Seven Lonely Outlander Opinions

It took me two false starts (and many false starts on the blog post) before I could settle in and watch “The Doldrums” in its entirety.  It was jarring; it didn’t feel like Outlander.

People watch Outlander for many reasons.  It pulled me in with its epic love story.  It kept me interested in fabulous secondary characters and the talented actors who portrayed them. But the essence of the show, the Scottish Highlands, is now gone.  I didn’t realize how much I’d come to love it until it was taken away.

So why are these opinions lonely?  Because many of them are most likely unpopular.

The Doldrums, Episode 309

1.  New opening title music

I hate it!  There’s something painful to my ears hearing a Scottish song set to bongo drums.  Ok, they’re probably not bongos, but they have a Carribean flavor to them that just doesn’t mix. I get it. We’re going to Jamaica, so we must it have a calypso beat.  It’s not as bad as nails on a chalkboard; it’s nearer to the sound of dissonant chords, which grate on my ears.  But Bear McCreary is a musical genius and I am not.

2.  So much sun! (New opening visuals)

Ordinarily, I love a sunny day.  But like the music, the opening title visuals were disconcerting.  I especially disliked the bloody feet.  But then, I also disliked the band of falling Scots during the Culloden charge.  The bright sun of the Carribean made me realize I love Outlander for Scotland, as much as for a great love story and memorable characters.

3.  Failed chemistry

Did the actors who play adult Fergus and Marsali screen test together?  Because it sure doesn’t feel like it.  Granted, they weren’t given much to do in this episode, except whine about getting Jamie’s blessing to marry.  Then again, how much chemistry should there be between a 30-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl (Fergus and Marsali’s respective ages in the book)?

4.  Unimpassioned Fergus

I love Fergus, and I really want to love Céasar Domboy as much as I loved Romann Berrux.  Wizened old Fergus’s time with Young Ian was last week was adorable.  But this week I’m not seeing Fergus’s considerable personality.  I didn’t feel any passion when Fergus discussed his desire to marry Marsali with Jamie.

I hope things will change as Fergus is allowed to do more because I love the character—and I want to love the actor.

5.  Dear Lesley and Hayes,

I knew Rupert and Angus.  You, sirs, are no Rupert and Angus.

The problem with creating a great duo, casting them impeccably, and then killing both characters off, is that you cannot recreate them.  By giving us Grant O’Rourke and Stephen Walters early in the series, and having us fall in love with them, we’re not going to enjoy their so-called replacements.

6.  Politically correct Willoughby

Thank goodness the series has made the character much more tolerable, and less of a caricature.  Claire calls him by his given name Yi Tien Cho, which is nice.  Even the crew of the Artemis come to respect him, although his life story is a little hard to listen to.  Still, it quells an angry crowd.  And if you look closely, one of the crew members actually thanks Willoughby, smiling and placing his hands on his shoulders in a congratulatory gesture.

 7.  It’s a SHIP, not a boat!

Some of the podcasts I’ve been listening to call both the Artemis and the Porpoise “boats.”  They’re not!  They’re ships!  Got it?  Okay.

And that is all I have for today.