Wow….what a difference a few days can make!  I am reminded of the first premier Outlander folks attended.  That weekend fans suddenly found themselves awash in images, and interviews, and anticipation! I can remember joking that I had a headache from all the goodness imbibing.  These last few days have held a bit of that excitement for me.  How appropriate were Jamie and Claire’s first lines on the new trailer because yes, it is all beginning again!  So, today I feel the need to metaphorically toast  “To new beginnings” and another season of Outlander.

Read more after the jump!

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NEW IMAGES

 

I’m sure plenty of you remember our first look at Sam and Caitriona together in the infamous “Come on Sassenach” bit.

Hearts all over the world melted.  It suddenly seemed real! Our beloved characters were going to come to life.  And, may I say they did.  It is difficult for me to remember the old Jamie and Claire I had in my head when I read Diana Gabaldon’s  books. These actors have so embodied their characters that now I only see and hear them.

As of this writing, I have watched the new trailer at least 10 times and still can’t believe I am seeing the Paris Diana wrote about in Dragonfly in Amber, but there it is …right there …on my iPad!

Here is the link in case you would like to watch it again or…again,

http://www.starz.com/originals/outlander/video/63526ba17bc647fcac3f96b063361411

And, despite my own pretty vivid imagination and Diana’s wealth of details, what I’ve seen goes far above and beyond my expectations.

I’m sure that when I see it all put together I will be totally immersed in the story, characters, and 1740’s Paris.  But, the trailer is so vividly rich in detail, I find myself going back to watch it for another look at the sets and costumes. I notice something new every time! Kudos to Jon Gary Steele, Gina Cromwell, Terry Dresbach and their teams. And, after seeing that birds’ eye view of Claire walking in the garden, I’m thinking I might want to learn a bit more about the folks running and directing the cameras!  It took my breath away.

NEW ATTENTION

I stayed up to watch the Golden Globes hoping against hope that Outlander and its stars would win in a very competitive field.  There really is a lot of good television out there right now (I’m certainly going to check out Mr.Robot to see what the fuss is about).  I’ve even heard it referred to as the “silver age” of TV. I consoled myself with the belief that being nominated truly was an honor and sure to bring new viewers and buzz to the show.  I was glad to see Diana say the same.

The interviews have begun and I have to say, as ridiculous as I know it is, I feel so proud when I watch “our” celebrities being interviewed.  Their sincerity, intelligence, humor, and camaraderie always shines through.  And, I want to give a shout out to SoCal Outlanders, way to represent ! I wish I was a California girl today!

I’ve said this before, but it was a good wind that blew this serendipitous group of people together.  The adaptation of these books could have gone so wrong and yes, I am aware that there are a group of folks who lament Ron’s choices, but overall, the fans I hear from are pleased. I’ve seen bad adaptations and in my humble opinion this isn’t one of them.  It is a quality acted, produced, and filmed series

I’m sure there are a lot of you out there who remember the beginning and how anxious we all were to see the series get positive attention and reviews.  At first, it was a mixed bag of reactions. Some reporters locked onto the idea that this was a Harlequinesque story that would have no crossover appeal for anyone not a middle-age housewife (don’t get me started). We fans had to suffer through all the stereotypical pop-culture cliches they could print. We were frustrated by the dismissive attitudes and perceptions of one of the greatest stories we had ever read! I have to say that I’m feeling a bit smug because we were right, overall, critics and reporters are singing the praises of Outlander.  Three Golden Globe nominations, ye ken!

NEW STORY

So,…it’s RUMOURED that we will get a season three and I’m hopeful that the success Outlander has seen so far will only lead to more seasons and more adaptations. This season we will see Jamie and Claire try to change history, become parents, and deal with their own pasts.  We will meet some our favorite characters for the first time; Fergus, Master Raymond, Roger, and Brianna just to name a few. We already know that the adaptation will depart from the book, but if the trailers are any indication, I think we are in for a treat. The series isn’t Diana’s books, but I’ve come to understand that I’ll always have THOSE stories and THAT Jamie and Claire.  THIS Jamie and Claire are a bit different, but they are still my Jamie and Claire and the story is still fascinating.

I’ve heard our principal stars say that they don’t want to read too far ahead in the series because they think it would negatively impact their performances. I have to wonder if they have any real idea of how great this story really is?  It only gets better and their characters (because Diana is a freaking genius) continue to change because they are layered and complex.  I believe they really don’t know that they have landed plop into the middle of an actor’s dream.  They will get to play characters who evolve over time in a story that is never the same. They get to play characters that continue to face everything life can throw at a person like loss, peril, grief, frustration, struggle, acceptance, jealousy, betrayal, forgiveness, etc. and through it all experience the miracle of an enduring love. Starz recognized that this source material had the potential to successfully entertain us for years and years. And, I, for one, am grateful! Think about it…years of Outlander, Jamie and Claire, Bree and Roger, Wee Ian, Lord John, William, Jemmy, wee curly dark haired Mandy and others that are part of more than 670 characters in the world Diana has created and Ron has to draw from.

NEW SPECULATION

We’ll have a whole new year to speculate, recap, GIF, blog and celebrate.  A whole thirteen more episodes to look forward to every Saturday night while we sip whiskey, laugh, cry, and sigh.  We’ll have  (hopefully) new cast watches and updates on what is happening on set and behind the scenes, thanks to Maril, Matt, Terry, and Jon Gary.

NEW FANDOM

This is my first experience being part of a fandom and overall, it has been a wonderful experience.  Just today, I heard from Diana and received a lovely tweet from a fan who told me they translate my blogs in Russian.  The world has become a smaller more intimate place where I have found kindred souls and like-minded folks from every corner of the globe. Before the series came out some of the book fans lamented the unavoidable changes that would happen when the the story aired.  We knew our fandom would include people who had never read the books and didn’t really want to.  And, despite what I have been assured is normal growing pains for fandoms, the party just got bigger and like-minded folks easier to find.  The fandom is big enough for us all and news flash… it’s going to get bigger.

NEW ATTITUDES

It’s still January, so maybe I’m just under the wire on wishes for the New Year!  I’m looking forward to a 2016 full of tolerance, shared excitement, and Outlander...lots and lots of Outlander.