Top Ten Moments of Season One: James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser

Welcome once more to a top ten countdown in relation to season one of Outlander. Thanks to the success of the Top Ten List on Claire Moments, I have decided to dedicate an entire series of top ten lists. This will be a top ten list of Jamie's best moments, and will be followed by top humorous moments and then top moments overall. Outlander certainly has become my passion over the past two years and nothing was perhaps more satisfying then seeing Jamie Fraser come to life. Sam Heughan, really has done a bang up job as the leading man, and it was an absolute joy to see him on screen. Before I get into this top ten list, I'm going to ask what your favorite funny moments, and favorite moments overall in the show were.

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Now, onto the list!

#10 - "So long as I'm with you." Castle Leoch, S1E02

Jamie's character has always been strong, compassionate and as hot headed as Claire. The tender moments he shows Claire are honestly some of the best in the show. This is one of them. After a long ride, and a few scratches, Claire's meltdown prompts him to just hold her close and let her cry about her husband. He whispers calming soothing words in her ear and offers her a much needed shoulder to cry on. And then promises her that so long as he is around, he'll keep her safe but is also sure to remind her that she's an English woman and to be careful all things considered. Poignant, touching and wonderful, a true mark of Jamie's character.

#9 - "I guess that means you're coming with me." Sassenach, S1E01

We first get our eyes full of Jamie Fraser in the first episode and the best moment, for me, from the first moment is when he judges Claire's character accurately enough to call her bluff. He catches her running away from the men and informs her that if she doesn't come with him willingly, he'd pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and carry her back. She of course, doesn't want him to do that, and so he replies with that cocky grin. "Weel, I guess that means you're coming with me." It's the first glimpse we have of Jamie's ease of humor and wit (though, my one woe is how little of it we truly saw in the show, compared to the books, but that's another blog post altogether). It's a testament to Sam's acting to pull off ruthless and charming at the same time.

#8 - A Trip to the Snackbar. By the Pricking of My Thumbs, S1E10

Another humorous, and definitely sexy moment in the show, is Jamie waking Claire up with a bit of loving. And it's glorious, especially when Murtagh's trying to break down the damn door. There isn't really much to this scene in the form of substance, but it was super sexy and he was such a gentleman to let her finish. I don't know, I just like this moment because it's a rare tv moment for the focus to be on the woman's pleasure and woman's pleasure alone and honestly, Jamie certainly seems to satisfy her on screen.And what woman wouldn't want a man that saw to her needs before his own every now and then.

#7 -Fixing the Mill. Lallybroch, S1E12

In one of his more humorous scenes, Jamie wakes up with a hangover after playing Laird of Lallybroch the night before and finds out the mill is broken. Determined to fix the issue himself, we once more get that wry wit of his and well, a decent glance at his backside. While humorous, it's also a bit of a nail biter because the redcoats show up while he's fixing the mill. It's also the first time that Jenny sees the scars left by the floggings he received at the hands of Black Jack Randall. Which brings us to my next favorite Jamie moment.

#6 - Facing the Flogging. The Garrison Commander S1E06 & Lallybroch S1E12

Not many men who have received 100 lashes live to tell the tale. That same number probably would take the offer that Black Jack offered than take the punishment. Jamie's bravery certainly takes center stage. We first see the flogging scene in The Garrison Commander but the back story behind that scene takes place in Lallybroch. Jamie explains that he didn't want to have another flogging, but he couldn't dare imagine giving her body to Black Jack to spare himself the feel of the cat o nines again and that to do so, his father might think less of him. It is a strength of character, but it is also Jamie's tried and true stubborness.

#5 - The Oath Taking. The Gathering, S1E04

Thanks to Claire's shenanigans, Jamie finds himself in quite a dilemma. He has to swear an oath of fealty to his Uncle Colum at the gathering. If he doesn't pledge, the clansmen will kill him. If he does pledge, his Uncle Dougal will kill him. Quite the pickle I'd say. Regardless, Jamie's ability to think lightly on his feet grants him a perfect way of swearing fealty, but also ensuring that he is not killed by Dougal. It's eloquent, on point and perfectly encapsulates Jamie's intelligence.

#4 - "Fair is fair." The Wedding, S1E07

By far, one of the best episodes of the season finally gave Jamie the limelight. After six episodes of being a passive character in the background, he came to center stage as the virginal young man who thought that sex was done the back way. The best moment for me, during this whole episode was right after Claire explores his nakedness and then he counters that it's just as fair for him to ogle her. I could of went with a million moments in this episode that were poignant, funny or ultra romantic, but I think this statement really sets the tone for that second and much for satisfying sex scene in the whole episode. He was cocky, self assured and damn if it wasn't sexy as hell to watch.

#3 - The Spanking Scene. The Reckoning, S1E09

On the previous list, I included the argument between Jamie and Claire and highlighted it as one of Claire's best moments. I would of liked to duplicate it in this but decided to give you this moment instead. Now this has to be the most dividing scene of the entire season. People like me, who grew up in a house where a spanking with a belt was considered proper punishment, sort of laugh and giggle through it, especially since Claire's reactions are so similar to us bargaining kids doing anything to get out of it. I thought it showed that while Jamie is strong, he is a man who is also from a different time. A time where corporal punishment is the norm. And it's because this scene is so divisive to different audiences, that I decided to place it on this list.

#2 - Jamie's Acceptance of Claire's Story. The Devil's Mark, S1E12

Picture it. Your significant other, whom you love deeply, has just told you that s/he is a time traveller and is 200 years from the future. I bet most of us in that given situation, would just smile awkwardly, pick up the phone and call the local psychiatric hotline. We wouldn't believe it. What a crazy ass story right? But Jamie, dear sweet Jamie, actually believes her. He doesn't understand it, but he believes her all the same. If that is not a testament to true love, I don't know what is.

#1 - Jamie Offers his Body in Exchange for Claire's Safety. Wentworth Prison, S1E15

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking scenes, and a true showing of Jamie's love for Claire, is when he offers himself up in exchange for the safety of his wife. He is already beaten, bruised and tortured but none of that matters. Even when Black Jack Randall drives the nail into his hand, he doesn't waver in what he means to do, even though he knows the steep cost. It is heartbreaking, watching the weight of his decision cross his features after Claire is gone, but that doesn't stop him from comforting her when BJR sends her away. He doesn't let her see how scared he is. He is the perfect embodiment of strength and vulnerability and it is one of the most devastating scenes of the entire season, and also the one scene that resonated the most with me overall.

So what were your favorite Jamie moments?

Top Ten Claire Moments of Outlander Season One

It's the end of the year, and with Droughtlander upon us, I decided to go back and rewatch all sixteen episodes of Outlander and pick and choose which moments I decided were the best. Claire is a complex character, both strong and vulnerable, both impulsive and patient. She gets shit done, and she is honestly one of the best female characters ever created. Many props to Diana Gabaldon for creating such an awesome, realistic, complex woman that women of all ages can relate to in one way or another. And so here are my top ten moments of Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp Randall Fraser.

#10 - "You have strong fingers." The Way Out, S1E03

I have to say this was the pivotal moment where the friendship between Jamie and Claire was well and truly established. When she asks if he's got strong fingers and then they both set about rescuing the boy from the pillory, it always makes me grin. Especially the part where she feigns a faint and then Jamie says she faints at the sight of blood. It has to be the oldest trick in the book, though, considering the time travel, maybe the diversion is the newest trick in the book? Either way, it is one of my favorite moments of the entire series and always makes me giggle.

#9 - "Not a Wet Nurse." Sassenach, S1E01

By far one of the humorous scenes. Back in the day, the only nurses anyone knew anything about were the wet kind, so that moment when she's putting Jamie's shoulder back in place and says she's a nurse, his eyes go straight to her boobage and she's all aghast about it. Honestly, if not for the situation, I think she would have slapped him. And it would have been a well deserved slap.

#8 - "Oh Fuck" The Search, S1E14

Nothing quite encapsulated the moment so well when Claire was forced to literally sing for her supper, or at least information. She and Murtagh are scouring the highlands for Jamie Fraser and part of doing so means putting on singing shows. And so, Claire's first show to a rowdy bunch of drunks in a tavern is quickly started off with the exclamation. Brilliant and funny.

#7 - The Dagger to the Throat, The Reckoning, S1E09

After the six month break between episodes eight and nine, nine came in with a huge bang. And by bang, I mean Jamie slamming that window open and pointing that pistol at the sorry bastard BJR. Now the reckoning, was actually my favorite episode of the entire season and there are two moments on this list. This is the first one. After all the fighting, and back and forth between them, Claire and Jamie have some good ole fashioned make up sex, you know, the best kind there is and while she is on top, laying it on him thick, she takes his weapon, puts it to his throat and makes him swear to never lay a hand on her again. It's also a sex scene where she is most definitely in control of him and she lets him know it too. Considering the fact that he'd tanned her hide earlier, getting fucked while subsequently being told if he ever hit her again, he'd have his heart cut out and she'd eat it for breakfast, is probably enough for a man to get the picture. She was the boss, and Jamie knew it.

#6 - "Does it bother you?", The Garrison Commander, S1E06

After a really tense hour of superb tension between Claire and the disgusting Black Jack Randall, it is determined that the only way to save Claire from the clutches of the evil bastard is to turn her from an Englishwoman into a Scot. And that means marriage. And so, she and Jamie are set to be wed. After all that tension, the two moments that break up the anxiety the most are Dougal's Corn Grinding line, and this one when she asks Jamie "Does it bother you, that I'm not a virgin?" And when Jamie responds. "No, so long as it doesn't bother you that I am," the look on her face and the guzzling of her wine are proof enough that she's just not wanting to deal with this shit. It's also why she gets more than a wee bit drunk. Who wouldn't with that kind of news?

#5 - Choosing Jamie, The Devil's Mark, S1E11

One of the most pivotal moments in the entire show for Claire, was when she makes the decision to permanently put Frank behind her. In a way. When she decides to choose Jamie, in this world of war, pain and torment, versus the much safer world she lives with Frank, you can see the angst, the fear and then the complete and total determination. The moment she tells Jamie "On your feet soldier" and you seem them embrace and kiss, you know that everything, for now, is going to be alright. That she's found her soulmate and she loves him, even if she doesn't say the words.

#4 - The Dying Man, The Gathering, S1E04

This moment is truly when you see Claire's compassion. The man gored by the boar has no chance of survival and it is this moment that I also believe Dougal finally gives Claire some respect. Granted, he is still a major asshole, but he's the kind of asshole, you can't help but admire a little. Regardless, this moment when she comforts this dying man in his last moments, it's tender and shows Claire's true want to help and the grief when she cannot do so. A common thing for a woman who is used to seeing the dead and dying on the battlefield.  A poignant moment for Claire's character and her relationship with Dougal's character.

#3 -Pregnancy Announcement, To Ransom a Man's Soul, S1E16

The ending moments of the season, after all of the ups, the downs, the terrible things that have happened, when she tells Jamie she's pregnant is truly the light at the end of a dark tunnel. They love each other, and the child she never thought she'd have, is now in her belly and so she and Jamie are truly a family again. Things aren't back to normal, by any means, but they are getting there. And this baby is truly that hope for a better future between them.

#2 - The Big Fight, The Reckoning, S1E09

By far the best Claire moment with Jamie is this one. By a mile. The tension between them and the chemistry are clashing. The insults back and forth, the affrontry. The sexual chemistry is so strong between them in this one scene that you can feel it steaming off the tv screen and when they glare at each other, you don't know if they are going for blows or for hard kissing. It's sexy, raw, powerful. Claire hold's her own, she let's Jamie know what for, she calls him a fucking bastard, he calls her a foul mouthed bitch. By far some of the best acting of the entire series happens in this moment and I'm honestly sure when she slapped him, she really slapped him. Note to Jamie, never tell a woman to apologize when they don't think they've done anything wrong. I think he learned his lesson.

#1- The Bitch Slap Heard Round the World, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, S1E10

Ah yes, nothing quite felt as satisfying all season, in my opinion as the moment when Claire loses her shit on Laoighaire. Now...I get it. Laoghaire is a teenager. She's a bit bratty. She's got this huge ass crush on Jamie. But she really crossed the line when she tried to seduce him by the stream. Then she has the utter nerve, to say that Jamie must get sloppy drunk to fuck Claire. And the reaction to such a thing is the satisfying bitch slap that Claire lands on her. Now, hitting anyone is wrong, but admit it, most if not all of us felt a great deal of satisfaction in watching that display.

So what were your favorite Claire moments of Season One?

Sam Heughan is a True Winner

This morning, Outlander fans waited with bated breath, waited for the Golden Globe nomination announcements with fingers crossed. Surely, the Golden Globes would nominate Outlander after the Emmy's snubbed us. And sure enough, we were nominated. We were nominated for Best Drama Series next to heavy-hitter Game of Thrones. Caitriona Balfe received a nomination for Best Actress in a Drama and Tobias Menzies received a Best Supporting Actor nomination in a Drama. For the first time, on a stage that didn't rely on fan voting, we were legitimized. But almost immediately, there was drama within our fandom over the fact that Sam was not nominated for Best Actor. There was anger, a lot of it, over the fact that Sam did not receive a nomination, more anger than I remember when the Emmy's snubbed the entire show.

The problem with award shows like this, is that usually there is a lot of back door politics going on, not to mention, a lot of the basis for a nomination depends on screen time for the actors within the show. As it stands, Jamie's character was a side character, at best, for the first eight episodes and didn't become a full main character until after the wedding. Blame Ron Moore, blame the writers, that's just the way it panned out. So no, Sam did not receive a nomination. But to me, that doesn't matter, because Sam is the true winner.

Since becoming Jamie, Sam has dealt with a lot. Harrassment on social media, for his behavior, for his significant other, for not answering questions on his personal life, for dealing with crazy obsessed fans who get jealous of any woman in his life who might be his girlfriend; for being to thin or too buff; for having a beard and not having one at all; for anti-shippers who scream and throw fits on twitter and tumblr just so they can try and rub it in shippers faces that he isn't with Cait (I'm not a shipper myself but shipping them doesn't bother me in the slightest). He's handled it all fairly well, though it must be quite an adjustment to go from a small actor to catching the biggest break of his career and becoming the human embodiment of one of the greatest literary men in modern literature. He has handled it all graciously and humbly and to those who've met him in real life, they say he is nothing but a true gentleman.

So even though Sam did not get a nomination, to me he is still a winner. He has handled transition from unknown actor to a top tier actor gracefully. He involves himself in charity work, he has a life that is actually quite normal outside of his role as Jamie and his acting is superb. When the Emmy's snubbed us, everyone was angry. Emmy's and Golden Globe nominations legitimize television actors to most and there are plenty of actors in smaller TV shows that never get the recognition they deserve. Much like everyone knows that Leonardo DiCaprio deserves an Oscar more than plenty of men who've won over him. We know that despite never winning one, that he is a fantastic actor. So even though Sam did not get a nomination, I know that he is still a winner. I know that he is still a wonderful actor. That even though he did not receive a nomination, he is still one of the best actors on television right now and he will only grow as an actor as the show progresses. As I said when we were snubbed by the Emmys, we do not need these nominations to legitimize these actors, because they are already legitimized in our eyes. I'm excited that Cait, Tobias and the show nabbed nominations and am I disappointed in Sam being snubbed, a little yes, but at the same time, I know that he is an actor that is utterly wonderful, and just because he doesn't win a nomination, doesn't make him any less wonderful in my eyes. So congrats to Cait, Tobias and Outlander, and especially to Sam, who will no doubt treat his snub with quiet dignity and grace. To the fandom, Sam Heughan, you are indeed a true winner, regardless of the backdoor politics in Hollywood.

Slàinte mhath!