Here is Ron D. Moore’s interview with ArtsBeat
From ArtsBeat:
It was the episode that “Outlander” fans had long been awaiting — and dreading. In this Starz drama’s first-season finale, the 18th-century Scottish warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) submitted to the brutal sexual advances of the evil redcoat Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) in an attempt to free our heroine, Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe).
Read more after the jump!
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In her recap of the episode, Libby Hill wrote, ” ‘To Ransom a Man’s Soul’ is an important episode of television because it takes the time to fully explore what recovery actually looks like and understands that it’s by no means a simple or straightforward undertaking.”
Ronald D. Moore, the show runner and an executive producer, spoke about the difficulty of adapting this controversial scene from Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling series of historical novels. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Q. Do you remember your reaction when you first read this scene in the book?
A. I was surprised, because that’s not typically where your story goes with your lead male hero. But I knew it was going to be great in terms of storytelling. The audience who didn’t read the books would have no idea this was the finale, and that was a big positive for us. And I knew it would be really challenging.
Q. How did you prepare for that challenge?
A. As we got into the first season, we always knew we were going to this really dark place. We had lots of early discussions with the cast and the writers about it. We all had plenty of time to think about how we were going to realize it. It was always something that was present in our minds from the beginning.
Q. It’s obviously different to read a scene like this than to see it. How did you go about deciding the way you would depict it?
A. That’s the key thing you have to keep in mind. It’s a great passage in the book. It’s interesting, daring stuff, but it’s different to watch it. We had to deconstruct it in a couple of different ways. The book maintains Claire’s point of view throughout, so the things that happen between Jack and Jamie are related to her after the fact and Jamie has been rescued. It’s sort of a flashback. We knew we wanted to change that.
Q. Why did you alter the way the season ends?
A. The structure is different: In the book, they rescue Jamie, then they get onto the boat to France, then there’s a whole rehabilitation section in a French monastery. In the TV show, I thought, “Let’s not let go of the jeopardy and the danger of getting out of Scotland. Let’s keep it close and have the monastery in Scotland, so the events are much more immediate, and they still have to escape.” That lets us end on this big, beautiful shot of the ship, and you get to take a breath. You’re out of this dark place, and it’s literally open skies and ocean.
Read the rest of the interview at the source
Reblogged this on Ana Fraser Lallybroch Blog.
Ron Moore, in my eyes, is the most brilliant producer in the world! “Outlander” has surpassed my wildest imagination in every way possible! I love the novels and his Startz adaptation of those novels is fantastic! Thank you to all associated with this brilliant series!