In the first 8 episodes of Outlander, I have some favorites and dislikes. I imagine you do as well.
Overall I am in love with the show but as with anything, nothing is perfect.
As a fan, it is important to note that one can believe in something yet not agree with every aspect or detail.
Overall Favorites
- My beloved books and characters coming to life.
- The actors are all exceptional.
- The chemistry is spot on between the lot of them.
- The costuming is gorgeous but blends as it ought.
- Scotland – yes a big duh.
- The team producing, writing and making this happen are all fans.
- Starz for taking this series on and giving it the budget, time, production it deserves.
- The risks the writers are taking with the adaptation.
- Men in kilts – again a big duh.
- Herself
- Starz for involving the built-in fan base. Smart ones ye’r.
- Ron for loving and not fearing such material.
- Bear McCreary
- Social media involvement of so many of the cast, production, crew, Starz interacting with fans.
- Makeup and effects.
- The Gàidhlig – Àdhamh Ó Broin
- Season two being picked up.
Overall Dislikes
- The mid-season break. If I was a casual watcher I would not return because of it. I am NOT so I will wait, woefully.
- Each show is only an hour long. (You think I jest).
- The bloody wait until episode 109.
Specific Favorites
- Claire. Seeing her. Hearing her. Yes, yes, yes. Caitriona Balfe takes my breath away.
- JAMMF – Sam Heughan IS Jamie. He has captured his physical sensibilities so well.
- The subtlety falling through the stones took.
- Frank going downtown on Claire in the surgery. (This is not book Frank at all)
- Rupert, Angus the “on the road comedic sideshow” and fleshing out of their characters.
- Murtagh getting more time.
- Dougal being so layered.
- Tobias Menzies being completely convincing as both BJR and Frank.
- BJR scaring the bejeebers out of me EVEN though I basically know what he is going to do.
- The wedding night – big duh.
- How Claire told Jamie she wanted to look at him on the wedding night.Her slow walk around. How she touched him.
- The ’40’s music Claire heard in her head.
- Mrs. Fitz.
- Geillis Duncan being so out there. Lotte is a genius in her interpretation.
- Mrs. Graham telling Frank the story of the stones.
- The whole Garrison Commander episode. Mind blown. Nightmares had.
- Ned procuring the wedding dress in a hoorhouse and a wedding date. I about screamed with happy.
- “Is that Spanish?”
- Chemistry between Cait and Sam. Palpable.
Specific Dislikes
- Too much Frank. I have always been a Frank fan, yet his far more screen time than expected seems to have rushed other parts of the story telling. Especially Episode 108. Relationship building between Claire and Jamie and several events felt compressed to make room for Frank.
- Claire and Frank running to the stones at “maybe” the same time and “maybe” hearing each other in episode 108. I GET it but still after a few viewings feel it is a bit over the top, overwrought and cheesy.
- The wedding ring. I enjoy the sentiment, the making of it, but not the style.
- Claire’s painfully squished breasts in her wedding clothes undergarments.
- The early episode Claire voice overs seemed too numerous or obvious.
- Laoghaire because she exists. LOL. I have Herself to thank for this one.
- The blasted wait until episode 109.
What are your favorites and dislikes? I am sure to have missed something. Please leave a comment, tweet me or post on Facebook!
A Dram of Outlander 
We have such a different scope..and I LOVE that.
I enjoy the spirited discussions and respectful back and forth some can have. My dislikes come more from the promotion in my Country than anything else.
I like to analyse the concepts and choices made for the story so I don’t have the same perspective as you do but it certainly doesn’t mean I don’t “get” yours.
I thought the scene at the stones was a great connector. Do I see how others saw it as mozzarella-y, yup maybe it is because I thrive on dairy that I totally devoured that scene. lol. I kinda like the fact that where I used to think Frank was a 1 dimensional douche- the tv show has made me like him.
Another fantastic thought provoking take on things! Thanks for sharing
SL
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My husband likes that scrne at the stones very much.
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So did mine. He resisted this show like no ones business but got sucked in BIG time. Which I breathed a huge sigh of relief about. He is not a reader at all (if its not glossy and can fit on the back of the toilet, he isn’t reading it) so 20 yrs I had been blabbering on about these books to him off and on. Then the show…at first he said he wouldn’t even watch it with me but bent on that – once he started, he was stuck. Now with the break, he wants to know what happens… he wants more SO…since he isn’t a reader, he has me read to him at night before we fall asleep. I have to say…I am kinda loving it – and his observations of the differences
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Oh that is fantastic! Mine will read eventually. Not like there is not a spare copy lying around.
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Yep! I about lot of things. I could have handled more frank if they had shown his negative sides to such as ignoring, condescending to, and correcting Claire. he was not the loving adoring husband that they showed at all. I couldn’t agree with you more about the same with the stones and episode 8; I actually laughed out loud, hard and long at that scene. all I could think was they got the wrong couple Whose love transcends time and space.
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Yes Frank is definitely being fleshed out more…. He is more loving and darker than the Frank I thought I knew.
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* I love Claire’s sassy attitude. She is from a generation where women were becoming more independent and she is not afraid to speak her mind. Great character acting by Caitriona.
* I love Jamie’s facial expressions. His one-sided smile and ‘totally fascinated by you” eye contact with Claire. Sam Heughan is great in the role of Jamie.
* Happy that this isn’t all shot in a sound stage – that we actually get to see Scotland!!
* My dislike would be that I have to rewind and listen really close to some of the lines to understand them (especially Mrs. Fitz) but as I watch the shows over and over, I am getting more familiar with the dialect. I LOVE the accent and just takes some of us “USA” speaking folks time to adjust. I had that issue with the HP films also.
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Great insights. Thank you. Yes Sam gives excellent facial expression acting.
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When the US Navy stationed my ex-husband in Holy Loch Scotland and we moved there it was really interesting. The Scottish accents took some getting used to and it took awhile before I really understood what was being said. But once we got the hang of the accents and the vocabulary it was great. With the tv show I just turned on the sub-titles for a bit…..and it all came back.
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Good thoughts, D. I like that the show is kind of slow burn. That means it’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s certainly a feast for fans.
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I agree with everything you said, and am happy to report that my husband (who has read the 1st 3 books and is re-reading Outlander) is enjoying the show, although for some reason he’s not as obsessed as I am. Go figure!
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The unflattering tightness of the breast in wedding dress was distracting from the beauty of the gown & Claire.
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So agreed
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A few additional favorites (and I agree with all of yours!): The delightful joy that Jamie takes in Claire in episode 8; Jamie’s great comraderie with his highlander mates, especially around the fire(s) and during the gathering games; his dismissal of Laoghaire and then making out with her like the fickle young lad he is; the dynamics between Colum and Dougal – very believable!
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