You are good people, thank you. I’m lurking compuserve like a creeper, reading every review I can get my hands on, have the Outlandish Companion, even watched every second of the SDCC panel. It is really hard to compartmentalize with such a prolific and voluble writer.
… Compuserve still exists?
I know Herself posted on Compuserve writers forums when she was working on the original book.
… are you a time traveler?
I second the question(s).
Och aye, Herself does still post over at compuserve. You can see a recent post by her here at the top of this page.
After the second episode, I’m still on the fence. It’s nicely enough done and I don’t have specific issues with it but, at the same time, I don’t really find myself caring about Claire or what happens to her. And 95% of the show is directly about Claire so there’s not even some thrilling 18th century Scottish feudal politics to distract myself with or anything.
I guess if I’m not hooked next week, I’ll find another way to spend that hour.
Jophiel, the turning point for most people will happen in the episode that airs September 27. Unfortunate it’ll happen so late in the season, but… well. That’s the turning point. It’s 300 pages into the book, which is unfortunate too.
My observations about episode 2:
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The whole thing still seems to be very slowly paced. The scene where Jamie is taking Laoghaire’s punishment for her was just… wow, slow. I kept wanting Rupert to hurry up and beat the crap out of him already.
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They’ve changed details of the story to bring out certain aspects of it… and in so doing, made both Claire and Colum dumber than they were in the book. I don’t like that.
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Lotte Verbeek won episode 2. Her Geillis Duncan is WONDERFUL, and so much more than the character in the book… she’s Luna Lovegood all growed up and delightfully naughty. I am very, very happy with that character.
Did you spell Jophiel correctly? Googling “outlander jophiel” brings up this thread as its first result.
My interest level took a nose dive during the second episode, though I’ll stick it out for a while longer.
Yes. Sattua was replying to the SDMB poster Jophiel, who posted last before that reply.
Was it just me or was Claire stupid to be surprised that she was asked/forced to stay on at the laird’s castle? I mean, she aptly demonstrated that she had useful healing skills and she thought they’d just let her leave? Plus what was she planning to do in Inverness?
Ah, I thought he was referencing a character or place that would be the turning point. Thanks.
She thought she could use the stones to get back to the present (either seek out the local witches or touch them or whatever).
I have no idea what was with her back story unless she was just trying to prove herself to be a moron. Flashback to her husband saying the trick is to stay as close to the truth as possible and she immediately follows up with some half-assed tale that might as well have included space ballerinas and Japanese unicorns.
Finally got to watch it.
I thought it was a good episode, not quite as exciting as the first one because, well first, but it was fun watching Claire get to know the castle.
A random collection of thoughts:
Mrs Fitz was surprisingly unfriendly and if you watch the previews for next week’s episode it looks like she gets even more unfriendly.
I thought the scene at the table with Dougal and Collum was very well done - how she would chew and drink to give herself time. But the bit with Hamish was totally out of character for my understanding of Book Claire, who would never make that kind of stupid mistake.
Actually now that I think of it maybe it is in character, since she stupidly mentions to Dougal about leaving in 5 days with the tinker, instead of keeping her mouth shut. Perhaps TV Claire just has somewhat less judgement and discretion than Book Claire. She also seems to be more confrontational than strictly necessary.
Any scene with Jamie is just great. I’m totally on board with Sam Heughan…and with Sam Heughan’s thighs. He’s got great presence on the screen and damn that guy is smoking hot. He and Caitriona have serious chemestry, and I think the show is doing a great job of building up the “will they or won’t they”.
The scene with Black Jack and Jenny was so well done. Tobias Menzies licking his thumb and cleaning her face was creepier than the tearing of her bodice.
Geillis Duncan - perfect, luminous, so believable. Can’t wait to see more of that character. The scene in hall where she was translating for Claire was exceptionally well done, and I loved the interplay between Rupert (right, rupert?) and Jamie during the beating.
My absolute favorite moment though was when Laoghaire was waiting for Jamie in the kitchen after Hall, and Claire says “Someone wishes to speak with you…privately” in a kind of amused voice with a little smile as she left. Just what an experienced woman would do and say to a young man, who she thinks is charming but no further. Loved that.
Cannot wait for episode 3!
Who is Hamish, and what bit are you referring to?
Hamish was the little kid of was sword fighting in the yard with two other kids and Dougal.
Claire greeted the kid at dinner and referred to Dougal as his father. Hamish protested that he is Colum’s son and heir. Claire then received looks of death from Colum, Dougal, and Letitia.
It looked to me (a non-book reader) that Hamish really is Dougal’s son and everyone there is aware of this. But they didn’t appreciate Claire noticing the resemblance and Dougal’s warm relationship with the boy.
BTW, I though Mrs Fitz was quite friendly, particularly after Jamie took the blows in lieu of her granddaughter, and Claire tended to his wounds.
Mrs Fitz seemed friendly enough to me, or at least as friendly as she could be expected to be towards a strange English woman of questionable background.
I read the Hamish thing the same way, that he was born from an illicit relationship.
I liked it a lot, but I was also surprised at the slow pace.
I thought it was heavy-handed for Frank and Claire to take a tour of the ruined Castle Leoch, but now I like the way they’re giving her flashbacks as she walks around the castle. It reminds you how disoriented she must be.
I saw in the extras that the external castle is the same one used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
As for Claire getting tipsy: (for book readers) Isn’t Colum’s wine unusually strong, because he uses it for pain relief? That would explain Claire getting drunker than she meant to.
For those who haven’t read the book, the bit about her hitching a ride with some dude to Inverness was added by the screen writers. In the book, IIRC, she was under surveillance, but was stuck at Castle Leoch because winter was coming on.
I agree that the timing is off. It’s moving too slowly, with too many pregnant pauses. IMO, there needs to be a lot more personality shown, such as Jamie’s line, “Aye, chickens make poor company.” and less of Claire walking around like Miss BossyPants. She’s an English woman, in a time where women were marginalized, and her life depends on the kindness of these strangers. Confronting everyone from the guy watching her to Dougal himself would be stupid, and out of character.
I also hate the voice overs. Hint to the Director: You don’t have to explain why a woman who thinks she has traveled back in time would want to know what the date is. Just show us looking at the letter and we’ll get it. Then show her mentioning the name of the King, with maybe a slight wince, and we would have understood that she was not sure. (Of course, it doesn’t explain why a time traveler not all that sure of herself wouldn’t just say, “On orders from the King.” Surely everyone who hasn’t time traveled who know who the King is.
Claire’s reaction (dropping the bandage) after Jamie mentions Randall’s name could have been filmed to make it more obvious.
I wish more characters would have bad skin and teeth, which is one thing that would indicate a different century.
What I liked?
Mrs. Fitz’s reaction to Claire’s brassiere, and her acceptance that it was so odd because it was French.
I liked seeing Scotland. I liked seeing Column’s legs as it was different than I pictured. The birdcage was much smaller, though. (Why do I remember these things?)
I liked seeing Lallybroch. It was way bigger than I pictured.
Lahaoire (sp?) wasn’t as pretty as I pictured, or as blonde.
I think that the dude playing Randall is a good villain. I haven’t seen him in his other works.
I like Sam, but his bum shoulder went in and out of character. 
I don’t think he’s a natural lefty.
I like that the others are speaking in Gaelic, as I agree that it makes us see them from Claire’s perspective.
That’s it for now!
I’d also like to air my major complaint about episode 2: given that there is so much voiceover exposition from Claire, WHY oh WHY didn’t anybody think to have her say, in a voiceover, the very best line of the whole entire book?
Happens in the scene when she’s alone with Jamie after bandaging his shoulder and starts to cry because she misses Frank. He holds her and shushes her. Then she observes,
“If I was a horse, I’d let him ride me anywhere.”
And then, in the book, she realizes he has a hard-on. It was acted so that people who had read the books could guess it had happened, but, well. People who hadn’t, wouldn’t.
Non-book reader here.
What was so bad about what Claire said at dinner? When she mentioned that she saw Uncle-beard playing with the boy. What was so inappropriate about the comment?