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I binge-watched Outlander. It's good. Much better than expected. Reviews were relatively mixed. Co-workers loved it and highly recommended it, live-journal reviews were oddly snarky, lukewarm and told me not to bother. I believed the live-journal reviews - and am now, somewhat bewildered by them. (shrugs). I mean seriously this is better than Sleepy Hollow and Reign. Goes to show you, reviews don't help all that much. At the end of the day, it's all subjective.
Can see why the story intrigued Ron Moore - it shares similar thematic tropes with Battle Star Galatica and Deep Space Nine. Not to mention Caprica. Although I think it may have a tighter plot due to the source material, and focus.
The story is about Claire Beecham Randall who upon touching a standing stone, travels back in time. WWII has just ended. It is is 1945. She's on a second honeymoon with her husband, Frank Randall. They've traveled to Inverness, Scotland - so he can research his ancestors. One of which had been stationed in Scotland in the 1700s. Claire is an army nurse, who served on the front lines in France. While Frank Randall was in charge of the covert spy operations. They go up to the standing stones to watch an ancient ritual. Claire sees a flower that looks interesting to her - and the next day returns to the stones to pick it. One of the stones appears to call to her, she touches it and is flung back to 1743 Scotland, just before the Jacobite uprising in 1745.
The story flips back and forth at different points in time. We see the 1940s, and the 1700s. The lighting is distinctly different per the time period. The actor who plays Frank, also plays his ancestor, a sadist and Captain of the British Watch - Black Jack Randall. The series delves into the horrors of war, occupation, politics, gender issues, and religion. It's anti-war much like the BSG, and anti-tyranny. And it does juxtapose the irony of the two Wars, the bloody WWII and the Jacobite revolt.
There is quite a bit of sexual violence in the story - or rather the continuous threat of it, which is typical of that time period. To date, Claire has not been raped. But four men have certainly tried. This is, however, realistic of the time period. 1700s. Highlands. Brink of War. Rape happens in War. They sort of go hand in hand. Particularly in the 1700s. I actually found the sexual violence scenes here less difficult to watch than the ones in The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Buffy, and 98% of the crime procedurals - which do not have time period or war as an excuse. Possibly that's why. In this series the rape is less personal, it's not by a husband, boyfriend, serial killer/stalker/rapist, brother, father, mentor, boss etc. Also, it most likely helps, that we don't actually see a rape. Just various "attempts". They all get thwarted. Also she actually kills one of the rapists, and is more traumatized by the fact that she killed him than the attempted rape.
[It's freezing in my apartment. Stupid wind is going right through the drafty windows, no matter what I do. But on the bright side I appear to be feeling better.
The water is not working in either the shower or bath, but in everything else. Not sure why. Super's wife let me take a shower in the newly renovated but vacant apartment across the hall, since her husband won't be back until tonight - he's working. Apparently not everyone got today off.]
Can see why the story intrigued Ron Moore - it shares similar thematic tropes with Battle Star Galatica and Deep Space Nine. Not to mention Caprica. Although I think it may have a tighter plot due to the source material, and focus.
The story is about Claire Beecham Randall who upon touching a standing stone, travels back in time. WWII has just ended. It is is 1945. She's on a second honeymoon with her husband, Frank Randall. They've traveled to Inverness, Scotland - so he can research his ancestors. One of which had been stationed in Scotland in the 1700s. Claire is an army nurse, who served on the front lines in France. While Frank Randall was in charge of the covert spy operations. They go up to the standing stones to watch an ancient ritual. Claire sees a flower that looks interesting to her - and the next day returns to the stones to pick it. One of the stones appears to call to her, she touches it and is flung back to 1743 Scotland, just before the Jacobite uprising in 1745.
The story flips back and forth at different points in time. We see the 1940s, and the 1700s. The lighting is distinctly different per the time period. The actor who plays Frank, also plays his ancestor, a sadist and Captain of the British Watch - Black Jack Randall. The series delves into the horrors of war, occupation, politics, gender issues, and religion. It's anti-war much like the BSG, and anti-tyranny. And it does juxtapose the irony of the two Wars, the bloody WWII and the Jacobite revolt.
There is quite a bit of sexual violence in the story - or rather the continuous threat of it, which is typical of that time period. To date, Claire has not been raped. But four men have certainly tried. This is, however, realistic of the time period. 1700s. Highlands. Brink of War. Rape happens in War. They sort of go hand in hand. Particularly in the 1700s. I actually found the sexual violence scenes here less difficult to watch than the ones in The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Buffy, and 98% of the crime procedurals - which do not have time period or war as an excuse. Possibly that's why. In this series the rape is less personal, it's not by a husband, boyfriend, serial killer/stalker/rapist, brother, father, mentor, boss etc. Also, it most likely helps, that we don't actually see a rape. Just various "attempts". They all get thwarted. Also she actually kills one of the rapists, and is more traumatized by the fact that she killed him than the attempted rape.
[It's freezing in my apartment. Stupid wind is going right through the drafty windows, no matter what I do. But on the bright side I appear to be feeling better.
The water is not working in either the shower or bath, but in everything else. Not sure why. Super's wife let me take a shower in the newly renovated but vacant apartment across the hall, since her husband won't be back until tonight - he's working. Apparently not everyone got today off.]