My thoughts on the first season of Outlander. (Part I).

I was first introduced to the Diana Gabaldon book series "Outlander" when I was a senior in high school. My English Honors teacher (whom I adored) decided with the topics I chose to discuss/write about and the books I chose to report on that this might peak my interest.

And she wasn't wrong. Within the first couple of days of her telling me that I should definitely pick up "at least the first" in the series I had my boyfriend (yes, the one that is my fiance now.... it still sounds weird to say fiance, by the way) take me to my favorite used book store (where you could buy books for cash, but also trade in others for credit and gain credit for purchase as well) to hunt it down.

I not only read the 640 page novel within three days (while also keeping up with my actual school work, taking care of Momma/the house, and waitressing), but my teacher was very pleased that it was the next book that I had chosen as discussion for my writing/reporting in her class and appreciated my input on it.

She had informed me that this series wasn't necessarily for everyone, but she knew that I would be in a sort of awe over it. And again, she wasn't wrong.

There are currently eight books in the series (with a ninth forthcoming) and I own them all. I hunted them down over the years (they were harder to get your hands on when you didn't know how to buy things online and didn't live around a major bookstore/were kind of poor), and when Momma and I decided to move from FL to TN we drove a giant box truck (with my brother and Grammy following behind in our van) I even read the book out loud to her. Considering that our radio was broken and we only had so many entertainment options for that long ass trip, she was pretty happy about it.

I heard rumors back in 2013 that they were thinking about adapting these novels into a tv series, so not only did I decide to re-read the first one, I also started following along to see if they were in fact going through with it. Sure enough, by 2014, it was a thing and people were going INSANE throughout the entire process.

But, it wasn't a thing that I got to participate in, because the series was on STARZ and my budget does not allow for such extravagant cable options. And it went on like this for a few years, with me reading here and there about the going ons with the show, but not watching. And then, a few weeks ago they decided to add the first two seasons of the series to Netflix and once I found out, it was added to my queue.

I'm about halfway through the first season (episode eight, I think?) and I have to say so far, I like it.

It stays pretty close to the source material, with a few minor changes here and there, and to say that Murtagh is my favorite would be an understatement.

But, I also knew going in that there were going to be difficult moments to watch. There were certainly exasperating and gruesome parts to get through in the novels, and I assumed if they wanted to make the show anything like them, there were definitely going to be some parts that made me squirm.

Case in point: the scene where Black Jack flogs Jamie on his already mutilated back. This was a hard one to read, because you try not to, but can't help but to imagine what something like that would look like. But then, you see it happening in a scene that felt never ending and it's truly grotesque. It's just incredibly difficult to imagine that someone could be that sadistic and not only do something so horrible, but actually enjoy it. It's just real hard to get through.

Also hard to get through? All the raping and attempted raping. I don't know about you, but I've never been able to watch a rape scene and get through it without turning away or having to fast forward through it. I know it happens and I know it was extremely prominent back in the day, but watching something like that is just not easy and I can't get past the uncomfortableness and wrangle in my feelings about it. And it's not just like that with this show, but all shows/movies where it happens.

But, with the bad (hopefully/usually) comes the good and there's a lot to be said about it so far. Sure, Claire is being held against her will at the castle and with the clan, but honestly, things do not go well for her when she's on her own and while she doesn't necessarily "need a man" to get through this, it's nice to know that many of them have come to love and care for her. And then.... there's Jamie Fraser. Enough said.

I've always been fascinated with history and especially the 1940s/1700s, so the fact that this show takes place in both is both exciting and welcomed. Like I said, I'm only about half way through season one, but it's starting to really pick up the pace (there was a lot of setup that had to be done) and while Claire still insists on saying "Craigh na Dun" on occasion, at least it's not every fourteen seconds. (Praise it!!)

So, for now, I think I'm going to keep going with it. I even got D kind of into it and he's watched almost as much as I have.