I am probably one of the few fans that was looking forward to the end of Season One of Outlander. For the past two years my world has been consumed with Outlander, The Heughligans, Premieres, Book signings, New on set photos, Sam, Catriona and Tobias. So as Saturday approached I was breathing a sigh of relief that my real life would come back into focus and my fangirling could go on vacation. What happened was something I was not expecting. I was pushed further into my comfort box but the feeling was more than uncomfortable it became……well have you ever had a claustrophobic experience? And you go to take a breath but it isn’t there and there is that nano second of stillness. Your ears aren’t open to the sounds around, your eyes have lost focus and your sense of balance is skewed. But then a sonic boom of anxiety hits you and you panic. The feeling in my comfort box has been filled with that nano second experience I have not felt the relief of anxiety just yet. 
What was it about this episode that has me in a world of appreciation of the dark side? I’ve seen rape before on many shows and read it in many books. In fact it has become media’s go to entertainment…”ah well things are a bit dry in this scene…let’s rape a girl to liven things back up” For many years I have accepted that is just the way things are and I also move past the event. Never pausing to think about what just happened.
To Ransom a Man’s Soul was not a frivolous, Luke and Laura, General Hospital moment where she was raped but ‘I think not only could I love this man I will marry him, after all he was drunk and didn’t really mean it’ (#eyeroll). Outlander the book and the show presents what it is truly like to be sexually abused. The confusion, the shame, the betrayal of your body, the lasting effects that are not resolved quickly. As we book readers know this moment follows Jamie and Claire throughout their lives and spills over to future events.
The stillness that I have felt is beginning to vibrate with the word FINALLY someone gets it. Rape is not an event that should be taken lightly, it isn’t a quick moment, it isn’t a go to when a director needs to add some action. And just maybe if our media entertainers would stop with the “simplicity” of a rape experience and show the psychological long term effects that maybe a potential abuser would think twice.
No, it isn’t a great feeling to see the truth behind abusive moments but looking the other way to shows or books that minimize pain is no longer an option. Because the sound of my stillness rings loud and clear to survivors. I am not acknowledging their story with my viewing trivialization of an awful event.
I was not expecting to become more of a fan after the visual rape of our dear Jamie but I have become more of a fan. A fan because a book and show that I hold near to my heart has remained authentic to humanity.
Heughan's Heughligans 
Wow very beautifully put. My daughter watched just about the whole season before ever mentioning Outlander to me. Then one Sunday she casually said “want to watch this programme mum, I love it?”
I sat and watched the whole thing in one glorious sitting and was hooked. I absolutely love anything that is a little different. It’s beautifully acted by all.
I now, like many I’m sure watch random episodes because I can and because it thrills me that I am still finding more to see with each viewing.
I read very quickly and am currently on book 7 but I stopped and have gone back to book 1 I want to savour it and re read along side of viewing.
Jamie ‘s rape at the hands of Black Jack does reverberate through the following books and should. It was hard viewing and should have been, rape should not be trivial in any way. I think it was brilliantly done and both actors should be mentioned.
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Beautifully put…
Very Beautiful way to explain it.
To Sam..this was very well said. and I feel the same way. As a big fan,I under stand what feelings come out of this part…an yes it was very hard I am sure for us and the fans but it was done so tastefully. Thank you for your gracious gift of true acting with heart
Aye! I have become extremely attached to Outlander and those who play the characters in this Outstanding Romance/Drama/Historical series. 2016 Season 2 can’t arrive soon enough but I have the patience to eagerly await. All good things come to those who wait… 🙂 In the meantime, I’m reading the books because I have this need to know what’s going to happen…lol It’s like I’m in this trance that feeds on Outlander. I watch Season 1 episodes; hit and miss, just because I want to; doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen it already. Plan to read the whole series of books; working on book 2 right now. It continues to amaze me how closely the book is to the TV series; outstanding! Well done from top to bottom and applaud all who were involved with the making of the series and the selection of the actors who play the characters. They are all fabulous! And, might I add; Sam Heughan is certainly not hard on the eyes AT ALL! Have loved him since his Hallmark “Princess for Christmas” days! Keep up the good work, Sam, and look forward to many more episodes of the Outlander Series! Thank you!
You will see them again next season in the battle of Prestonpans, in Edinburgh, and in other places leading up to Culloden.
Beautifully put. Thank you
I have to say that even though I had to look away many times during this episode, I didn’t get a sense of renewal everyone appears to feel with onward to France. The beach scene left me crying as well….goodbye to many characters who we won’t see in future books unless mentioned at Battle of Culloden….hell, I’m even going to miss Angus! I felt a sense of loss when the camera panned back and showed sweet Willie alone watching the boat sail away. Don’t think we will ever see hime again, or Angus, Rupert’s death is mentioned during Culloden flashback. Thank God Murtagh’s character remains for at least France. And he too dies at Culloden. I will probably be going through stages of grief and loss!! Part of me doesn’t want any more television movies….I’m sure this will pass! I didn’t get this sense of loss after reading any of DBs books….perhaps because they were just “imaginary” friends on a page but the visual made them too real for some reason. And then I jumped ahead to Ian Murray and his final battle….I’ll be a total wreck, I’m sure.