Jen- Episode Five: Rent

Five episodes in, I am going to call it- I love this adaptation of Outlander even more than I love the book. And that is saying something, because I love that book with the fiery hot passion of the molten sun.

Episode Five- Rent

The actor playing Dougal is absolutely bringing it. Aside from Claire & Jamie scenes, that guy is owning this show.

I admit, this is kind of dumb of me, but reading the book, for some reason I imagined that everyone slept on the ground in just their cloaks/plaids. Seeing the tents and their campsites was great, because it lent more reality to the travel than I had managed to think up in my imagination. But, how big are the MacKenzie lands? Is Scotland really so big that they travel for weeks and still are on MacKenzie land? I am confused by how long the rent collection takes when it seems like you could drive across Scotland in a day.

This show did a magnificent job of making us feel Claire’s loneliness and anger about being a captive. I am pretty sure this was a deviation from the book, where (at least in my head), she was fitting in better with the guys pretty early on, and while she wasn’t exactly one of the dudes, they weren’t so outwardly hostile with her. I think for us to really buy her drive to get back to stones, we had to see her miserable and untethered. And her discussions with Ned and Dougal about the Stuarts lend more credence to Dougal’s suspicions about her.

I loved the scene with her joining in the with women waulking wool. The camera lingered just long enough for me to think “oh no, she’s going to wimp out and slink away,” but then she stepped up to the plate.

Of course, Jamie sleeping outside of her room in the tavern was fantastic. I’m so glad they included it! It’s among my many favorite scenes. His look of absolute scandal at her suggestion to sleep in her room, and then the look he gave her when she said they’d been sleeping under the stars together… stick a fork in me, I am done. 

Another deviation from the book was the big fight in the tavern at the end. Leaving aside my 21st century feminist ethics where women shouldn’t be fought about like they’re a prized puppy that was just insulted, I liked that it showed the MacKenzies showing some care for Claire. Then her joke and the way Jamie came around the horse and seemed so happy to see her fitting in. The writers on this show are totally nailing it way better than I ever thought anyone could. Yay, show! Good job, gold stars!

Also, from Diana Gabaldon’s Facebook page, I discovered Bear McCreary’s blog, and it’s a great read. The music in this show is so well done and thoughtful. I am now officially addicted to the show’s theme song, too.