I wasn't going to watch this show. I wasn't. I've read all of the books in the main series (or almost, haven't gotten around to the eighth one yet), and let me tell you, they're massive. The first one is only 700 something pages, but the fifth one, which I started reading at the start of this summer, is fully twice that length. I'm not even kidding. I didn't have much faith in the idea of a TV adaption for this story, but then I reminded myself that if Game of Thrones could pull it off, then maybe it wasn't so far fetched that Outlander could do the same.
See, the problem in adapting these books, I think, is that they're so indescribable. They're not romance novels. They're not. And they're not simply fantasy. Or simply historical drama. Or... well... simple. On top of that, so much rides on the main characters, that if you don't find someone brilliant to play Jamie and Claire, you're screwed right from the start.
With all of these thoughts in mind, I decided not to make a decision about whether I was going to review this show until after I'd seen the first episode.
...
It took five minutes, and they had me.
I'll just put a brief disclaimer here... I'm reviewing as someone who has read the books, but I read the first three in the series several years ago, and then this summer picked up with books four through seven, and soon I'll read the latest installment. So, while I do already know things, I don't remember a lot of details about the first three books, and as such, I'm not going to be able to comment too much about how this compares with the book, at least in terms of the minute details of the very complicated plot. Here's a summary of our pilot episode:
We meet Claire Randall, a combat nurse in World War II, who, after the war is over, takes a second honeymoon with her husband Frank in Inverness, Scotland. The year is 1945. While there, the two of them try to reconnect. They have barely seen each other in years, as Claire has been nursing wounded soldiers, and Frank has been working in intelligence in the war. Although they are able to rekindle their sex life, things are strained between them.
Frank is a historian, and is particularly interested in his own personal genealogy. With the help of Reverend Wakefield, he learns about his direct ancestor, Captain Jack Randall (known as Black Jack Randall). Claire, while interested in the history of Scotland and enchanted by the ruins of the Castle Leoch, is more interested in botany, as she learns about different plants and their medicinal uses.
The two of them go up to Craigh na Dun, a circle of standing stones, to watch an ancient pagan ceremony, where women dance around the stones to celebrate Samhain (October 31st). The next day, Claire goes back to the stones to get a look at some flowers she didn't get a chance to take the day before.
She touches the stones, and...
Winds up in 1743. She is immediately accosted by English soldiers who are firing guns, and runs in to Black Jack Randall, whose startling resemblance to her husband Frank makes his attempted sexual assault all the more upsetting. Before Jack can harm Claire, she is saved by a Scottish man (Murtagh, although I don't know if his name was actually said in this episode). She is brought to a small cottage where a group of the Scots are hiding out. Here we meet Jamie Fraser, a young man with a grotesquely dislocated shoulder. Claire stops the other men from incorrectly setting the shoulder, and does it herself.
Then, the Scots head out, with Claire as their captive. She rides on a horse with Jamie. At one point, she remembers a conversation she had with Frank about a particular spot where the British often set up and ambushed passers-by. She warns Jamie, who in turn tells his uncle Dougal, the man who is leading this little expedition.
Jamie pushes Claire off of his horse and the Scots ride into battle. Claire tries to take the opportunity to escape, but Jamie finds her, and takes her back with him. They ride for many hours, before Jamie loses consciousness and falls off of his horse. Claire realizes that he's been shot, and patches him up as best as she can. The group arrive at Castle Leoch as the episode ends, and Claire thinks back with growing panic to the ruins of this same castle she had visited with her husband, just days earlier. She has to accept it: she's no longer in the 20th century.
So. I've already told you that my overall impressions were positive, but this pilot episode is by no means flawless, and I want to discuss a few of the missteps I've noticed so far.
Frank is a historian, and is particularly interested in his own personal genealogy. With the help of Reverend Wakefield, he learns about his direct ancestor, Captain Jack Randall (known as Black Jack Randall). Claire, while interested in the history of Scotland and enchanted by the ruins of the Castle Leoch, is more interested in botany, as she learns about different plants and their medicinal uses.
The two of them go up to Craigh na Dun, a circle of standing stones, to watch an ancient pagan ceremony, where women dance around the stones to celebrate Samhain (October 31st). The next day, Claire goes back to the stones to get a look at some flowers she didn't get a chance to take the day before.
She touches the stones, and...
Winds up in 1743. She is immediately accosted by English soldiers who are firing guns, and runs in to Black Jack Randall, whose startling resemblance to her husband Frank makes his attempted sexual assault all the more upsetting. Before Jack can harm Claire, she is saved by a Scottish man (Murtagh, although I don't know if his name was actually said in this episode). She is brought to a small cottage where a group of the Scots are hiding out. Here we meet Jamie Fraser, a young man with a grotesquely dislocated shoulder. Claire stops the other men from incorrectly setting the shoulder, and does it herself.
Then, the Scots head out, with Claire as their captive. She rides on a horse with Jamie. At one point, she remembers a conversation she had with Frank about a particular spot where the British often set up and ambushed passers-by. She warns Jamie, who in turn tells his uncle Dougal, the man who is leading this little expedition.
Jamie pushes Claire off of his horse and the Scots ride into battle. Claire tries to take the opportunity to escape, but Jamie finds her, and takes her back with him. They ride for many hours, before Jamie loses consciousness and falls off of his horse. Claire realizes that he's been shot, and patches him up as best as she can. The group arrive at Castle Leoch as the episode ends, and Claire thinks back with growing panic to the ruins of this same castle she had visited with her husband, just days earlier. She has to accept it: she's no longer in the 20th century.
So. I've already told you that my overall impressions were positive, but this pilot episode is by no means flawless, and I want to discuss a few of the missteps I've noticed so far.
Claire's inner monologue. Now, I get why they chose to have these voice-over moments. The books are narrated by Claire in first person, and it's an important part of the identity of the books. The little prologue to this episode just shows Claire staring at a vase in a mirror, and we hear Claire talk about the kind of life she's always lived, and the kind of life she wants. This is a lovely moment. I really enjoyed it.
But then, we continue to get Claire's thoughts, voiced over the actors' faces and actions. The thing is, Caitriona Balfe is an amazing talent, so sometimes when we hear her voice explaining what she's feeling, I'm thinking... well, yes, I already saw that on your face! A prime example is when she and Frank are watching the ceremony at Craigh na Dun. The camera alternates between the eerily beautiful dancers and the look on Claire's face as she watches them, and just from watching Balfe, I understood Claire's awe and fascination, and the slowly dawning sense of unease that came over her as this funny little display suddenly seemed all too real. The voice-over says something about the hairs standing up on the back of her neck, and how she felt like she shouldn't be watching this... and I'm sitting there like: yeah, thanks. I already got that from just watching her face!
There's another moment where Claire panics because she can't see the lights from the city of Inverness at a distance, and she should be able to. It's a wonderfully subtle moment where we see the truth sink into Claire, even as she tries to resist the impossibility of it. Or, it would be wonderfully subtle, if a voice-over didn't tell us exactly what Claire was thinking and feeling. There's an extent to which this show needs to learn to trust its audience, I think. We don't need Claire's voice-overs to establish that this is her story. Just let the strength of the actress get these moments across, and we'll be fine.
The voice-overs aren't overall a bad idea, I don't think. They work for necessary exposition, as when Claire is explaining what she and Frank were each doing in the war. There's no reason for us to flash to a scene of Frank working in intelligence, but it's still an important piece of information for the audience to have. Other pertinent details such as her upbringing with her uncle can be conveyed using this method. Similarly, the prologue with the vase showed the artistic utility of these voice-over moments, as we were able to see the emotions on Claire's face and also learn more about her life through this simple scene. I hope the show finds out how to balance this voice-over technique to use it to good effect. We don't need to be told what we can already see.
Speaking of trusting the audience... is it just me, or were some of these moments just a bit... spot-on? The palm reading scene in particular was just so blatant. There's this lovely subtlety to the Outlander books which comes, in part, from how freakin' long they are. Subtle hints and suggestions can be peppered in here and there, sneaking up on you and making you feel just the idea of the supernatural elements at play. Even though time travel is a reality in this universe, there's still something gentle and not so in-your-face about the spiritual truths behind it all. When Claire got her palm read, Mrs. Graham was predicting literally everything about Claire, and she was right about it all. Instead of saying: "Hmm... there's something odd about your marriage line. It seems like there's a unique path ahead of you," she's literally saying: "Yep. You'll be married twice." And she's right. It's annoying because it sort of implies that Claire's hand really can predict her future, which I don't think is what we're meant to get from the book's version of the same scene.
The other un-subtle moment was the ghost scene. I'll admit I don't remember it perfectly from the book, but from what I can remember, the ghost doesn't literally vanish right next to Frank. It walks down the road and Frank feels uneasy about the man, but he isn't quite sure why. In the show, there's practically a neon sign telling us that this man is quite literally a ghost.
One other thing I'm uncertain about: the casting of Dougal. I'm bringing in what I know about the books, but I imagined him to be a bit scarier and more imposing. This Dougal looks like Jamie's genial old uncle, not like the fierce warrior whom Claire and Jamie have good reason to fear. Ah well. I may be judging that element a bit prematurely. I'll wait and see what the actor does with the role.
A last comment before I go on to the good elements. This episode did not cover very much of the first book. At this rate, it will take several seasons to cover the first book, and there are thus far eight books in the main series. Are they planning on covering all of the first book in this first season? If so, I worry that the pacing will shift from being very slow to being way too quick and choppy.
A last comment before I go on to the good elements. This episode did not cover very much of the first book. At this rate, it will take several seasons to cover the first book, and there are thus far eight books in the main series. Are they planning on covering all of the first book in this first season? If so, I worry that the pacing will shift from being very slow to being way too quick and choppy.
But let's start talking about the amazing aspects to this opening installment.
First, Claire. The actress, Caitriona Balfe, is truly talented. Claire has to be an extremely witty and sharp person, but also gentle and kind. She's both ruthless and peaceful, both strong and vulnerable, curious and frightened... a real study in contrasts. Balfe has managed to convey that very nicely in this opener. I'm excited to see what more we'll get from her.
Similarly, Sam Heughan makes a strong first appearance as Jamie. I'll admit, I was skeptical that they'd ever find someone to play Jamie Fraser. Jamie is pretty indescribable; almost inhuman, larger than life, and such a presence that he pretty much bowls over the story when he arrives. Only Claire, strong as she is, could resist Jamie taking over the whole story. Heughan brings out a side to Jamie that I often forget - he's a young man, only twenty-three or so, when this story begins. He had a sort of lovely innocence and calmness to him that I really enjoyed. He's instantly charming, with just a tinge of danger that comes more from his utter nonchalance about violence and the realities of the world he lives in, than from anything malicious or cruel in his nature.
Claire and Jamie already have nice chemistry, even though we've only seen them together very briefly. I love how Jamie respects Claire in a strange way. Although he has inherently sexist ideas built into him due to his environment, he knows intelligence and bravery when he sees it, and he respects it even in a woman such as Claire. Although she appears to be wearing nothing more than undergarments (by eighteenth century standards) he doesn't make any lewd comments or make her feel uncomfortable. He attempts to explain things to her and keep her warm, even in the midst of this confusing chaos. And Claire, despite the horror of her situation, cannot help but feel some liking towards him.
Tobias Menzies also deserves a mention here. The character of Frank Randall is pretty damn bland, but I do appreciate the inversion of the sexless marriage trope, where here we see that Frank and Claire have pretty much nothing to go on except sex, and the fading memories of happier times. The actor does a serviceable job as Frank, but it's his brief appearance as Jack Randall that has me really excited to see more of him. Jack is so horrifyingly evil in the books, and I can tell already that they won't be shying away from it in the show. It's so wonderfully creepy how he addresses Claire with what seems like polite and vague interest, but then when she starts to run, he becomes a hunter, intent on its prey. The audience (or at least the audience who doesn't know the full story about Jack Randall) wonders just how far he would have gone, had Murtagh not interrupted the attempted rape.
The biggest compliment I can give this first episode is that I felt completely sucked in to the world. The atmosphere in every scene made me believe I was there in the Scottish highlands, both in 1945, and in 1743. A few scenes in particular that I must praise: the dance atop Craigh na Dun. I know I complained about Claire's voice-over, but the overall effect of this scene was still very powerful. I actually felt some goosebumps myself! Another strong scene comes just after Claire passes through the stones. We, the audience, experience Claire's terror and disorientation right along with her, as we get choppy images, loud noises, and confusing shifts thrown at us in quick succession. It really put me in the moment.
The music, the costuming, the sets, and the Gaelic: all of these things really came together to give an impressive final product. I loved that when Dougal, Murtagh, Jamie, etc. speak in the Gaelic, they don't give us subtitles. It's another way that we're thrown into this disorienting situation just like Claire. I'm beyond excited to see what's coming next.
8.5/10
First, Claire. The actress, Caitriona Balfe, is truly talented. Claire has to be an extremely witty and sharp person, but also gentle and kind. She's both ruthless and peaceful, both strong and vulnerable, curious and frightened... a real study in contrasts. Balfe has managed to convey that very nicely in this opener. I'm excited to see what more we'll get from her.
Similarly, Sam Heughan makes a strong first appearance as Jamie. I'll admit, I was skeptical that they'd ever find someone to play Jamie Fraser. Jamie is pretty indescribable; almost inhuman, larger than life, and such a presence that he pretty much bowls over the story when he arrives. Only Claire, strong as she is, could resist Jamie taking over the whole story. Heughan brings out a side to Jamie that I often forget - he's a young man, only twenty-three or so, when this story begins. He had a sort of lovely innocence and calmness to him that I really enjoyed. He's instantly charming, with just a tinge of danger that comes more from his utter nonchalance about violence and the realities of the world he lives in, than from anything malicious or cruel in his nature.
Claire and Jamie already have nice chemistry, even though we've only seen them together very briefly. I love how Jamie respects Claire in a strange way. Although he has inherently sexist ideas built into him due to his environment, he knows intelligence and bravery when he sees it, and he respects it even in a woman such as Claire. Although she appears to be wearing nothing more than undergarments (by eighteenth century standards) he doesn't make any lewd comments or make her feel uncomfortable. He attempts to explain things to her and keep her warm, even in the midst of this confusing chaos. And Claire, despite the horror of her situation, cannot help but feel some liking towards him.
Tobias Menzies also deserves a mention here. The character of Frank Randall is pretty damn bland, but I do appreciate the inversion of the sexless marriage trope, where here we see that Frank and Claire have pretty much nothing to go on except sex, and the fading memories of happier times. The actor does a serviceable job as Frank, but it's his brief appearance as Jack Randall that has me really excited to see more of him. Jack is so horrifyingly evil in the books, and I can tell already that they won't be shying away from it in the show. It's so wonderfully creepy how he addresses Claire with what seems like polite and vague interest, but then when she starts to run, he becomes a hunter, intent on its prey. The audience (or at least the audience who doesn't know the full story about Jack Randall) wonders just how far he would have gone, had Murtagh not interrupted the attempted rape.
The biggest compliment I can give this first episode is that I felt completely sucked in to the world. The atmosphere in every scene made me believe I was there in the Scottish highlands, both in 1945, and in 1743. A few scenes in particular that I must praise: the dance atop Craigh na Dun. I know I complained about Claire's voice-over, but the overall effect of this scene was still very powerful. I actually felt some goosebumps myself! Another strong scene comes just after Claire passes through the stones. We, the audience, experience Claire's terror and disorientation right along with her, as we get choppy images, loud noises, and confusing shifts thrown at us in quick succession. It really put me in the moment.
The music, the costuming, the sets, and the Gaelic: all of these things really came together to give an impressive final product. I loved that when Dougal, Murtagh, Jamie, etc. speak in the Gaelic, they don't give us subtitles. It's another way that we're thrown into this disorienting situation just like Claire. I'm beyond excited to see what's coming next.
8.5/10
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