We can take a breath. Think about something else for awhile. Have time for Google Hangouts about other things. Write about other fandoms. Find new fandoms. Go to the movies. Make homemade crepes. Take a beach vacation. Make a baby burrito.
That is until season 2 casting news and second half production stills start rolling out. Then all bets are off.
On Friday, we broke down our feelings about the over-long hiatus until we see the second half of the first season, and while much of that is tongue-in-cheek, one thing is for certain: without Outlander taking up 90% of our free time, we will have time to finally binge-watch House of Cards and read Horns before the movie comes out.
But we will miss new JAMMF on our screens, that’s for sure. Especially after tonight’s LITERAL CLIFFHANGER.
Let’s discuss.
My Top Ten Moments from Outlander midseason finale: Both Sides Now
1. FrankFiction
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the “other side” of this episode … the one written in order to fill in the gaps. The one written to heighten the drama. The one written to flesh out the story that we don’t see in the novel. The one that serves as a stark reminder of what Claire has left behind. The one that is entirely plausible within the canon of Diana Gabaldon’s world, but is well … one not written by her. The one that is essentially … FAN FICTION.
Oh yeah. I said it. If the Frank-Inverness Police-Rev Wakefield-Mrs. Graham-Craigh na Dun storyline was a tome found on fanfiction.net, its description would read:
Rated: Fiction, M – English – Thriller/Romance – Char: Frank Randall, Claire Randall, Rev. Wakefield, Mrs. Graham, Wee Roger, Alley Sally – Chapters: 18 – Words: 29,810 – Reviews: 345 – Favs: 87 – Follows: 102 – Updated: 1h ago – Published: Apr 20 Summary: After the disappearance of his wife, Frank turns to the local police to locate her and a suspicious highlander. But incompetence and ineffectual methods lead him to follow his own dark path to find his lost love.
I mean, tell me that doesn’t sound like some fanfic you would read. Especially if Frank gets all gropey with Sally in the Alley. All I’m saying is, we know DianaG doesn’t like fanfic, but that is essentially what this is. AND I LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT. Especially the idea that Frank gave such an accurate description of the highlander he saw that they have the brooch circled on their board. Good fanfic is all in the details.
2. Cliff Lovers
Let’s all just admit right now that there were several moments in this episode where the juxtaposition of what’s up in 1945 and what’s down in 1743 was brutal. Case in point, the first time we cut to the past.
This line: “My wife is not with another man!” Except:
She.Totally.Is.
I mean, we cut directly from Frank’s vehement spousal defense to The Frasers’ Post Coital Picnic, side of Hand Molestation.
It’s a sharp little knife twist to the gut if you have any love in your heart at all for Frank. But then, the gorgeous Scottish countryside, Jamie’s Really Fine Yet Historically Inaccurate Manicure and Claire’s revelation that SHE IS ALREADY DICKMATIZED kind of makes you forget that Frank hasn’t even cut his hair in 6 weeks.
Look at his sad, clipper-less neck-harline. He’s distraught and hasn’t groomed in almost 2 months. Like I said, good fanfic is in the details.
3. This Adorable Biscuit Eater
I can already hear non-book-readers asking how in the world Mrs. Graham and Rev Wakefield have a tiny, angelic, baby-faced love child at their age. But for book fans, Wee Roger showing up in his short pants and his biscuit eating cuteness WAS THE FREAKING BEST.
Look at his cuteness. I don’t even care that for the few minutes he’s on screen that he’s a stark reminder of the family that Frank is just never going to have now (god, that’s sad as hell). I’m just HIS CHEEKS. WEE ROGER OMGolly YOUR FACE.
‘Ello. I’m Foreshadowing Incarnate
4. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
Was it the first or the second episode of Talking Outlander where we said: HEY. When are we gonna get to see some good old Scottish fighting skills? Running off on your horse, Jamie, is not the same as going to town on the Grant clan. And here it is. FINALLY.
See, in this day and age, mad ninja skillz are not a requirement for ultimate hotness. But knowing Jamie is good with broadsword AND dirk*? That’s hot.
*see #5 because twss
And speaking of an ambush … this scene is decidedly missing a certain descriptive from the book that we love to reference here at That’s Normal. That’s ok though. We have the t-shirt to commemorate it forever.
5. Rupert “Michael Gary Scott” Mackenzie
Claire: It’s too long and heavy for me.
Rupert: THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID.
Nothing … and I mean this in all sincerity … makes me happier than a well-timed, unexpected that’s what she said joke. Throw in an anachronistic Scottish one about JAMIE’s DIRK????? I am in giddy, goofball heaven. Best.Bit.Ever.
That Claire Glare: Also Epic
6. PullOutlander
This episode was a perfect mix of fanfictiony new stuff and verbatim, iconic scenes from the book. The meadow sex with Jamie and Claire was so representative of their early relationship in the book that had it been up to me? This screencap would have been the cover of the tv show tie-in book.
Because when I think Outlander: I think Heather Sex
Of course, then Poor Jamie gets roasted by Claire’s giant snort laugh, and doesn’t even get to drill her for long before he has to pull out and almost be killed while she gets raped, so it’s not that sweet of a scene. But what can you do? We can’t just watch an hour of them doing it all over the surrounding countryside. Can we? We can’t. Can we?
7. Mrs. Graham, Sensitivity Coach
Not only has she been shouting all over the manse that she thinks there’s something more going on than a simple disappearance, but when SadFaceFrank sits down for tea and a tale, Mrs. Graham leaves all solemnity behind and gets inappropriately giddy that someone is actually listening to her.
“Let me tell you more about my grandmother. It will make your day. I mean, I know every day you’ve had over the last seven weeks has potentially been the worst day of your life, but my grams was so great at embroidering daisies and … “
8. You’ve Got Me Feeling Emoshuns
… deeper than I’ve ever dreamed ooooooffffff.
Maybe I just wasn’t expecting it because I could see it coming: Claire and Frank heading to the stones at (not really, but somehow) the same time, “feeling” one another through the magic of the place, etc.
As soon as Frank drove by that turn-off, and Claire saw the hilltop, I knew where the scene was headed. And I honestly expected it to be cheesy as hell. But it simply wasn’t. I was gutted for them both.
But I’m gonna go ahead and credit Tobias Menzies’ face (again) with making me cry real tears.
9. Scarlet Beauchamp, not my real name
I would like to be the first to compare the scene of Claire’s little upper-hand tête-à-tête with Black Jack to Lesley Ann Warren’s portrayal of Miss Scarlet in Clue, the best freaking movie based on a board game ever.made.
I don’t even have to sell it that hard. The color of their dresses. Their hair. The ornate setting. The mahogany desks and booklined walls. But especially Caitriona’s delivery and expression. The entire line, “Is it not clear by now that you and I are in the employ of the same powerful man” feels like it came directly from Clue. And the way Caitriona says, “secrets.” It’s like a spot-on impression!
“Government Secrets”
And now I need to go watch Clue.
10. Literal CliffHangers
OH SNAP. Anyone who’s been paying attention to the Outlander world has known (or suspected) for quite some time that this is where the mid-season finale would leave us hanging. Some thought it would be with Claire’s jaunt to the stones. But Ron D Moore (who wrote this episode) gave it away long ago when he said Jamie in the window pointing a pistol at Black Jack would be a great cliffhanger.
And it is.
Literally, Hanging on a Cliff. Cannot get more literal than this.
We’ve come full circle with these three; now everybody knows what they’re in for. A perfect little triangle of love and loathing.
And Black Jack’s response? That utter glee at seeing Jamie in his window while he’s already got a sadist boner for his imminent torture of Claire? GOD DO WE REALLY HAVE TO WAIT SIX MONTHS to see this play out? *sigh* Yes, we do.
At least we have the books.
SOOOOooooOoooOooo, there you have it folks. Episode 8 of the first season of Outlander. It has come and gone, and for the next six months Jamie will be perched on that ledge, Black Jack’s sadist boner will be perched in sexual confusion, and Claire’s nipple will be perched on the edge of a knife. Who will lose rigidity first?
What were your favorite moments from the mid-season finale? And what are we gonna do for the next six months?
One thing we will do besides talking about a ton of other cool shit, is not leave Outlander world out in the proverbial cold. Subscribe here to get all our That’s Normal posts in your inbox, but also so you don’t miss HangOutlander: a weekly post/hangout about what’s up with our favorite show, the cast, the news, the series, the fandom and more.
