BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Outlander

**Posted by sj4iy** August 4, 2014 3:48 pm

So, there's a new program coming to Starz called "Outlander", based on the book series of the same name. The first episode is available online, free without a subscription (for those in the US) right now at www.starz.com.

I watched the first episode, and here's my unbiased review (I have never read the books). Very minor spoilers.

So, it was a bit predictable. Distant marriage, prophecies (yeah, I kind of rolled my eyes at this one), pagan rituals, woman with fiery personality bossing around a bunch of gruff men, voiceover narration. Takes 30 minutes to finally get to the interesting part, which I thought was a bit too long. Also, how lucky that she happens to be a nurse and is interested in herbs for medicinal purposes...and her husband just happens to be a historian who knows all about the history of that area. TBH, I thought she figured out that she had gone back in time too easily and didn't seem as upset about it as she should have been.

I thought it was gorgeously shot, and once she falls through time, then the story picks up and it starts to get interesting. I would watch the next few episodes to see how they go, but tbh, I'm having a hard time seeing how this has universal appeal...it seems very aimed at women. And I say this as a woman. The men aren't nearly as interesting as the main female character. Obviously, this is just based on the first episode, but the male characters seem like they belong in the background. Hopefully they can fix that. Guess we'll see. We don't have Starz, and while I would like to see the next few episodes, I'm not sure if this was enough to make me order it. It really seems like a show that would work just as well on basic cable, because the nudity, cursing and graphic violence really don't stand out. So, there's my very, very honest review.

Last edited by sj4iy (August 4, 2014 3:49 pm)

**Posted by Titania** August 4, 2014 4:09 pm

I will try to watch it online just because I read the first book....it will pass time till i find the energy to start on games of throne ...

**Posted by Liberty** June 7, 2015 7:03 pm

Season 1 has finally finished and I wondered what you all thought of it?

I do agree that Claire as a character seems to eclipse the men at the beginning, but I think that as it goes on there are some great male characters. I've read the book and I think these are primarily "women's stories" - the marketing seems to be aimed at women and the romance aspect is bigged up. I wasn't so interested in the romance, though, and I thought there was plenty of other non-gender-specific stuff there to like - history, poltical intrigue, violence, a bit of religion, etc. I've seen the books described as science fiction (because of the time travel aspect, I suppose), but they don't come across like that to me - the time travel seems more fantasy/folklore/superstition based than science based. Romance-wise, Jamie just seems too perfect (in the book and on screen - and Sam Heughan is an Adonis), which kind of makes the love triangle not an equilateral one .

I really enjoyed this series in a guilty pleasure sort of way, and it was great to watch after missing Poldark. I'm Scottish so grew up on stories and music about this time and place in history - I believe it's a time that has become rather romanticised so it was interesting to see an outsider's (Gabaldon) take on it. I'm looking forward to the next season.

**Posted by tonnaree** June 7, 2015 10:38 pm

I enjoyed the nudity.

Just kidding.

Well no, I really did enjoy it.

However, I did think it was a wonderful story with great character's. The two leads have a lovely chemistry. Haven't read any of the books and I look forward to where it might go in the second season.

Last edited by tonnaree (June 7, 2015 10:39 pm)

**Posted by Whisky** June 8, 2015 11:00 am

I adore the books and was so glad when the TV series finally started. I think they did a very good job. My favourite characters are Jenny and Murtagh I think, apart from Claire. Also Jack Randall is well chosen, and Ghillies.

Jamie, I don't know yet. I think he is casted very well, but he still seems so young and I miss the fierce edges he displays in the books. I think he has some room for development.

Sam Heughan is so handsome and nice and I cannot see him yet as Jamie being an outcast living in a cave for 7 years. Cannot see him yet as someone who leads his men to battle, or as Red Jamie at all. He doesn't feel like someone who would be known all over Scotland, not someone who would be "legend".

I don't doubt Sam Heughan as actor, I just think maybe he is a very "pretty" choice for a rough character like Jamie. I wonder how he will portrait loneliness and bitterness. I cannot see the strength of the Jamie character in him right now. I thought I saw a little bit of that potential in the Wenworth prison scenes, but we'll see. Probably it's on purpose, to show young Jamie and let him develop into the Jamie of the later books. And it's true, the Jamie we see works so very well with the others, with Claire and his men... I wonder if he will be able to dominate the screen on his own.
Claire totally convinced me from the first moment though.

Murtagh is great, he is also so very much like in the books! And while I imagined a different Lallybroch, Jenny kind of makes it the perfect Lallybroch of the books, because she is one of the few characters that totally met my previous imagination from the books.

I love the way it's filmed, it feels scottish, and that's perfect. God, I wish there where still as many woods in Scotland as the series suggests. I love that they kept the gaelic, I like the costumes, and it's pretty close to the books (I never expected them to get it that close because the books are so full of details).

Sometimes I feel the pacing is a bit off. Some developments I thought were too fast, others too slow. I think that might also be due to the complex nature of the books, that it's hard to get to the point at the right moments.

I'm very excited for the next round!! :-)

Last edited by Whisky (June 8, 2015 11:19 am)