As Starz prepares to close the chapter on one of television’s most beloved epics with Outlander Season 8, Caitriona Balfe is taking a moment to reflect on a farewell that’s as emotional as it is meaningful. Balfe has played the time-traveling heroine Claire Fraser in Outlander since its inception in 2014, which is based on author Diana Gabaldon's series of fantastical books.Outlander Season 8, scheduled to debut on March 6, will mark the concluding chapter of Claire and Jamie's (Sam Heughan) epic love story. The final season will also feature the returning ensemble cast of David Berry, Richard Rankin, Sophie Skelton, John Bell, Charles Vandervaart and many more.After nearly a decade of portraying the fiercely intelligent and deeply compassionate Claire Fraser, Balfe has opened up about filming her final scene for Outlander Season 8 with Vanity Fair. The actress describes the experience as:“It was so hard, but also one of the most beautiful moments in my time on Outlander.''For fans who have followed Claire’s journey through time, love, war and loss, her words add an extra layer of poignancy to an already bittersweet goodbye.More on this in our story.Caitriona Balfe looks back on her emotional final day filming Outlander Season 8 View this post on Instagram Instagram PostLong-standing fans of Starz's time-travel romance series who are anticipating the return of Outlander Season 8 might need to keep tissues handy as the final ride will be emotional and filled with tear-jerking moments. Across seven seasons, Outlander has featured many heartfelt moments between Claire and Jamie as they fought against all odds and returned stronger each time. The final season of Outlander will be an emotional yet wholesome ride for Claire and Jamie, who will return to Frasers' Ridge and fight their final battle to protect their chosen family and Clan.Balfe has shared some details about her final scene on the Outlander Season 8 set in an interview with Vanity Fair. The time-traveling heroine of the Starz series reflected her time and growth on the show, revealing that her last day on set concluded with a seven-page scene with Heughan.Reflecting on her final scene for Outlander Season 8, Balfe said:“That it was Sam and I, sharing a loving Claire and Jamie moment where they reflected on their lives together, was so fitting, and I was so grateful to be there with Sam, my steadfast partner throughout this whole series.”While fans have witnessed many iconic and intimate moments between Balfe and Heughan on-screen, their final scene in Outlander Season 8 will certainly leave seasoned fans wanting more. Since Claire and Jamie's epic love story forms the heart of Gabaldon's fantastical universe, it is only befitting that Balfe concluded her time on set with a heartfelt Claire-Jamie moment.Caitriona Balfe reflects on her journey through Outlander over the years View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOutlander marked Balfe's first major starring role on the small screen. While she had appeared in films like Now You See Me and Escape Plan, her role as Claire Beauchamp, the WWII nurse who ends up in the 18th century after time-traveling through the magical stones, resulted in her breakout success. Her electric chemistry with Sam Heughan’s Jamie captivated audiences, cementing the couple as one of television’s most iconic pairings.It's quite ironic how Caitriona Balfe was thinking of quitting acting altogether before her Outlander role, as she told Vanity Fair. However, destiny had other plans and the actress is currently gearing up for Outlander Season 8, the final chapter, which will mark her character's final adventure.Reflecting on her experience of working on Outlander, Balfe said:“I will never underestimate the growth that I experienced. I had never done any TV, and had only had a few small parts in film, so Outlander was such a huge leap. But I am so fortunate that the people I worked with most closely in the beginning were such seasoned, amazing actors and set this incredible example for me...It really helped me solidify the type of actor I wanted to be.”After Balfe's breakout success, she went on to star in projects like Money Monster and Ford v Ferrari. The actress' 2021 coming-of-age drama film Belfast, alongside Jamie Dornan and Judi Dench, bagged her nominations for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress.Catch the Outlander Season 8 premiere on Starz on March 6.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.