Outlander – the beloved book series by Diana Gabaldon that thousands of women have been getting hot and sweaty over for decades (and with good reason, unlike some others that shall not be named) – has finally been adapted for television, and, well, we adore it.
Outlander is the story of 1940s nurse Claire Randall, who accidentally timetravels back to eighteenth century Scotland while on a second honeymoon with her husband. Stuck in 1743, two hundred years worth of additional medical knowledge means Claire comes across a miracle worker, and she also falls in love with eighteenth-century Scotland’s answer to Mr Darcy, Jamie Fraser. They’re later forced to marry, which makes Claire a bigamist, but it’s only really Claire who minds that. She also meets – unfortunately – her first husband Frank’s ancestor ‘Black Jack’ Randall, a British officer committing atrocities in Scotland.
It’s science-fiction, period drama and romance all at the same time, and the mix is both refreshing and charming, much like the novels. The television adaptation even has revered sci-fi producer Ron Moore (you might have heard of Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, which feature on his CV) at the helm.
The first eight episodes are slow paced, although if you’re already a big fan of the series they’re probably about right. The Scottish setting really is a sight to behold, however, so it’s definitely worth those extra few moments just admiring it. The producers have taken the care to present eighteenth century Scotland as carefully as possible, and it’s apparent and appreciated. The acting and accents are stellar, though one wouldn’t mind subtitles for the first few episodes. This is either something that steadily improves or is easy enough to get used to.
I was not a fan of was Claire’s voice-over, which was incessant and wooden throughout the first eight episodes. However, Caitriona Balfe does a wonderful job elsewhere with the series. Claire is a spirited young woman, which is not overplayed but always present. It makes her a fascinating individual in a period drama. Her relationship with the dishy Jamie Fraser (played by the gorgeous Sam Heughan) is engaging from the beginning, their scenes brimming with chemistry.
Outlander makes for a great binge-watch. It takes a while to become invested in the characters, but somewhere between the time that Claire leaves with Dougal in episode four and certainly by the time Jamie and Claire are married in episode seven, it is difficult not to feel the same love book fans feel for the characters and relationships involved. It very difficult to deal with the mid-season finale cliffhanger. We don’t have long to wait though, as Amazon will be releasing episodes nine and beyond a few hours after the episodes air in the US next week.
All eight episodes of Outlander are available on Amazon Prime Instant Video from today. Non-subscribers can watch the series with a 30-day free subscription to Amazon Prime.