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Reviews
Outlander: First Wife (2017)
Might the first wife be a reason for Claire to go astray.
First Wife
What a way to renew a marriage. Lost souls return to refresh their lives but all they find is a little more hell. I guess you can't have heaven without hell. I mean, you need one to know the difference from the other. Ye ken what I mean?
You may think family dispute and anguish is not enough to carry an episode. That's going to surprise you then. Because, in the Frasier family, truth needs to be told and explained, at all costs. I thought prior to this episode that maybe the first wife was someone other than Claire. While that was wrong, the "other" wife shocked me outta me kilt. Bringing Laoghaire back was a surprise that opens the door for more threats and danger. And more tears I am sure, as she has two daughters who call Jamie, "daddy". I am sure there will be tears later because of that. Due to problems that Laoghaire had with 2 previous marriages, these two girls needed a father and loved the father they thought they had.
Despite the presence of future danger or woe, it was such a great site to see a party again even if it was only during Jamie's explanation of his circumstances. I really think Outlander would do well to have at least one episode filled with happiness and celebration. Once again, you need a little heaven to endure hell.
I loved this episode because it handled personal strife well. It made me feel like our Outlander family is one again.
9 of 10
Outlander: Crème de Menthe (2017)
A little Creme de Menthe before we move on, sir? milady?
I have enjoyed every episode of Outlander. Each episode has given me enough reason to return for more. Overall, the series has enough going for it to keep my interest and curiosity. As it is with every episode visuals, questions, emotions, desire, disbelief and acceptance need to be perfectly mixed for the perfect libation. Since perfection is hardly attainable, mixing those ingredients to tickle the senses is usually what we settle for, right? To me, that's Creme de Menthe.
The acting again is on par. Love the characters. The bad guy closing A Malcolm and starting Creme de Menthe is someone who I feel could have nearly equalled Jack Randall's evilness. Too bad he won't be around to show us how bad he could be. Not that I enjoy evil, but, for the sake of drama, a force of threat is needed in Outlander. It looks like the threat is now becoming Claire and Jamie. Time apart has become a threat to the soulmates.
Creme de Menthe may have been a good mix that rejoins ideas and people from the past with enough spice to offer a great taste but it also prepares us for the next gulp and even the next glass. A sip here and there, now and then keeps the patrons happy but wait for the gulp of reality that we all know can exist. That gulp will make up for the rest.
Outlander: A. Malcolm (2017)
It's All Coming Back To Me Now
What a great re-entry into the world of Claire and Jamie. Or is he now A Malcolm. Regardless, its the spirit of things. It's love.
When they get together again, love becomes as new. I have to say it was even more beautiful than their wedding night. It was definitely longer. The slow, gentle, apprehensive but inviting gestures were only the smoldering embers which preceded the more heated and intense flames of passion long overdue. Even when the flames appear to be dwindling, rekindling memories and the desire to know the other again, brought more passion back to the two who dwelled on memories of each other, without each other for so long.
When flames of passion subsided, flames of danger brought us all back to what seems to be recurring between Claire and Jamie. For what is love without danger. What are we without Outlander?
Loved the acting a lot. Loved the enticement of what's to come.
I have no choice but to give this a 10 with the highest relief and regard.
Outlander: All Debts Paid (2017)
All Debts Paid but not everyone got their money's worth
**I seriously want to express that there are spoilers that may bother some readers**
Clever title for this episode, but I have to say I feel as though there are some debts still owed. I am familiar with the necessity for skipping some detail for the sake of moving along to get to the drama. It just seemed like some detail needs to be revisited if it wasn't left out intentionally.
We start out with Jaimie having been in prison for a number of years. We have no idea how life was for him. I am sure, though, we can imagine it was not easy for him or the others who survived Culloden. However, I am very puzzled how little we learn about Murtaugh who is in the same prison with Jaimie. It really feels like we are to accept that Murtaugh is just there and that is that. "There he is so don't worry about about his post-Culloden life". Suspiciously neglectful of those in charge of production I think. Characters like Murtaugh have meant a lot to me throughout the episodes, as did Rupert and Angus and Dougal. I hope there will be a correction of this lapse later in the season.
Characters seem now to be thrown at us too freely without sufficient color and texture. For example, Claire and Frank joke about Bree's adapting to American Eggos for breakfast and leave out Bree's reaction to Frank's delectable English style breakfast without Eggos. Such a reaction could have enhanced the beauty of the moment. On top of that, while we initially get a glimpse of lighthearted togetherness with Claire and Frank, we learn they are not the Claire and Frank we knew before time traveling and therefore never will be again. It would have been nice to see some drama building up to this point, but here, too, it's dropped on us regardless. I guess "life happens". This seems to me to be way too careless for Outlander.
The time that lapses from the beginning of the episode to the end concern me because if this continues we may end up seeing both reunite as two octogenarians with walkers.
While I noticed some filler-quality feebleness today, the great acting is definitely standing ovation worthy. Some drama seriously bumps the episode back into classic Outlander mode, especially from some characters we normally do not see.
I have to say I have not read any of the Outlander books so I may be out of the loop when it comes to the direction this series takes us. But I do know I love this series and I hope it continues in the style of season 1 and the first 2 episodes this year.
Despite the negatives, I sincerely think this episode deserves no less than an 8 out of 10
Outlander: The Battle Joined (2017)
Outlander's legacy continues
It's been a long wait for season 3. Now, a short time later, I crave for episode 3-02. I did not expect to be so easily pleased by the first episode. I will admit it is difficult to maintain sensibility when I am being torn apart by emotional ammunition. But it looks like season 3 will be as good as or better than season 1.
There was so much attention paid to the beauty of human nature. I was afraid, because of my interpretations of rumors, that Outlander would not connect well to its fans. I was gladly mistaken. I don't recall being so emotional during an episode. The pain, emotion and love lost or gained that the characters endure, the mystically alluring music, the unexpected moments of hope lost, frustration with humanities' faults, Claire, Jamie, Frank...
Such a beautiful episode.