Outlander Season 2: Episodes 5 & 6: Best Laid Schemes Go Asunder

Hello all! 

First off I do want to apologize to the loyal readers for my lack of a review last week. I've been having a lot of issues at home and I've actually been dealing with quite a bit of a financial crisis and seemingly hit after hit of bad luck. So thanks all for being so patient with me. So consider this a double episode review and what a review it is.

I have to say that these two episodes were certainly intense and in their own ways. We saw the re-emergence of the disgusting Black Jack Randall and the repercussions of that, as well as the strain of responsibility Jamie is under in trying to prevent Bonnie Prince Cry-Baby from getting necessary funds to run his uprising and build an army.  All of the relationships explored in these two episodes show their strengths and weakness.

Episode 5 had two great stand out moments. The first being when Black Jack comes back into the picture. The friction of that moment, followed with King Louis' subsequent humiliation of Black Jack left me tense and at the same time in a fit of giggles. I don't think I've seen anything quite as satisfying as Jack being forced to his knees to beg, only to be called a fool and be laughed at for it. Ah. That disgusting piece of crap deserved it and the best part was seeing the smiles on the faces of our dear Jamie and Claire as they looked on his humiliation with glee.

The scene was certainly more intense than it might have been considering that Jamie and Jack could do absolutely nothing to each other for they were in the presence of the King and as it has been noted before, drawing a blade, or any weapon in the presence of the king is a death sentence. Richard Kahan, the writer of Episode 5, I think has done the best job this season. He gets it. He totally understand Jack's character, Jamie's and Claire's and the writing was absolutely superb.

The second scene of Episode 5 that I thought was worthy of note was the final scene between Jamie and Claire when Claire forces Jamie to choose to wait to kill Black Jack because she knows that in the Family Bible, Jack has to marry Mary Hawkins and have a child with her. That child has to happen in order for her husband from the future, Frank, to be born. The intensity in that scene is palatable. Jamie's anger, though rather restricted is shown well in the stiffness of his body and on his face. He eventually agrees to wait a year before he kills Black Jack and when she reaches for him and he snatches back, recoils, it's a stab to Claire's heart. Mine too.

It's Sam Heughan's best acting since Wentworth. I know heaps of praise gets placed on Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies but when Sam Heughan is given material to work with that highlights his acting skills, he definitely puts them to work and this scene highlights his great skill of using facial expressions and his eyes to convey more than what his words do. You can feel the anger, feel the hurt and betrayal coming forth with a single look in Claire's direction. Bravo Sam. bravo. All the awards. Maybe the Emmys and Golden Globes will show you some attention this season where they certainly didn't last year.

Episode Six: Best Laid Schemes... is perhaps more action packed but up until the last few minutes, less impactful than what happened in Episode 5. Even so there were plenty of moments to make you smile, and even crack a little laugh. We have Jamie and Murtagh trying to ensure that the wine that will be used to make money for the Jacobite cause  is never delivered. Murtagh even posing as a Highwayman which I'm thinking the Comte might be aware of. Murtagh's French isn't exactly impeccable and when he mentions how it was probably a set up, Charlie of course defends Jamie for it.

Of course, losing the wine and the money that he would have gained from it, makes Bonnie Prince Charlie cry and honestly, it's the highlight of the whole episode to see that man be a little crybaby and have to possibly go to, of all places, POLAND! It was a much needed laugh because the last minutes of the episode are even more intense, and heart breaking than the last moments of the episode before.

Bonnie Prince Crybaby

Jamie had gone to the brothel to settle Prince Charlie's debts and Fergus, the adorable little pick pocket, had gone into an open room and found some lavender oil. Liking the smell, he'd stuck it in his pocket and the camera had panned onto a British Officer's Uniform. Which of course, revealed the room to belong to Black Jack Randall.

When Claire returns home after staying the night at the hospital, she discovers a note, and a house full of frantic servants trying not to tell her that Jamie has gone to the woods to duel Black Jack. There is a note from Jamie apologizing and Claire is left reeling as to why he would break his promise. Not even the audience knows why he broke his promise, only that Fergus and Black Jack Randall are somehow involved.

The dueling scene between Jack and Jamie is already underway when Claire finally makes it there. We can hear Jack trying to get a rise out of Jamie asking "How could she forgive you?" to Jamie and I think it's because Jack knew well, that he had managed to break Jamie's will back at Wentworth and hopes to get under Jamie's skin. Jamie manages to get a stab to the crotch area of Jack and we can only hope and pray the man's junk was permanently damaged, especially just show watchers who haven't read the books.

It is after Jack is stabbed that the Gen d' Arms arrives to arrest them for their illegal dueling and when Jamie finally notices Claire who is in the middle of a very harsh miscarriage. When he calls to her, tries to get to her, and is unable to, the grief, the fear for her safety is palatable. In Season One, Episode Nine: The Reckoning, he states how seeing her and being unable to do anything, was like tearing his guts out and in that moment, you can see how he can't do anything to get to her. He's helpless to aid his pained wife and we're left with Claire calling out to Jamie, and fading into darkness. It's heartbreaking, and now we have to wait a week to see the outcome of that. Needless to say, for you show watchers, I'd recommend a box or three of kleenex. You're going to need it.

Also we are selling t-shirts here at Outlander Sassenach. Shirts are 20 bucks plus 3.99 shipping and handling. The link is below and the campaign for selling them ends on May 22nd, 2016 so be sure to order quickly before time runs out! Various colors, sizes and shirt styles available.

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Outlander Season Two, Episode Four: Let's Talk About THAT Scene

 

Well this week was certainly quite an interesting one, and much like last week, it was quite snappy and quick, blazing through everything in what seemed to be a very short hour long episode. It was a good episode but it's also drummed up some controversy in the Outlander fandom which has led to quite a bit of polarizing. The great thing about television and books is the ability to share your opinion on them, and hopefully my opinion does not cause outrage because the last thing I want to do is piss people off. So let's just dive right in.

The most controversial part of this entire episode was actually a scene taken from the book. That scene, was of course, the rape of young Mary Hawkins. Now I did read a few different review takes on that particular scene and in the comment section, it got nasty. Now I'm all about being able to have your opinion and if I disagree with an opinion, I don't berate and belittle the person who spoke though I might scratch my head and wonder how the heck they came to that conclusion. Much like I scratched my head at the woman who wrote to Diana Gabaldon that after the "hiding under a blade of grass" bit of dialogue, she took it to mean he was gay.

I've seen plenty of drama on the particular review calling out the rape that happened though I don't quite agree with the reviewer's reasoning especially when she called Outlander a "fun" and "light hearted show." That being said I too have issue with the amount of rape in those books. Look I get it alright. Back then rape was one of the most common weapons used against a woman in order to subdue her, to hold power over her and to punish her. It happened and it happened a lot. So within historical context, Diana I suppose isn't wrong to include it within the story line BUT I do feel sometimes that rape is a convenient plot device to move a story along.

I wrote a blog post a while back comparing Outlander to Game of Thrones and how the two shows differed in their handling of rape and I do stand by comments made back then. Game of Thrones definitely has more gratuitous rape scenes that aren't even plot devices and I've always considered rape to be one of the laziest ways to get a plot going. So yeah, Mary Hawkins rape was a cheap lazy way of making her unable to marry her fiance and set up her eventually marrying Black Jack Randall.

All that said, the show is not to blame for the lazy plot devices and for everyone railing against the inclusion of this rape scene there are equally as many saying that it was necessary and that without it the plot couldn't have gone on the way it did.

I see both sides of the situation, and I do love the Outlander books. You really couldn't find someone more passionate about these books and this show, but that's not to say the books aren't flawed. A guy friend of mine that watches the show said that Diana uses rape in the same way that George RR Martin uses death. It's to shock the reader until the shock just wears off and you're just left numb every time someone else suffers assault. Is Diana being historically accurate? More than likely yes, and I know that she has received plenty of letters and emails thanking her for showing rape for the horrible horrible crime it is against men and women.

Contrary to that single reviewer, the show and books are not light hearted in fun. Sure there are moments of humor in order to keep the show balanced but ultimately the story of Outlander is one of deep romance, drama and history that turns into a story of family love and survival throughout it's course. I expect for a period drama, there to be plenty of horrible things and while we could have arrived at the same conclusion concerning Mary without her being raped, it doesn't change the fact that it does happen in the books as well. Whether you agree with that plot device or not, is based on your personal opinion and I won't fault you for drawing your own conclusions but I do hope that other assaults in the book are left out though I know of at least two, should the show last that long, that will definitely be included.

Perhaps Diana writes out these scenes in order to show how different people handle the trauma. We've seen it with Jamie, and Claire has certainly been nearly raped in the show on more than one occasion and we have seen how Jamie's dealt with the PTSD thanks to that horrible disgusting thing that Black Jack did to him. Could it have been handled differently? Yes. Definitely, but my two cents would be that if you did not like it, do not blame the show for what it derives from the source material. Disagreements are certainly going to happen. Millions of people have read the books and watched the show and have formed their opinions about certain things. Not everyone is going to agree about certain aspects of the show and their opinions should not be invalidated, but you should be able to give a differing opinion without resulting to name calling and mud slinging. The author of the aforementioned review was certainly allowed to voice her opinion and while I do disagree with some of her points and scratched my head a bit, she's entitled to that opinion without having to be attacked for it even if that opinion is unpopular. You can respectfully disagree with someone without being nasty and tawdry. One review is just that. A review. It's meant to be agreed with or disagreed with and I know plenty who were on either side of the argument.

So what did YOU think of that scene? Please comment below, and don't be afraid to voice an opinion that might be unpopular. I'd hope there would be no attacks beneath. If you disagree with me, feel free to tell me why. I love hearing differing opinions because if everyone agreed completely with everyone, the world would be a very boring place.

Until next time, Sassenachs!

- G

Outlander Season 2, Episode 1: The Night Outlander Fans Lost Their Minds

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Picture it. April 9th, 2016. A hungry crowd of American women and men sit in front of their TVs, heart pounding and biting their nails in anticipation. This was it. The moment that eleven months of Droughtlander finally ended with the words "Previously on Outlander." There was a collective scream of excitement in households all along the East Coast and beyond and people on the edge of their seat as the first scene opened to Caitriona Balfe's Claire, laying on grass.

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like we're in for some depressing shit.

"I wished I were dead." Melancholy sets the tone for the first half of this episode. Gray tones in the cinematography create the environment that feeds into the depression that Claire is obviously feeling, as evident by the first words she utters and the horrifying scream as she gazes at the stones. We of course, soon realize that she has been brought back to her own time and the year is now 1948 and her plans of stopping the complete evisceration of the Jacobite Army at Culloden Moor has failed.

After the slightly altered opening credits and Skye Boat Song (partly sang in French) commence, we're back to the story and Frank purposefully steps into our lives again after a long eight episode absence. He's the concerned husband, a man shocked to discover his wife has been found after disappearing near on three years ago and you can see the nerves as he slowly enters into the hospital room where his wife lay, staring out the window.

 I wish I had a funny and clever caption for this scene, but it's just too depressing.

Now this entire first half of the episode was not written like this in the book but I think what Ron Moore and the writers did with the material was fantastic, and I'm going to go out and just say that TV Frank is far superior to Book Frank. In the book, Frank flips out when Claire tells him her story, and literally loses his shit. Now, for a lot of people, this turns them off of Frank in the books and makes him out to be some sort of super dick for it, even though he's completely within his rights to flip his shit. I've written an entire article on the issues I have with the Frank Hate in this link here, if you want to read more detail about that. TV Frank, on the other hand, is very humanized. He's seen throughout his time on screen as understanding, hopeful, angry, relieved, nervous, and desperate.

 Seriously, TV Frank is way better than Book Frank.

TV Frank's acceptance of her story, mirrors Jamie's acceptance of her time travel way back in The Devil's Mark of Season One. He tells her he believes her, and he's on board with everything until Claire tells him she's pregnant. At first, he's ecstatic, but then she reinforces that the child is not biologically his and we see him lose his sense of understanding for a split moment. It's a tense moment and you can see the anger he feels, his fist clenching up at the fury and then he just stumbles out of the room and the house of the reverend to a shed and tears it to shit. I found his behavior, not at all to much, or to out of place considering the situation, and I think aside from the fact that Claire was carrying a man's child, his own manly pride was hurt in that he could never give her a child, but this stranger had. It was something, I believe, that reinforced his lack of self worth because as a man of that time, not being able to have children was something worthy of shame. He, perhaps, did not feel like a whole man because he was unable to create a child.

After he cools down and talks it over with the Reverend, it seems that a cool head prevails and he and Claire have a bit of a chat. Start from scratch, renew their life together. I found it rather touching that he was so willing to be there for her and for the child in her belly. That he was going to stand by her when he had every reason to leave her to raise a child on her own and face the stigma of being known as that "crazy runaway wife with the bastard child." It showed that Frank was indeed an honorable man, who was so willing to start over with his wife and begin again. He's a good guy, a little flawed for sure, but ultimately, a good man to Claire.

So, Frank and Claire are onto new beginnings, but what happened that led her back to the stones? A question that is starting to be answered when the scene transitions back to the past and to France.

The depression and melancholic look of the film is replaced with a bright and bustling port and with Claire and Jamie and Murtagh. I don't know about you guys, but finally seeing Claire and Jamie together made me literally scream out loud in happiness. FINALLY! As great as Frank was in the first half hour, I was so ready to see Jamie's sexy ass again and there he was, dressed well enough, still pained, his hand bound and dealing with a good bit of sea sickness. At least he's finally got his sense of humor back eh? At least of a fashion.

 Murtagh's look of disgust as he talks about Frogs really mimics my own face when I get told to stop obsessing about Outlander.

Obviously, Jamie is still recovering from his terrible ordeal with Black Jack Randall and there's almost a motherly feel to the scene when she tells him "I'm here." Her voice is soothing and soft, reaffirming that she isn't going to let him go so easily.

They set their goal to try and stop the Jacobite uprising so as to prevent Culloden. Of course, it has already been revealed that the terrible Battle of Culloden Moor will happen, so it makes the optimism of Claire and Jamie a little harder to swallow and we as the audience, cheer them on, even though we know their endeavors will end in failure. Meeting Jared Fraser was certainly interesting and it's a shame we shan't see to much more of him. I like the passionate guy, that's for sure. Jared promises to get Jamie in on the Jacobite cause and to meet with the leaders of said cause, while also giving up the reins of his winery as he goes off on another business venture. It is after this meeting, that there is a panic on board a newly docked ship and as Claire is not the type to hold fast and leave things be, she jumps right in and lo and behold, the ship is infested with Smallpox.

"Seriously Sassenach, can you stop being selfless for once?There's no room in the past for you to be a decent person."

Smallpox being one of the most dangerous diseases in the world before vaccines were invented, causes everyone to panic and it is then that we meet Stanley Webber's Comte St. Germain. Now, I've seen Stanley Webber act before as Juan Borgia in Netflix's Borgia but seeing him in that powdered wig did make me giggle a little (not even gonna lie). Even so, the man cut's an intimidating figure and thanks to Claire's selfless act, he now has to deal with the fact that he's losing an entire shipment of cargo that he would have willingly put to the masses, knowing about the possible spread of small pox. Greedy selfish bastard.

 Is it bad that I think he's kinda hot?

Of course, losing all of that cargo certainly would put quite a hole in his finances so it's really not all that surprising that he would try to save himself money despite the horrendous outcome of spreading possibly small pox tainted cargo. Jamie notes that it sure doesn't take Claire long to make enemies but he still loves her anyway and they have a big ole smooch right there as St. Germain's ship lights up the night sky.

I'm sure the Comte will forgive them for making him lose a fortune. He seemed rational to me.

Now I did find the pacing of this episode a little off and while the Frank and Claire moments were engaging, words can't describe how happy I was to finally see Claire and Jamie together again after months upon months of waiting to see them back in action. I do think it's obvious that Season 2 will blaze through the source material a little faster than the original season of Outlander did with it's book. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, though with the liberties taken to Frank's story line might make some people upset. I'm not going to be upset because I really found Frank's character far more endearing here than I ever did in the book. I happen to like that such liberties were taken with the story line but that's of course, my own personal opinion.

Overall, the first episode was really great, and while the original premier of Outlander seemed slow to start, this one was full of raw emotion from the very beginning, gripping us by the heart strings and holding us tight through all of it. It set's the scene perfectly and makes sure to immerse us once more in a story we all love.

Though I love Wee Roger most.

So what were your thoughts on the premier? Did you enjoy it? Anything negative to say about it? I'd love to hear from you so be sure to leave a comment below or leave one on our Facebook page or on Tumblr.

Also OutlanderSassenach will be uploading PODCASTS every Monday following new episodes so stay tuned for that!

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Until next week, Sassenachs!

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Gearing Up For Season Two!

Hello all, it's been a super long time since I updated this Outlander blog and a lot has happened since my last top ten list. What with the Golden Globes, and the Critic's Choice Awards and the People's Choice Awards and the BAFTAs and all the other awards of the season. I have been super busy getting settled into my new place, role playing (basically writing a story with another person) and trying to keep up on the latest news. Thankfully life has settled down and wouldn't you know it's nearly just in time for the start of Season Two. Last April, if you had told me I would have to wait a whole year for a new season, I would of told you I wouldn't of made it. Droughtlander 2.0 has truly been that. The worst kind of drought imaginable.

There have been quite a few casting reveals but as of this post we are still not aware of who they have cast as Bree though Richard Rankin was announced as Roger Mac way back in the middle of December. Outlander production says they are close so finger's crossed we at least have that. Come on Ron, announce it for Valentine's Day and we'll love you forever (maybe).

So, with Season Two being just roughly over two months away (depending on when they decide to premier since we only have April and not a specific date), I think it was time to discuss a game plan to really get back in the Outlander Spirit. I for one, have quite the plan to which I will share with you lovely people, my dear readers who are honestly the most amazing people there are.

First thing's first, I'm going to start a reread of Dragonfly in Amber. It's only my eighth time, but honestly, I might of missed something. You never know. Amiright?

I was also hoping to revisit the first season of Outlander by watching two episodes a week over the next couple of months, if only to pass the time until the Season Two Premier. Even though the last eight months have been agony, these months leading up to the premier are true and total torture because it's SO CLOSE and yet SO FAR! Ya feel me?

I'm also enjoying discussions in my favorite Facebook groups that center around all that is Outlander and I started coloring in my Outlander Coloring Book but I'm not the best coloring person, as calming as it is. I really fucked up the skin tone of Claire standing with that printed dress on and I'm completely and totally ashamed. I was trying to color blend and used way to much of this pale yellow color to add something besides just peach. It didn't turn out so well.

OH! I forgot to mention that I also started up a facebook page. I know a lot of people don't follow twitter or tumblr and aren't big fans of joining facbeook groups. It's much easier to click like on a page. I get it, which is why for shorter posts that don't warrant a blog, I've now created a facebook page that ties in with everything else that is OutlanderSassenach. I will post the link at the end of the blog post if you care to give it a like. No pressure though!

Anyways, so while I spend the next couple of months re-emersing myself in the world of Outlander, I'm curious. What will you all be doing to gear up for Season Two? Feel free to reply in the comments.

Until next time Sassenachs!

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Falling Through the Stones: My Outlander Love Affair

I was introduced to Outlander a couple of years ago. I never had liked time travel romance. It was always so unrealistic, so wrong, so...just...blah. These stories all sounded the same to me. So when my best friend told me to read them, I was skeptical. I mean my thought process was pretty simple.

Time travel? Uck!

A married woman, going back in time? Double uck!

First person point-of-view? Gross!

Her being OLDER than her lover? What is this madness!?

Needless to say, the only reason, and I mean ONLY reason I decided to pick up Outlander and read it, was because of my love for Scotland and history and romance. I figured, one book wouldn't hurt and if I didn't like it, I would shrug it off and move on. Until that point, the only book series I had ever read were Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables and Twilight, and Twilight wasn't exactly high end reading material. Most of my casual reading involved old classic novels like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights or (as a personal favorite) Pride and Prejudice. When not reading classic novels, I was reading Harlequin Romance Novels and Hannah Howells (because the Murray Clan are awesome-sauce). I hadn't found an adult book series that had really peaked my interest and love for my ancestry (as a Scot and an Irishwoman). It all changed by the time I finished reading the first in the then, seven book series. It blew me away. What was normally typical of the female tropes in romance novels, were switched on their heads.

The woman was the sex ed teacher, the older and more experienced of the two. The woman, was married and in love with her first husband. The woman was take charge, protective, a true fighter. Claire Beauchamp Randall-Fraser was by no means the meek lass. She was headstrong, stubborn, more than willing to go toe to toe with her brawny highlander husband. And despite her situation, she was never really a damsel in distress. In romance novels, it's almost always the man's job to sweep in and save the woman and this novel was completely different.

Jamie, the handsome hero of the story, was every bit as stubborn as his older bride, but full of honor and an inherent nobility and sense of right and wrong to match no other. He was powerful and strong, but also in several instance, completely and utterly at her mercy, and emotionally laid bare. In some instances, truly vulnerable with Claire coming around to pick up the pieces. He was the untried virgin, the one scared most of the first night, scared he'd muck it up. After all, a man is supposed to come to his marriage bed as a man who knows what he's doing and yet, he doesn't mind it at all that Claire is teaching him.

Their relationship is truly one of equality where as even heroes in romance novels, are usually the ones still holding all of the power, even by the end of the novel. It's not the same here. I think that's why the novel resonates so well with people, and with me. The characters are human, imperfect, and more realistic. Despite this crazy premise, I can see this as an actual relationship between two people. About the only thing I couldn't see is having a man speak as eloquently to me as Jamie does sometimes. That's just some Nicholas Sparks shit. Or maybe, I just haven't found the right man yet, who is willing to say those sweet things to me, and to treat me as well as Jamie treats Claire.

Their relationship is the kind of relationship that most people envy. They are equals. They are soulmates. They are the other half of each other, both with good qualities and bad but still so utterly perfect for one another. Diana Gabaldon has certainly given people a super high standard to live up to so far as romance in their life don't you think?

So I read the first book, I fell in love with the characters, the setting, the truly near perfect historical accuracy. And so I picked up Dragonfly in Amber and was thrown for a loop by how it started and then I read further and I was sobbing at the end of the book. It was as emotionally affecting to me as when Dumbledore dying in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Up until that point, no other book had made me sob. And so the cycle continued. I read Voyager and it turned out to be my favorite book in the entire series. And then Drums of Autumn where I found that I would truly love to have Roger for a husband (oh if only I were a six foot tall redhead), or at least someone like him. I had two men to love, two men to admire, and two heroines to love and get frustrated with.

I found respect first, and then admiration for young Lord John Grey, and for William and a love for Fergus and Marsali and Young Ian. Each of these small characters became family to me. They were all imperfect and human. It turned from a story of romance to one of faith, honor, familial love, and that no matter the mistakes, no matter the heartbreak, there is still a reason to be alive.

I fell in love. That's all there was to it. I fell in love with the people, the setting and the words that Diana Gabaldon so eloquently put to page, ruining me for  the typical romantic storyline. Thanks to her, no other fictional man measures up to the flawed but wonderful Jamie Fraser. No other woman is the perfect mix of strength and vulnerability that most women are. Claire's strength of character, and mind are truly the foundation for most of these books and I've read in interviews that Claire pretty much wrote herself into the story and there was no turning back. I think it's safe to say that Claire and Herself have much in common.

So I was into it. Hook, line and sinker. And then I found out about them turning it into a television series and was worried that the integrity of the books would be lost in translation and in August of 2014 I watched as Claire, Frank, and Jamie came to life on the screen and I was mesmerized by how my new beloved book series was so well transitioned. Yes there were things I didn't like, things I missed, things I thought could of been changed, but overall, I was just so glad to see Claire and Jamie come to life for me the same way Sam Heughand and Caitriona Balfe brought them to life. They were perfect casting choices and while the show itself was not perfect, I do believe it showed great respect to it's source material in ways other book to show adaptions have not.

Even now, a few months after the final episode, I'm still reeling, about to start the sixth book A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and I find myself truly enraptured in this world of time travel that Diana has created and loving every minute of it. No other book series since I turned eighteen, has effected me quite like this one and I'm so glad that my best friend managed to pick up a book I would of otherwise avoided. So Aislene, thank you. Thank you so much. And thank you Diana Gabaldon for creating a story I never thought I would ever enjoy but now adore.