Outlander: The female gaze arrives on TV.
(Accidental time-traveller) Claire is rescued by Dougal Mackenzie (Graham McTavish), who leads a band of Scots from Clan Mackenzie, and it should be noted that this is one of very few times she is rescued. The rest of the time she lives by her wits, and since you can’t just tell people you fell through time and landed in the past, she makes up a story about being a widow on her way to France. Not only is Claire not a damsel in distress, but her habit of speaking her mind often gets her into trouble. She quickly demonstrates her abilities as healer, ministering to the injured Jamie (Sam Heughan), Dougal’s nephew and the very definition of “strapping”.
Let us now have a moment of silence for Starz for bringing us Sam Heughan. Heughan had auditioned for the role of Loras Tyrell in Game of Thrones (the late Renly Baratheon’s lover), and he does resemble the Knight of Flowers but looks more fetching in a kilt.
Read our TV column The Binge at BusinessWorld.
Win sets of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series in our forthcoming LitWit Challenge. And while we’re waiting for the books to arrive, someone form the local chapter of the Heughligans. We’d nominate Lola as president, but when she was president of a university org she nearly got impeached, so someone else has to plan the field trip to Scotland. Nominate yourself!
* * * * *
Update: We were wondering why this column seemed to get more attention than usual (like, 3 shares) when Carmina pointed out that the link was tweeted by @SamHeughan. Thanks.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
February 20th, 2015 at 23:03
Isn’t Starz also the company that showed The White Queen? Those intriguing women from the Houses of York and Lancaster who schemed and plotted so their sons could ascend to the throne, or failing that, for their daughters to occupy the seat beside it. The series made me read up on the Wars of the Roses just to figure out who was related to who in the confusing Plantagenet family tree where every male was named either Edward or Henry.
Speaking of TV, Skycable is showing all episodes of seaon 3 of House of Cards on Feb. 28. Curious to see where the creators will take Frank and Claire next, since a third season of ruthless manipulation and sociopathic heartlessness could start to lose its punch, Maka-karma kaya sila? Hope they don’t change the ominous opening credits and music though.
February 22nd, 2015 at 09:49
I love Tobias Menzies… And is it ironic (not sure anymore… Ask Alanis?) that “Menzies” is actually a Gaelic surname, pronounced “Meng-gees”. A Stealth Scotsman… Catriona gets two Scots to adore her.
February 24th, 2015 at 16:02
details maybe later: Yes, the z in Menzies looks like how ancient scribes wrote the now obsolete letter yogh but I think it’s more pronounced as “Meng-ihz”. I love Tobias too, especially as Brutus in HBO’s Rome.
February 24th, 2015 at 17:03
Thank you for nerding up an already nerdy discussion.
That Tobias Menzies is terrific: He disappears into his roles so no one recognizes him as dorky Uncle Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones, who couldn’t shoot an arrow into his father’s funeral pyre.
February 26th, 2015 at 22:52
I find Tobias super hot. (More than Sam. Sorry in advance.)