Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin say Roger and Brianna are 'calm amongst the chaos' in Outlander season 6

Brianna Fraser Mackenzie (Sophie Skelton) may have inherited her father's temper, but this season, she'll be the one keeping things steady on Outlander.

Brianna and Roger (Richard Rankin) have faced their fair share of drama over the years — from assault to kidnappings to a hanging that found Roger barely escaping with his life. But for once, they're going to get a little peace.

"Roger and Brianna are the calm amongst the chaos this season, which we haven't really seen this side of them before," teases Skelton.

But what, precisely, does that mean? And how will Roger and Brianna find their footing once and for all in the 18th century after their failed attempt to return to the 20th century in season 5? We caught up with Skelton and Rankin to talk about this, what the Christie family means for the Mackenzies, and how Roger might finally find his calling.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How would the two of you describe Brianna and Roger's journey this season?

SOPHIE SKELTON: This season, we hit the ground running straight away. It's very high energy. Obviously, they've both been struggling with a lot of things individually and as a couple. There's been a lot of things that have almost torn them apart. This season it's more about seeing them as new parents and newlyweds and seeing them navigate that. It's a really beautiful season for Bree and Roger. We get to see a very, very different version of them, which I think the fans will enjoy.

RICHARD RANKIN: Yeah, they have a bit of peace in spite of the looming threat of the revolution and what's come before. Now that they've taken the 18th century to be their home and accepted that and understood that that's where their heart is, that's really given them a nice sense of calm in their relationship, which is going to open up a whole new world of possibility for them on the Ridge.

Roger is definitely becoming more engaged in faith and preaching this season. How far down the path of ministry will we see him go this year?

SKELTON: "You're not a minister," that's Brianna's party line.

RANKIN: I'm like, "I am a minister." There's a mixture of reasons as to why and how Roger's fallen into that. One, through necessity, because there was that vacuum needing filling on the Ridge for a man of faith to help people. More so for Roger, it's on a practical level than one of faith. He feels that he can step into that role and he can help people and he can do some good there. He was raised by a minister. He's resisted going down that path. But he has lived it, he has the experience, he has the knowledge, which he can put into a practical use rather than it being one of staunch faith, which is what Tom Christie [Mark Lewis Jones] is. Roger's approaching it from a different place, a place of being able to help the community. Had you asked him, I don't think he would ever have said that that was a path that he would have went down. It causes a little bit of friction at home. Not too much. But they have just found this new peace between their family and their household. And now, Bree and Roger realize just how much of a commitment it will be to minister on the Ridge, and that's going to take a little bit away from the Mackenzie household. So we'll see where that takes us.

SKELTON: Yeah, that is something that you don't really know why Brianna has a problem with it for so long throughout the season, until there is a scene where they do talk about it. Jemmy is the priority now. It's not even just about them. All of their decisions have to really take him in mind.

For those that love the books, Bree and Roger returning to their future is a key part of their story, and we saw you attempt that last season and then fail. Is there a chance that they would try again at some future date?

RANKIN: It looks unlikely because they did fail at that attempt to go through the stones. Something major would have to happen for them to attempt again.

SKELTON: There's obviously always the knowledge that it could happen at some point, but now that choice has been taken away from them. The stones kicked them back out, home is home. I suppose with the revolution looming, maybe circumstances would change if they're fleeing danger. Maybe it wouldn't feel like home anymore. But for now, Roger and Bree are really just building their life on the Ridge indefinitely. They very much made their peace with the fact that they're going to be there for a while.

One of the things that's been hardest for Bree has been being this very scientific, progressive woman in a world that doesn't necessarily welcome that. Will she start to maybe find her path in that regard this season?

SKELTON: We see in the first episode, in her conversation with Claire, Brianna is more, now than ever, worried about introducing any risky inventions in case the same happens to her. When people find out about Claire being Dr. Rawlings, that led to everything that happened to Claire. So, Brianna is trying to be very careful. Jemmy is such a priority now she wouldn't want to do anything that would put her child in danger. But now that she knows that they're there for the long run, she is able to scratch that itch a little bit and get that brain power muscle working again and try to incorporate future inventions into that time period without them being flagged. That's definitely a throughline of this season that she's trying to bring practicality and modern things to the Ridge.

Part of Roger's new role this season is being a balm and a support to some of the new residents of the Ridge, but we've seen in the past that he has this tendency to maybe get too close to single women out of empathy and care. Might we see that pattern repeat itself and come back to bite him this season?

RANKIN: Roger does wear his heart on his sleeve and leads with his heart, and it's always about doing the right thing and helping when he can. There's a certain naivety to Roger. Sometimes he doesn't look objectively at his actions and how they might be interpreted elsewhere. Bless him. He has no ill intention. He is very much in love and faithful to Brianna and his family, but he does take certain steps that could be viewed as being inappropriate at times, but it's always with the best intentions.

SKELTON: It's such a common problem, though. Sorry it's a sweeping generalization, but sometimes men are like, "No, she doesn't like me. She's just being nice." It's like, "Okay..." It's one of those situations where he's like, "I was just singing and playing the guitar to her, it's fine."

RANKIN: Sometimes men can be guilty of misreading — or not reading any signs at all — when they are blatant.

SKELTON: When it's right there in big red paint.

RANKIN: She's written "I love you" on the side of the cabin and he's like, "No, it's nothing."

What would you say is Roger and Bree's greatest challenge as a couple this season?

SKELTON: I feel like this is the first time that we really see them being a team. Instead of letting external circumstances tear them apart this season, they're actually getting closer together.

RANKIN: They grow from it and get closer.

SKELTON: But there is a lady this season who does rock that boat a little bit. What's cool about it is how Brianna and Roger deal with it this season. In a very different way than they used to.

RANKIN: They're more cooperative and less stubborn with each other.

SKELTON: Less defensive, too.

We know the Christies present an issue for Jamie [Sam Heughan] and Claire [Caitriona Balfe], whereas Roger and Bree were like, "Have some food, pull up a chair." Now that they know the circumstances, how might the Christies' presence impact or imperil Roger and Bree?

SKELTON: Any new faces on Outlander [and] there is probably going to be some drama that comes from it. They definitely rock the boat on the Ridge quite a lot. That's obviously going to have a ripple effect. The Frasers and Mackenzies, it's all a tight-knit family, so you mess with one and it's going to affect the whole group. But Roger and Brianna this season are more the ones who try to fix the problems, as opposed to get caught up in the middle of them.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

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