[Outlander In The Media]

14 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

Don't tell me if I'm wrong.

This is so great, and there is no conceivable way that you are wrong!  Makes complete sense!

Also, there is a Men in Kilts forum.  Check it out!!  Always enjoy hearing your take on things.

[S01.E02: Sports]

PEOPLE - My new BFF Josh Pray is at it again (Psst...he doesn't know that he is my new BFF...shhh) - 

Also, I think he has a Man-Crush on Sam.  

[S01.E02: Sports]

This was fun!  Liked it much better than the first episode.  The flow was much more natural, and their quips weren't so forced.  The whole caber tossing portion should have been included in the actual episode and not just the credits.  Really enjoyed the Highland Games segment.  We just watched a piece on the Highland Games on a show called Home Game on Netflix, which highlights sports in different countries across the world.  An episode was devoted to Braemar and the Highland Games.  Highly recommend.  

[S04.E13: Man of Worth]

6 hours ago, chaifan said:

I still don't understand why Jamie and Claire chose to settle in N. Carolina, knowing the war is coming.  (OK, I know, plot.)  I would have made my way a little north and as west as possible.  Like others, I would have thought becoming part of the Underground Railroad would have made sense for them.  I would have aimed for southern Ohio, or maybe as far as Indiana.

The story at this point is still Colonial America, so there really wasn’t an Ohio and certainly not an Indiana. Both would have been quite far into the frontier. There was actually a treaty line that the British government had set up with the Native Americans stating that settlers wouldn’t cross west farther than the original 13 colonies, as they were originally mapped out (borders changed and expanded over time of course). Naturally, some settlers did cross over the line, but at that point, most stayed closer to the coast or what is now the central regions of those states. 

A large number of Scottish immigrants settled in North Carolina following the Rising. Nova Scotia in Canada was also a prime destination. I think that’s why the author of the source material saw fit to place them in NC, as opposed to more notable Colonial locations like Boston or Philadelphia. 

[Outlander In The Media]

On 2/16/2021 at 9:53 PM, Ziggy said:

One of the sets looks like...

To answer your question, I think yes, definitely.  

[S01.E01: Food and Drink]

10 hours ago, Beeyago said:

 In general I’m surprised STARZ didn’t push for hourlong episodes, a 30 min show doesn’t even seem like it would fit their platform.

Could and should have definitely been a full hour.  

5 minutes ago, Cdh20 said:

My guess is the "theme" theme came from Starz when they bought the show! 

This makes a lot of sense.  I haven't read the book yet, but I do recall you saying it was quite funny.  

[S01.E01: Food and Drink]

6 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

I assume they filmed a bunch of stuff & then had to fit the bits into the appropriate theme with time restraints. 

Sam was adorable, but I thought all the quippy bits felt quite scripted! 

Yes, the layout of the show wasn't quite what I had anticipated.  I thought it would be less about theme and more about place.  For instance, it would be like today Sam and Graham go to X place and tell us all about it.  I think trying to parse out all of the various locations into themes made it seem a bit disjointed.  

Also yes, the jokes seemed a bit rehearsed.  Maybe they were organic initially, but by the 5th time the joke was filmed it had lost its spontaneity.  

I feel like I'm being too critical, because I did really like it.  Graham has a certain charm to him.  

[S01.E01: Food and Drink]

On 2/14/2021 at 11:59 AM, Beeyago said:

My only complaint was that the segments were too short.

Definitely too short.  Overall, it felt a little choppy, and I would have liked to have seen more.  It was fun, though, and gorgeously shot.  

Also, WTF did Sam find on the boat?  What creature was that?

[Escaping The Stones: The Cast In Other Roles]

13 hours ago, Beeyago said:

First episode was fun.

 

12 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

We are just going to figure it out in a minute, I think we can watch on the ipad tv app! 

Update -yup that worked! Was fun! 

Hooray!  I watched, too.  There is a Men in Kilts forum.  Not a lot of people over there right now, so I'm going to take my comments thatta way and try to stir up some conversation.

[Escaping The Stones: The Cast In Other Roles]

On 2/9/2021 at 11:13 AM, Beeyago said:

I think it looks pretty cheesy.  Not really my thing either.  And I think they filmed it pretty quickly, another not-so-great sign.

Agreed and agreed.

[Ask the Outlanders: Questions for the Bookreaders]

5 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

Maybe it was just revenge for her refusing his offer of marriage (and thus depriving him of becoming heir to Riverrun) but if so . . . damn.  That's an elaborate revenge plot.  

This is correct and with a bit more. It wasn’t just that Bree refused him, it was the way she did it. She basically scoffed at him and was full of disdain at the offer. After that, every time their paths crossed, they always had some negative interaction, with her being blatantly rude to him (not that he didn’t deserve it but she could have just walked away). 

[Outlander In The Media]

On 1/23/2021 at 12:25 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

And he's watched S2!

Sadly, it took me a few days to get to this one.  Where has this man been my whole life?  Can he be my alarm clock? I would basically do almost anything to wake up to this man talking Outlander to me for the rest of my life (while still remaining married to my current hubs, of course).  

"Jamie has the sexiest knees." (I'm guessing he hadn't acknowledged that knee porn is a thing prior to watching Outlander.)

"FRANK!" (I say it in quite a different tone, but I appreciate a man's perspective.)

"Claire needs respect!" (Say it louder!!!)

[Outlander In The Media]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Haha, glad it wasn't just me who was laughing hysterically at his reactions. Now I want him to watch S2 and tell me how it makes him feel!

If he had to "go out in nature" after the Season 1 finale, what will he need to do after the Season 2 finale?!?! Get in the car and "drive cry"??

[Outlander In The Media]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Amazing review of S1:

This is the greatest thing I've ever seen.  I'm sobbing laughing.  When he rips off his glasses and looks right into the camera... I spat coffee on my keyboard.  "This Caucasian man...this man could win wars all by himself.  This is the man of all men."  Yup... 

[Book 6: A Breath of Snow and Ashes]

My life is a series of random thoughts about Outlander.  There, I've said it.

Today, a scene from Book 6 popped into my head unsolicited.  If you recall, Claire and fam attend the viewing of Hiram Crombie's mother-in-law, Mrs. Wilson.  Mishaps ensue - Hiram skimped on the services, Roger gets choked up on the sermon, Jem notices Mrs. Wilson isn't really dead, Mrs. Wilson sits up and chastises Hiram for being a miser, etc.  The death eater shows up, and Claire is taken aback.  He is a little deformed "as though he had been in a terrible car accident."  He speaks with an educated accent.  And, most importantly, his one working eye is the same color as Claire's, and she feels that she knows him, has seen him before, and that his "cruelly misshapen face" could replace her own.

My assumption had always been that this was a relation of Claire's.  I mentioned in another thread that my theory is that Claire's parents didn't die in a car accident but that they traveled through a time portal into the past, like Roger's dad did.  Is the death eater Claire's father?  If I recall, doesn't the death eater later pass away in this book?  Doesn't Malva find his body and that's how she sickens Claire and Tom Christie?  

It isn't like Herself to throw such a description out there without it meaning something larger.  The prequel about Jamie's parents is all well and good, but I want to know more about Claire's background.  We know how Brian and Ellen got together.  What about Claire's family?  How can she travel?  WHO WAS THE DEATH EATER?

[Outlander In The Media]

On 1/8/2021 at 10:03 PM, nodorothyparker said:

I know it has its own forum...

I didn't know!  I'll check it out.

[The Books vs. The Show: Comparisons, Speculation, and Snark]

23 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

You will laugh but That is exactly what I think! 

It's a good theory!!

 

15 hours ago, Beeyago said:

 I really think something is up as to why it's taking her over 7 years to put out the next book.  Maybe she's got several close to being done so she'll release the last two back-to-back, maybe she needs to write the prequel to help her work through the last 2 books, maybe she's changed her mind on the ending and has had rewrite the last 2, maybe she's holding things up so the TV show can catch up (she's only put out one book since the show first aired, right??).  Who knows but something has to be up. None of us are getting any younger Diana!! (and she's really snippy with fans on twitter when they ask about the next book🙄)

I was thinking this, too.  And yes, she does get a little defensive about how long it has been for this next one.  I understand that the popularity of the show has pulled her in some different directions, but c'mon.  Let's not forget what got you here.  And really, that criticism is just me being cranky because I want to know the rest of the story.  

[Small Talk: Chewing The Haggis]

23 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

My dad would have loved it but he passed away 7 years ago.

So sorry to hear this.  

23 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

What did you go on to read? 

Ha!  I re-read The Secret Garden.  I occasionally go back and read books I read as a kid and teen and in my 20s to see if my impressions change as I age.  Now, I'm out of material again.  I'm thinking about closing my eyes and hitting "Download" on something random. 

14 hours ago, Beeyago said:

"they could have cast a better Jamie"  WHAT???

 

13 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

Sam is the only Jamie for me!!

 

12 hours ago, Cdh20 said:

She thought Jamie was miscast as well.

I have thoughts...  

I stopped the first episode of Outlander right when Claire fixed Jamie's shoulder, and I downloaded the book without finishing the episode.  So, though I saw Sam as Jamie first, I didn't really know Jamie as a character.  Visually, Sam is not how I picture Jamie.  My Jamie (sigh...) is much taller and broader with a more rugged face.  Incidentally, I also picture Claire differently when I read her.  She's shorter, not as lean, and her hair is wilder.  I also always picture her with golden eyes, because that reference is continuously made in the books.  

All of that said, Sam's casting as Jamie is brilliant and absolutely no one else would have been better for it.  Sam as Sam doesn't do much for me.  He's attractive, yes, and I would likely look twice.  However, Sam as Jamie, holy shit.  Is there a more attractive, perfect-looking human on the planet than Sam as Jamie?  No.  No there is not.  

[The Books vs. The Show: Comparisons, Speculation, and Snark]

On 1/3/2021 at 11:56 PM, Beeyago said:

And what I really want is book 10, since it’s the final one.  But she said on Twitter today that she’s working on more Lord John books too.😭

Yes to Book 10.  NOOOOOO to more Lord John.  Finish the main story first, girl.  

And seriously, if we're doing spinoffs here, I'd love more info on Claire's family.  Why/how can she travel?  What's that genetic line?  My theory is that her parents didn't die in a car accident and they zapped through time like Roger's dad.  Maybe we'll get some of that information in 9 and 10...if we ever get 9 and 10.  

[Small Talk: Chewing The Haggis]

On 12/29/2020 at 7:13 PM, Cdh20 said:

I love my friends “paying it forward”! 

I still have not been able to do this.  In my last pro-Outlander spiel with a friend, that person responded with "So, is this [Outlander] your guilty pleasure?"  Me - "Not at all.  I don't feel guilty about this."  

BUT!!!!

I did convince my Dad to give it a try.  The show nearly lost him with the Outlanders of the Caribbean episodes, but I got him back on track by spoiling him that the story is headed to America and they will fight in the Revolution.  He's all in again.

Awkward to have your father watch this show, but at least we don't watch together.  Cringe.  

[The Books vs. The Show: Comparisons, Speculation, and Snark]

22 hours ago, Beeyago said:

 I just wish she’d finish book 9 😩

I second that!!

[Small Talk: Chewing The Haggis]

On 12/25/2020 at 3:51 PM, Cdh20 said:

Have you been on a never ending loop of watching & reading? 

Hi!!!!  Hope you are enjoying the holidays!  I was just thinking about you last week!

Actually, no!  I've been exploring other books and shows.  I got caught up on The Last Kingdom, finally.  I tried to get through season two of The Spanish Princess, but it was too depressing. I just finished reading The Nightingale (couldn't put it down) and one of the DG novellas (it was ok, kind of forgettable).  

I need some book suggestions! 

[Small Talk: Chewing The Haggis]

"Unanticipated Ways Outlander Has Enriched My Life" Exhibit #56 - 

My brother in-law is a bourbon fan, has fancy tastes, and is incredibly challenging to shop for because he has everything.  Yesterday, we masked up and visited a very popular local distillery in search of bourbon to gift him for Christmas.  I know nothing about bourbon (I'm a wine person), and we couldn't taste anything, of course because Covid, so I was prepared for a confusing challenge. 

Walked into the gift shop of the distillery and started perusing when I saw a bottle of Madeira-aged, single malt bourbon.  Because I am an Outlander psycho enthusiast, who mostly appreciates the occasionally mind-boggling detailed minutiae of the books, I know that single-malt whisky is a good thing and that alcohol aged in Madeira casks is even better.  Grabbed the bottle, proclaimed to hubs that this was the one because they talk about Madeira casks in Outlander, and greeted his expected eye roll at me with a knowing smile. 

So, I dropped a very large bill on this bottle of bourbon, was assured by the proprietor that this is their best product - "Very smooth," she said - and I'm at peace today with the purchase because 1. DG knows her stuff; 2. Jamie Fraser has a sensitive palate, and 3. Jamie Fraser would never lead me astray with such an important decision.  

Happy Holidays, Everyone!  Slainte! 

[Book 9: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone]

16 hours ago, leighdear said:

It's so frustrating when writers forget their audiences and the number of years THEY have invested in the stories.  Many of us will have forgotten the plot points of the last book, but I won't take the time to re-read before the next one. 

This is a really interesting point.  I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah...I haven't been following this story for 30 years like many others, but I would be absolutely gutted to not know why/how Jamie was in that square watching Claire in 1946.  I have my own theories, of course, but I want a finality to the story.  

1 hour ago, Beeyago said:

I keep wanting to reply to her and say... um, can you please quit tweeting and go finish 9 & 10??  lol

Me too!  I sometimes think that she never anticipated the story being THIS BIG and now having all of these other opportunities.  I'm so happy that she has brought this story to us and that she now has outlets and avenues for all of her creativity and talent.  But, clearly it is a bit of a block when it comes to finishing the story.  She cranked the first few books out in quick succession, and now we're six years out and nothing.  

[Book 9: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone]

On 10/24/2020 at 9:55 PM, Beeyago said:

My fear is that we'll never get to see these last couple books ever on screen, and the 10th one seems to be very interesting since she's going to address the ghosts.

I'm nervous about this, too.  She's been sharing excerpts from Book 9 for years, but the publication date keeps getting pushed back.  At the same time, she keeps talking about additional spinoffs - Jamie's parents and Master Raymond.  I'm sure those will be wonderful stories, and I truly appreciate her creativity and vision.  But, I want the main story.  I want Jamie and Claire, and I want to see this all come to a satisfactory resolution before we hear more about anyone else.  

I'm really hoping the show doesn't need to go the way of GoT and create its own story for a final season, because blah.  The episodes where they have ventured far from the source material are my least favorite of this series.