The Starz time-traveling romance hit Outlander has been praised for many things over its four plus seasons, and Diana Gabaldon, who wrote the series of novels on which the show is based, has been right there along with fans in her appreciation of how the show has adapted her source material. So much so, that the mere idea of Gabaldon speaking out against the show seems ludicrous. Well, hang on to your kilts, sassenachs, because Gabaldon was not pleased with something she saw in the most recent episode.
One of the things that fans and critics alike have loved about Outlander has been the deep relationship between Claire and Jamie Fraser. Something that goes along with that relationship quite frequently is the gloriously romantic sexytimes that the two have been known to have in between all the warring, homestead building, family wrangling and dealing with villains that they've had to do. Diana Gabaldon tweets about the new episodes, and when asked by a follower about a particular scene last night, she revealed that she didn't like it at all:
Oooh, weeee! The only things that came out of Gabaldon's tweet unscathed were actors Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, whom she credited with doing the best they could with, apparently, very few resources. Gabaldon took shots at the directing, writing, lighting and overall set design for the scene in question, which featured Jamie and Claire making up in some stables after an argument with a naughty little trip to bone town.
People have, I'm sure, had issues with several things throughout Outlander's time on the air, but I have never, ever, heard anyone complain about one of Claire and Jamie's love scenes, so I get the impression that this stable sex was so out of place as to be distracting for fans of the show. While several people agreed with Diana Gabaldon's appraisal of the scene, and it seems like she wouldn't even have mentioned it had she not been prompted by a fan, she did have some folks come down on her for bashing the episode, so she had to clarify her position for those who weren't paying full attention:
As fans will know, there was a lot going on in this episode of Outlander. There was a wedding, a lovely Jotagh (Murcasta?) scene fit to break hearts, some Bonnet news, at least one much deserved death threat and a plague of nearly biblical proportions, so I think Diana Gabaldon, and the viewers who agreed with her, can be forgiven for not being enamored of what took place during a few seconds near the end of the show.
Gabaldon went on to say in another tweet that she did enjoy the acting before and after the sexytimes, but that "the dialogue leading up to the actual sex and the staging of said sex left something to be desired" for her. Fair enough, I say. No show is perfect, after all. Not even our beloved Outlander.
Outlander airs new episodes from Season 5 on Starz, every Sunday at 8 p.m. EST. For more on what to watch right now check out our midseason premiere guide and get the lowdown on everything that's been delayed.
