Outlander tv show review

How books and tv shows talk about Britain & Scotland’s common history :

Name : Outlander

Based on : Outlander, the book series by Diana Gabalgon

Channel : Starz

Number of seasons : 1 (at the moment)

Number of episodes : 16. (8 broadcasted, the other half of the season will air in april 2015)

Synopsis: "In 1945, married World War II nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743, where she encounters civil war and the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser"

(Warning! Be prepared for my obsession for gifs...)

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite tv show so far, Outlander. With....

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and...

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Let's just start with the trailer : 

 And the wonderful and magnificent opening :

 So! My review.I heard of this tv show months ago and counted days before it started. I should confess I was afraid that, even if I read on websites that the books were wonderful, the show had been badly adapted to the screen. Indeed, the channel, Starz is known for its bloody and its vulgar sex-scenes on its shows. (Spartacus, Black Sails.) Fortunately, it was not the case for Outlander. (except for the episode called “the wedding” *wink wink*) At the contrary, I found a brillant tv series, deep, with strong characters and plot which makes you addicted after only two episodes.

As you could read on the synopsis, the first part of the pilot takes place in the 40's, just after the World War 2, when Claire was a nurse with a lovely passion for alcohol. After the allies won, she returned to her husband, Frank, and they decide to go for a "second honeymoon" in Scotland. Indeed, Frank is passionate about history, genealogy and about one of his ancestor, Jonathan Randall, also known as “Black Jack” a very kind redcoat and very friendly with Scots citizens. The only word we could use to describe Black Jack is M.O.N.S.T.E.R.

After seeing a mystic ritual, Claire touched ancient stones and travelled back time, in 1743, when she encountered Highlanders. She didn’t want to believe it at first but had to, when she found herself almost raped, kidnapped and then imprisoned.

Of course you could see Claire and Jamie’s –an Highlander who saved her life, she put in place his dislocated shoulder to pay him back-  relationship as romantic and cheesy but…

To Jamie's defense, Claire may seem sophisticated, but she has nothing of a “English rose”…

She's a lady, you know. On his side, Jamie's isn't an angel either, he has the bad habit to get in trouble and to fight with his fellows english friends, the "redcoats".

Claire enters the court of Castle Leoch and tries to keep a low profile but even with the strongest efforts, she can’t, she’s a Sassenach. An English woman. A foreigner. An outlander. The enemy. Her only goal is to return to Frank, her husband and to the “future”. But she will try to become integrated into the 18^th century. Her knowledge on medicine will help her and save her life so many times. She will have to fight the suspicions that Scottish have on her, believing she’s an English spy, she will try to escape Castle Leoch and Black Jack, her husband’s ancestor and the most terrifying, his doppelganger too.

She will have to investigate about what transferred her in 1743… She could tell her Scottish relatives that she’s just like Marty McFly, but Claire is a bit too scared to burn at the Stake for dark magic.

I really loved how the scenarists mixed Claire's story with the Highlanders's one : the Jacobite rising, the civil war, the fights between English and Scottish. The author, Diana Gabalgon made sure that the History was respected.

The most difficult thing about this tv show (sometimes even worst than waiting for the new episodes) is the Scottish accent. The modern Scottish accent is one thing, the highlander accent is another. COMPLETELY. It can be charming, sexy, but when an important conversation is going on I can't help myself thinking :

Most of the actors are Scottish and it ads an authenticity to the series. One of the most important things on a show is the characters, and Outlander’s are just extraordinary! Funny, appealing, scary sometimes…

I can’t say more on Outlander without spoiling the show and that would be really too bad. I just can ad that the landscapes are wonderful, the music breathtaking, the fights spectacular, the actors, brilliant…

The only thing we can reproach Outlander is…Will the scenarists ever tell us if Scots wear underwear under their kilts?!

If you're ready to get addicted, watch Outlander...

The universe where you can wash your clothes with pee...

Where women must suffer to be beautiful...

Where football is for kids and you must play Shinty.

And where Jamie's family's motto causes the death of every french fangirl :

Wait a minute, I'm not finished yet! 

I assure you, you'll come back to me and tell me that you LOVE this tv show. And that you are dying to see the new adventures of Claire and Jamie. Just like me.

This bottle symbolizes my will to live, waiting for the new episodes until April, 4th, 2015.

I'm giving you a break until my next article. See you!

All the gifs are from Outlander Online, Outlander Community and Outlander Italy.

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