TV Show Review: Outlander (Season 1)

Outlander (Season 1)

Tall Ship Productions

16 Episodes, 60 Minutes Each

2014

Rated: TV-MA

It took me quite a while to get around to reading Outlander, but finding out that it was coming out as a television series kicked that into high gear. I loved the novel and ate up every word, so how would the show fare in my eyes? I’m happy to say it blew me away! Excellent casting decisions, gorgeous everything (setting, costumes, people…just everything), and a brilliant interpretation of the novel to the screen!

When you read Outlander you create a very definite image in your mind of Jamie, Claire, and Jack Randal, among others. To take these characters that are well-loved and find actors to portray them was a monumental challenge. But they did it! Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan fully embodied Claire and Jamie. They not only met my expectations for how they should look, but the way they spoke and carried themselves brought those characters to life.

The show takes a roughly 900 page book and recreates all the important events in the 16 episodes: from the first time Claire travels through the standing stones to the beautiful wedding scene to the finale episode at the prison. They didn’t pull any punches – there is beauty, sex, violence, and some of it is rather explicit – this is your warning. Some people might find it too graphic (particularly the prison episode), and I can understand that, but it was SO well done – every cringe-worthy moment and it evoked the same emotions from me as the novel did, and maybe even more. They include all of these big moments but also pick up on a lot of the smaller, detail oriented moments. With so much of the book present in the show, you really don’t miss anything that might have been skipped.

Oh, and can we talk about the theme song? Now that is beautiful, haunting, and will get stuck in your head for days!

This show was everything that I hoped it would be and more! Onward to Season 2!

And a little bit of a side note – you HAVE to check out the Outlander Yule Log video during the holidays – that replaces any other yule log you watch. Scottish music, a roaring fire in a huge stone hearth, a couple of hounds – highly recommend.

Here is a trailer of this show for your enjoyment.

If you have seen the show, what did you think of the first season?




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