I'm sure that most of you probably know, Outlander - by Diana Gabaldon - is my favorite book. (It's book one in a series of 8 books - so far...)
As far as genre goes, Outlander is one of those hard to define novels, but basically it's a historical fiction - filled with adventure, mystery, science-fiction/fantasy and romance. And, it is amazing.
For a detailed synopsis click here: Diana Gabaldon's Website
And, unless you've been living under a rock for the past several weeks, you also know that Outlander has now been made into a Starz original weekly series. For more on the Starz/Outlander series, click here: Starz
I've got to say, they did a fantastic job! Ron Moore, screenwriter and tv producer, best known for Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek, is brilliant. He loved the book and wanted to make an adaptation, but decided to keep it as close to the original as possible - and he succeeded! Thank you, Ron!
For more on Moore, click here: Ron Moore on IMDB
The score was composed by Bear McCreary, who has created original music for a myriad of TV shows, some of which include: Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead, DaVinci's Demons, and many more.
Needless to say, Outlander's music was hauntingly beautiful!
To hear some of it, click here: Bear McCreary/Outlander
And here's the opening credits music:
Sam Heughan plays Jamie Fraser, and if you've read the book(s) you must agree they couldn't have chosen a better actor. There was a lot of talk prior to the show's first airing - some people suggesting he wasn't tall enough, his hair wasn't red enough, etc. But believe me, I've read the books, and this man IS JAMIE!
His expression when he looks up at Claire after she comes to his aid (first a dislocated shoulder and then a bullet wound) is absolutely perfect. You can see the beginning of a subtle attraction begins here; he is in awe of this woman and her unique ways:
Caitriona Balfe plays Claire Randall, the main female protagonist who is hurled back in time from 1945 to 1743. Some folks had said Caitriona was far too thin and fragile looking, but trust me, after seeing the first episode several times,
she IS CLAIRE! The book mentions that Claire has a difficult time hiding her emotions, that her facial expressions give her away, and Caitriona has done a fabulous job of showing us those emotions even when she isn't speaking. She is an awesome actor and I'm looking forward to seeing her evolve even further as Claire goes through all of her adventures.
Tobias Menzies plays Claire's husband, Frank Randall, and he also plays the main antagonist, Captain Black Jack Randall, who happens to be Frank's brutal ancestor. Again, I think they chose wisely:
All in all, I'm completely satisfied with the first episode. There were a few minor differences, several of which only made it easier for those who haven't read the books, (in my opinion) and I have NO complaints.
Hey, I've been waiting for this for 12 years!
I still get goosebumps just watching the trailer...
And I will not admit to how many times I actually watched episode one...
If you're interested in following along and keeping up with all the Outlander shenanigans, here are several facebook groups you might find fun and interesting:
And here's Diana's FaceBook Page
(She posts often and actually communicates with her fans!)
So what did you all think of the first episode?
Now, if I could only get my mind back on my own writing, perhaps I might get my current WIP finished this year!
Have a great week!
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