Cait is a true friend who promised to have Sam's back and kept her promise. She's also a team player who will not criticize anyone close in public. Speaking in accolades about Sam for public consumption doesn't mean she agrees with everything Sam does or says. In fact, she's been too over-the-top praising him when the reality showed something completely different. So, just because she loves him as a friend, just as she loves the rest of OL cast, it never meant they were ever more than friends. 15 years, it's a long time to believe that the whole world signed an NDA to hide and protect two barely known actors imagined relationship/marriage/family/multitude of kids. Insane.
Uncomfortable Truths
I’m not feeling very patient today, and I think intrusive people need a dose of the hard truth—something many dislike, yet it is often necessary:
Regarding Cait: she hasn’t stopped acting and has appeared in both significant films and lesser-known ones—always alongside excellent actors, mind you—but every single one of her roles (with the exception of "Belfast") has been small. It is worth remembering that, during that particular awards season, she was seated next to her husband in the "nosebleed section" at the Oscars ceremony. Hyping up her acting career is silly, especially since she doesn't do it herself. I love that she stays active with numerous small roles; it keeps her in the public eye—even if only on the periphery—and, consequently, keeps her employed. She is a good actress, yet she isn't on Hollywood's A-list.
Regarding Sam: his films and series haven't generated much hype, but he has played the lead in practically all of them, meaning he has had more screen time than Cait. Does this make him better or worse than Cait? Not at all. As for whether Jamie is the only significant role of Sam’s career—well, time will tell. The guy has his own businesses, which I assume keep the money flowing, and I assume he earns income through other channels; if, ten years down the line, he gets invited to a Comic-Con to talk about Jamie and gets paid for it—perfect, that’s work too. People have to eat, folks. So, Cait will keep taking on small roles, and Sam will keep his businesses running, accept the occasional small role (or a lead role in a bad movie or series), and keep showing up at liquor stores, events, and any activity that generates income—because that’s how he makes a living. There are major figures who start foundations and raise money for "worthy causes," using that to keep their lifestyles intact—in short, they live off the money of Good Samaritans. Now, that! is truly awful.
Cait and Sam are individuals with different careers, professional focuses, and acting preferences; it is absurd to belittle one just to elevate the other. The prominence they both achieved came from their masterful portrayals of the "Outlander" leads; Claire and Jamie are likely among the best roles of their respective careers—because, honestly, it looks as though the characters were lifted straight from the books.
These ridiculous arguments—intended solely to justify the idea that Cait would never in a million years be with a guy like Sam—are a total waste of time. And don't get me started on the sheer delusion of reading romance into the cold, distant interactions Sam has had with any woman he’s been paired with (or has paired himself with); projecting romance onto kisses, outings, and interactions that are clearly contractual is the behavior of crazy people living in a fantasy world. My favorite part is watching the "antis" struggle: they can't explain why Sam and Cait seem so in sync, yet they bend over backward with impossible mental gymnastics to explain why the pair seem so disconnected from their official "partners." And no, "fan service" doesn't cut it as an explanation. It’s been 13 years, and people are still trying to prove it’s insane to think they were—or are—together. I mean, if someone started watching the series today for the first time, they’d think the two were genuinely a couple; and if that same person did a little digging, they’d find reasonable grounds to suspect that they might actually be together. In fact, the idea that they are a couple answers a host of questions the antis can't resolve regarding Sam and Cait's behavior. But who am I to make such claims? I can only speak to what I see, not to things that lie beyond my limited understanding of the actual truths and certainties of their lives.
We judge ourselves by our intentions yet we judge others by their actions; we know the reasoning behind our actions, but rarely know the full context behind someone else’s behaviour.
Research shows that the traits we judge most aggressively in others are often the ones we secretly struggle with or suppress in ourselves.
Assuming everyone thinks, reacts, or prioritizes exactly as we do shuts down understanding and limits genuine connection.
