I think that this is a first. I've actually never written a recap of a show before, probably because I tend to get so swept away by the story that I still find myself physically and emotionally unable to remove myself from it. After I read Outlander for the first time I spent days in the afterglow. I lost myself completely in their story. I, like all of you watched The Wedding with the same anticipation that I've watched every other episode. I truly loved this part of the book so don't get me wrong. It's just after a weekend of reading some fairly entertaining previews and recaps that were generally all about the sex , I just found myself fairly bored with the whole thing...it's a little too teenage boy for my liking and ladies... just pointing out the obvious! I think that I read one review from a TV site somewhere referring to Sam's"Side Peen" and the fact that they were finally going to fuck. There was alot of stuff going around about Jamie's "package". Mystery and romance were instantly bludgeoned by that sentence! Consider this the recap for middle aged women I suppose! I want the whole man! The package? If you've seen one...... A little background might be in order....I'm a 50 plus year year old woman who's been married to the same amazing guy for 32 years...a real love story that I treasure and yes he does own a kilt...double blessings! Before anyone begins to think that I'm just a prudish middle aged woman, I want to set that record straight! I'm a product of the late 60's so frankly, I lost count of the men I um.. "knew in the biblical sense" (to quote Lord John!), years ago. I'm no stranger to some really raunchy,lovely carnal knowledge, most of it with my very randy husband who I still find totally hot after all of these years. I've enjoyed the occasional menage a trois in my single years. I'm not a good girl and I know my way around a good arse when I see it. (and yes, Sam's is mighty fine and I'm quite sure that I'd know what to do with it!) I'm definitely a feminist. I'm also a life-coach who spends hour every week helping my clients put the zing and sizzle back into their love lives and I think that this is what left me disoriented after the last weekend, where I spent the entire time reading lots of things penned by woman that I would have sworn had been penned by men and truthfully? Guess what? Women do not make good men! For me, the Wedding scene from Outlander was just one small part of a magnificent and unexpected love story. I felt that it was staged beautifully and the events leading up to it were perfect. Black Jack Randall and his treachery were beautifully pitted against Jamie's earnestness. The "bridesmaids", putting together the perfect wedding the Jamie wanted for Claire were spectacular. (Loved Ned Gowan in the brothel!) The anger on Dougal's face as he realizes what he's done for love (and yes I think that Dougal loves Claire in the strange way that only he can.) The sheer beauty of Claire in her dress that transforms her emotionally even amidst her reservations and yes...the gloriousness of one James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser in green velvet, lace and tartan...a moment that made me gasp and my husband laugh because he was just so innocent, honorable and beautiful. The wedding scene and the blood vows, which were Jamie's first opportunity to show his valor and courage, he being no stranger to blood and violence and yes, the sex which was fun in the blushing sort of way that only cable tv sex can be! I thought that the bedroom chamber scene was glorious and Claire's hesitation beautifully evoked. I loved the look on Jamies face when he realized how frightened she actually was and the tremor in his own voice as he tried to calm her amidst his growing desire for her. Both of them were virgins in the truest sense of the word. One of the oldest definitions of the word virgin means "One who is of themselves" in other words, one who knows themself and is content in that knowledge. They brought that to their marriage bed, shattered their own illusions and birthed something new and so magnificent that we won't begin to realize it for a few more episodes. The sex was absolutely lovely and what I expected (I thought that the obvious blow job was hilarious..a bit "Harold and Maude" ) and the vulnerability of Jamie's back left me with an ache in my heart. So young and already so much pain, both physical and emotional that he put through the forge and tempered into sheer courage and honor. Besides the role models that he had in his parents, it has never surprised me that what he desired more than anything was stability. It has never surprised me that the love of Claire brought him back to Lallybroch once he knew that she'd truly chosen him. Love is what makes us larger than our petty grievances with each other. Devotion to something greater than who we know ourselves to be is often our salvation. I guess that what I'm trying to say here and perhaps very clumsily, is that many of my clients are young women, single and married who wonder often "Is this all there is?" I had a mother who was gorgeous and glamorous , who married my father during the war. She was mysterious too and what she did know how to do was keep to her own counsel before she let loose with her thoughts. She was intriguing, much like Claire. She loved my father and they were married for 67 years. He absolutely worshipped her and never got over her death... I know that they had amazing sex, but I didn't know the extent of their passion until after my father died and the young man who bought their house showed up one day with three bags. They were filled with years worth of love letters, hidden in the attic that we'd never seen and he found when they went to put in new insulation. They were remarkable, loving and private. I read about 4 of them and put them down knowing that they hadn't been and still weren't for my eyes. One of them was even signed by him to her as "Your slave forever" . I stopped reading then and there but not before I'd learned a lot about my mother! I tell my clients to bring to their relationships what they want....envision the end result. If you want great sex, that's simple enough, sex being one of the easiest things in the world to find and if you're a woman chances are you'll never have to pay for it. Love on the other hand? Provided you've decided to love the right man, that sort of passion comes with time, effort, selflessness and more than a little mysteriousness. Don't give away all of your secrets up front. Keep some for yourself and let him discover them over time. That's what builds a fertile bed for lasting love to grow in. What's gorgeous to me about Outlander, both the book and the Starz tv series is the obvious mystery of the evolving passion and love between Jamie and Claire... Ero's at play , you might call it. They don't even know what's hit them yet and in the "Wedding" we have only seen the tip of the iceberg! Even though I know the end of the story,I just can't wait for the rest of the season!
JamieH
9/22/2014 01:14:28 am
Loved your honest review! People take away so many things from this series that it is nice to see all sides...
Anne Choat
9/22/2014 01:35:28 am
Thank goodness I have read different reviews from the ones you've read. I have seen references to the "side peen" and how many of the viewers wanted to see "all" of Sam. It has somewhat disgusted me as I'm sure these same women would be beyond outraged if men were making the same comments about Caitriona. Your review says exactly what I would say if I were a better writer. And yes, Dougal is definitely in love with Claire in his own way. Thanks for a very well written review.
Susan Van Hoven
9/22/2014 01:41:44 am
I love you're recap. I am also of an age, married 34 years and love my husband more every day. I think that media portrayal of sex and the fact that so many young people are watching the same frenzied, empty couplings everywhere they look is overload. It has all but completely eliminated the emphasis on intimacy and by that I mean of the heart and mind not just the body. That is what I adored about the episode. Even though they had to consummate quickly, the true joining happened after they spent hours talking with each other. It is great that people like yourself are giving the true and positive answer to "is that all there is"? 9/22/2014 01:59:34 am
Great review, enjoyed reading it and agree with you in almost all you wrote.
Lauren Lindemann
9/22/2014 02:02:51 am
I'm 32, never married -for background. All I can say is ditto to your recap and observations. It was refreshing to read. There was so much more going on than the obvious. And that is why I truly love these books and the characters. It' very rich. (I'm truly obsessed!)
Amy
9/22/2014 02:17:57 am
I very much appreciate your renditon of the recap. this is how i felt as well but didn't know how to put it into words. Your singular description of your parents and of Jamie and Claire's relationship are probably why my marriage failed and why I am still looking for that one man who will fulfill what I have so often needed and dreamed about. I read this series when I was in college, some twenty years ago and it has kind of been my downfall. I have looked for that kind of love an come up lacking. thank you for this wonderful review!!
Marge Hislop
9/22/2014 03:19:49 am
Thank you for your thoughtful review. I totally agree with you. In the three intimacies, one could see the progression from pure sex to a learning of each other's needs, to finally an act of love. In the short time they had to get to know and love each other, the writers were right on with the progression from sex to love. Here, here! Beautifully done.
Laurian Graham Kenney
9/22/2014 04:11:08 am
I think your review is spot on! I have read reviews that debased it to a physical act only .... Almost leeringly so. What captures you is watching their relationship evolve from duty to needing each other. You watch their tenderness grow. I'll admit this episode leaves one VERY hot under the collar. Jaimes vulnerability is shattering
Margie Schmille
9/22/2014 04:11:29 am
Thank you for this great recap. I have been feeling exactly the same. I'm 48 and have been married for 14 years now. Took me a while to find the right man. Although I loved the wedding episode and thoroughly enjoyed seeing a lot of Sam (he is beautifully made, as Clair would say), I keep seeing more and more posts and reviews and video GIFs that are turning him into a piece of meat. And you are correct ... if men were to talk about Caitriona this way, we would be outraged. I do not need or want to see any MORE of Sam than I already have. He deserves some semblance of privacy at this point. I posted on Diana Gabaldon's page a question about this very point.
Viki Anderson
9/22/2014 05:27:27 am
Great review! I also felt the episode was about so much more than sex- the wedding scene, the candlelight, all of those gorgeous Scotsmen, and the sacredness of the vows all together in one. Then the magnificent acting of Caitrona and Sam! Just amazing! Well done all round!
Annette Sailors
9/22/2014 05:55:52 am
I, also, don't need to see any more of Sam than we have already been gifted with. What's missing in so much of the sex we see on TV or in movies that would be more of a teaching tool to those watching is the art of sensuality. Less is more. The undressing was very erotic and sensual and it was those actions and their intimate, personal conversations that gave the "sex' depth and turned it into making love. Thank you for your recap! Well done!
Christiane
9/22/2014 06:23:38 am
Hello Beth and thankyou for your beautiful review ! One of the best, if not THE BEST I have read so far...I totally agree with your point of view. I'll add that Jamie and Claire have been a part of my life for 15 years. Looking forward to your next review !
Anna Lapping
9/22/2014 06:35:46 am
What a beautiful review! We are both "of an age" and a product of the late '60's. I'm with ya there and on all counts!
Sheila
9/22/2014 06:39:05 am
Lovely review. I grew up in the 60s and am by no means prudish. However, I'm so glad that the wedding night scenes were sensual, exploratory and revelatory in the emotional as well as the physical sense.
Angela
9/22/2014 07:15:06 am
Beautifully written. I especially loved the story of your parents and your own experience. Thanks for sharing.
ingeborg oppenheimer
9/22/2014 07:50:18 am
Ingeborg Oppenheimer beth, i love your from-the-guts review. your own candor frees me to share a thought i've had, viewing the tv series - especially the wedding episode: i know sam isn't married, and i don't recall reading anything about cait's marital status, but their portrayals of jamie and claire are so real, so visibly more than ordinary acting, that i wonder if sam and cait will ever be the same people they were before they starting working in outlander.
Amanda
9/22/2014 08:22:55 am
Lovely post! I felt the same about this episode. I loved it all. That is so amazing about your parents! I wish we still lived in a day where people wrote letters. I have love letters from my husband when he was in the army and he was away and only able to write. It was so fun getting intimate and loving letters from him. Almost like he was reveling more in those letters than he would be comfortable speaking out loud. I hope that my marriage can be as long and rewarding as yours and your parents!
Kathy Davis-Verzyden
9/22/2014 08:38:36 am
Thank you for your wise words. I thought it was a lovely scene, done very tastefully and full of beauty.
Linda
9/22/2014 08:39:32 am
Loved your review. I give thanks every day that I found my "Jamie" many years ago. So many of the moments in "The Wedding" brought back memories of moments in our story.
Jenny
9/22/2014 08:45:19 am
Touching and wonderfully written......I always envy those who can write so beautifully and express themselves. Expressing myself is something I work on daily. Probably why I admire Claire so much :-)
Janis Wilson
9/22/2014 09:10:22 am
Thank you for your beautiful review and so much more. I am 66 years old and married to the love of my life for 41 years. He still "rings my chimes"! In reading some comments on a Moby site, one fan said she would not read that book because of "senior sex..yuk". I just want to say that youth is truly wasted on the young. To have a relationship in youth is hot and spontaneous...and might I add mostly physical. From this point in our lives the physical is still hot and spontaneous, but added to the physical is a deep and abiding passion only comes over years of caring for each other. Jamie and Claire develop that passion over time. May all of you be blessed with such love.
Loved this write up of episode 7. I agree with the comments I'm seeing that too much is being made of how "hot" Sam/Jamie is. Am I the only one who rewatched the episode to get another look at all the great clothes, especially the DRESS? For me, Sam is so perfectly cast not because he is such a babe, but because he exudes this youthfulness (especially in his face) that is on the brink of becoming a great man. Love seeing all the great comments here!
Kathryn
9/22/2014 12:43:22 pm
Does one have to be 50+ to view this episode the way you and I have? Although still single, i don't consider myself a prude, but it bothered me also what some viewers wanted from the episode. Truly, had they done the scenes fully dressed, I still would have found it incredibly sensual, beautiful and moving. As DG says, sex isn't about the exchange of bodily fluids. Nor is real love, or, I imagine, real marriage. I saw Ll and more than I hoped in this episode. Sure, Sam Heughan is sexy and gorgeous, but this scene and series are so much more than that. If one is only looking for the " package," one risks missing the real gift.
Kalista
9/22/2014 12:44:25 pm
Unlike so many my age I have an old soul and loved your review. I haven't had time to read others but can see how many instantly go past what is really there. I fell in love with these books and these characters instantly and although I was slightly taken aback at how the show presented a few things it was still in my eyes the beginning of what we all know is a beautiful love story
Connie
9/22/2014 12:49:34 pm
I love a good love story, and your recap was very refreshing...thank you for writing it.
Julie
9/22/2014 01:49:59 pm
Your review and one other have been so refreshing! I am amazed at the number of reader fans/bloggers who seem to have dismissed or forgotten the depth of love and respect Jamie and Claire have for each other and focused on the menial and trivial. The Outlander Series team are keeping this show notch or two above other series. Hopefully, they will continue to do so. 9/22/2014 03:11:32 pm
I am so glad that you wrote this! Thank you, I loved it! I have more to say, but now that you have brought the scenes back to life for me...I need time to re-gather those thoughts. LOL
kelly graham
9/22/2014 06:20:30 pm
That was lovely. and spot on about Jamie and Claire. You described them to a tee xx
Kate Smith
9/22/2014 06:34:03 pm
Thank you for that review, it was wonderful and says it all really, I was beginning to despair of some people when I read some comments. As a retired teacher/librarian I know of the sometimes slutty behaviour of girls and it is not nice to see. I worry about Sam and his management keeping away these harpies. It would be awful if he grew to hate the filming and story because of that behaviour. He is doing a wnderful job of portraying Jamie. I have only seen the promo type things as yet, and fan site bits, we get this episode on Thursday here in Australia.
Barb
9/22/2014 06:58:44 pm
Your review was lovely and I am glad I haven't seen any of the reviews you referenced as that would have saddened me to think some people are kind of missing the true story here. Sam and Cait deserve some respect for such good work in bringing Jamie and Claire to life with humor, stubbornness, strength . . . Well you get the idea.
Kelly Rieth
9/22/2014 09:56:39 pm
Thank you Beth, this was a touching and very romantic review of "The Wedding" episode. After reading so many funny but somewhat crude recaps it really brought me back to why I adore this book series! It's not just a hot romance it's an honest and very true "Love Story". Reminding is all that lasting love is a rare treasure that should be cherished and celebrated❤️
viki
9/22/2014 11:18:53 pm
i loved the review...the episode was great n the sex in it was even greater . but the best part of the entire episode was Claire ..the actress was so natural her expression were so multilayer that anyone watching that episode could understand her plight .the actress is simply grt ..she dEsErVeS an EMMY...
Deb
9/23/2014 03:27:13 am
Thank you for sharing your candid thoughts. An intelligent & thoughtful review. How refreshing! Comments are closed.
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Beth Schreibman GehringI am obsessed Outlander fan who is also a Freelance Writer,Lover, Foodie, Gardener, Herbalist, Mystic, Aromatherapist, Healer, Blogger and Lover of all things Fragrant.... Archives
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