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    Top Ten Moments of “Outlander” Season 1 First Half




    Based on the Outlander novel series by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is one of the most successful and highly-acclaimed television drama series of Starz in 2014. It revolves about Claire Beauchamp Randall, a married World War II nurse who travels back in time to Scotland in 1743 where she encounters another war and another love. The show aired its first episode on August 9, 2014 to positive reviews and overwhelming audience acceptance. After the eight episode on September 27, it took a hiatus of around six months. Finally, the series will resume on April 4. While waiting for the glorious day to come, let us relive some of the highlights in the first half of Outlander: 

    World War II ends. In the pilot episode, the show takes us to World War II where Claire Randall is expertly attending to some disabled war fighters. Shortly, the War stops and she is reunited with her husband Frank Randall. To celebrate, they visit Inverness, Scotland where Frank also researches his family history, particularly taking interest in his ancestor Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall. 


    The stones of Craigh na Dun. One night, Claire witnesses a modern Druid ritual among a set of standing stones on the hill of Craigh na Dun. The following morning, she hears a strange noise coming from one of the stones, and when she places her hand on it, she is transported back in time to old Scotland. 

    First encounter with Jamie Fraser. Losing sense of time, Claire wakes up lying on the ground. Soon, she finds herself in the middle of a confrontation between Redcoats and Highlander rebels. She comes face to face with Black Jack Randall, Captain of His Majesty’s Dragoons, who harasses her. However, she is saved from Randall’s attacks by a Scotsman and taken to his group. There, she meets Jamie Fraser who suffered a bullet wound and dislocated arm from the Redcoats. Realizing that she has travelled back in time, Claire keeps it secret and moves along with the company of Highlanders. To Claire’s surprise, she is brought home to Castle Leoch.

    Imprisonment at Castle Leoch. In Castle Leoch, Claire meets Colum MacKenzie, laird of the castle, and the mysterious Geillis Duncan who is known as a witch. She also observes Jamie doing kindness to Mrs. Fitzgibbons and her daughter. After finding out Claire’s intention to return to Inverness, Colum detains her at Leoch as their healer.
    The healer.  In the episode “The Way Out,” Claire’s reputation as the Leoch’s healer becomes more prominent after she saves Mrs. Fitzgibbons’ nephew from a berry poisoning. At the same time, Claire finds hope after hearing a folk tale about a time traveller at the standing stones.

    Attempted escape. During a large clan gathering, Claire plots her escape and almost succeeds with it until Jamie catches her. They return back to the castle and Jamie welcomes the news of being declared as the next laird of the castle. Unfortunately for Claire, Dougal McKenzie decides to take him on a tour to collect rent from Colum’s domain.

    Jamie’s scars. During the tour, Dougal McKenzie unabashedly exposes Jamie’s scars, which are acquired from Randall’s and the Redcoats’ maltreatment, to the people in order to collect more rent and sympathy money. Claire is intensely mad about it until she realizes that the fund they collect is for the Jacobite army which she knows from history is doomed to fail.

    Reunion with Black Jack Randall. After an incident in the sixth episode “The Garrison Commander,” Claire finds herself among the Redcoats. She thinks that she has found her way back to Inverness until she meets Black Jack Randall again. Randall is determined to learn Claire’s secret, and after failing so, he brands her a spy against the country.

    The Wedding. To protect her from Randall, Jamie and Claire gets married despite their doubts. Though the marriage is awkward in the beginning, the two later realize that they have feelings for each other. However, Claire is still torn thinking about her first husband Frank she left behind in the future.

    Frank and Claire hear each other. In 1945, Frank is losing hope of finding Claire again until he hears the story about the people travelling in time through the standing stones. As his last straw of hope, Frank revisits the stones in Craigh na Dun. At the same moment in the past, Claire sees Craigh na Dun from a distance during a tour. She runs for the standing stones and soon hears Frank’s voice. At the other side, Frank also hears Claire’s faint voice. Just as she is about to touch one of the stones, Black Jack Randall appears and kidnaps her. As the downhearted Frank leaves Craig, Claire is taken back to Fort William and suffers Randall’s cruelty. Randall is about to rape her when Jamie appears in the window.

    So what happens? Will Jamie be able to save Claire? Or will Claire be able to come back to her time? Or will she choose to stay behind in the past? These questions and more can only be answered in the upcoming episodes of Outlander Season 1.




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