The kilt has dropped. Reviewing “Sassenach”

Let me take a moment to enjoy the fact that I’m actually reviewing the first episode of Outlander.

Ok, good? Good. Let’s do this.

Opening shot of Glencoe. No wonder the place is a character on it’s own. This image is beautiful. The Scottish Highlands in all their imposing and mysterious glory. And, to top it of, Claire’s voice saying the prologue almost word by word. A shiver went down my spine. It’s so ominous. And the prologue is so iconic.

Hello, Claire! The whole thing with the blue vase made me cry. It works both ways. For the fans of the books, is a wink. We know all about that vase and even if Claire wasn’t talking about it, just seeing it on display on that window would have made us squeal. On the other hand, it helps tell Claire’s story to people who haven’t read the books. It perfectly summarizes Claire’s life until now.

And Caitriona Balfe. I couldn’t have asked for a better actress to play Claire. She was overwhelming. This is a woman I could be friends with, a woman I could love and admire. This is Claire’s story, we see everything unfold through her eyes. And Caitriona bears that weight beautifully. She makes Claire strong, sweet, intelligent, vulnerable, capable, kind, stubborn, brave, adaptable, true and very real.

Flashback to Claire as a nurse in World War II. This is the exact moment when I knew for sure Caitriona Balfe is Claire. When she learns the war is over. He face speaks volumes. Claire can’t lie, she has a transparent face. Everything that goes through her mind, shows on her face. And in these 3 seconds, you can see that on Caitriona’s face. The disbelief of not understanding at first what’s happening, the relief that it’s finally over, the fact that she is exhausted, you can see her thinking about all the years that went by during the war, all that she’s been through, the fact that even if the war is over, she’ll never be the same again. And you can see her disappointment. Like she finally found her place in the world, being a nurse and helping people and the war ending is taking that away from her. You can see her asking herself “what now?”

“I do know this: even now, after all the pain and death and heartbreak that followed, I’d still make the same choice”

Goosebumps. A lot of them. I believe I even cried a bit. I can’t detach myself from the fact that I know what comes after. Maybe for the people who haven’t read the books this phrase in intriguing because they are wondering what choice she made. But for me, this is huge. I know what choice she made and all that that choice cost her and the people around her. I know what that choice means. And I can’t help but remember everything that comes after that choice. So that single word contains all of the 8 books combined. Heavy, loaded word, that one.

Something I didn’t imagine like what they did were the opening titles. I imagined them different. I don’t know how to explain it, but I never thought of them the way they actually are. But as with everything in this show, the opening titles are perfect. The slow start of the music, the alternating images between the 20th and 18th centuries, the thing about not showing the character’s faces… and then the music swells and I feel it in my soul. I tear up every time I hear that part. And ending with the blue flowers was genius. The flowers who are the cause of everything.

The palette chosen for the 1940′s and the muted colors are an excellent idea. It totally gives you the feel and mood of the post-war years. The blood on the doors, Mrs Baird, the whole scene at the B&B were almost like the books. It’s so amazing to see the amount of work and attention to details that went into making this show. And don’t tell me you didn’t squeak like a loon when Mrs Baird said that bit about ghosts. Foreshadowing, anyone?

Let’s talk about Frank. I never did like Frank, so it speaks volumes in Tobias Menzies favor that I do like TV Frank. Let me explain. I like the character of Frank. He is very intriguing. Some of the things he does  are… I don’t know how to say it without being all spoilery. But just know that I find the character of Frank very well written and developed. More often than not, we get to know things because of him. He is the one that kinda reveals a lot of secrets and discovers a lot of things. So he is a very important character. But I never fully understood why Claire was so hell-bent in going back to him when she had Jamie. Now I do. Tobias Menzie’s perfomarce is outstanding. The chemistry between the actors and the relationship between the couple is marvelous. You can feel the awkwardness between this two people who have been very close in the past, but have grown apart and they have to get to know each other again. And the way Claire looks at Frank? You can see the love and admiration there.

Having them visit Castle Leoch was a stroke of genius. It will totally set the duality that Claire feels, that being torn between two time periods and two men. And her pause and sigh entering the surgery gave me chills. I gotta say that, so far, I don’t mind the changes they’ve done from book to TV screen. And this scene I actually love. Despite the fact that it never happens in the book and despite Frank and Claire’s sex scene. If any… I like it more for it. It will be very significant when she goes back in time. Frank’s spirit will be there. It will be a constant reminder.

OMG, you guys! Mrs Graham, Reverend Wakefield, the Manse!” You have no idea how many times I imagined myself walking through those rooms, going into the Reverend’s study and reading the genealogy chart. It might be stupid, but I grew quite sentimental towards the Manse. Maybe it’s because of Roger later on. By the way, where is wee Roger? I expected to see a little, green eyed boy! Oh well… never mind. I hope we get to see him as a grown up (fingers crossed). Can we talk about the reading of the tea leaves scene? I swear the hairs on the back of my neck and on my arms prickled. And here’s another scene that established Caitriona as Claire for me. Because I know what’s going on in her head while Mrs Graham reads her leaves and her palm. And Caitriona transmitted those thoughts with her face. Her confusion, the fact that she got a bit scared, the sadness about her husband being a stranger (of course she thought they were talking about Frank)…

Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!!! OMG!!! I swear I yelled it with her!!! I’ve read it so many times and I’ve said it so many times in my mind that finally being able to see it and hear it was heaven. Specially, because I know what comes next!!!

#OMG #AllTheFeels #InstaGoosebumps #Chills #JamiesGhost #KillMeNow #OMG

The Pagan ritual at Craigh Na Dun couldn’t have been more beautiful. The music, the clothes, the choreography, the photography… It was so beautiful and moving.

Well… hello there! How can a simple flower make me smile so much?

Bye-bye Claire! The slow-mo at the end of this scene is beautiful and fully loaded with meaning. And, I gotta say, I love the white dress.

Finally! I swear I was screaming “Go! Go! Go! Touch the bloody stones!” in my mind. And when she finally falls through time, we all squealed in delight! LOL! Now, being serious for like a minute, the scenery here is gorgeous. I think they shot this at Loch Rannoch, right? The little peeks you get from the loch in between the stones are breathtaking. I loved the lightning, the wind, everything! Maybe not the stones screaming. I don’t know… while reading the books I always thought of the screams ad high pitched. Sort of sounding like terror and anguish and pain. And maybe mixed in with battle cries and sounds. So that put me off a little. But I loved the choice of using her car-wreck metaphor as the image of her going through the stones. That was very clever.

Oops! We are not in Kansas anymore, Toto. And we are in full color now!

Can we have a big round of applause, please? Yes, I know we all hate Black Jack because he is evil, a sadist and just the meanest person you’ll ever encounter, but Tobias Menzies was superb! My personal fan casting for Jonathan Randall has always been Jason Isaacs in his role in “The Patriot” movie and Tobias here looks exactly like I imagined. I can’t tell you how much I screamed when I saw him! And Tobias’s performance was truly amazing. He changed so much from Frank. His posture, his mannerisms, his voice, even his face. This is going to be sooooo interesting to watch!

And then Claire is rescued by my beloved Murtagh and thus, the story begins.

How the heck did they manage to build everything exactly how I imagined it??? The scene in the cottage is awesome. I was both laughing and crying by turns. Murtagh is spot on. He is serious, taciturn, but you can see he is kind and that he cares for Jamie. He is loyal. Angus and Rupert were hilarious. I loved those two as soon as they appeared on screen. Dougal is… imposing. LOL! Graham McTavish is huge! I always imagined Dougal with hair, but apart from that, Graham IS Dougal. He is so commanding.

Oh! And can a I thank whoever thought of NOT subtitling the Gaelic dialogue? Seriously. I’m not being ironic. That was such a smart move. First of all, because I love how Gaelic sounds, so having the subtitles would have distracted me from listening to them speak. Second, because having read the books, is so much fun to try and spot some words that I know and understand. And third, because you feel like Claire, a complete and total stranger, lost in an alien world.

Oh, there you are Jamie!!! We’ve been waiting for you for so long! I don’t know if I’ll be able to explain how much I loved Jamie. Thing is, when his casting was announced, I hated Sam Heughan. He wasn’t at all like my personal Jamie. I even thought at one point, not to watch the show. Then he grew on me. He transformed into Jamie before my very eyes. And yet… I wasn’t convinced 100%. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sam. I’ve seen every single interview, panel, event, photoshoot. I became sort of addicted. He is funny, and cute and sweet and sometimes awkward. He is adorable. But even though Jamie might be all those things, Jamie is also tough, strong, huge, commanding, self confident. He is a MAN. Or as Ron says, he is the “King of Men”. So I wasn’t sure that Sam could convey all those things. I was wrong. So very wrong. Sam IS Jamie. Even with the little screen time he had in the first episode, I’m 100% on board now. He was stunning.

And the fixing of the shoulder scene is a classic. I was grinning like an idiot all through the scene.

Already taking care of her. *swoons*

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Claire and Jamie. I think I’m going to cry all over again.

If they keep on doing the scenes and dialogue almost exactly like in the book, I’m going to burst into flames. And… I have a question: how can sam Heughan get hotter the dirties he gets? I love the sideways smile at the end of this scene. That’s Jamie’s humor starting to show!!!

Oh my God! Seriously! I’m going to die right here on this spot! Can we talk how perfectly portrayed Claire’s personality is in this scene? And the clueless Highlanders was so much fun!!! But Jamie… oh Jamie… The look he gives her could melt an iceberg. He’s fascinated by her. Sam Heughan, hat’s off to you, honey.

Yes, Claire. He just called you “Sassenach” for the very first time. How come you are not a puddle at his feet??? Can I say that there was one word that made me happier than Sassenach without you lot throwing me out of fandom? I loved how he said “Aye” when she asked him if it hurt and then he sort of chuckled. That deep “aye” and rumbling laugh made me shiver.

Finally, we come to the castle. And, as Claire, our adventure is just about to begin. I can’t wait for the 2nd episode. I’m seriously considering the fact that I won’t be able to wait a whole week in between episodes. The only way I’ll survive is through repeated viewing of each episode. I think I’ve watched this one over 5 times already…

How about you?