It has been nominated for a slew of Golden Globes, it has won a Critic’s Choice Television award for most exciting new series, and it is watched by about five million impossibly devoted fans a week. But somehow, Outlander still feels like an underdog.
That might be because it’s aimed squarely at women, which makes it hard for some jerks to take it seriously. They really should. Part-romance, part-sci-fi epic, part-action adventure, there is nothing on TV quite like Outlander.
But what if you didn’t watch the first season and want to get in on all the time-traveling Scottish goodness? Don’t worry, here’s everything you need to know before tuning into the season two premiere on Saturday at 9pm EST, on Starz.
Meet the cast
Claire Randall Fraser (Caitriona Balfe): After the end of the second world war, in which Claire served as a nurse and her husband Frank was an officer, the two are reunited on a second honeymoon in the Scottish highlands, so Frank can research his genealogy.
Claire visits Craigh na Dun, a collection of craggy stones where pagan rituals were held. Miraculously, she is teleported from 1945 to 1743. There, she winds up in the middle of a kerfuffle between British soldiers and some clansmen, who take Claire captive and bring her back to their castle. There she falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a gorgeous Scot with red hair and a rippling body. She marries him, for her own protection, though she’s still married to Frank back home in 1945.
Jamie and Claire set out on a host of adventures as they try to stop the nascent Jacobite rebellion that will lead to a clash with the British that will eradicate the clans’ way of life. Claire is a little bit of a drunk and is certainly difficult, letting her strong opinions turn many people off her. However, she’s usually right.
Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan): The biggest stud in the highlands, Jamie has a checkered past. He ran afoul of “Black Jack” Randall, the commanding British officer of the area, who Jamie tried to prevent from raping his sister (and later Claire). He’s in hiding with clan MacKenzie but quickly finds himself deeply in love with Claire and willing to do anything for her, even commit unspeakable acts. Jamie is proud and strong, but always ends up bending to Claire’s will.
Frank Randall/“Black Jack” Randall (Tobias Menzies): In 1945, Frank is Claire’s caring husband, racked with guilt after her disappearance, refusing to give up hope that she is alive and has not left him for another man. Back in 1743, Black Jack is a sadistic sociopath intent on forcing himself, quite literally, on any Scot that crosses him. He really loves to rape. When Jamie thwarts Randall’s conquest of his sister, Black Jack becomes fixated on Jamie. He whips him within an inch of his life because he refuses to be used as a sexual object.
Colum MacKenzie (Gary Lewis): The laird of clan MacKenzie takes a shine to Claire because she is able to use modern medical techniques to ease his suffering from a congenital birth defect.
Dougal MacKenzie (Graham McTavish): Colum’s brother and the leader of the MacKenzie forces, Dougal wishes he were in charge of the clan. On several occasions he makes unwanted advances toward Claire. Unbeknownst to his brother, he is raising money to fund the Jacobite rebellion, which his brother opposes.
Murtagh Fitzgibbons (Duncan Lacroix): Jamie’s godfather, who pledged to Jamie’s mother that he would protect her son. He is like Jamie’s best friend, getting him out of the innumerable scrapes he finds himself in.
The story so far
The thing about Outlander is that there are a lot of incidents that have little effect on the story as a whole. At one point, Claire and her only female friend are tried as witches, but they are exonerated (after two episodes) and we never hear of it again. It just forces Claire and Jamie to return to the Fraser ancestral home (again for two episodes) before leaving again.
Most everything you need to know is about Claire and Jamie’s relationship. When she first arrives in the past, Claire is loyal to her husband and denies her feelings for Jamie. However, when she pisses off Black Jack Randall (because she won’t let him rape her), Jamie marries her. If Claire is married to a Scot, Jack has no legal recourse against her because she is no longer one of his king’s subjects.
Eventually, feelings blossom and Claire and Jamie have all sorts of steamy sex in all sorts of romantic locations. Jamie takes Claire back to Craigh na Dun so she can return to her native time, but she decides to stay in the past.
After the witchcraft trial and the return to Jamie’s ancestral home, Jamie gets embroiled in a plan to screw over some British troops and is once again captured by Black Jack Randall. Claire and his friends break into a prison to save him, but Claire is captured. Jamie allows himself to be raped by Randall (in an incredibly graphic and torturous scene), so Claire can have her freedom. They once again break into the prison to free him, injuring and possibly killing Randall in the process.
Now on the run from all sorts of British troops, Jamie and Claire take off for France, where Claire has some ancient relations, in the hope of finding a way to alter the course of history and make the Jacobite rebellion a success. Also, as they are about to cross the Channel, Claire tells Jamie she is pregnant.
The second season starts with the two of them landing on foreign shores, along with Murtagh, and leaving most of the other Scots behind, in order to meet a whole new cast of characters in the French court. There will be more amazing costumes, swoon-worthy sex scenes and palace intrigue, so it will be like you missed nothing at all.
