@conmama gave me that advice when I was reading book 2 and I am very happy that I took it and had book 3 waiting. Book 2 is basically just OK , though it certainly has its moments, but book 3 is the BOMB. I enjoyed all 8 of them, I read them over the break between TV season halves, in some record time of like a month. I didn’t sleep much 
On a light note, I just saw this picture posted on DG;'s facebook:
Moolach Ard!
^^^Lol, love it.
I tried to watch this week’s episode in the prison. I had to stop watching. Way too disturbing for me. Reading it is one thing and seeing it is another. That Black Jack/Frank actor and the prison setting just give me the creeps. I don’t want nightmares.
I had to close my eyes when he was getting his hand slammed and the nail being pounded in. I’m glad they didn’t steer away from it, I just couldn’t watch. i don’t think they are finished with the prison scenes yet, so much more happens to Jamie. The acting by all 3 actors was terrific in the episode. I just wish they had built up their intense love these past few shows, so I could buy into Claire’s devastation. I know she is, I’ve read the book. But for a non reader, I would be surprised that she had that depth of feeling for him. Writers fault, for focusing on action too much, not the love story.
I thought it was very well done. Hard to watch, but was supposed to be !!
I really wanted them to get him out in this episode, though…
Two more weeks to wait now!
Is the finale not next week?
No. Memorial day weekend.
May 30th according to the Starz web site
^ right - not next weekend because it’s Memorial Day weekend.
I’m nervous about what will be left out of the next episode, given that they aren’t done with Wentworth yet. I want to see all the recovery, physical and mental, and the witchy/spiritual stuff and I wanted the grotto too but i don’t think we’ll get that, since some interview at some point said all recovery will be in Scotland, not the Abbey. I think the season might end with them headed to France.
IMO “The Watch” and “The Search” could have been combined into a single episode to make more recovery time for us all after Wentworth, or a bit more relationship development before it at Lallybroch, as suggested earlier, or both.
I guess we will all have to wait and see. Then wait a REALLY long time for season two, since they just started shooting it this month!
I think they did a really poor job of blocking this 2nd part of the book for each episode. I read on another forum where someone said they felt more intimacy and closeness from Murtagh picking up Claire and carrying her, then anything they’d seen between J&C thus far. I know what she meant. They really needed to spend more time on this 2nd half building up that emotional intimacy between them instead of action, action, action. I"m really interested in seeing how they will finish this out.
If anyone wonders:
Apparently a lot of the Outlander purists were really upset that the wrong hand was mutilated vs. the book. I read this comment, though don’t know if it’s accurate:
I thought this episode was really painful, but top notch in many ways. Because some people are always critical of Sam, they may not have cared for his performance, but I thought he was amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that look in his eyes as tears ran down his face, knowing what was in his immediate future. One of the writers said Sam had some tough times in the filming of it. I was happy they included Claire’s “curse,” though they didn’t have Randall reflexively try to shut her up as in the book.
I thought it was interminable. After awhile reading the books it was possible to skip over most of DG’s weirder stuff but that doesn’t work in a TV show.
Also hope that once they get past the sadism, CB is able to find another gear with her acting. She seems to have two looks, annoyed and angry. Claire is written with a witty and funny side which we have yet to see. (Yes I get that there are no funny opportunities in the story at present.)
The hand was switched long ago, at least episode 4 (Gathering) - Sam’s been twitching the “wrong” one since the beginning. Honestly that means as little to me as Claire’s eyes being the “wrong” color. Big so-what yawn from me on that stuff, it doesn’t affect the story at all.
Re: the second half…while I didn’t care for eps 12-13-14 as much, I REALLY loved 9-11. Especially 11. I felt the love there, no doubt…I just missed it after that.
15…I watched it twice so far and may again. Painful but also, I thought, very very good. And I catch things when I rewatch that I miss the first time.
Totally agree.
@OHMomof2, I have read Outlander several times, but simply never made note of which hand was Jamie’s dominant and which was mangled. I am not detail oriented that way, but many of the Outlander purists are, and some of them are obsessed to a ridiculous degree with how closely they believe the show should follow the book.
Some of the these people are so picky and critical, I don’t understand why they continue to watch the show if they are so unhappy about every little deviation from DG’s work. It can’t be enjoyable to be so upset all the time.
ETA: I did go back and read the chapter about Claire and Murtagh searching for Jamie. She did sing, though no mention of altering it to sound like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, and it was very short and to the point. I will give credence to the criticism that the amount of time spent on that in the show was very puzzling unless it was to develop the relationship between Claire and Murtagh. It certainly took time away from other events which would seem to be crying for attention.
But we shall see…
Totally with you on the nit pick unhappy fan stuff. I just enjoy the show, and the books. They’re quite separate for me.
Tobias Menzies is fantastic in this, I must say.
I agree that they just haven’t spent enough time building Claire and Jamie’s relationship, other than a few graphic sex scenes. Cat Balfe was great in the prison scenes, but where did that passion come from? Nothing we’ve seen.
Mmm. Wedding…fort rescue…post fight pledge…witch rescue…beyond awesome coolness with being from the future…generis to a fault etc return to silliness…lallybroch love declaration. I could have used more but there HAS been a fair bit, no? Not nothing, anyway.
Sorry on a phone. GENEROUS, I meant. And silliness should be stones.
