WatchrTina

LOL. I'm pretty sure that Sam did not wear a wig in season 1. They told him to stop getting haircuts as soon as he was cast and they dyed his hair red (repeatedly) while allowing his hair to grow out all season long. You can actually see it progressing from one episode to the next (even though those episodes are only set a few days apart.) But yeah, he could have passed for a Hobbit in many of those season 1 scenes. As for Sam's wig this season . . . I don't mind it. It's a handy visual cue to the age of the character (what with it having grey hair mixed in with the red). Sam was a good sport in the early seasons when he was obliged to dye his hair red but I can well imagine that Sam did NOT want to live his off-camera life with grey highlights in his hair. Besides, he cut his hair short and went back to his natural blonde for his last movie so a wig was inevitable.

Here's a link to an interview with David Berry (Lord John) about this episode.

The very talented Julia LeBlanc has posted another music video -- this one based on the teaser trailers that were released to promote season Six. I just watched and almost everything used in this video has now been seen in an aired episode so it feels safe to post it here in the book talk forum for this episode. Enjoy! BTW Julia says in her opening blurb that she doesn't want people taking her videos and posting to other websites but I THINK I've complied with her wishes by posting the link to her uploaded version on YouTube above. As such, when the video plays here, it should trigger the counter for views on YouTube (right?). At least, that is my intention. Note, she's done a bunch of Outlander videos but she usually uses footage from multiple seasons so they don't fit very neatly into our episodic discussions. But they're really good, so If you want to see them, look for her on YouTube.

Oh is THAT what they were trying to imply . . . that Claire was about to take a huff of ether from her hanky as a means of dealing with the stress of being at that party? How would that even work? Ether doesn't relax you, it knocks you unconscious. That made NO sense. And I'm pretty sure the benefits of pot smoking as a treatment for Glaucoma was unknown in the 1940s. Did that happen in the book or are the TV writers just free-styling? Uhhhh, are you trying to say that Jamie (Sam) does NOT look "verra hawt" in this episode? Because I beg to differ. (I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers.) :) Okay, this is fun because I had COMPLETELY forgotten about him. But as for how he still has the emerald . . . I've got nothing. In fact, if I'm NOW remembering correctly I think I scoffed at his managing to hang on to a gem in the book. Let's just assume he has a wee secret pocket in his coat and the gem was small enough that it wasn't noticed during a pre-incarceration pat-down. (Though if they DIDN'T find the emerald on him they must have arrested him for some other crime.) Yeah, that was an unexpected treat. I wonder if the Covid-related delays on this show and/or David Berry's other gig made it possible for him to resume the role.

I like John Bell and I like the character of Ian so I was predisposed to like this episode but, oh what a sad part of the book this covers! Ian and Emily's seeming inability to conceive a child together is SO tragic. That being said, I do recall that my heart leapt with joy when Ian suddenly reappeared in the book. (We don't find out until later about his reasons.) As for Malva spying on Jamie and Claire . . . ew. Talk about a buzz kill on that reunion scene! I was actually watching the scene and chuckling thinking, "OMG are they going to give us ANOTHER Jamie and Claire love scene" when <<< record scratch sound effect >>> we see Malva. Just ew. I am dreading where this is heading. But as someone above already pointed out . . . props to the show runners for giving us a scene that clearly explains how Malva knows what Jamie's back looks like.

This! A thousand times this! I mean of all the novels she could have shared she gives him one of the most infamously bawdy novels of the age? Then again, I understand that Jamie's library is necessarily limited (books were sore expensive ye ken) so there weren't that many options she could have offered. And Tom Jones was a huge hit so that kind of bawdy humor is, perhaps, exactly what Tom expected from a novel. (Maybe that's why novels in this era have such a bad reputation among "godly" folk.) Interestingly, one of the things that rang a bit false to me was when Tom said he'd finished the book in a few days. On the one hand, as a binge reader myself, I understand the compulsion to gobble down a book ("just one more chapter and then I really have to go to bed.") But in a situation where books are so precious and rare I thought Tom would read it slowly to savor it. Perhaps that is what he had in mind but then he just could not stop reading . . . which may have caused him some consternation given what that suggests about his own self-control. He's a complex guy, is our Tom Christie. That she does. Marsali (and Lauren Lyle's portrayal of her) is one of the great delights of this part of the series. Who'da thunk that the offspring of that wee besom Laoghaire MacKenzie would emerge as such a stand-out, beloved character?

I finally got around to binge-watching the second half of this season and boy howdy did I have a good time! This finale, in particular, was loads of fun. There was a LOT of cheering and whooping and hugging myself with glee during this final episode. Your milage may vary but *I* had a good time.

I actually though Boba was deliberately telling those droids his name as part of a strategy to create a mystique around himself and inspire fear. So, yeah, that doesn't fit with a strategy of pretending to be dead. Now I'm confused.

So am I. But I'll watch it again when the second episode drops and maybe I'll understand more. My initial reaction is that I think the main character's back-story shares a few plot points with another Marvel character -- Venom -- right down to the ruthless, deep voice in the head giving directions to save the protagonist's ass. But other than that they are nothing alike so, no complaints from me. I'm on board for the ride. Huh. Well, it's only by reading this board that I discovered that there two separate personalities for Oscar Issac's character that were introduced in this episode. (Oh, so THAT'S why he doesn't remember inviting the woman to dinner and why he loses entire days.) Yep, DEFINITELY have to watch this again.

The Dynamic Duo were featured in Town & Country's website. Many of the photos were old but about half were new (to me). https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g38950449/sam-heughan-caitriona-balfe-photos/

It's been a while but my recollection is that Josh and Sam ARE friends but they pretend to not be when Josh interviews Sam -- pretending instead to be slightly hostile toward one another. I don't recall when it started but it's all in good fun (as far as I can tell.)

Oooh goody! Research project! Okay, after using my Kindle's handy-dandy search function to look for keywords like "trial" I found my way to the following exchange in Chapter 41, Drums of Autumn (Outlander Book 4). "Yes, Mr. [Fergus] Fraser? Had you something else to tell the court?" Justice Conant dabbed a trickle of sweat that ran down from under his wig; with so many bodies packed into the small room, it was like a sweat bath. "I beg the court might gratify my curiosity, your Lordship. Does Mr. Berowne's original charge describe more fully the attack upon him?" The Justice raised both eyebrows, but shuffled quickly through the papers on the table before him, then handed one to the bailiff, pointing to a spot on the page. "Complainant stated that one Fergus Fraser struck him in the face with his fist, causing complainant to fall stunned upon the ground, whereat the defendant seized the bridle of the horse, leapt upon it, and rode off, calling out remarks of an abusive nature in the French tongue. Complainant --" A loud cough from the dock pulled all eyes to the defendant, who smiled charmingly at Mr. Justice Conant, plucked a handkerchief from his pocket and elaborately wiped his face -- using the hook at the end of his left arm. "Oh!" said the Justice, and swiveled cold eyes toward the witness chair, where Berowne squirmed in hot-faced agony. "And would you care to explain, sir, how you have sustained injury upon the right side of your face, when struck by the left fist of a man who does not have one?" "Yes, crottin," Fergus said cheerfully. "Explain that one." And now -- to bring this post back around to the topic of THIS forum -- it is interesting to contrast this clever, self-assured version of Book!Fergus from earlier days with the depressed, drunken TV!Fergus we see in this episode.

Sam was on the Late Late Show with James Corden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU0JkAS3d7M

Hi everyone. I'm just bumping this topic to the top to remind people that the show-runners usually post a behind-the-scenes podcast for each episode. The one for Ep 601 is not up yet (at the time I posted this) but there ARE four podcasts from STARZ that were posted to iTunes during the last "Droughtlander." They address the following topics: Composing for TV Running a Production in Scotland Post-Production All Things Producing. I'll be enjoying these in the coming days as we wait for the episode 601 podcast to drop. You can find the podcasts by going to iTunes, limiting your search to podcasts, and then searching for "The Official Outlander Podcast." You'll know you found the right one if it shows STARZ as the source. Note that if you click on the "Related" tab of that iTunes screen you will find a bunch of other podcasts from other sources that also focus on Outlander. They are of varying quality but I have listened to some of them in the past and enjoyed them. But "The Official Outlander Podcast" is, of course, my favorite as it generally includes interviews with people involved in the making of the show. (Interviews with the directors are my favorites.) The way the podcasts are USUALLY set up is that the podcaster watches the episode and makes comments in reaction to what is shown on the screen. So what I like to do is watch the episode on-demand on my TV with the sound turned off and the closed captions turned on, while listening to the podcast from a second source (iPhone, iPad, laptop, etc). Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to synchronize the podcast commentary with the playback on the screen, but I usually can get there in the end. Here's hoping they ARE going to continue posting behind-the-scenes commentary for each episode this year. I love them.

Here's a link to the "Inside the Episode" commentary for this ep.

Here's a link to the "Inside the Episode" commentary for this ep.

The book was written and published in America. I doubt if it got much attention in Scotland when it came out. But the Outlander TV show has been a huge boon to Scottish tourism. So no, I wouldn't have expected any reaction in Scotland at all to the publishing of the original book and I doubt if the show had much to do with the recent statement by the Scottish government, but it wouldn't surprise me if was a minor contributor to the decision. We'll never know -- I'm just speculating.

This just in: "Scotland Apologizes for History of Witchcraft Persecution". https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/world/europe/scotland-nicola-sturgeon-apologizes-witches.html Now I'm not saying the depiction of Claire nearly being burned at the stake in Season 1 was a significant factor in that decision but you have to wonder if that wasn't one of the contributing factors.

Someone on the other board mentioned that Alexander Vlahos, who plays Tom Christie's son Allan, also played the King's bother, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans (a.k.a. "Monsieur") in the TV show "Versailles." OMG! I LOVED that show, and the actor who portrayed Philippe was terrific. This bodes very well for future episodes.

And don't forget the religious issue. Most of Jamie's settlers were Catholics but his own son-in-law was Protestant and thus Jamie would never want to be seen as prejudiced against Protestants. So to turn away an Ardsmuir man who just happened to be Protestant might have given the Protestant residents of the Ridge some concerns about how sincere Jamie was in welcoming them.

Well I don't think they've suggested she is an addict, only that she is abusing the substance -- using it for a purpose for which it was not intended. I don't think people can become addicted to ether in this century in the same way that people became addicted to things like opium because ether knocks you unconscious. Its effects are strictly short term and there is no way to function under the influence of ether. Opium addicts, on the other hand COULD function -- albeit in an impaired manner -- while under the influence of opium. (One example I can think of from a recent television show is the way Alma Garret was depicted in the TV show "Deadwood.") Furthermore, opium addicts suffered withdrawal symptoms if they stopped using opium and I don't think we seen any suggestion that ether has that effect. But . . . my argument above may be splitting hairs. Michael Jackson became dependent on using an anesthetic in order to sleep and he died as a result of that very risky practice, right? And here's Claire administering an anesthetic with no one there to monitor her vital statistics or to ensure the mask falls off her face once she goes unconscious so . . . is she addicted or just abusing the substance? Eh, maybe it doesn't matter. I agree with SassAndSnacks. I'm sorry this plot line was added to the story. Claire is smarter than that. As I recall he was chosen by the commander at the prison as spokesman for the prisoners. He was supposed to keep the prisoners in line. Then Jamie showed up and proved to be someone the prisoners admired and would follow and ended up taking Tom's place. The other thing about Christie is the Masonic connection. Too much time has passed now for me to recalled the chain of events (i.e., who was a Mason first) but what I DO recall is that one of the tactics Jamie employed for bringing about harmony at the prison was to to form a Masonic lodge within the confines of the prison and to induct EVERYONE into the lodge. It was a good idea and it worked. The conflicts between Catholic and Protestant prisoners were greatly diminished because religion was (and probably still is) a forbidden topic between lodge brothers. (I think politics is also a forbidden topic.) But one of the consequences of the Ardsmuir "lodge" was that it created a "brotherly" obligation between Jamie and Christie. That being said, my recollection is that Book!Christie arrives at the Ridge while Jamie is traveling and Roger is in charge and Roger -- not knowing about Jamie's complicated history with Christie -- welcomes him with open arms. Had Book!Jamie been home when Christie arrived Jamie might have been able to think of a better alternative. He might have found a diplomatic way to encourage Christie to settle elsewhere and even given Christie some aid in getting there. But by the time Jamie learns of Christie's arrival (in the book, if I'm recalling this correctly) Christie has already invested a fair amount of time in building his home. That's not really the case in the show. Christie has only recently arrived when TV!Jamie first encounters him but Jamie seems to feel his hands are tied regardless. The OTHER thing that I think I recall from the book (which I think is also suggested in the episode) is that Jamie did not want to make a big deal of his dismay at finding Christie on his land because to do so would make Roger look bad to the other settlers. Jamie was eager for Roger to be respected by the settlers and for them to view him as a leader who was Jamie's natural second-in-command -- a true "son of my house." So he could not countermand one of the few decisions that Roger had made on Jamie's behalf.

I re-watched that episode earlier today and I don't think Fergus was at the big house when the attack came. I recall a scene of very-pregnant Marsali being knocked to the floor unconscious and I feel certain that if Fergus had been there he would have fought to the death to defend her (and Claire). But, okay, I can imagine him having a kind of "survivors guilt" over the fact that he was not home to defend her when the attack came. The other thing that may be troubling him is that he may doubt whether he COULD have defended her if he HAD been home when the attack came. Fergus has been one-handed for a long time now so I'm betting he's learned to aim a pistol with his remaining hand but he probably can't load it. Have we ever seen Fergus swing a sword? I'm guessing he never acquired that skill. His survival skills are more . . . subtle (i.e., negotiations and picking pockets.)

Ditto. I have dreaded her arrival. Yeah, what IS that they are doing? That seemed to come out of nowhere. I have the vaguest of recollections that somewhere in this VERY long book series Fergus suffers depression because his disability means he can't fight alongside the men of the Ridge, but we're not on a war footing yet so I was surprised to see that issue raised so soon. But perhaps I'm misremembering. Perhaps Fegus' depression comes sooner in the saga than I am remembering and is triggered by the constant building going on on the Ridge -- a task that Fergus is ill-equipped to take part in. Ooooh Ditto. And I'll bet Sam enjoyed getting to portray a whole new version of Jamie in those scenes. We've seen Jamie-the-leader-of-men at Ardsmuir before but this early-Ardsmuir Jamie is super angsty. Claire is gone, the war is lost, and while he chose to have himself turned in so his sister could collect the reward, in this flashback he appears to be newly incarcerated and still struggling to make peace with that decision. That's not a version of Jamie we've seen before. The whole family is toxic. I know a story needs antagonists to move the plot forward but, damn. I don't remember that from the books but yeah, she did have an unexplained bruise on her hand. I'm going to cling to the hope that it is the result of drunken clumsiness on his part and not that he hit his heavily pregnant wife. (She got manhandled quite enough last season when Claire's kidnappers knocked her unconscious thankyouverymuch.) Add me to the list of people who HATE Claire self-medicating with ether. I do recall that Claire suffered from prolonged PTSD in the books - the result of her being kidnapped, beaten and raped - but yeah, self-medicating by huffing ether didn't enter in to it. In the books we are in her head (she's a first person narrator) so we have a very clear window into what she is feeling. Screenwriters have a harder time in that they have to "show, don't tell" everything. But choosing to show THAT was a choice I'm not too keen on. He DID? I don't remember that. I remember him being depressed for a while but not becoming an abuser. I wonder if I mentally glossed over that because I didn't want to see a character I am fond of go down that road. Ah, thank you. That does ring a bell. I'll sit back and let that unfold in the show, but I still say that Fergus' discontent seems to have manifested rather abruptly. Then again, it's been two years since last season aired . . . maybe Fergus' feelings of inadequacy were hinted at in the prior season and I've just forgotten.

I just re-watched this episode in prep for tonight's return and boy do I second the motion! Highlander-style vengeance for the win! I thought they did a good job translating the book to film but I, too, missed the drum. I have have such a strong mental image of Book!Roger terrifying the kidnappers with his war drum that I was surprised not to see it in the episode, even though I'm sure I've seen this episode at least three or four times in the past. It's described as terrifying in the book. Maybe the show runners just didn't think they could live up to that description. And like Morgan, I found myself cheering tonight when Claire's rescuers attacked. I was downright bloodthirsty to see Fergus avenge the assault on his pregnant wife; and seeing Young Ian in full warrior mode was thrilling.

I'm having a funny experience as I re-watch these season 5 episodes in the run-up to tonight's premiere of season 6. I recollected that season 5 was quite grueling to watch but I didn't recollect the details. So after virtually every episode I find myself thinking "Oh yeah, this is the episode that was so tough to watch because of __________. Glad THAT's over." But no, in the very next episode some other horrific action happens, generally involving violence against women. I love the book series. I love the show. But I'm going to have to gird my loins in order to wade back into the this particular fray.