1945. Claire Randall is a nurse in the British army. After the victory, she goes back to her husband, Franck, whom she barely had time to marry before the war tore them apart. They are having a late honeymoon in Inverness, Scotland. But despite their best efforts, they feel like strangers to each other. One night, Claire witnesses a strange ceremony: women dancing in a circle of stones. Feeling a little bit lost, Claire approaches the circle. She is like drawn to the main stone. She passes out, and wakes up… 200 years in the past.
Attacked by a British colonel who look exactly like Franck, she is saved by Scottish rebels, led by the bold, impetuous, stubborn, redhaid James Fraser. Stuck in the past, Claire has to adapt to a time when the place of women is not the same. Her temperament triggers quarrels and disasters, but the handsome Jamie comes to the rescue. It’s the beginning of a passion that will endure through all trials and ages.
A timeless love that survives all wars
Above all, Outlander is a romantic series. But if, like me, you’re not a big fan of romance, you may find other sources of interest. In the first place, the historical reconstruction of Scotland and the United States in several eras, both recent and more distant. Then, the epic breath of an adventure that crosses continents (and time), full of people with strong characters, balls, battles, risks, shipwrecks, betrayals, ambitions, social ascensions… Over the decades, the characters age and evolve, and their children begin new lives. In this crowd of characters, there’s no shortage of unique stories.
Created by Ronald D. Moore, based on the novels by Dana Gabaldon, over the course of eight seasons, the tone of the episodes combines darkness (sometimes with raw violence) and hope. When people have to survive on a daily basis, every moment of lightness is a small victory. I personally liked seasons 4 and 5 less, but on the whole, the series is of high quality. She reminds us that behaving humanely is not (just) a matter of era and culture.
7 seasons, 91 episodes (60 mn), 2014 -, on Netflix
WITH : Caitríona Balfe as Claire Fraser, Sam Heughan as James “Jamie” Fraser, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, Sophie Skelton as Brianna “Bree” Fraser MacKenzie, Steven Cree as Ian Murray, David Berry as Lord John Grey
- The Scottish : Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie (seasons 1–2; guest season 7) and William “Buck” MacKenzie (season 5), Duncan Lacroix as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser (seasons 1–5), Grant O’Rourke as Rupert MacKenzie (seasons 1–3), Stephen Walters as Angus Mhor (seasons 1–2), Gary Lewis as Colum MacKenzie (seasons 1–2 + season 6), Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan a.k.a. Gillian Edgars (seasons 1–3; guest season 7), Laura Donnelly as Janet “Jenny” Fraser Murray (seasons 1–3), Andrew Gower as Prince Charles Edward Stuart (seasons 2–3; guest season 6), Nell Hudson as Laoghaire MacKenzie
- The British : Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall (seasons 1–4) and Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall (seasons 1–3), Bill Paterson as Edward “Ned” Gowan (seasons 1, 3, 6), Simon Callow as Clarence Marylebone, Duke of Sandringham (seasons 1–2), Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom
- The Americans : Edward Speleers as Stephen Bonnet (seasons 4–5), Maria Doyle Kennedy as Jocasta MacKenzie Cameron (seasons 4–6), Colin McFarlane as Ulysses (seasons 4–5), Mark Lewis Jones as Tom Christie (seasons 6–7)
