Fun
Outlander
Dear Ann,
Inexplicably, I’ve resisted the televised version of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of best-selling time-travel romance books. Certain members of my sewing circle go positively weak at the knees at any mention of our 18th century Scottish hero, Jamie Fraser.
I read the first book in the series a while back, and was a bit skeptical. We’d all love to touch a rock in the woods and be transported to an adventurous, sexy past, wouldn’t we? Life is not like that. Let’s be realists and watch The Crown and Victoria and rural clergymen solving murder mysteries, ok?
This weekend, awash in longing for EYF and tweeds and scones and whisky and porridge, I overcame my hesitation, dialed up a free trial subscription to Starz, and indulged in Season 1, Episode 1.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to hit play on Episode 2 as soon as I schedule this post.
Here’s a look at the costumes. From Episode 1, I can vouch for the beautiful clothes. Stained with mud, sweat and blood, but hawt as heck and reeking with historical accurate-ishness.
Craving some Outlander-themed knits and eats? Here you go: Highland Knits and Outlander Kitchen are here to help.
Love,
Kay
It gets deliciously steamy. VERY steamy!
The costume designer Terry Dresbach has a blog where she goes into details about the costumes and how they created them. It’s amazing!
I tried to justify my obsession with the books and show by telling myself that it brought up so many ethical issues, like all time travelling stories. Do you change the past, can you change the past, if you change the past do you cease to exist? And what about her husband? Will she ever go back to the present? Do you forget the present and only live in the past?
Or is it just a bodice ripper, as my mother would say?
The show is remarkably good. Stop resisting for the love of god!!!!
Or Goddess… There is a Pagan presence in this epic tale…
Hear, hear!
Welcome to the club! (I’m actually in Edinburgh now, recovering from my first #EYF! Home to Kentucky tomorrow) Outlander is not reality, but a darn good fantasy!!
I’m a big Outlander fan! I listened to all of the books (twice, waiting for the next one to came out) and watched the Starz series, all via my local library.
Go ahead and let yourself fall through the rabbit hole (or be sucked through that big stone).
Well, I am not sure that The Crown, Victoria, or crime solving clergymen are reality either! I guess we all pick our alternate realities to fall into. I am a uuuge fan of Outlander, even though I like the books much better. People who only read the first one often do not like the bodice ripper flavor, but that gets better as the series goes forward. After all, Diana Gabaldon just wrote the first one on a lark to see if she could, then she knuckles down with lots of research and authenticity to set the stage for a very steamy love story staged in accurate history and setting. I enjoy a steamy love story now and then!
Given that those are all historical period costume dramas (much like Outlander), I rather think Kay was poking fun at herself there 😉
oh, it is fun – and just wait until you get to the “wedding” episode, and then read Maureen Ryan’s piece about the episode being told from the female gaze …http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/29/outlander-wedding_n_5896284.html
Look out for the knits, they aren’t period accurate, but kept the actors warm, and though I found the second season sluggish plot-wise at times, the costumes were so much better and so very very clever (Claire wears an 18th c. take on Dior s Bar Suit). After all, it is a story about a woman time-travelling!
When you are done, welcome to Droughtlander – and Happy we-lost-an-hour-of-sleep Sunday!
The wedding episode is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen on the screen. Beautifully (un)done … ahem.
I was unable to get through even one of the Outlander books, but I greatly enjoy the tv version, in much the same way that I loved the Borgias: just delicious fun, doesn’t need justification, like eating chocolate brownies for breakfast…we all need a treat once in awhile.
Oh dear, I had JUST about managed to forget about dear Grantchester when I read about rural clergymen solving murder mysteries, and I’m in dreamland again! Instead we get the Bronte sisters next on MP. Which is fine. But dreamboat vicars would be my vote any day.
I tried the first book and couldn’t get into it either. I’m glad she started doing research after the first one. I’m now encouraged to sample the filmed version.
Favorite books. Ever.
The knitting is TO DIE FOR. I have pinned so many patterns based on watching this…
Maybe this isn’t the case in the US, since Netflix US and Netflix on this side of the pond tend to have different selections, but the first season of Outlander is on Netflix in Norway, at least!
I love the series, book and tv and I never watch any tv or read books on the royals. I saw the the movie about the queen and prince philly and was bored out of my mind. Never been bored reading or watching the Outlander series.
I read and saw the series and loved both and can’t wait for the upcoming series to start
I still have half of the second season to watch. I’m embarrassed by how much I enjoy that show, mostly for the steamy sex scenes, but also for the beautiful knits. Really beautiful.
My best-knitting-friend and I just finished binge-watching the second season Saturday night. Love the books! Love the shows but would find them hard to follow with having read the books. Don’t forget the Lord John Gray books; wonderful counterpoint.
I love the outlander Sam and clare so very much I can’t wait until August 9 2017 love it best show even more then any movie ever thanks Debra Mullin 3-12-17 my birthday august 28 I’ll be 65 Jamie and Clare there beautiful daughter this show we’ll be the best birthday gift ever God bless you all Debra Mullin ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Do we have to wait until August for Series 3? I thought that it would be released next month.
Yes, as Wendy advised, Terrydresbach.com is an amazing site detailing the actual costumes worn on Outlander. Also, for those who might consider reading the series, if you have a background in medicine Gabaldon’s research and take on early remedies and treatment for disease is pretty interesting.
I devoured the Outlander books a couple of decades ago. Adventure and sexy bodice-ripping aside, Gabaldon happens to be a really good writer. So, when the series came about, I ate that up as well. And yes, the wardrobe, replete with amazing knits and crochet, is spectacular! Coincidentally, my husband was just out of town, so I had a marathon catch up and watched all of Season 2. Now, I’m ready for Season 3 in a big way.
I am a fan of Cataronia Balfe, male that I am and can I say Outlander is a dramatic romantic and steamy watch… I am addicted.. but that’s just me…
I enjoy Outlander, but what I want to know is when WILL Grantchester be back?? PBS seems to be silent on the matter.
Love the books, love the series!
You’ve heard about Britbox? It’s a new streaming service for all things British! Rosemary and Thyme! (never let those ladies do your garden– people always die around them) Fawlty Towers! EASTENDERS!
(I’ve resisted so far, but I only found out about it yesterday.)
Dang it. I’ve been avoiding this like the plague (also, don’t have Starz). But now I might need to indulge… (I have to admit to one annoyance with the books, though – through all that flinging themselves down in the heather for romantic trysts, how did no-one ever notice that heather is pokey?!)
The audio books are divine to knit to. I am an Outlander fan through and through. I went down that rabbit hole, er….through the stones about 14 yrs ago and never looked back. Anxiously awaiting book 9!
I was so worried they were not going to cast Jamie correctly (to my mind’s eye). But they cast Jamie correctly. So, so correctly.
Yowza.
Also, Claire is my hero.
Hahaha, I’m currently reading book 4, Drums of Autumn. On page 425 we discover that Jamie knows how to knit (swoon!). He is shocked that Claire doesn’t know how. He proceeds to cast on a long row of stitches in a matter of seconds, saying, “I’ve known how to clickit wi’ needles since I was seven years old. Do they not teach bairns anything in your time?”