Droughtlander is finally over, and we can resume our spirited discussions and reactions to a new season of Outlander! So here are some of my thoughts about Episode One, Echoes. Claire appears to have recovered (at least on the outside) from the attack upon her at the end of Season Five. She is back in…
Category: Outlander
So Much Surrendering
There is so much surrendering going on in this episode, it’s hard to know where to start. Part of the definition of the word is to, “cease resistance to an enemy or opponent.” There is a lot of it happening, but there isn’t a battlefield in sight. First of all, Jamie has surrendered his name….
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The title for this Season One Outlander episode (By the Pricking of My Thumbs) made me curious regarding its relevance because I didn’t see anyone actually pricking their thumbs. Turns out, it’s a line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.” And, there’s plenty of wickedness to go…
Frank’s Mixed Messages
As I watched the Outlander episode, “Both Sides Now,” I came away with the feeling that Frank Randall was sending mixed messages regarding Claire’s disappearance. She’s his wife; I think he loves her and is desperate to find her. At the same time, I think it’s more complicated than that, and I wanted to dig…
The Wedding Transformation
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched “The Wedding” from Season One of Outlander (I’ve stopped counting), but I thought it would be fun to explore Claire’s mindset as the day unfolded. The episode begins with a 20th century marriage proposal from Frank, but their kiss morphs from the two of them to Claire…
Beautiful Lies
In the Outlander episode, The Garrison Commander, lies and half-truths weave back and forth into a multi-layered tartan of deception and introspection. At the stream, Claire tells Lieutenant Foster that she is a guest of the clan MacKenzie and not being held against her will. One one level, she’s telling the truth, but she wasn’t…
A Scrap of Plaid
After the battle of Culloden in 1746, the wearing of a kilt or Highland clothes (plaid) was banned. Failure to comply came with a steep penalty – a first-offender caught wearing a kilt could be imprisoned for six months without bail. A second offense would result in transportation to any one of His Majesty’s plantations…
Shirt Politics
When Jamie and the others set off in Season One to collect the rents, he has no idea that he is about to become a political pawn and unwillingly support Dougal’s Jacobite agenda. Even though Dougal’s speeches are in Gaelic, we (like Claire) catch on to what he’s up to. And to bolster support for…
The Surgery Window
There are times when part of a set becomes a fascinating, compelling part of a story. I noticed the window in the first few episodes of Season One of Outlander and followed it along as it played a captivating role in the dramatic impact of the scene where it appeared. I was struck by how…
Deciphering Dougal
It’s hard to figure out what’s simmering beneath the surface of Dougal’s masked countenance. I thought it would be fun to explore the possibilities in “The Gathering.” At the oath taking, Dougal is the first in line to swear his allegiance to Colum, but it looks more obligatory than anything else. He looks irritated and…
The Best Welcome
The somber, weary Highlanders returning to Castle Leoch are a welcome sight for Glenna Fitzgibbons (Mrs. Fitz). Her greeting seemed boisterous, almost startling to me until I hit the pause button and thought about it. When the Highlanders set out on their journey, she had no way of knowing if she’d see any of them…
Outlander: Back to the Beginning
I thought it would be fun to go back to Season One, Episode One (“Sassenach”) of Outlander and look at the foreshadowing/interesting bits that would show up in later episodes/seasons. The first time I watched it, I had no way of knowing what details would be a clue or a strategically placed bit with a…
Outlander’s Murtagh Returns!
Once it was revealed that Murtagh would be returning in Season Four of Outlander, I have been wondering how, where, and when it was going to happen. One screen grab appeared to show him walking through the gates at River Run – after Jamie and Claire left for Fraser’s Ridge. “He’s missed them!” I said…
Claire’s Amazing Strength
Claire is an amazing, strong woman. Her love for Jamie drives some of her actions and make us gasp in awe. She shows us again in “Heaven and Earth” when she leaps from the Porpoise in the dead of night. It’s literally a leap of faith. She doesn’t know where she’s going, if she’ll find…
Love, Time, and Loss
When someone you love and treasure becomes absent from your life, it leaves a void that can never be filled. It’s a heartbreaking loss, whether it’s brought about by death or the ending of a relationship. You never “get over” losing someone; you have to find a way to move forward with your life without…
The Dragonfly in Amber
I’ve read the second Outlander book, watched the episode more than once, and I have a bit of jewelry as a remembrance. But why a dragonfly? What relevance or meaning does it bring to the characters and their journey though this part of the series and beyond? The first time we see the dragonfly in…
Outlander and a Life Reclaimed
The moment I learned I was pregnant, every thought of myself coming first dissipated like the morning mist when the sun climbs up over the horizon. It became an automatic reflex in my life, a knee-jerk reaction. Children come first. My wants and needs slid down the priority ladder, and I accepted it not once,…
Of Things Lost, or Left Behind
Time marches on, leaving things behind – some within our control, others not. Loved ones pass from this life, relationships end (by our choice or not), and some things are literally lost. They’ve fallen from our grasp and we can’t locate them. At what point does one stop looking, or hoping for things that can…
Outlander and Truth’s Fragile Veneer
The thin veneer that hides the truth from the rest of the world is applied for reasons known only to the individual that wears it. It’s worn so that we can continue to function in the world as best we can, knowing that, for now, the truth of what’s beneath must remain hidden. How many…
Symbolism and that Pearl Necklace
If you had to choose an object that’s symbolic of your life, what would it be? Perhaps a 15th century castle to house your romantic thoughts and dreams. Something as fine and fragile as the papery petals of a poppy might represent your current state of mind. Or, maybe a three-masted ship carries your desire…
Outlander and the Value of Patience
How does one survive the desert wasteland of Droughtlander? Each day brings September a bit closer, but it can’t come soon enough, if you ask me. Can patience be good or bad? Or is patience simply that, and manipulated by those who use it for their own purposes? I decided to look back and do…
Outlander and 18th Century Separation
Bidding farewell to a loved one in the 18th century was a constant test of the bond holding them together, coupled with the strength to carry on without them until they returned – if they did. You couldn’t call, or text. All you could do was wait, wonder, and worry. How does one channel that…
Outlander’s Servants and Blurred Boundaries
Season Two of Outlander brought us to Paris and the opulent apartment of Jamie’s cousin Jared. He’s hand-picked his servants for their loyalty, trustworthiness, and discretion. I wonder how a position description would have been worded. When Suzette and Magnus were selected, what were they told? How were their duties explained to them? I witnessed…
Outlander’s Claire and the Gesture of Reaching Out
What do you do when someone reaches out their hand to you? What emotions/gut feelings surround your decision to take (or not) their hand in return? It’s a simple gesture, but there’s a lot that happens in the moments/seconds leading to whatever it is that you do next. Outlander has some interesting examples to explore…
Surviving Droughtlander-This Outlander Fan’s Survival Guide
When I heard that Season Three of Outlander would not be aired until September, my brain jumped immediately to that song recorded by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, “See You in September.” It begs the question, “Will I see you in September…?”
Outlander’s Claire and Jamie – Forgive and Forgiven
When I was young, I was taught to say, “I’m sorry.” Reluctantly, perhaps, I was brought face-to-face and forced to say the words. I learned to acknowledge that what I’d done was wrong and ask forgiveness. Most times it was granted, but as I grew older, I learned that asking for forgiveness does not ensure…
An Outlander Look at Love and Loss
Ah, February! The month of love, romance, chocolates, and roses. Sentimental ballads fill the air, engagement rings are presented on bended knee, and promises of love are whispered by blushing lips, freshly kissed. But the fairy tale doesn’t happen for everyone. Outlander celebrates the love of its two main characters, but there is another who was not as lucky in…
Finding, and Losing the Love of Your Life – A Look at Outlander Romance
How does it work out for some and not for others? Finding the love of your life, I mean. Some get lucky, like Claire and Jamie. They lose and find each other over and over again! But what happens when it doesn’t work out? Can you bury the love you feel for someone you’ve loved…
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