Rueben's Ramblings

The Starz series Outlander, based on the best-selling novel by Diana Gabaldon, debuted back on August 9 and over the course of the past 7 weeks has captured the hearts of TV viewers with its tale of Claire Beauchamp (series lead Caitriona Balfe), a World War II nurse in 1945, who – after touching the standing stones in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands – travels through time to 1743 where she encounters the clan McKenzie and meets young Jamie McTavish (Fraser) [series lead Sam Heughan].

Those seven episodes have found Claire adapt, as best she can, to her new surroundings – albeit forced upon her by the Laird and War Chief of the clan (series regulars Gary Lewis and Graham McTavish, respectively) – by becoming the Healer of Castle Leoch, the home of the clan.

She has become friends with Castle Leoch’s housekeeper Mrs. Fitz (recurring guest star Annette Badland) and local village woman and wife of the procurator fiscal (basically the village’s attorney/judge) Geillis Duncan (series regular Lotte Verbeek); and, to an extent, even young Laoghaire MacKenzie (recurring guest star Nell Hudson), a 16-year girl (and granddaughter of Mrs. Fitz), who has a crush on Jamie.

Unfortunately, she has several uncomfortable encounters with Captain Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall, a direct descendant of her husband Frank Randall (the dual role played by series regular Tobias Menzies), which leads Dougal to arranging a marriage between Claire and Jamie in order to save her life from the sadistic bastard, who was the cause behind the horrible wounds on Jamie’s back (two floggings within a week subjected on the young lad several years earlier).

This past Saturday’s episode, entitled “The Wedding“, was one of the most anticipated moments out of the small screen adaptation of the book and did not disappoint. And, with the mid-season finale, entitled “Both Sides Now“, only a few days away – set to air on Starz on Saturday, September 27, the anticipation for what will happen is great.

Fans can take heart that even though the series will be going on a break, it will not be for too long, as 8 more episodes of its debut season will air on Starz in early 2015, continuing on with the remainder of the story of Claire, Jamie and the clan McKenzie.

And, even better news is that Starz decided early on that the show will have a second season, following the second book in the Gabaldon “Outlander” series entitled “Dragonfly in Autumn“.

Don’t miss out on the mid-season finale this Saturday at 9 PM on Starz.