I must confess: I have fallen rather hard for Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp Randall Fraser. Who is this most singular woman of many names? She is the protagonist of the STARZ series “Outlander.” Season 1 of said show is currently streaming for free, and I’ve been staying up too late and getting up too early to squeeze in episodes.
I had, of course, been aware of Diana Gabaldon’s series of giant doorstoppers for years. My brother and his wife both read ’em and were sufficiently taken by their setting to take a vacation in Scotland. They’re far from alone in that. In fact, Gabaldon — and now the show made from her books — are probably responsible for several percentage points worth of uptick in the Scottish tourism economy.
The premise goes like this: Claire Beauchamp Randall is a World War II combat nurse, on a second honeymoon with her intelligence officer/historian husband Frank Randall in the Scottish Highlands in the post-war fall of 1945. Visiting a circle of standing stones, Claire falls through a portal backward through time, into the year 1743, just as Jacobite intrigue is beginning to roll toward the final great uprising of the Highland Clans in support of Charles Stuart, the King Across The Water. Of course Claire knows what will happen on Culloden Moore on April 16, 1746. That knowledge becomes a torment. Turns out that warning ardent rebels that their cause is doomed — but you can’t tell them how you “know” this — is a dicey business.
Gabaldon’s difficult-to-categorize mash-up of fantasy, romance and historical fiction became a publishing phenomenon, with a legion of exceptionally devoted fans (mostly, but not entirely, women) and spawned this STARZ show.

‘Outlander’ is, at its heart, a romance, a challenging love affair between Claire Beauchamp Randall and the young Highlander Jamie Fraser. It’s a chick-flick that men can thoroughly appreciate.
I’m impressed. I have no idea what kind of budget these shows work with, but like STARZ’s other 18th Century original, “Black Sails,” a big percentage of it is up on the screen. Whether it’s the Scotland of 1945 or the Highlands of 1743, it feels lived-in and real, full of natural beauty — and, in the 18th Century incarnation, danger and grit and blood and horseshit.
The conceit of having a 20th Century woman flung into the 18th Century Highlands allows Claire to function quite brilliantly as a mediator between a modern viewer and an archaic culture. I get a real kick out of the musical cues for an unspoken interior dialogue: When Claire is pining for her 20th Century life and husband, the soundtrack slides into 1940s-era popular music, which clashes hard against the 18th Century visuals. Invariably, Claire is jarred out of her Big Band reverie by an intrusive new reality. What a clever way of conveying her emotional circumstances!
The Highland Clans constituted one of the great frontier cultures of the world — clannish, honor-driven and honor-bound, whiskey-soaked and replete with all the warrior virtues and vices. Claire’s reactions to the strangeness of her new world feel very authentic. She’s a combat nurse and has seen more than her share of the results of man’s inhumanity to man. She’s not squeamish and she handles the horrific aftermath of a Highland boar hunt gone wrong with aplomb, winning the respect of a hardened clan war chief.
Yet, she has the modern sensibilities that recoil at a culture that sees nailing a kid’s ear to a pillory as a fit — even gentle — punishment for theft, one that retains a superstitious dread of demons and spirits and the very real presence of Old Nick. She can’t help judging things she does not understand, and it leads her to misinterpretations of motives. As she gains understanding, so does she gain a certain affection for and allegiance to the doomed clansmen of The Mackenzie.
Claire (played by the absolutely riveting Caitriona Balfe) is is a strong, smart, adaptable heroine who readily carries the story. And she’s proof that a woman can write a strong female protagonist without resorting to caricaturing the men in her world as malignant tyrants or hapless bumblers. Well done, Ms. Gabaldon, well done.
Claire is assertive in a modern way that is unsettling, annoying and occasionally comical in her 18th Century surroundings, but there’s nothing arch, hip or ironic about any of it. She’s strong and capable, but in a realistic way — no outlandish (sorry) kick-the-boys’-asses capabilities. She’s a woman thrown alone into a very dangerous world, and she requires male protection, which is both upsetting and comforting to her.
Her capabilities as a nurse — a “healer” — are of obvious value in a rough culture where injury and wounding is common, along with illness and disease. Yet her skills also bring suspicion upon her, because her 20th Century knowledge and expertise is beyond the ken of the Highlanders.
While Claire is repelled by some of the rougher aspects of the culture in which she finds herself immersed, she also finds much to respect and admire. How can you not love a heroine who gamely sits down to “waulk wool” with a bunch of singing, tippling Highland women, immersing her lovely, long-fingered 20th Century healing hands in a skein of fabric liberally soaked in hot piss?
It’s an earthy tale, as befits its era and setting.
Much has been made of the perception that the sex scenes — marital sex, imagine that — are created for the “female gaze” as opposed to the dominant “male gaze.” Whatever. The showrunner says he just didn’t want to do “TV sex,” which sounds about right to me. The point being that, despite its fantastical premise, “Outlander” manages to feel “real.” The characters act like real people, and the Highland culture is treated as a living thing, not as a museum piece or a caricature.
“Outlander” is a fine, immersive viewing experience. I’m glad I jumped in and I will continue to follow it into its forthcoming second season. Any true Scotsman would appreciate getting it for free, but I’m in, even if I have to pay for it. Besides, it really should be shared with my girls. It’s a chick-flick, after all. Don’t tell anyone.

The magnificently-mustachioed Dougal Mackenzie, war chief and Jacobite plotter. Note the French musket, presumably the 1728 pattern. The French supported the Jacobites — including supplying arms — as a means of discomfiting the British. The arms and equipage of the Highlanders is very well-depicted.
Annie Pick says
I have only watch the first episode, but I have read all of the Outlander books save “Written In My Own Heart’s Blood”, which sets upon my bookshelf calling to me.
When I started reading this series years ago I wasn’t sure about the story, then Jamie appeared and the lives of Jamie and Claire became so intriguing. Outlander easily becomes an addiction.
I would get caught up with the author and I tap my fingers, even stooping to email Ms. Gabaldon, pleading…. when will your next book be published? I think I am savoring this last book that I stare at but haven’t opened to read yet. I don’t want it to be over.
And it won’t be because I fully intend to re-read the entire series at some future date. Maybe I will sandwich in the television series between now and then.
john maddox roberts says
My wife and I have known Diana Gabaldon for years and are very proud of her getting this terrific series produced. We lived in Scotland in the early ’70s and feel a strong affinity for the place. One little drawback for me – notice the dirk Jamie is balancing in that picture? It’s a Hanwei and just barely acceptable as authentic. Having gone to such lengths to be authentic, they could have gone a few bucks extra and gotten him an authentically-styled custom dirk. There are many makers of fine dirks out there. I have one made by famed cover artist Darrel Sweet, who also crafted fine-art flintlocks. All in all, an excellent series and I’m looking forward to the second season.
John says
The Outlander series did indeed inspire us to choose Scotland for a two week stay, and we were glad we did. We also chose a few destinations that wouldn’t be on the average tourist agenda, Culloden Moors, especially. We visited on a drippy, gloomy day (appropriately), and toured the battlefield and the memorials to all of the clans. A cottage that is mentioned prominently in books is still standing, and part of the tour. I got the same feelings of stillness, sadness, and maybe reverence that I did a few years later at the D-Day beaches in Normandy.
We did some pub crawling with the locals, too. The Scots are a friendly bunch, but as some of them get into their cups, the brogue becomes so pronounced that they become almost unintelligible to us Yanks.
The STARZ series is really excellent, in all production values. Plus there is enough violence and sexual titillation (yes, I wrote that) to keep one quite engaged. If these are “chick flicks”, sign me up.
Bro’ John
Keith West says
Diana Gabaldon was a guest one year at a science fiction convention I used to attend regularly. She gave a talk on how to write a sex scene. She focused on the emotional aspects rather than the biological ones.
The whole premise reminds me of the BBC comedy series Goodnight Sweetheart, about a man from the present (the 1990s, when the show was filmed) finding a time portal to London in the opening days of WWII. In spite of it being a romantic comedy, it had some pretty serious episodes, such as when the main character acted as a spotter during the Blitz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Sweetheart_%28TV_series%29
JimC says
BTW Keith, Bosque Bonito was well-worth the price o’ admission. Thanks for picking that up. Check’s in the mail. No, really.
Keith West says
You’re quite welcome. Glad you liked the book. I’ve spent the last three evenings writing up a very detailed report on the exhibit. I’m hoping to finish it tonight.
JimC says
Look forward to that.
lane batot says
Not read any of the books or seen any of this series, but I’ve wanted to visit Scotland as long as I can remember! I’m sure I’d like this too, but will havta wait till it gets cheaper, peasant crofter that I am! I am surprised there is more than one season–seems they’d have burnt the main heroine for a witch promptly!
JimC says
That’s a constant threat.
john roberts says
I just watched the second episode of the new season and I’m glad to report that Jamie has been given a much more authentically styled dirk. Also, Charles Edward Stewart is portrayed as every bit the fool he proved to be at Culloden.
JimC says
Excellent. I started back at the beginning with my girls, so we haven’t cracked S2 yet.