Outlander - Sassenach - Review

“Outlander” is a new period drama adapted from the series of books written by Diana Gabaldon. It officially premieres tomorrow, August 9, on Starz although Starz made the pilot freely available last week on multiple platforms. “Outlander” tells the story of Claire Randall who is mysteriously transported back in time from 1945 to 1743 while on a vacation in the Scottish Highlands with her husband. In this unfamiliar time, she soon finds herself assaulted, nearly raped, kidnapped, and her life threatened. And she realizes that her journey has just begun.

The episode opens as Claire contemplates the fact that she hasn’t ever lived anywhere long enough to justify owning a vase. She had an unconventional childhood travelling with her uncle, an archeologist, who raised her after her parent’s death. World War II has separated her from her husband, Frank, who oversaw covert operations from London while she served as a combat nurse. They are reunited after 5 years when the war ends although undoubtedly the war has changed them both. Six months after the war ends, Frank and Claire decide to take a vacation to Scotland which Frank terms their second honeymoon. Claire feels that it is really a way of putting off them getting to know the people they’ve become after being separated for such a long time.

On the surface, Frank and Claire appear to be happy and in love but yet there also seems to be a sort of distance between them. They end up having sex as a way of avoiding any real discussion. They appear to be almost like old friends who have grown apart during the years. Frank is preoccupied with trying to learn about ancestor of his who served in the area. They explore their surrounding ruins together while Frank tells her all about the history of the area.

One night Frank notices someone staring up into a window where Claire is. The man seemingly disappears after Frank passes by him. Later that night, Frank and Claire secretly watch the Druid perform a Samhain ritual. When the sun comes up, they explore the large rocks, and a plant with tiny blue flowers catches Claire’s attention. Claire heads out on her own to the large rocks to investigate the plant again. While there, she is drawn to a large rock and reaches out to touch it. When she awakens, she describes a feeling of almost having been in a car accident and falling at a high speed. Unknown to her, she has been swept back in time to 1743.

Claire is startled by the sound of gunfire. She wonders if she may have stumbled upon a movie set with reenactors, but she realizes that there wouldn’t be a logical reason for them to be firing real bullets. As she escapes through the woods, she is surprised when she runs into someone who looks like her husband, Frank. She soon learns that he isn’t Frank but is his ancestor, Jonathan Randall, a captain in the British army. He chases after her and demands to know who she is when she attempts to run away. He doesn’t believe her when she tells him that she is married to a Frank Beecham who is a teacher. His attempts to rape her after she spits in his face, but Claire is saved by a stranger who knocks her unconscious when she starts to struggle and yell.

Her rescuer takes her to a hut full of more strange men. She continues to use her maiden name and tells them she is Claire Beecham. She meets Jamie Fraser when she prevents the other men from doing further damage to his dislocated shoulder. Using her skill as a nurse, she is able to force Jamie’s shoulder back into place so that the men can depart. When she steps out of the hut, she notices that there aren’t any electrical lights coming from the direction of where Inverness should be located. It is then that she realizes that she is no longer in the 20th century.

She travels with the men through the night by horseback. When she spots a familiar rock, she recalls that Frank told her it had been used by the British for ambushes. She alerts Jamie that there could be an ambush ahead. Jamie discusses it with another man who questions Claire on how she came by this knowledge. She tells him that she heard it in the village right before Jamie tosses her from his horse so he and the other men can race ahead to fight the British. After the fighting, Jamie finds Claire as she is attempting to escape. She refuses to go with him until he threatens to carry her over his shoulder. The men celebrate and thank Claire for tipping them off about the British.

When Jamie falls off of his horse while they are riding, she becomes aware that he had been shot through the shoulder during the fighting. There is a comical scene when she informs the men that Jamie’s wound will need to be disinfected before she can bandage it. They don’t know what disinfect means nor what germs are. They stare blankly at her when she inquires about modern day disinfectants. They understand one another when she finally asks for some alcohol.

Claire’s presence with the men isn’t welcome by the leader who informs her that she’ll only stay around long enough to care for Jamie. After bandaging Jamie’s wound, she feels that it would be best for Jamie to get some rest to heal. She is told that they have to keep moving because Black Jack Randall will be relentless in his pursuit of them. She realizes that even though she has already been through a lot in a short time that it is only the beginning of her journey.

I was immediately drawn to Claire. She is a strong female, and I immediately liked her. That strength will be needed to help her make smart decisions in an unfamiliar world. I also really liked Jamie and found him charming. I greatly look forward to seeing the relationship develop between Jamie and Claire. I like Frank although for the most part I found Claire and Frank together to be comfortable and nice but not really engaging. I got the feeling that their present relationship was based more off of their past. And that if they had met for the first time after the war, they never would have gotten involved.

Aside from the characters, I fell in love with the scenery. It is absolutely breathtaking. The music only enhances the imagery and is well matched from the opening credits on.

I haven’t as of yet read the books that this series is adapted from so I can’t say how closely the series has stuck to the original. As soon as I finished watching the pilot, I wanted to start reading the books. Mainly so that I can know what happens next instead of waiting for the series to play out.
In all, I loved everything about “Outlander”. It has a good mix of many different elements to make it an engaging series to watch.

What did you think of this episode? If you've read the books, how true did you find it to be to the original? Please share your thoughts and comments below.

"Outlander" airs Saturday at 9PM on Starz.

About the Author - Tracie

Tracie is a wife and stay-at-home mom of 2 residing in NJ. She likes to unwind with a good book or in front of the TV. She is an avid reader of romance books. She likes to cook and bake. She loves to exercise and is trying to live a healthier life style. She watches a wide variety of TV shows ranging from reality TV to scripted dramas. Some of her past and current favorite TV shows are Sex and the City, Charmed, The Good Wife, and Hart of Dixie.