From Paste:

When we last saw Claire, she still had this idea that she could return to Frank (also Tobias Menzies). Is there a turning point where she gives that up and moves forward with this new life of hers?

Caitriona Balfe: I think we’ll see all of that come to a head. I don’t want to give too much away, but she does have to make a decision. I think she has to realize that she’s been on a very singular journey, and she’s had a very singular goal, which is to get back to the stones. And in doing so, she’s caused a lot of chaos around her, and, I think, when she finally realizes that her actions are having such repercussions, then she realizes she has to change her direction.

How has Jamie changed Claire, and how has Claire changed Jamie?

Balfe: Well, I think they both taught each other a lot, and I think we really see that in episode nine, where they both have to maybe compromise some of their beliefs in order to accept each other and understand that, with this person, their ideas are going to have to change. He says it to her. He’s like, “Maybe for us, it’s going to have to be another way.” And I think for her, she has to accept this thing that he’s done to her [the spanking], and she has to understand that he didn’t do it out of malice. It’s because he’s from that time.

**SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP**

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Claire challenges everything Jamie knows with her revelation to him. So how do you make that transition from this really naïve man, to somebody who is believing something so fantastical?

Sam Heughan: Obviously, with the witch trial and all that leads up to that, Jamie has to ask her the question—whether or not she’s a witch. He, obviously, doesn’t believe that. But he knows she’s got a big secret, and so when she finally does reveal that she’s from the future, he says he believes her. He trusts her word, so he believes that she’s talking the truth. Whether or not he can get his head around the enormity of what that actually means, that takes a long time. But ultimately they have this bond, and it’s a fact that he trusts her and she trusts him. And that’s an amazing thing.

Claire is torn between these two men, and she actually has an opportunity to decide which one she wants to be with. Can you imagine anything like that—a romance so passionate that she actually decides to stay in a time when people believe in witches?

Balfe: When I came to filming that scene, I didn’t want it to be purely Jamie. I think Claire is a much more complicated woman than that. Obviously, it was a huge factor, and you will do anything for love when you’re in love, but I think that she had to really reason out all the different things for herself, and I don’t think that she was able to choose to leave. I think when she went through the stones the first time that it was by accident. And she caused all that grief to Frank, but I think she couldn’t choose to put someone through that same thing again.

Now that Claire and Jamie are married, what would you say is their biggest hurdle in the second half of the season?

Balfe: They have so many. Their relationship is really tested, but they discover their marriage is really about supporting each other through all of these very, very traumatic events. It feels like one thing happens right after another. And, I think, Claire comes to a breaking point, and that’s when she has to reveal herself to Jamie. And it’s more. I think it’s out of desperation, where she needs to connect to him on an honest level, because she wants him to be there for her. They just go through the wringer.

Heughan: The biggest hurdle is what happens at the very end of the season. The whole second part really tests the relationship, and they’re constantly trying or fighting their way to get back to where they were on the wedding night. It’s a great tragedy of the show, I think, that this wonderful relationship has actually been tainted for good. I don’t think we can ever get back there. Jamie’s learning to grow up and come to terms with the responsibility of being a husband and a laird; there’s his history with his sister, his best friends, and his dead father.

What’s the hardest part for you? Is it the performance, or is it having to get dressed in costume?

Balfe: The costume becomes like a second skin after a while. It’s a little uncomfortable, but [costume designer] Terry Dresbach is so fantastic that our costumes only ever add to the performance. I think it’s just every day you get to work, and you just want to strive to give the most honest performance that you can. And that’s just the job, but it’s the good part about it as well.

Heughan: Terry’s done an amazing job, sourcing all the materials, the colors, all the dyes. She went to the local plant life, the herbs, and the berries to make the colors. To be honest, it’s a wonderful part of the character. You know, each Highlander has got his own way of wearing the kilt. It’s like a personal thing, and they’re very warm. They’re made of wool, and they keep you warm in the winter. I don’t think I’ve ever been cold on set. Sometimes I wear a warm jacket if it’s really blowing a gale, but the clothing is so authentic. There’s no zippers, no poppers [snaps], no Velcro.

Read the entire interview at Paste