Where is the Story in S3?
So as I was laying in bed – not sleeping – I had a thought/s about a comment made in an OL ‘group’ which basically said she’s having a hard time feeling engaged with Season 3 of Outlander. ***Warning: long boring post below***
My thought was this – (let me preface by saying I am in no way a literary person, just someone who likes a good story whether it be book or film or tv show) I feel the reason she and maybe others are having a difficult time engaging is the way the ‘story’ so far is being shown.
Season 1 was one continuous story – it’s starts with Claire, moves forward with Claire and continues with Claire – Jamie is part of Claire’s story. So for me while watching this story I was in it – I didn’t see Caitriona Balfe the actress is playing Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, I saw Claire, I didn’t see Annette Badland playing Mrs. Fitz I Saw Mrs Fitz and Loved her. I was lost in the story, the story engaged me and kept me there – the only time during season 1 where it was harder to stay engaged was The Search – not because there was no Jamie (it’s still Claire’s story) but because a good part of it turned into a bunch of montages – the ‘story’ got interrupted with that, give me more Murtagh + Claire bonding, Jenny + Claire bonding. So it wasn’t terrible it just hiccuped a bit and distracted slightly.
Season 2 – oy vey – so s2 starts with Claire back in the 20th Century obviously she’d gone back through the stones that we never saw happen – all good let’s just go with it. I got engaged with this part of the story as it went along, I would have been happy staying there with her, I wanted to see what was going to happen next with her life in Boston – then bam, all of a sudden we’re back in time with Claire and Jamie – all good let’s go with it. Where did S2 lose my enthralled engagement – when the story got, well boring, the story became more about 1700’s Paris than about the characters – all of them – Claire, Jamie, Murtagh, etc.. The characters’ story seemed disjointed – you’ve got Jamie running around playing jackobite spy – look at me I so tired cos’ I trying to stop an uprising, no woman I don’t have time for you I’s trying to stop an uprising and I ain’t ready for no lovin’ times I’m hiding under this here blade of grass while I wipe the “mark me Prince Charlies’ ass”. While Claire is moping around bleating I am sooo bored with these simpleton Parisians, I’m so much better than this, I need something meaningful to do, I know I’ll hang around with the creepy frog guy and make some killer herb mixtures and shit and heal people while I’m pregnant in unsanitary 1700s Paris, would love to get some lovin time with the hubs but he can’t cos’ he just keeps seeing BJR, I don’t look anything like that dude,. But look at all our pretty clothes they are badass!!
As I said I’m not a literary type person, all I know is that the story while they were in Paris was less engaging. So there was Faith – yes brought me back into the story until the scene when Jamie returns home, that scene was edited so much that it feels off, when I watched the ‘extended’ version I understood why. It was edited down at the cost of the characters’ story.
When they get to Scotland it starts getting a bit better, but because I haven’t been as engaged from the beginning it’s getting harder to ‘get there’ now. My favorite episode was the PTSD Claire, I loved seeing the flashbacks, learning what her experiences were in the war, how those experiences shaped her character etc.. With all of this said most of us realize that the issue with ‘getting into’ this part of the OL story (DIA) is the story (source material) itself and I think not being able to have Jamie’s healing happen in S1, his healing in Paris doesn’t even add to the story at this point (there is just too much going on) – this is by no means criticism, I mean I certainly wouldn’t want the job these guys have, these are just observations.
Season 3 – yes LONG awaited S3. Why is it hard for some viewers to stay engaged with this season? Because there is very limited story to follow or get engaged in period. The best parts so far has been Jamie’s story, but every time they jump back into the 20th Century it interrupts the STORY and we’re left feeling disjointed. I’m wondering if it would have worked better by giving a couple (or more) episodes just for Jamie’s story – no ‘let’s go peek into moments of Claire’s miserable life’ – just Jamie – I know I would have been engaged completely in that story. Then once we get to a certain point in his story we go and visit Claire and Bree’s story, we get to see Claire and Bree’s relationship, we see Frank in the background being an asshole, we see Dr Claire and JOE, (I love Joe so damn much, probably as much as Murtagh, cos Joe is like Claire’s own Murtagh!) So Claire’s life progresses, icy road happens, Scotland and Jamie’s alive! But where is he…. I am so into this story! But instead we’re not getting stories we’re getting glimpses of stories, vignettes that leave us still hungry and unfulfilled and even a bit confused. At least we do get more of a story line with Jamie’s, again though because they’re trying to fit in Claire’s moments we don’t get a full serving of Jamie’s story.
This is my observation of why some are feeling unsatisfied – because we’re getting fed morsels and we want the whole meal and we’re still hungry! We want to be engaged in the story but we can’t find the damn story.
So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
