflict really occurs on the two sides of the war they find themselves on,” David added. “Jamie is a bit of an ideologue. He’s pretty hellbent on an independence. I think John, he’s duty bound and he won’t step over that line as much as he has love for Jamie. That’s really going to test their friendship and going to test John’s love for Jamie through the season in really unexpected and sometimes really terrifying ways for John honestly. I think audiences are really going to love to see that relationship evolve through the season, this super-sized season, so where we start at the beginning of the season has a long way to go. Lord John will definitely hit bottom and probably go a little further.”
As far as William is concerned, Charles Vandervaart pointed out that his character is “naive” at the start of the season. “He doesn’t really understand the realities of the world, but he learns really quick,” Charles told HollywoodLife. “He dives into a war. There’s a lot of things that happen to him that makes him realize, maybe makes him disillusioned to what he thought as this kind of sheltered boy from England, this very privileged boy who had these really romanticized ideas about violence.”
![Sam Heughan](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/outlanders-david-berry-starz-embed1.jpg)
Season 7 will be a pivotal one for Young Ian. Izzy Meikle-Small joins the cast as Rachel Hunter, who will be a love interest for Ian. “I think a lot of people have said the moment Rachel appeared on the page they immediately fell in love with her, much like Young Ian when he sees her,” John Bell said. “I just think people love a love story and they’re going to be rooting for these two a lot because Izzie’s amazing, incredible actor to work with. I just think people are going to fall in love with us.”
However, this burgeoning romance won’t be smooth sailing. A love triangle will begin to brew between Ian, Rachel, and William. “What’s not to love with Rachel Hunter? She’s fantastic. She echoes a lot of Claire. Obviously, I don’t know this, but I’m Jamie’s son. It makes sense that I would fancy her,” Charles said. Outlander season 7 will premiere June 16 on STARZ.