Outlander - Episode 3 - The Way Out

***Spoilers ahead - kind of.  If you haven't read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and want to, you might not want to continue reading.  If you've read the books, you know what's going to happen...the show is one interpretation. ***

***Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened.  When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.*** 

You can watch the first episode for free until June 2015 on Starz play.  Other episodes are only available with a Starz subscription.

Most of my "review" is written live while watching the episode and then edited for clarity.

A 1943 goodbye between Frank and Claire.  Nice little glimpse into Claire's stubbornness and empathy.

What.  Wait, huh?!  I knew they were going to tweak things, but telling Mrs. Fitz?

Oh, hahahahaha. It was her imagination.  Phew.

It was nice to see her working in her surgery.  Poor Angus and Rufus (I believe that's who it is) are so bored.  At least they have an excuse to get drunk, huh. Ha.

I like Colum's fortitude on insisting he not be treated as less than.  At that time I'm sure those who were deformed where not treated kindly.

You know Colum, you might want to ask if she wants to massage you *before* you take your pants off.

Claire is being all nice to Loaghaire and encouraging of her crush.  She's really trying to include Loaghaire and direct his attention to her. And Jamie just belittles Loaghaire all over the place. Poor Loaghaire.

Claire is drunk, again.  I'd like to try that Rhenish.  *Snort* And another dis to Loaghaire (when Jamie handed the glass to her to return).

Jamie is flirting with Claire again...and she is flirting right back. Ha! The closed captioning just said "intimate music" when Claire got up to look at Jamie's bandages and get all close to him.  I know they aren't supposed to kiss yet, but yet I was really waiting for it.

Carus and I are admiring the knitted cowls and gloves.  I've heard someone will be making patterns for the show.  I hope so.

I wonder if I could be as diplomatic to that priest as Claire was.  Nope. Probably not and I'd be burnt as a witch.

Oops, Jamie didn't want Claire to see him snogging Loaghaire. Her teasing Jamie at dinner is adorable.

In the village at Geillis's house.  Dun, dun, dun. Her manipulation of her husband really shows how conniving she is. And her nonchalance about it shows her callousness. Her irritation about interruption of interviewing Claire is suspicious.

Jamie is smitten; willing to do anything Claire asks him.  She has a good 'faint'. There they go flirting again around the Black Kirk.

Father Bain is a turd bucket. I love Mrs. Fitz, so much. Especially for telling that priest off.

Yay! Claire saved the boy! Too bad the Father isn't happy about it.

Jamie is so stinking adorable - "didn't you see me waving?"

Another great ending hearing the legend of a time traveler like Claire.  Could she go back 'home' too?

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What did you think of the episode? Do you want to smush Father Bain too? Do you think there is chemistry between Jamie and Claire yet?

Outlander - Episode 2 - Castle Leoch

***Spoilers ahead - kind of.  If you haven't read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and want to, you might not want to continue reading.  If you've read the books, you know what's going to happen...the show is one interpretation. ***

***Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened.  When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.*** 

You can watch the first episode for free until June 2015 on Starz play.  Other episodes are only available with a Starz subscription.

Most of my "review" is written live while watching the episode and then edited for clarity.

I've heard there are complaints of Claire's narration and it is felt that those complaints are from those that haven't read the books - or they would know Claire narrates those...

Me, personally, I don't mind the narration.  I think it is a good tool to have and I imagine that there will be less in some episodes and more in others.  There was a good bit in episode 1 and 2 - but we are setting up the story so it's expected.  We'll have to see if it continues.

I've started watching with closed captioning on.  Carus was having problems with the Scots accents, and I had to really listen a couple of times so it's been helpful.

I still wish there were subtitles for the Gaelic, but then I wanted them when reading too.  (When things said weren't explained or the meaning wasn't easily gleaned from context.) Hey, they're keeping it close to the book.

I'm still waiting for Mrs. Fitz to unzip her forehead (Doctor Who reference), but I do love her in this episode.

Claire's flashbacks are nice.  I like that.  It helps convey her panic and disorientation.

DUDE! Jamie's back is as much as I was expecting but at the same time, not enough.  I've never seen a lashed back - fresh or scarred - so I don't know what I was expecting really.  I think they did a pretty good job though.  (Here's a bit on how they do the scars.)

You'd think those bodices were a bit harder to rip in half or something.

Lallybroch is much larger than I pictured.  I don't know why I pictured it as an average farmhouse; it's not described as such.

I like how we are starting to see Jamie's sense of humor in this episode and you can feel the chemistry between Claire and Jamie.

Hahahaha - Mrs. Fitz gives some broth and then takes it away so quickly.

The costuming scene with Mrs. Fitz and Claire was the best!  "It's a brassiere. It's from France."

The CGI on Colum's legs look pretty good.  It definitely looks like his condition would be painful.

Oh, snap! "Is there ever a good reason for rape, Master MacKenzie." Go Claire!

God, Scotland is beautiful!

Leticia's voice was surprising.  More gruff than I was expecting.

One wine, two wine - floor.  The awkwardness between Dougal and Colum is quickly apparent at dinner - who's really in charge?

Hoo-boy did Claire step in it with Hamish! Be careful what you say when you're toasted, Claire.

Gah! SCOTLAND IS GORGEOUS!

Chew with your mouth close, Jamie. Add "murder" and "ruckus" to the list of words I could stand to hear from a Scot on a regular basis.

We meet Geillis! Slightly sweet and kind, but her random presentation of her knowledge of how to loose a child gives a peek to a dark side.

Loaghaire's father is a douche waffle.  Poor girl.  Well, for a moment before Jamie steps up and cockily offers to take the punishment.

I pictured Angus much taller.

OOoh. Jamie said, "Claire" so perfectly.

Ha! That look Mrs. Fitz gave Dougal shows she knows those MacKenzie brothers well.  And she looked sad for Claire.

*Snort* Did you really think you were going to get to leave Claire?

They ended this episode well too.  Dougal closing the door on Claire and that final click of the latch shows how she's trapped and her defeated walk back into the room shows her despair.

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Are you still watching?  What do you think of the first two episodes?  Do you want to visit Scotland too?

Outlander Episode 1 - Sassenach

***Spoilers ahead - kind of.  If you haven't read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and want to, you might not want to continue reading.  If you've read the books, you know what's going to happen...the show is one interpretation. ***

***Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened.  When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.*** 

You can watch the first episode for free until June 2015 on Starz play.  Other episodes are only available with a Starz subscription...for now.

On to the review! Which, FYI, is a written "live" while watching the episode.  

I've heard some negative comments about the opening sequence, and while I do agree that it wasn't what I was expecting and it isn't an extremely gripping opening sequence, I do like it.  The singer's voice is very lovely, and the song's words (see below) are nice and fitting to the story.  They took the words to the Skye Boat Song and tweaked it. This version was composed by Bear McCreary and sang by his wife Rava Yarbrough. So overall, I'm pleased.  (YouTube link to the opening sequence.)

Skye Boat Song

"Sing me a song of a lass that is gone,
      Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
      Over the sea to Skye.
Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
      Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
      All that was me is gone.
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone,
      Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
      Over the sea to Skye."

I've been wondering how they were going to do all the back-stories - not just Claire, but Jamie's and the other characters too - so far we've seen a lot of flashbacks.  Do you think they will continue that? I think they are good and I did like the scene of Claire in a field hospital. We don't get to "see" that in the book, only her memories being discussed.  

Some of the dialogue between Claire and Frank seems forced. (Robert, who has only seen half a scene so far (between Claire and Frank), thinks that Claire's (Caitriona Balfe) acting is a bit cheesy. But maybe it is supposed to feel forced/cheesy...their relationship is strained and they are attempting to get to know each other again.  We (the readers) know that the connection twixt Claire and Frank isn't the connection we know Claire and Jamie have so we think nothing of it, but his comment made me think.  Claire's narration in the show of how they are trying to find each other helps those that haven't read.

Uncle Lamb!!!  I was hoping they would show him and Claire's childhood! I'm pleasantly surprised to see him so early.  We don't get to meet him in the books and I'm glad he made an appearance in the first episode.

God, Scotland is BEAUTIFUL!

Roger:  There has been some disappointment that we haven't seen Roger yet.  The scene he made his appearance in the book was in the first episode - but no Roger.  And we (the readers) know how important Roger is to the story overall, though he's not important yet, and the scene he should have been in he wasn't that important so I get why it was left out.  We know Roger has been cast though so we will see him soon (as in some time in the first season).

How the show gave the explanation of what Frank did during the war makes me think we'll get to see more of his story line of what he was doing during the war.  And probably what he was doing after Claire's disappearance.

Claire's swearing ("Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ") has always felt awkward to read.  To me anyways, not sure about anyone else.  But hearing Claire say it; it works so much better.

I'm slightly disappointed in the ghost scene.  There didn't seem to be enough wind and the ghost was more clear than I expected.  When I read it, I see mist and wind and driving rain so hard that Frank is having trouble making out who the man looking up at Claire is.  In the show, it's just dumping rain.  No wind. I totally could make him out...not so mysterious.

The druid scene is my favorite!  The lighting on the dancers and the rocks are splendid.  Though the light on Claire and Frank is wrong and annoys the shit out of me.  The costumes! The music! It starts out slow and then takes off. The slow-motion twirls, the amber glow from the sunrise, the shadows and costumes draping and twisting and flowing perfectly.  All the light is amber/gold and then Claire and Frank have white light which is wrong and annoys me.  And then afterwards they are exploring the stone circle and the light has become mid morning instead of sunrise.  Where's the consistency, people?!

After Claire's fall:
The forest reminds me of Oregon forests.  The running scene is great.  The bagpipes are PERFECT! for that scene.

I like how Scots pronounce "whore" - "ah-hoorrrrr".

The CGI on the dislocated should was believable.  But we have another consistency error.  (His arm was all slung up and they handed him his coat and he comes out of the house with his coat on and the arm through the sling, he would have needed help to do that guys.)

I like how Jamie (Sam Heughan) looks at Claire; like he is immediately smitten.

Her flash of her future/past at the end, on approaching Castle Leoch, is excellent.

It's a good ending.  You want more.  You want to find out what happens next.  Yet it's not leaving it on a cliff-hanger where you have to find out more now.

Did you see it? What did you think?