Outlander: The New Series

Outlander, based on the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon premiered Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 9pm (regardless of US timezone) on Starz. (2)

As of August 8th, an estimated 600,000 viewers have watched it via online through Starz, Xfinity, Youtube, and cable and satellite On Demand. (1) Other sources say the figure is closer to one million now and expected to grow. (3)

Cast:
•Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall
•Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser
•Tobias Menzies as Frank/Jonathan Randall

The show opens with Claire Randall, a World War II nurse. It is 1945, the war is over and she reunites with her husband. To revive their five year long absence from each other, they take a trip through Scotland (including some steamy love scenes), and strange occurrences happen.

Soon, Claire is transported through a magic stone circle to Scotland in 1743. Rather than scream or faint, she assesses the situation and does the best she can with the circumstances.

Though the storyline is bewitching, Outlander is not strictly a romance, it also has SciFi (time travel) and historical features. Claire is a nurse and uses her skills to save Jamie Fraser (the 18th century Scot and third party in this love triangle). She has to utilize components of this time where germs are an unknown word.
The first part of the novel lures one in slowly. Situations brush against the supernatural, then quiet back to a normal world. However, the last half takes the viewer on a captivating journey. Once Claire meets her husband’s doppelganger the love and intrigue of this novel, shines.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful pilot for this series and look forward to many more. If you enjoy history, time travel, mystery, love triangle romance, and a strong, intelligent protagonist, than Outlander: The New Series is the TV show to watch.

And if you’ve read the novels as I have, you already know it’s a compelling and addictive story.

Bibliography
1 http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/outlander-premiere-draws-almost-1-million-views-through-starz-multiplatform-preview-1201278521/
2 http://www.dianagabaldon.com/other-projects/outlander-tv-series/news/
3 http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/outlander-premiere-draws-almost-1-million-views-through-starz-multiplatform-preview-1201278521/

Andrea R. Cooper – is a freelance writer and published author. She writes fantasy, paranormal and historical romance. You may find more about her and her novels at www.andreacooperbooks.com