This is a traditional recipe for a treat which is often eaten at the end of the year at Hogmanay. But it needs to be made several weeks in advance so that it can mature. Indeed, it can be kept for up to six months if kept in an airtight container. Don't be put off by the formidable list of ingredients. It is relatively easy to make and every cook has his or her own variations on the ingredients. 

Photo courtesy: Hi Cookery

• 3/4 pound of flour
• 4 ounces butter
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 beaten egg to bind

• 1 pound of flour
• 2 pounds of Valencia raisins or other big, plump dark raisin, preferably organic (to avoid the taste of the sulfate preservatives)
• 2 pounds of dried currants (substitute golden raisins / sultanas if you have trouble getting currants. You may like to mix in some other dried fruit, such as cranberries, but this will not be strictly traditional.)
• 6 ounces almonds
• 6 ounces mixed candied fruit peel
• 6 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 ounce ground ginger
• 1/2 ounce ground cloves or cinnamon
• 1 small teaspoon bicarbonate of soda / bread soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons black treacle / blackstrap molasses
• 1 tablespoon brandy or whiskey
• Enough beaten egg or buttermilk to moisten the mixture

• First, to make the crust: sift the 3/4 pound of flour together with the salt, cut in the butter (you may want to do this in a food processor), stir in the baking powder, and add enough beaten egg to make a pliable dough.  Roll it out thin (saving enough to use to cover the cake) and use it to line a large greased pan – a 9-inch springform is ideal. Press the pastry dough well into the pan, pushing it into edges and corners. If there are any tears or joins, brush them lightly with water and seal them well. Leave about 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch of pastry at the top of the pan to seal the top crust to.
• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• For the filling: clean the dried fruit if necessary, and if the almonds have not been blanched and chopped already, do that yourself. Chop the peel finely (it's rarely chopped finely enough right out of the package).
• Sift the flour. Mix the fruit with half the flour and the granulated sugar; add the allspice, black pepper, and other spices.
• Sift the remainder of the flour with the baking soda and cream of tartar and stir into the fruit mixture. Add the brandy/whiskey and beaten egg or buttermilk, using just enough to moisten the mixture. (It should not be too soggy or batter-y, so go slowly at this stage so you don't overdo it.)
• Pack this mixture into the prepared, pastry-lined pan. Flatten and even out the surface. Moisten the outer edges of the pastry with water: apply the pastry top and seal it to the edges.
• With a skewer, make four holes through the top of the pastry, right down to the bottom of the pan. Use a fork to prick the surface of the top crust all over. Brush it with the beaten egg.
• Bake the cake at 350F for approximately three hours. Test for doneness by thrusting a heated skewer down the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack in the pan or tin. When cold, turn out carefully onto a place covered with a piece of foil. Use more foil to wrap: seal into a cake tin or airtight plastic container. Keep for at least ten days in a cool dry place before attempting to cut the cake, or it will fall apart.

Black Bun will keep for weeks, even months, when kept cool and dry in a sealed container.
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Written by Holly Richter-White, 
Peaker: 2016/2017



"People will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it....

Because, if you believe the impossible, the incredible can come true."

That quote was from Field of Dreams, but it could have just as easily been talking about Sam Heughan's My Peak Challenge. In 2016, its first year, MPC gained a whopping 3300+ members. And it seems as if for this year (2017), that number could double!
3. Fear of failure. It never worked out for me before, and this time will be worse because I’ll fail in front of thousands. Most of us Peakers failed on the first, second, 40th try. Some succeeded at first, but then fell off. But you know what, we were ALL there to pick each other back up, to share our experiences of tears, frustration and resilience in the face of (sometimes tremendous) adversity. There is nothing better than being part of this supportive group.

Written by: Blake Larsen

Written by:Anne Gavin




Or, maybe an elegant, flowy, cobalt blue gown. However, I would swap out the gold belt for a bejeweled belt/sash instead and add some amazing earrings...
Keep it Simple but...

There is also Cait's personal style to consider. Cait seems to like simple, not overly embellished and not overtly sexy (i.e. not showing a lot of skin) gowns/dresses. I've always been impressed that Cait hasn't succumbed to the pressure many older actresses feel ("older" being a relative term) of trying to dress younger or sexier. Cait is who she is. She is a classy, naturally beautiful, elegant, mature woman who knows herself. It's another reason we Fan Girls love her so much. So, there will be no JLo style dresses or need for double stick tape, as much as I love a good sexed-up Zuhair Murad gown! Here are my picks for a few simple numbers reflective of Cait's Red Carpet style to date but with a little something extra.
I mentioned some Red Carpet misses earlier. If I am being honest, I'll admit there have been some fit problems in a couple of Cait's earlier choices. As I said, Cait loves a jumpsuit and has been spotted in several over the past year. But, jumpsuits can be unforgiving and need to be perfectly fit or all kinds of things can go wrong. Fashion Bloggers and Authors of the "Fabulous & Opinionated Guide to Celebrity Life & Style"Tom + Lorenzo have been brutal at times about Cait's Red Carpet looks. But, I can tell you, it comes from a place of love. They adore the Outlander Series (often doing re-caps on their Blog) and largely cheer for Sam and Cait and their Red Carpet fashion choices. But, they have not generally looked too kindly on Cait and her Red Carpet style. They vote for the simple sheath, not overly done and think Cait should stick with that. I agree for the most part but I think Cait has some room to grow style-wise, especially at a high wattage event like the Golden Globes.

Regardless of what any fashion critic has to say about our beloved Cait or what she wears, I just know she'll look beautiful and we will all be whooping and hollering from our couches when she KILLS IT on the Red Carpet. And, who knows...maybe she'll wear the best fashion accessory there could ever be -- Sam Heughan -- on her arm. The King of Arm Candy and so much more! Go Cait! We'll be watching!

2017 Show Details: Tune into NBC for the Golden Globes on January 8th from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT. Red Carpet Coverage begin on the E! Channel (check local listings) at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.

Written by: Anne Gavin



Do you remember in elementary school when you returned from a blissful couple of weeks of freedom from homework assignments, annoying teachers and the daily academic routine to find your school chums buzzing loudly in the hallway about what they did over winter break? Commonplace were conversations about new toys received at Christmas or the hours spent playing Atari Pong (dating myself!), trips to Grandma’s house and/or the family ski cabin or beach house. Then there were those really annoying kids who havered on about their trip to Disneyland where they rode every ride (5 times) whilst simultaneously becoming besties with Mickey and Minnie. I can say now that my winter breaks are decidedly boring compared to days-of-auld. But, given how hard our Outlander Crew works, I am happy to report that they made the best use of their seldom-free time over the holidays.

For most of the month of December, the cast and crew were working 6-day weeks. These are long, 12-15 hour days in the bone-chilling cold and wet of Scotland. Just a day or so before Christmas, the cast and crew took off for a well-deserved two-week winter break! So, what did they do? Where did they go? We have some clues... and we even threw in a few #Gonelanders for good measure, just because we remain ever devoted!  Read all about it after the jump...

Caitriona Balfe

Happy Christmas from this little pudding .... 🎄#possiblepetabusepic.twitter.com/cUjRSsvBq3

— Caitriona Balfe (@caitrionambalfe) December 25, 2016

Fab new issue of @wmag celebrations with @Audi ... thank you @LouisVuitton@TaraSwennen and @Keurban for the Glam pic.twitter.com/jdjeUeK8nH

— Caitriona Balfe (@caitrionambalfe) January 7, 2017

What a welcome wagon for our gal!! #Outlander@caitrionambalfepic.twitter.com/40kImo195m

— Lynette Rice (@Lynetterice) January 8, 2017

Sam Heughan
Not to be outdone, our main man, Sam Heughan, was actually doing the Lord’s work for all or part of his break. His fitness and lifestyle program “My Peak Challenge” (MPC) kicked off its third year on January 2nd with much fan-fair. My blog colleague, Holly Richter White, wrote about how MPC has gone mainstream and how Sam’s dream is positively impacting lives. Indeed, thousands of men and women decided that 2017 was the year to get fit while achieving some personal goals by signing up for MPC 2017. And, even though Sam was enjoying a holiday break in Amsterdam and Switzerland, he still took time to Tweet encouragement to Peakers around the globe!

Welcome to all of our Peakers and the first day of @mypeakchallenge !#jazzhands#mpc2017pic.twitter.com/uD4wpdYut5

— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) January 2, 2017

Sam even shared a personal challenge... sort of. He didn’t actually tell us what it was, but my guess may be he took to the slopes and tried some skiing or maybe snowboarding. Pretty ambitious to try skiing in the Swiss Alps, or at the Matterhorn for that matter! But, I know I felt emboldened reading about Sam taking on a big challenge despite being fearful.

Today! I was challenged to something I thought I couldnt do.

I was scared.

Thank you for inspiring me. ALL our @MyPeakChallenge Peakers! pic.twitter.com/UerJGP8YCL

— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) January 4, 2017

 

@pnhmr Ron was attacked by the garage door

— Terry Dresbach (@draiochta14) January 2, 2017

 
Graham McTavish
One of our favorite #Gonelanders spent most of the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday delighting his fans (female, in particular) with daily videos of his push-up challenge to support combat veterans. I find Graham a most singular man and he never lets us forget it! It would appear that Graham traveled somewhere warm to spend the winter break (and his birthday on January 4th) with family. Good for him. And, not to be outdone, we got more shirtless fitness-related Graham views. God bless Mr. McTavish!




Duncan Lacroix
Fresh off the push-up challenge himself, Mr. Lacroix took the plunge and joined MPC over the holiday break. It would seem that his fitness-crazed colleagues may have had a lasting effect on our dear Murtagh. Duncan heralded his membership in a way only he can!

Ok for those asking I signed up this morning. I'm hoping to be as big as The Rock by next Xmas. Good luck mofos @MyPeakChallengehttps://t.co/sflWOoMJnF

— Duncan Lacroix (@LacroixDuncan) December 20, 2016

It also appears Duncan spent some time in London. Originally from Southeast Greater London, I believe his mother and  family currently live there. I’ve noticed Duncan spends a lot of time at the theatre when he has a break from acting. He worked in theatre for years and is very passionate about it having performed in many stage productions in Dublin and London throughout his career. He took in a production of Amadeus at the London National Theatre while home during the holiday. And, guess what? He noted that another #Gonelander was involved in the production.  We miss you, Willie!

Lucky enough to nab a ticket to see Amadeus at the National Theatre and who do I spy in the programme but our Willie @FinndHpic.twitter.com/sbU961g9lX

— Duncan Lacroix (@LacroixDuncan) December 30, 2016

 

Thank u 2 @portulass who just donated 2 the @bathgateregal Community Theatre in Bathgate, Scotland. Support if u can https://t.co/rzu3qjv9mVpic.twitter.com/89FDECxJpa

— Scott Kyle (@scottjkyle1) January 10, 2017

Written By: Blake Larsen


In New England, where I live, we have a saying about someone (usually a sports figure) who can do no wrong in your eyes, and who you support no matter what. We call that person a "binky." For example, Tom Brady is totally my binky.

Well, I can honestly tell you that Tobias Menzies is definitely my Outlander binky.

Most of our listeners from Outlander Cast are already well aware of my love for Menzies and his characters in Outlander – Frank and Black Jack Randall.

Despite my (self-admitted) overwhelmingly biased love of his acting and how well I think his characters in Outlander are written, I truly do believe Menzies plays an amazing antagonist in this show. In fact, I would argue that Black Jack is the perfect antagonist for Outlander and the show would be nowhere near as entertaining, or engaging, without him.

Better yet, Outlander would NOT be a success without Black Jack.

But before you click off this page and dismiss all of my credibility, please allow me to give you an honest and educated opinion on why the show needs BJR. And fittingly enough, why it's also time for the show to move on from him after season 3...

Ok - you've made it.  Thanks for sticking with me.

To begin, I've always felt the show was at its most electric when BJR or Frank were on screen. Need I remind you of the excellence on display in Claire's interrogation scene from "The Garrison Commander"? Or when Frank finds out Claire's baby isn't his? How about every interaction between our beloved Jamie and Claire with BJR at Wentworth? You may not have liked the imagery (and I get it if you don't), but every scene Menzies is in just happens to be some of the most riveting dramatic work Outlander has produced so far.


In the interest of transparency, I will admit:

1. I am just a show watcher.  Never have read the books, and never will.

2. This analysis is relatively subjective – I have always been a fan of the bad guy, whether it's Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), Walter White (Breaking Bad), Michael Corelone (The Godfather), Loki (The Avengers), Darth Vader (Star Wars), Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver), Dexter, Negan (The Walking Dead) and so on and so on.

So, yes, both of these subjective preferences certainly color my joy in watching Black Jack Randall talk about how he made a "masterpiece" with Jamie at Fort William. (Yes, rough imagery again, but absolutely VISCERAL television.)

Recently, though, my subjectivity was proven a little more objective when I saw a mini documentary about The Joker as played by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. The film's purpose was to make a case for why he was the perfect antagonist for Batman in Christopher Nolan's iteration of the famed DC character. That SPECTACULAR video - which you can watch here - surmised that The Joker essentially turned Batman from being a guy in a rubber suit into a force of nature inhabiting The Dark Knight persona as we all know him.

It was at this point I had my "aha" moment when I realized why I loved the bad guy, and more importantly, why I have come to love BJR the character.

Suffice it to say, I realized that my "feeling" about him wasn't just me being in love with the writing or the actor, or the fact BJR is totally my binky. Rather, there were legitimate story reasons for my preferences.

Before we go any further – no, I do not condone whipping someone nearly to death. No, Randall's constant need to dominate and, in turn, rape people is not something I'm into either. The man commits horrible acts, and he is almost one hundred percent abhorrent. But, on the other hand, this is a fictional world, with fictional acts – and one has to interpret his actions as fictional and, thereby, analyze them through the lens of what his acts do to help dramatize the fictional world he inhabits.

In other words, how does Randall benefit the story being told?

If filtered through that guise, regardless of whatever horrible acts Randall does, what is his function as the antagonist of Outlander and does he enhance the overall story experience?

My contention is, yes... and it's by a landslide.

So what was my "aha" moment? Why was I vindicated? Why is Diana Gabaldon's character of Black Jack Randall the perfect antagonist for Ron Moore's vision of Outlander? Well, with a little guidance from the aforementioned film, here is why:

Is it easy to argue, predicated upon the impact Randall has made on him, that our protagonist is James Fraser? Yes. But BJR becomes infinitely more interesting when you shift focus to Claire Fraser as being Randall's foe, and the battle they share together. The stakes become far more personal because it's not just about lust, or getting revenge for being embarrassed during a public beating as it would be between Jamie and Randall.

No, when the battle is between Claire and Black Jack, it becomes more about control and dominance – something we can all relate to.  But let's dive in a little further and see why this is the case, shall we?

1.  BJR attacks Claire's greatest weaknesses.


In his book, STORY, Robert McKee suggests, "a protagonist and his (or her) story can only be as intellectually and emotionally compelling as the forces of antagonism make them." In other words, our protagonist, Claire, and her story, can only stand out as far as our antagonist, Black Jack, pushes her.

Logically then, the harder they fight, the more personal it becomes, which results in more drama, and so we feel more attachment to either side.  More attachment means a more compelling struggle. If we have a highly compelling struggle, then we are privy to a highly entertaining show.

So how does BJR fight Claire? How does he push her?  How do they create a compelling struggle?

From the moment we see her in France in 1945, we recognize Claire as a strong, intellectually capable, fiercely independent, sexually driven, modern woman. She's quick on her feet, self-reliant, and she loves the idea of control over her patients with the knowledge she can heal them. But most of all – she loves the idea of a home. She stares at that blue vase in the shop window yearning for the moment when she feels like she belongs. These are all admirable traits and we are proud of Claire for achieving them.

It is with great pleasure, however, that BJR takes these traits and turns them against Claire to make them her greatest weakness.


Just like us, when Randall sees Claire for the first time, he witnesses a woman that he has not quite seen before. He takes her confidence and self-reliance, and transforms them into insecurity and desperation because he, too, is a dominating force. She is physically weaker than he, so he forces himself on her both mentally and physically.

In "The Garrison Commander," Randall allows Claire all of her inherent traits. He even goes as far as to apologize for his actions when they first met to set her at ease, giving the guise of control back to Claire. His trap was set when her independent streak pushes Dougal outside of the meeting, and when her confidence in healing is stoked by a conversation to convert BJR to the light. She thinks she's using her wits to describe her long-lost husband, all while Randall crafts a portrait of the "beautiful liar" in her visage. Then, as he will do so for the remainder of their time together, he physically dominates her, allowing a stranger to even beat her to a pulp.

This reason alone is why Garrison Commander works so well, because all we know and like about Claire – wits, independence, control, even sexual confidence – are completely turned asunder, and set against her. Essentially, Randall's prerogative, as well as delight, is to make Claire feel out of control and small.  In just one single scene, we get to see almost everything we need to know about the two going forward in the story, without actually having to tell you.

They are opposites, whose very nature creates a fundamental and built-in conflict without the need of exposition.  They exist and, thereby, oppose.

And while this is all well and good for a few scenes, the next bit BJR accomplishes is where things become truly interesting for he and Claire.


2. Randall forces Claire to make harder and harder choices. 



To further build on her strengths turning against her, Claire, despite her independence and wit, is finally devalued to the point where Dougal must rescue her from Black Jack's clutches. As bad as that may be for our heroine, and for our confidence in her ability to fend off her foes, it's at this point Outlander finally kicks into high gear because Randall demands Claire be delivered to Fort William the next day.

From here on out, because of this interrogation and subsequent rescue,  Claire and Randall become inexorably linked, and Claire knows she cannot escape him unless she has help. She wants to go to her original home in the forties, but it's BJR that pushes her to make decisions that will affect the rest of her life in immeasurable ways.

Claire's independence, her self-preservation, her confidence, all become her enemies – enemies that push her helplessly into the arms of a reluctant Scottish clan. And if she has any intent to stay alive in her harsh setting, she must succumb to those enemies and marry Jamie Fraser to stay alive.

While we all like to think that this decision is for the better, think of it in terms of Claire at that very moment in time – she has to abandon her actual husband, she has to go further away from what she believes to be her home in the forties, and she also has to succumb to the foreign world around her.

Everything she is, was, and what we believe her to be as viewers, is gone.  By virtue of BJR's threat, and each choice she makes therein, she separates herself from the character we originally met in post-war France. She loses herself. We lose our protagonist.

This is when the relationship between BJR and Claire becomes most interesting.


As McKee points out in STORY, "true character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure – the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character's essential nature." So Claire's true nature is revealed by her choices that Jonathan Randall forces on her.


Here is why this choice is so vitally important – because BJR forces Jamie to choose and pits our lovers against each other's self interests. He takes the intrinsic characteristics of our title couple we love, and turns them inside out – once again, making them weaknesses.  He knows Jamie cannot sacrifice Claire, and Claire isn't strong enough to force Jamie out of Wentworth alone.

In essence, Randall allows Claire to live because he takes away her love. He takes away Jamie and, consequently, in one final act of using her choices against her, Randall manipulates the most sensitive of all Claire's weaknesses – he eradicates the home she finally uncovered in a time to which she doesn't belong.

As fate has it, Jamie is rescued but, like her home, he is not the same. They have been ravaged by Randall, and Jamie is humiliated to the point of near suicide. In order to flee Randall's grasp, and motivated to change their own fortune, Claire is forced out of Scotland into the clutches of an even more foreign environment, France.

But this is not the end of Randall's influence.  In fact, his reach becomes ever more apparent while the Frasers reside in France.  Yes, Jamie is ruined physically and mentally which, of course, stresses our title couple's relationship.  But, yet again, Claire's strength of wits obstruct her overall vision when she tries to out-think history by forcing Mary Hawkins away from Alex Randall only to serve her up to his brother, Jonathan Randall. Claire knowingly pushes a helpless little girl into her enemy's arms.  But as bad as that is, Claire's choices become even more convoluted when Black Jack arrives at her doorstep.


Of course, one would think that Claire could allow Jamie to seek out his well-due revenge on Randall from Wentworth when they meet in France. But as if it were a cruel joke, Black Jack inadvertently strikes again because Claire cannot allow his lineage to be extinguished due to her love of Frank, the man to whom she was originally married and who also just happens (she thinks) to be related to BJR.

She chooses Frank over Jamie, her home.

She chooses Black Jack Randall over Jamie, her home.

She chooses herself over Jamie, her home.

Yes, our Claire we know and love has also knowingly chosen the very antithesis of what makes her herself – she chooses against home.

Jonathan Randall forces Claire to make these choices, and it shows who she really is on the inside.


Is Claire tough, resilient and independent? Or is she selfish and helpless? Does she have a home in Scotland, or does she belong in he forties?  What does this say about a woman whose original trajectory as a character was was to find a home?  What is her motivation in the show at this point? Or is she rudderless, going where the tidal forces of Black Jack and Jamie take her?

What's worse about it all is that Randall also forces Jamie to choose him over Claire at the duel.  In spite of his promise not to fight Black Jack, Jamie goes against his word to Claire further denigrating their trust in each other.  Additionally, it prevents Jamie from being at her side during the tragic birth of Faith, and it starts eroding the satisfaction, as well as excitement, we have in a rescued Jamie.  Not only does Claire question her relationship – now Randall has forced us to question it too.

Here's another thought – do the choices Randall forces Claire to make, and resulting pressures she is subjected to, help contribute to the tragedy of Faith? There may not be a correlation, but there is enough there, I believe, to make one at least consider the possibility – especially due to the fragility of pregnancy and birth during the 18th century.

While I don't think we can answer the aforementioned questions fully quite yet (based on what's transpired in the television show), I do believe that these questions are what makes Claire's conflict so compelling. This strong, independent character is now drifting without ANY of her traits, or husband, that made her the protagonist to begin with. Her choices make her strengths weaknesses.

We see Claire's resolve in trying to rescue Jamie, but we also see the limit to her resolve in what it takes to rid herself completely of Black Jack Randall. Her true character, as dictated by the choices she's made, namely preventing Jamie from killing Randall, are still very much up for debate – which makes her experience, pressure, revelation, and character so fascinating.

It is BJR's conflict with Claire, not Jamie, that enriches the story.

Which brings me to my next point...


3.  BJR and Claire actually compete for the same thing.


Jamie.

Randall is the perfect fit for Outlander because he and Claire are the perfect fit for each other. As John Truby states in his book, The Anatomy of Story, "it is only by competing for the same goal that the hero and the opponent are forced to come into direct conflict and to do so again and again throughout the story." Whether it be in Scotland, England, or even France, they will always compete over Jamie.

But it's not exactly what you think. Yes, Jamie is Claire's husband and she wants him. She tries to protect him from Black Jack who lusts after the boy that got away all those years ago in Fort William.

For Claire, Jamie is far more than her partner in marriage – he is Claire's purpose in life now. He is her love, her home. Jamie represents everything that Claire has longed for during the entirety of her life dating back to her time with her uncle in Egypt, all the way to being with Frank in Inverness –stability. Jamie challenges her, takes care of her and, most of all, loves her the way she needs.

For Black Jack, Jamie is the culmination of his domination. Jamie's capitulation and near death are the tangible examples of how Black Jack chooses to operate his life. Why brand him? Why vow to kill him after he's had his way? Why, in his own way, honor Jamie? Jamie signifies control to Black Jack Randall, and he will stop at nothing to have his control.  What's worse is that this control has allowed Randall to see Jamie in a way that Claire will NEVER see him. Let's go back to the Joker in The Dark Knight  for some context.

At about midway through The Dark Knight, Ledger's Joker shares a scene with an officer, talking about his friends and why he chooses knives when he kills people. "Guns," The Joker says, "are too quick.  You can't savor all the little emotions.  You see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are.  So, in a way, I knew your friends better than you ever did...would you like to know which of them were cowards?" As sad is it might be to admit, Randall sees Jamie in what they both think may be his last  moments.


It's at this point Jamie shows who he truly is – a man willing to do anything for Claire.  But Claire never saw it, and can never  see it.  No matter what, Randall has seen something in Jamie that Claire never will.  He has something on her that she cannot take away.

Black Jack Randall, because of this very reasoning, is the perfect antagonist for Outlander.

The struggle between control, dominance, love, and recognition from Jamie pushes the story FORWARD. Without BJR, Claire never has to be rescued by the MacKenzies, never has to marry Jamie, never has to rescue Jamie, never has to go to France, never feels the need to change history so the Scots win the battle of Culloden, never kills Dougal, and never has to go BACK to the forties with an unborn child.

But would any of this work with another antagonist or protagonist? Could you, perhaps, trade Jason Isaacs'Colonel Tavington in The Patriot for BJR? Hell no, because Tavington was a careerist who only cared about himself.  He had no time for dominating other men.  Could you trade Claire for, let's say, Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens? The obvious answer is no.

The two work for each other because the stakes are personally tailored for each other.

This is also why the second season is, inherently, a less effective season than the first. In season 1, we are forced to bear witness to what it takes to survive a man like Black Jack Randall. We witness love, hate, disgust and disappointment. All human and raw emotions to which we can all relate. And when the finale airs, it's not about a huge battle – it's driving force is to rescue one man. One life. One love.


Whereas in the second season, Claire and Jamie are pitted against cartoonish villains like the Duke of Sandringham and the Comte.  The Duke was a means to an end, and the Comte had no personal conflict with Claire – he was just mad that she ruined a shipment of his goods.  What were the choices they made Claire undergo?  How did they effectively change her?  There's no challenge there. There was also another odd villain.  Time.  Yes, there was a literal race against time itself.

In season 2, Jamie and Claire struggle to change the future – something we know as an audience cannot happen. Otherwise, the future from which Claire came cannot exist and, thus, we wouldn't have a story.

Season 2 of Outlander had faults, whether it was paced oddly, or it set up its many characters with very little payoff.  But season two's most egregious offense? It was impersonal.  We simply CANNOT relate to someone trying to kill us with poison because of a bad shipment of goods... or a goofy British Duke... or trying to literally change the course of time.  It is impossible. So we're not invested.

As we learned earlier, "the more personal it becomes, [this] results in more drama, and so we feel more attachment to either side.  More attachment means a more compelling struggle. If we have a highly compelling struggle, then we are privy to a highly entertaining show." So if we're not invested, there's no drama.  If there's no drama, there's no show.

Season 2, however, did have its moments.  What were those? When was season 2 most compelling? You got it – when the stakes and mettle of Jamie and Claire's relationship were tested to its highest limits by the mere (admittedly shoe-horned) presence of one Jonathan Wolverton Randall.


But now we are brought back to our original question – what is the function of Black Jack Randall within the context of this story?

Everything he does – whether it's raping women, raping men, forcing Claire to get married, pushing her to leave Scotland, or to come back to Scotland, nudging her to change history – forces Claire to see herself for who she really is, what she is capable of doing and what she is not capable of doing.

Whether we like it or not, BJR sets Claire on a course to fall in love with James Fraser and change the very fabric of her life. As such, we see her grow from being the fierce, independent woman who needs no man in her life, to a woman who finds her home, who cherishes her love, who becomes a mother and allows herself to be greater than just HERSELF. Eventually.

And through all these actions and choices that are made because of Black Jack Randall, we see a specific effect on Claire and the momentum of the story.  We see Claire lose herself and we lose our antagonist but in the end, we see her become something else entirely.  She begins one way, and ends in another.

We see Claire Randall transform into Claire Fraser.

This is a character arc.



And this why the show would not be successful without Black Jack. Because our protagonist, Claire, the one we love and for whom we watch this show, isn't our protagonist without him.  Without Black Jack, there is no arc and, thus, no story.

Which leads me to my last point...

4. Black Jack Randall has to go after season 3.


I worry about the rest of Outlander. I worry that the stakes will never be as personal as they were in the first two seasons.

The only option I see to keep the level of engagement and compelling drama is that Diana Gabaldon, Ron Moore and his staff of writers find a way to pit Jamie against Claire or vice versa.

But you cannot keep bringing back BJR to create that tension every season, because then it becomes forced. It was already somewhat forced by plot as it relates to season 2 when Claire and co. just happen  upon Alex Randall, who just happens  to be sick, and just happens  to be visited by BJR.

Which proposes a huge conundrum – contrive less convincing ways to keep bringing back Randall, or let him go and be a little less personal. I'm afraid there isn't a real answer here. We've seen what happens when the plot thickens too much (as it happened in season 2) but we've also seen what happens when you force personal stakes through coincidence.

The battle for Jamie Fraser – the inner divide that I believe truly fuels the drama of Outlander – must come to an end soon. Jamie must fight and kill Randall in order to be redeemed in his own eyes. Jamie cannot move forward with Claire if Randall still looms, even in his subconscious. Again, without Randall, there is no momentum.

But there is also only so much story to be told between Randall and the Frasers. Unlike the Joker and The Dark Knight, and it cannot go on forever. The Frasers and, most importantly, we the viewers must have closure on what happened in Wentworth. And that closure, to take advantage of its most dramatic impact, without stretching the story unnecessarily, must happen in season 3.

It kills me to say it, but it's true.

Written by: Anne Gavin






The village and Harbour of Dunure lies just to the north of the castle — a short walk up the beach. While it’s likely some sort of settlement existed during the hay day of Dunure Castle, most of what can be seen today along the harbour and neighboring village was established in the early 19th century shortly after improvements were made to the local harbour. The harbour is a square basin with a breakwater and topped off by a striking cylindrical stone lighthouse at the harbour’s entrance from the Clyde of Firth. The Kennedy family made improvements to the harbour to the tune of 50,000 pounds to make it more attractive for fishing. The depth at the harbour is only 12 feet but can be artificially increased to up to 30 feet. As recently as the 1960s, Dunure Harbour was the home base for fishing vessels of up to 50 feet in length. But, as fishing vessels became larger and demanded a deeper depth of water, the fishing fleet declined substantially. In modern day, the harbour is now home to an active leisure fleet and smaller fishing boats.

Sabrina had done her research and was going to take me to ‘the Black Kirk,’ just above the town. It was a beautiful walk up through country lanes to the West Kirk Church Yard, and it was so familiar to us for those charming scenes with Claire and Jamie, where Claire discovers the cause of Tammas Baxter’s illness.

"I’m an educated man, mistress



Beware the wood garlic

The corridor scenes where Claire faints and is saved by Murtagh

The rooms which become Jamie’s hospital...

... and where Claire finally brings him back from the brink

Near Perthshire, the church is only open to the public one weekend a year... and guess what, we were there on that weekend! We couldn’t resist posing as Claire and Geillis and asking someone to take our picture. The photo quality is poor, but we really were there and we saw the inside of that fascinating place.


     

"The first man forward is the first man down!"

   

I whipped down to Troon (a mere two and a half hours drive!) while Sabrina made her way down from the north. I wandered around that town asking embarrassing questions of café owners and people in the street – have you see Outlander filming here? No such luck, so we then decided to converge on Dunure. Right away, I saw the trucks in a camping ground (yay!) and kept on driving until I saw the filming action at the ruined castle on the coast.


The ruins of Dunure Castle on the coast in South Ayrshire

The weather was grim! Luckily, I still had all my girl-guide gear in the car – Gore-Tex coat, waterproof pants and shoes, umbrella, first aid kit (kidding again), you name it. I jumped out and started chatting with another couple of full-on fans, locals who had been there since morning. They were just about to head off, but the arrival of new fans renewed their enthusiasm and they decided to stick around. Sabrina arrived soon after that. Chris and Lillian said that the assistant director had told them that Sam Heughan would come over to meet them after the filming. Ooooh, that sounded promising!


We were in good spirits, despite the rain, cold temperatures and gusty winds that almost knocked us over at times! It was fun to meet Lillian and Chris and experience more of that great Outlander fan camaraderie. They had been to many filming locations and a fun couple with lots of Outlander stories to tell. Turns out Chris is a talented photographer, as you can clearly see from his images here. They filled us in on all the action that had occurred so far that day, and where scenes on the waterfront were filmed with Sam and Caitriona Balfe.

We watched them film scenes with Sam over and over, in and around the old ruin. Again, what impressed me is the sheer stamina of the actors, having to do scenes repeatedly, until the director is satisfied. In all the action, we spotted Anne Kenney, Outlander executive producer and writer. She was rugged up against the cold.


Anne Kenney was on set

Sabrina and I had already said goodbyes... but wait, another opportunity popped up! We knew Midhope Castle (Lallybroch) was closed to the public for filming, but Sabrina saw that someone had posted a picture on Instagram saying they had just been there. Maybe there was a chance it was open again? We decided to give it a go.

 


When we got to Midhope, we found that it was indeed closed to the public (disappointment!). But by that time, the weather had cleared so we decided on a walk through the Hopetoun Estate. There are many forest paths that take you out into a gorgeous rural setting with expansive hayfields. It was very beautiful, so we decided to stretch our legs.


An idyllic walk in the countryside

We were walking along happily, just chatting away, when we came across a man in the middle of the path struggling to get reception on his mobile phone. We asked him if it was okay for us to keep going and he waved us on with a smile.  Hmm, we were intrigued so kept on going. We were walking alongside an idyllic place, a little creek (stream, brook or more correctly, a burn in the local parlance, right?), when we spotted some action ahead – a couple of workmen building "something." We asked them if they were building a cave and they said, no – they were making a tree house (wink, wink).


They were more than happy for us to keep walking, which we did, until we came out onto the road near Midhope… surprise, surprise! The friendly security folks said it was no-go from here, so we turned back onto the woodland path to return to our car. We had a beautiful walk back through the forest. It had been a good day, a verra good day indeed.




Arriving at Lallybroch - photo by Dora

Photo courtesy of STARZ

Claire returns to Lallybroch - photo by Dora

Photo courtesy of STARZ

Sabrina and I said our goodbyes (again), but that wasn’t the end for us. We stayed in regular contact with our newfound friends from that first day in Glasgow, keeping in touch and making plans. Sabrina had shared her great personal achievements from participating in Sam Heughan’s My Peak Challenge, and that got us thinking about forming an international team to participate in 2017. That evolved into the newglasgowgirls, and we’ve gone on to share lots of adventures together, even though we are now spread out all over the world. A chance meeting with strangers who formed an instant bond over a shared passion – Outlander. 

Or, as Geillis Duncan once said…





(*title image by Chris Saint-Martin)

Written by: Morag Wright, Guest Contributor


I have been to the small Ayrshire village of Dunure many times in the past 20 years – always with my husband, Sandy, and my two boys in tow.  It was a great place for paddling, fishing in rock pools and generally running the boys' energy off before a picnic followed by pokey hats, also known as ice cream cones to you non-Scots!  This week, though, I saw it in a totally different light as it was turned into an 18th century fishing village with all the colour and effects that would make you believe it was me who had gone back in time.  Join me as I recount my day watching some of the final season 3 Outlander  scenes to be shot in my beloved Scotland...

Getting to Dunure was no mean feat.  When we had gone down for a wee look the week before, we had travelled there in no time.  Should have known better, as there was a queue on the motorway which took forever to get through or, at least, it felt like it.  Then there was the police car who decided to pull up along beside us for a quite a few miles so there could be no breaking the speed limit.   Aaaargh – this was not going as planned!

I left Sandy to park the car and hot footed it down the hill just in time to hear Catriona Balfe saying, "I really need to get onto set now" and watched her head off to the harbor.  Two minutes earlier and I could have been one of the very pleased Outlander  fans who had managed to get autographs and photos!  Ah well, more chances to come I hoped.


Sandy had driven me down and although he loves Outlander, he doesn't like watching filming – what is wrong with the man?   So, he headed off – sandwiches in hand and walking poles at the ready – for a walk along the Ayrshire Coastal Path, which passes through Dunure.  As it turns out, he kept reappearing when I thought he had gone, so maybe there isn't quite as much truth as I thought to his claim that he doesn't like the filming!

The weather forecast called for rain, so it was a relief that the weather forecasters had gotten it wrong.  Nothing new there, then, as this is Scotland after all – four seasons in one day is the norm!  It was a brilliantly sunny but frigidly cold day.




Sam Heughan was already on set waiting for Caitriona and then it was on to rehearsals and takes, which were not so easy given there were quite a few crying babies amongst the throngs gathered to watch.  Plus, there was the minor problem of having to stop traffic occasionally going past in order to achieve the silence needed for filming.  Twentieth century cars and an 18th century setting don't go together!  I thought this would be our only action before the lunch break until it seemed poor Caitriona needed a toilet break at the hotel we were standing beside.  With the potential promise of another close encounter with our star, we were all waiting on her return from the hotel toilet – not that we were timing her, of course!

Lunchtime finally came and it was then I wished I had my dog or a baby for Sam and Cait to speak to as the others babies and dogs gathered seemed to be a real draw for both of them.  We were told they would be at least a half hour at lunch so we all waited patiently in the now arctic temperatures in the hope of a photo or an autograph. We did get some photos but were promised more when the filming wrapped and told that Cait and Sam would sign autographs and pose for pictures.  Enough said.  It was Baltic out but none of us were moving! We all had one thing in common apart from wanting to see Sam and Cait and that was bright RED noses!



They both came walking along with all the extras and crew and proved they have no airs and graces, but are just part of the cast.  We all surged forward and managed to be one of the first to get a photo with Sam.  But, noooooooooooo – my iPad froze and wouldn't take a photo!  Sam was lovely and tried to get it working, but no such luck and I had to let him move on to others.  Just after he walked on, of course, the camera started to work.

Cait looked stunning and it was clear to see why she had been a  model for so many years.  She wore hardly any makeup and still looked amazing.  She first went to the many children who were there as the local school had just let out.  Cait took lots of photos with the school kids and while she was signing autographs, I heard her say "He signs it so big that he never leaves me any space" (referring to Sam) and, "Look at that –  he's written all over my face!"  All in good fun, of course!


I had my photo taken with Cait and, finally, with Sam as they were both extremely generous with their time. But, then their drivers came up and said it was time they were going.  They left many extremely cold but happy fans behind and I am so glad I was able to spend the day in Dunure.  I met many lovely, like-minded people and enjoyed a day of talking about nothing but Outlander! As Sam stepped away to get into his car, he shouted out to all the fans a hearty, "Goodbye, Scotland !"  And as he did, the sun began to set across the Firth.  A fitting end to some of season 3's last Scotland scenes before cast and crew head to South Africa to film.

On a side note – it's my birthday soon and, therefore, I'm wondering how my hubby would feel about buying me a wee ticket to South Africa.  A fan can dream...

Thank you SCOTLAND!!!!! #albaGuBrathpic.twitter.com/cTHfoM71Pu

— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) January 30, 2017

The Outlander Cast Blog would like to thank our intrepid correspondent and New Glasgow Girl, Morag Wright (pictured below right), for her reporting and ability to withstand the cold -- a true Outlander  fan!  Thanks also to Catriona Stevenson of Slainte Scotland for her photo contributions.  Also, special thanks to Chris Saint-Martin for allowing Outlander Cast Blog exclusive use of photos taken on set this week. If you'd like to use the photos, we kindly ask that you give credit to Chris and the Outlander Cast Blog.

met one of the @newglasgowgirlspic.twitter.com/aJycPoaCkP

— Catriona Stevenson (@CatStevenson3) January 30, 2017

Outlander Cast Host (and my darling wife) Mary had the awesome opportunity to attend the Thru The Stones conference in Iowa this past December.  If you were not able to attend, fear not! We at Outlander Cast are excited to share with you Terry Dresbach's keynote speech from that event. In this episode, you'll hear for yourself how funny and off-the-cuff Terry can be, learn some minor costume spoilers from season 3, get a feel for her many dinners with her husband (Outlander showruner Ron Moore) and the cast, and much more!

Hit the jump to listen to the audio right in your browser!

Episode 76 of Outlander Cast is brought to you by Hello Fresh. Please visit hellofresh.com and use the promo code OUTLANDERCAST to save $35 off your first week of deliveries.

Written by: Nikki Gastineau

Written by: Janet Reynolds


Gary Chapman's wildly popular book, The Five Love Languages, has been on the bestseller list since 2009. The basic gist of the book is this — we all give and receive love differently. The key to success in maintaining a relationship, he says, is to know how you and your partner like to give and receive love and then — wait for it — actually let each other know that and then do it. He's been married 45 years, so I think we can all agree he's on to something.

Anyway, we decided to apply the five love languages to our favorite Outlander couples. After all, this series is nothing if not an epic love story. Were couples like Ian and Jenny, and Jamie and Claire, love languages experts before their time?

First a few housekeeping details: I haven't spent years studying this. I looked at the overall concept and took the quiz myself. (You can take it here; you know you want to. Just be sure to come back.) In other words, feel free to weigh in with your own ideas of who might be what. Conversation (always polite, of course) is welcome in the comments.

Also I'm limiting myself to seasons one and two of Outlander. I've read all the books (some twice, some three times) and know about a bunch of interesting couples coming down the pike, but I'm not a fan of limiting a blog post to only those who have read ahead. You can certainly weigh in below with other couples-to-come, however — just type spoiler alert before you begin to write. Consider yourself warned, people.

Chapman boils down the five love languages this way, all of which are pretty self-explanatory:
• gift giving
• quality time
• words of affirmation
• acts of service (devotion)
• physical touch.

Each of us has a primary and secondary love language. In our most successful love relationships (which obviously range beyond our mere partner to include friends and all variations of family), we prefer to receive love a certain way. And if we aren't shown love in a way that resonates with us — if, for instance, we only feel loved by words of affirmation but our partner thinks gift giving is the way to reach our hearts — then it's almost as if we're not actually loved. Or it can feel that way. It's the proverbial two ships passing in the night.

Basically, the way to figure out the best way for your partner to receive love (which can obviously work to your benefit) is to see how he or she gives it. Listen to what they complain most about NOT getting from someone they care about and what they request most often. The idea is that people naturally give love the way they prefer to receive it. If you match those up, bingo. Happy match.

It's trickier than that IRL, of course. Not all of us know how to/feel comfortable asking for what we want. (BTW family, if you're reading this, I'm all about words of affirmation, with physical touch and quality time tying for second place. This actually surprised me because I thought tests acts of devotion would rank higher.)

So let's look at some Outlander couples. We'll start with some of the secondary couples.



Colum and Letitia

Colum is clearly an acts of service kind of guy, followed probably by words of affirmation. We see that in everything from the annual fealty oaths the clan members must give to his anger when he feels as if people who matter to him haven't done the right thing. Remember his rage when he discovered Dougal was collecting money for the Jacobite Rebellion behind his back? Or Colum's anger when he discovered Jamie had married a Sassenach, undermining his plan (at least initially) to have Jamie take over the clan until Hamish was of age?

Letitia is a bit more of an unknown. She and Colum seem to have a good working relationship. She certainly gets the need to show him acts of devotion. I mean she has sex with his brother so that Colum will have the heir he needs for clan stability. But what makes her tick emotionally? I'm going with acts of devotion as her primary, with maybe words of affirmation as her secondary.



Suzette and Murtagh

Murtagh is clearly an acts of devotion man. The list of how he shows love — from killing a boar with a knife for the woman he loved to his many acts for Jamie — is long and impressive. He's also a man of few (but often so on-target) words, so he's definitely not a words of affirmation person. Instead Murtagh's secondary love language is quality time. His entire life is devoted to helping and being with Jamie. With Suzette, he seems to value being with her whenever he can. In that conversation with Claire after she discovers the two of them in bed, he leaves to go spend time with Suzette.

Suzette is, like Letitia, a bit of a mystery. She is a servant who literally makes a living through acts of service. But that's not love. Instead, I think physical touch is her primary love language — and not just because she and Murtagh start their relationship by tumbling into bed. She fusses with him when he's dressing for the robbery, and pecks him on the cheek and affectionately touches him whenever they meet up. Touching matters to her.




Alex and Mary

Alex is clearly all about acts of devotion. He watches over Mary after she has been raped, and, in what has to be that act of devotion to beat all acts of devotion, he ensures that she and their unborn child will be protected by his brother's fortune and place in society after he is dead by arranging Mary's marriage to Jack Randall.

For Mary, words of affirmation seems to be her primary love language. Their relationship begins with talking and is built on talking and writing to each other. "He supports me," she tells Claire defiantly when they accidentally meet up in the apothecary's shop. Their love is seeded by words, by Mary feeling that she has finally — literally — found someone she can talk to. Her secondary love language is acts of devotion, which is one reason she and Alex likely work so well together in their short relationship. She works at L'Hopital des Anges, and bamboozles her family so she can secretly take care of Alex. To pay for medicine, she pawns her jewelry.





Ian and Jenny Murray

Like the other Outlander men, Ian's primary love language is acts of devotion. He and Jamie got whipped together as young boys and fought side by side in France. No wonder he responds so deeply to Jenny's refusal to let him die when his leg is amputated. She is speaking his love language loud and clear. That's because Jenny, too, shows love through her actions. She puts her body on the line when her brother is whipped by Black Jack Randall. She gets on a horse hours after giving birth (!) and throws herself in front of a British soldier's horse and brands said soldier during her mission to save Jamie when he's on his way to Wentworth Prison. Both Jenny and Ian manage Lallybroch on their own during extremely trying times, with no idea of where Jamie is or when/if he will ever return. And yet when the Laird does return, they step back, ready to assume their secondary place in castle life.




Jamie and Claire Fraser

Like Ian and Jenny, Jamie and Claire speak the same love language — in spades. And it is because of this that they unite so strongly and give each other — for the most part — what they need. In that sense, they are the perfect match. While the marriage might have been arranged and a question of convenience initially, that Jamie and Claire speak as one is clear almost from their wedding night.

Both of them show love through acts of devotion, with physical touch as their secondary. Claire literally lives her love language as a healer, constantly reaching out to help others. Her acts of devotion toward Jamie start before she even realizes it, as she helps reset his dislocated collarbone. He holds her on that horse, covering her in his plaid and offering her a dram of whisky.

Their love literally allows them to save each other repeatedly. In "The Reckoning," Jamie takes on BJR with nothing more than an unloaded pistol and his bare hands. In "The Devil's Mark," he takes on an entire mob. Claire braves Wentworth Prison to save Jamie and later in the abbey literally goes with him into the depths of his tortured soul to pull him back to life and love after he is raped and tortured by BJR. In season 2, Claire has sex with the king and along the way ends up murdering the Comte to redeem their relationship, while Jamie offers — for the second time — the ultimate of devotion: He sends Claire — this time successfully — back to safety through the stones.

In some ways, physical touch is simply a variation on an act of devotion, an extension if you will, as you give yourself to another and provide loving touches that you believe your partner will enjoy. It's not surprising, then, that Jamie and Claire unite here, too. Just how closely the two are aligned is clear almost from their first kiss. "Does it ever stop? The wanting you?" Jamie asks early in their relationship? The answer, then and in the books, is notably no. In season 2, it's worth noting that Jamie and Claire spend much of the season at odds until they return home to Scotland. Season 2 also featured virtually no sex and little intimacy between them. Just further proof of how things can go awry when a couple is not being true to their love needs.

Compiling this list of Outlander couples and the five love languages, it was interesting to see how strongly acts of service/devotion were, in general and to the most satisfied couples, particularly. Is this selfless behavior the "best" love language for showing love? Or was it simply more common in a time when people's — especially men's — behavior and mores were so clearly based on what people did? You supported the Jacobites or you didn't. You supported your laird or you didn't. Are certain love languages more prevalent in certain times?

I don't have the answer, but I do know this. The course of true love may not run smooth, but if you speak the same language, you can figure out how to get back on track.

Written by: Ashley Crawley

Inspired by Janet Reynolds' article, and all the fun that is Valentine's Day, the Outlander Cast podcast hosts, Mary, and Blake, bring you our version of the FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES of Outlander.  In this episode, we discuss what "love languages" actually mean, what our languages are,  the languages of Colum, Letitia, Frank, Dougal, Jenny, Ian, Suzette, Murtagh, and of course, Jamie and Claire.  We also have a special guest on that you cannot miss, and we are starting a giveaway of FOUR Outlander season 2 Blurays!

We had A LOT of fun with this episode, and we laughed and joked throughout most of it. Especially when we posited why Alex Randall would have the most beautiful Instagram feed full of food and fancy lattes with artsy swirls in the foam if he were alive today. But, also why he is TOTALLY in the friend zone. We also discuss why Mary was in the friend zone growing up, why no one thought she was a good "high school" or" college" girlfriend, but that she would be the best "real life" girlfriend, and why we think the character that completely matches that same characteristic is Jenny Murray!

All the fun aside, there is some really great character analysis and we dive deep down to figure out who these people are, what they are motivated by, and what is most important to them through the lens of all things love.

Hit the jump to listen to the audio right in your browser, and learn more about how to enter the giveaway!

Written by: Jayne Coleman

I live in the beautiful country of South Africa, so as an Outlander fan, I am super excited about the filming due to take place in and around Cape Town. I’ve been digging around for the past couple of weeks for ideas on what the cast and crew can do on their off days, and to give you all a better feel for this lovely part of the world. Join me in this armchair view of South Africa and what the cast and crew can expect.
It’s pretty widely known that much of the filming will take place at the Cape Town Film Studios and on the Black Sails ships. (Black Sails is another popular Starz series.) Cape Town Film Studios is the first custom-built, Hollywood-style film studio complex of its kind in Africa, with state-of-the-art support services. Its five sound stages are each the size of aeroplane hangars. They offer 75,347 square feet of high specification soundproof stages. The studio also has deep sea and beach tanks, a tropical island set, an 18th century village and a Man O’War set. Book readers will understand why it was chosen for Season 3 filming of the Voyager escapades.

Written by: Nikki Gastineau


I love love. There I said it. When I was younger, I was in love with the fairy tale kind of love; the kind where the prince swoops in at the last second to save the day, kiss the princess, and carry her away to their happily ever after. What my naive self did not realize at the time is that we never got to see the “happily ever after” and if we had, it probably wouldn’t have been quite so happy. Would the sequel to Cinderella have included a scene where Cindy throws a plate at Charming’s head? I’d like to think so because, let’s be honest, even Prince Charmings can be total jerk-faces sometimes.

With some age and a great deal of life experience I find that my love of love has moved beyond princes and fairy tales to well, everything. I love music for the way it makes me feel. I love places for the inspiration that they stir in my soul. I love people for the varied experiences that they have brought to my life. I love books for their ability to transport me to different places and times. And yes, I still love love but it’s a different kind of story that I seek out now. I love to read about hearts that are covered in scars, yet still beat furiously. I love to read about lovers who survived the storm because they held fast to each other. You know where I’m headed with this right?

Outlander, at first blush, seems like a fairy tale with a handsome young warrior saving his fair maiden but it’s so much more. It’s about love of place, love of a moment, love with battered and bruised hearts, selfless love, selfish love, and everything in between. For those of you who have only watched the show, you’ve seen many of these things on screen. However, there are a few moments from the books that made big impressions on my soft heart. Here are some of my favorites.


Jamie Explaining (but not apologizing) to Claire for the Beating

Whatever you want to call the scene (spanking or beating), it was controversial. We saw the Jamie that we had all fallen in love with do something that did not square with our modern idea of a loving man. How could he have done this? I can’t and won’t defend violence against a woman. What I will say is that the book gives us a much clearer picture of the act and its aftermath and we see that, in Jamie’s eyes, and the eyes of the clan, this was justice. It’s the same brand of justice that we see in season 2 when Jamie asks Murtagh to give him six lashes along with Kincaid and Ross for permitting Dougal into the camp with his men unchallenged. It’s the justice that Jamie knew at the hands of his father. It’s the justice that formed him. In the book, Claire and Jamie find themselves on a long ride after the “incident” and Jamie attempts to to describe his point of view to Claire. What follows is Claire’s internal dialogue following Jamie’s explanation.

"As we walked, considering the stories he had told me, I couldn’t help but admire the job he had done. Without one word of direct explanation or apology, he had given me the message he intended. I gave you justice, it said, as I was taught it. And I gave you mercy, too, so far as I could. While I could not spare you pain and humiliation, I make you a gift of my own pains and humiliations, that yours might be easier to bear."

“I’ve not told anyone about it,” he said abruptly. “But I thought that now ye should know—about Randall, I mean. You’ve a right to know what it is that lies between him and me.” What it is that lies between him and me. The life of a good man, the honor of a girl, and an indecent lust that found its vent in blood and fear. And, I supposed, with a lurch of the stomach, that there was now one more item weighting the scales. Me. For the first time, I began to realize what Jamie had felt, crouching in the window of Randall’s room, with an empty gun in his hand. And I began to forgive him for what he had done to me.

We’ll file this one under battered and bruised hearts. Physical punishment is a difficult idea to swallow today because it’s not part of our culture. Your boss doesn’t prescribe ten lashes when you miss the deadline on a report. In Jamie’s time, however, it was part of the culture and it was what maintained order between and among the clans. This knowledge, along with Jamie’s remembrances of beatings past, made the whole thing a bit easier for me to accept. And let's not forget that Claire did make a compelling argument about having no more of that nonsense.


Jamie Returning Claire to the Stones

When Jamie learned the truth about Claire, he took her back to the stones so that she could return to her own time. In the show we see Jamie leave Claire and walk down the hill. We see Claire struggle and hear her thoughts as she wrestles with the decision set before her. What we don't get to see is Jamie’s torment. The following quote is Jamie’s heart-rending confession to Claire the next day.

“I prayed all the way up that hill yesterday,” he said softly. “Not for you to stay; I didna think that would be right. I prayed I’d be strong enough to send ye away.” He shook his head, still gazing up the hill, a faraway look in his eyes. “I said ‘Lord, if I’ve never had courage in my life before, let me have it now. Let me be brave enough not to fall on my knees and beg her to stay.’ ” He pulled his eyes away from the cottage and smiled briefly at me. “Hardest thing I ever did, Sassenach.” He turned in the saddle, and reined the horse’s head toward the east. It was a rare bright morning, and the early sun gilded everything, drawing a thin line of fire along the edge of the reins, the curve of the horse’s neck, and the broad planes of Jamie’s face and shoulders.


Even if you’ve read the books, your heart just melted a little bit. Right? It gets me every single time! I don’t know why this line was omitted from the show. Maybe it was to make room for the incredibly beautiful montage showing the ride to Lallybroch. Whatever the reasoning, it seems wrong to have deprived the audience of a scene that so perfectly summarizes our hero. In those few words he was noble, brave, vulnerable, heartbroken, and scared. He was Everyman.

Jamie’s References to Claire’s Hair

In the show, we see Claire struggle a few times with her hair, but in the books Claire’s hair is like a separate character. Jamie is fascinated with and amused by it. These are my favorite references.

“You’ve the loveliest hair,” said Jamie, watching me.
“What? This?” I raised a hand self-consciously to my locks, which as usual, could be politely described as higgledy-piggledy.

You’re a fuzzy wee thing when ye wake, to be sure.” He rolled over toward me, reaching out a hand. “Come here, my wee milkweed. We’ll not leave before sunset. If we’re not going to sleep …” In the end, we did sleep a bit more, peacefully entangled on the floor, atop a hard but bugless bed composed of my cloak and Jamie’s kilt.

“God, you are so beautiful,” he said softly. “Unkempt and unlsept, wi’ the waves of your hair all about your face. Bonny love. Have ye sat here all night long, then?”


The hair that vexes Claire, sets her apart from other women, and, quite possibly, is intended to be a visual representation of her feisty independence that both intrigues Jamie and endears Claire to him. It’s another element in Jamie’s connection to Claire.

I wore my hair long and straight for many years, but a few years ago decided to cut it all off and embrace my natural curls (funny what turning 40 will do for a woman’s mindset). I love being free of the straight iron but I also love my partner’s fascination with the curls. When I stumbled upon Outlander last year, I loved that there was a heroine who didn’t fit the traditional standards of beauty. Claire was, indeed, a rare woman, and Jamie loved her for it. #relationshipgoals

The Monastery
After rescuing Jamie from Wentworth, the clan took him to a monastery to heal. While there, Claire befriends a monk named Father Anselm. Their conversations are the basis for some moving passages.

Early in her stay at the monastery, Claire discusses the perpetual adoration with Father Anselm. She questions how he can stay awake for an hour in the middle of the night. Father Anselm replies,
“For me, in that moment…” He paused. “It’s as though time has stopped. All the humors of the body, all the blood and bile and vapors that make a man; it’s as though just at once all of them are working in perfect harmony.”...”But just then, for that fraction of time, it seems as though all things are possible. You can look across the limitations of your own life, and see that they are really nothing. In that moment when time stops, it is as though you know you could undertake any venture, complete it and come back to yourself, to find the world unchanged, and everything just as you left it a moment before. And it’s as though...knowing that everything is possible, suddenly nothing is necessary.”

Later as Claire sits in the chapel by herself she realizes that “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough”.


While these were not romantic scenes, I loved them nonetheless. The deep spirituality of the text reminded me of those moments in my own life where the physical world seemed to fall away and I found myself moved in ways that I have never been able to articulate. Jamie’s onscreen healing was intense. It was difficult to watch because it was concentrated into one episode. In the book, Jamie’s healing was much more gradual and his interactions with Claire were interspersed with those beautiful moments between Claire, Father Anselm, and the spiritual world around them.

Your Face is My Heart

In the show, Annalise de Marillac finds Jamie at the ball and their brief encounter leads to one of my favorite Claire looks.  In the book, Jamie spots Annalise across the room and he tells Claire that he once fought a duel to win her affections. He says that she was “graceful as the wind, and so small that ye wanted to tuck her inside your shirt and carry her like a kitten”.


As the two sat beside a fountain, Jamie recounted the duel and his life in the weeks after being spurned by Annalise (he briefly considered being a monk) and Claire grew quiet.

“What is it, Sassenach?” he asked, laying a hand on my arm.
“Oh, nothing,” I said with a sigh. “Only thinking that I rather doubt anyone will ever describe me as ‘graceful as the wind.’”
“Ah.” His head was half-turned, the long, straight nose and firm chin lighted from behind by the flow of the nearest lantern. I could see the half-smile on his lips as he turned back toward me.
“Well, I’ll tell ye, Sassenach, ‘graceful’ is possibly not the first word that springs to mind at the thought of you.” He slipped an arm behind me, one hand large and warm around my silk-clad shoulder.
“But I talk to you as I talk to my own soul,” he said, turning me to face him. He reached up and cupped my cheek, fingers light on my temple.
“And Sassenach,” he whispered, “your face is my heart.”

Sigh. I’ve always felt a little a lot like Claire; too tall, too uncoordinated, too awkward to ever be graceful. And then someone appears in your life who focuses not on the superficial traits that are prone to fade with time and age, but the love and connection shared between you. I don’t know about you, but I have no need to feel graceful if my love talks to me as he talks to his own soul.

Return to the Stones and a Final Goodbye

In the season 2 finale, Jamie returns Claire to the stones before the Battle of Culloden. In the show, they go directly to the stones and give us, arguably, the most heartbreaking scenes from either season. In the book, their last goodbye extends through an evening that Jamie and Claire spend in a cabin at the base of Craigh na Dun.

Claire attempts to make a case for returning to the battlefield with Jamie.

“Jamie,” I said, into the folds of his plaid. “I’m going back with you.”
He started back, staring down at me
“The hell you are!” he said.
“I am.” I felt very calm, with no trace of doubt. “I can make a kilt of my arisaid; there are enough young boys with the army that I can pass for one. You’ve said yourself it will all be confusion. No one will notice.”
“If you’re not afraid, I’m not either,” I said, firming my own jaw. “It will... be over quickly. You said so.” My chin was beginning to quiver, despite my determination. “Jamie – I won’t... I can’t... I bloody won’t live without you, and that’s all!”
“D’ye think I don’t know?” he asked softly. “It’s me that has the easy part now. For if you feel for me as I do for you – then I am asking you to tear out your heart and live without it.”
“But ye must do it, mo duinne. My brave lioness. Ye must.”

Jamie then reveals to Claire that he knows she is pregnant and he begs her to return so that she may save their child.

“Claire,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow I will die. This child... is all that will be left of me – ever. I ask ye, Claire – I beg you – see it safe.”

"I stood still, vision blurring, and in that moment, I heard my heart break. It was a small clean sound, like the snapping of a flower’s stem."


There is so much emotion in these exchanges that it’s a bit difficult to unpack it all.  Jamie and Claire are left suspended in this moment with their emotions laid bare. Claire wants only to die with Jamie and Jamie wants only to give their unborn child the opportunity to live. Jamie calls her his “brave lioness” because he believes that Claire would, indeed, follow him back to the battlefield and die at his side.

The love, devotion, and bravery would easily stand on their own, but Diana gave us just a bit more with the visual of Claire’s breaking heart.  While we don’t hear those words in the show we do see an anguished Claire in the middle of the road after returning through the stones. She’s on her knees, clutching her stomach, and screaming... a primal sort of scream... the kind of scream that could only come from one who has just lost everything. Each time I watch that scene I have a deep appreciation for the show writers who didn’t give us the words, but gave us the feelings, nonetheless.


It reminds me of events in my own life when I can sift through the chaos of everything that was and pinpoint a single moment of heartbreak. And sometimes, even years beyond the event, I can still feel the tiniest pang in my heart at its remembrance.

In preparation for this post, I reviewed all of the highlighted notes (and there were many) in my Kindle to decide what I should and shouldn’t include. It might not surprise you to know that many of the highlights were steamy sex scenes. A blog post with only sex scenes might actually be erotica and I've been told that’s not what we do here. So, I was left with lots of little moments from both Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber that spoke to me in different kinds of ways. All of them can be distilled into one theme – love. Brave love, true love, hard-fought love, and undying love are the loves that move me in my everyday life and they are the loves that keep me coming back to this book time and time again.

Written by: Teddie Potter







Without revealing one smidgen of partisan detail, I will simply say that these past few months in the U.S. have been supremely distracting. After getting sucked into the quicksand of current events, I needed a break and I needed it bad. I needed the kind of distraction that could literally take me away to a different time and a different place. I needed — you know where this is going, friends — OUTLANDER — and I needed it now! It was time for an OutlanderStarz redux — again.