Nothing prepared me for out Outlander—and by that, I mean literally. I hadn’t read or heard of Diana Gabaldon’s (apparently very successful) novels, nor did I have the most basic understanding of the plot. The fact that Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore had developed and written the show made me think it was sci-fi adventure.
No. It certainly isn't.
I had no clue that druids would dance, bodices would rip, or a palm reader would uncover the hidden sexual appetite of the heroine. On some level, I was aware Outlander was about time travel. At least I got that right. But mostly, the show, which premieres August 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Starz, is about romance—the sort of which you'd find in the supermarket checkout line. So no, I am not the typical for demographic for this show. I'm a twentysomething guy who loves Mad Men and is really excited about The Knick. Outlander is aimed at your aunt, or someone else's aunt, or possibly your tween sister who is learning about her body for the first time. However, I went into this experience with an open mind and was surprised by what I found.
1.
Here's the gist of the show: World War II has just ended and Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) is finally able to see her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies) after years spent as nurse in Europe. To reconnect, they drive to Scotland for a relaxing vacation at a bed and breakfast so Frank can pursue his hobby of researching his family's genealogy. (Nothing is more romantic for the English than genealogy.) This leads to strolling around town, looking through old files, and exploring the abandoned Castle Leoch. There's also no shortage of passionate lovemaking (calling it by any other name would be a disservice), often with Claire's ever-present narration over the top. At one point Frank goes down on Claire in a dank basement while she straddles an antique table. "You'll get dirty," says Frank. "You can give me a bath," Claire responds. Oh, okay.
Unfortunately for the giddy pair, Frank and Claire's trip coincides with Samhain (an ancient Celtic holiday similar to Halloween—not the Danzig band). Though the Inn's motherly landlady-with-something-to-hide warns them in proper motherly landlady-with-something-to-hide fashion, the couple doesn't take heed. They don't even seem fazed that the blood of a black cockerel has been smeared on doorways throughout town. Such quaint traditions these Scots have!
By the time Claire's tea leaves are read by a kindly townswoman, the foreshadowing is painted so thick it spells out the rest of the season: "Most hands have a likeness to them, there are patterns…but this is a pattern I've not seen before." (This is also the scene where the fortune teller compliments Claire's large "mount of Venus"). Soon Claire and Frank are off in the woods, witnessing a druid ritual amongst stones "carried here from Africa by a race of Celtic giants." One thing leads to another and yep—you guessed it—Claire has been transported back to the year 1743 and where she is almost raped by Frank's relative, Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall.
2.
While the plot specifics may make Outlander seem ridiculous, the show isn't without its charms. For one, it's the only thing on television of its kind right now. Though there are romantic shows on premium cable (not to mention plenty of sex), historical romances as a genre are mostly a thing of the past. Moore is banking on fans of Ladyhawke and The Mists of Avalon finding something new to love in the 21st century. It's an interesting gamble to take, and to Moore delivers the goods with more restraint than you might expect from the often bawdy Starz network. It's not until the second episode, for example, that a bodice has literally been ripped.
Still, there's a schmaltz to the show that keeps it firmly rooted in the romance tradition. Claire's voiceover, seemingly taken directly from the novels, is the most obvious and annoying touch. Just when the action heats up, both sexual and otherwise, Claire is there to over-explain exactly what is happening on screen. "Sex was our bridge back to one another, the one place we always met," she explains wistfully as she makes love to her husband. Outlander isn't Bladerunner, but if there's a cut out there without Claire's near-constant narration, it would be an improvement.
But for all its goofy tropes and sensuous bedroom scenes, Outlander has a heartening feminist lean to it. Claire is written as an intelligent, independent person with her own strong desires. It's Frank who goes down on her, rather than the other way around. This is 2014 and such interactions should be the norm rather than the exception by now, but any Game of Thrones fan will tell you that isn't the case. And it's not just the sex that's empowering for women. Rather than paint Claire as a damsel in distress, Moore has made her a sharp, determined heroine as she deals with her unusual circumstances. At no point does Claire ask for modern contrivances or complain about 18th century sanitation. She's determined to survive, and uses her skills as a nurse to win the skeptical 18th century Scots over.
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Outlander also fares better when Claire begins to accept her new life after being saved by handsome Scot Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Though there are as many steamy scenes in front of a fires as you'd expect from the genre, there's also a fair amount of intrigue and world-building going on. Bow-legged Clan leader Colum MacKenzie (Gary Lewis) is satisfyingly intimidating, and Castle Leoch has a staff that includes compelling secondary characters who will certainly play larger roles in future episodes. The scenes spoken in Gaelic are also a nice touch—it's possibly the perfect language for a romance, both guttural and musical at the same time. What's more, the show's humor makes it clear that Moore knows the tone he's going for. "What kind of corset is that?" a maid asks Claire. "It's a brasserie, it's from France," she says, before gamely removing it and hopping into her bath.
If you want to see an astute, capable English woman have sultry adventures in the 1700s, you could do a lot worse. The show may not be for me, but Outlander delivers the goods with more smarts and less stereotypes than I would've thought possible. Who knew a good flogging could be so fun?
Nathan Reese is a News Editor at Complex. He tweets here.
