Deepak Chopra

An emotional goodbye! Caitríona Balfe on filming final season of Outlander

After ten years on air, the final season of Outlander is nearly upon us.

The historical drama starring Sam Heughan and our very own Caitríona Balfe has had a brilliant run but the next season will be its last.

The group are in the middle of filming at the moment, and it’s an emotional time for the cast and crew.

Speaking to VIP Magazine on the IFTA red carpet, Caitríona said, “It’s a strange thing to be at the end, but still have five months to go with filming.

“We had our first read through about a month ago. We all got a bit choked up because we’ve been together for over ten years and for better or worse, we’re totally a family. We’ve all grown up together on that show. We’ll be so sad to say goodbye to it.”

Picture: Brian McEvoy

And while we’re all desperate to know how the show will wrap up, Caitríona admits the details are being kept under lock and key, even from those on set.

“I don’t even know what’s happening in the end, they’re keeping it very top secret,” she said.

“What we do know though is that you can never please everybody but we all just hope that they [the writers] make what they believe is the best version and we have to hope people aren’t too upset.

“But they’re going to get a prequel so the audience will forget about us very quickly,” she adds.

Filming is due to wrap by the end of summer, and Caitríona already knows how she’ll be spending her downtime: “There’s going to be a holiday for sure! I’ll be straight on a plane to somewhere with a beach with a drink in my hand.” Rightly so!

VIP Magazine

Remember… I don’t even know what’s happening in the end, they’re keeping it very top secret. — Caitríona Balfe

💖✨️💖✨️💖✨️💖✨️💖

“The (Dublin Castle Scandal of 1884) took on overtones of English immorality versus Irish morality. … Hyde argues that the scandal, and belief that homosexuality was rampant in official circles in Ireland, did much to discredit the British government of the day. Irish Nationalists, especially conservative Catholics, would have been left with the image of British officials, regarded as imperialist occupiers of their island, as immoral and dissolute perverts, sexually preying on young men in Dublin” (Aldrich, Colonialism and Homosexuality).

so, upon reading this, my first thought was obviously fucking outlander.

outlander simultaneously utilizes the traditional homophobic trope of the homosexually-inclined predator and the politically useful historical impression of homosexuality as a symptom of the immoral and dissolute presence of colonizing english perverts while also plainly taking pleasure from this homosexual imperialism, from the opportunity to be voyeur to this predation and physical abuse of Virtuous Celtic Boys while denying them the chance to explore their own sexuality in the wake of such trauma at the price of an englishwoman’s temporary sexual dissatisfaction — an opportunity well-afforded to englishmen enduring the sort of homoerotic abuse and discipline rampant in the english army that undoubtedly contributed to randall’s unseen development into the character known to us.

the audience is intended not only to take voyeuristic sexual pleasure from jamie’s repeated sexual harassment and assault — gabaldon has said as much herself — but also to believe that such sexually charged punishment as jamie takes throughout his life (and metes out, once, to claire) is necessary and justifiable. jamie’s descriptions of his repeated childhood beatings at the hands of his older male relatives are not criticized nor are they even questioned by claire, who laughs at her husband’s humorous descriptions of the abuse that, when meted upon her own english body, she threatens to kill him over. randall reaches orgasmic pleasure at the lash ripping jamie’s primitive and colonized skin, claire laughs at stories of a switch bruising his virtuous body, and the audience is to thrill at the thought of both.

upon learning that randall propositioned jamie prior to these floggings, claire’s expressed horror is not at the fact that randall is a sadistic rapist — in fairness to her, she has been made well aware of that fact already — but that randall is engages in homosexual behavior. she gives no comment on jamie’s apparently relaxed attitude to homosexuality in general (“i considered it” “my father wouldn’t have given the sodomy a care”), but this can hardly be described as the result of an enlightened attitude. she describes frank — a character immediately queered by his profession as historian/antiquarian, a field traditionally viewed as the realm of the homosexual — as having “hands white and hairless as a girl’s,” an unfavorable and gay-coded comparison with jamie’s undeniable traditional masculinity. her reaction to jamie’s repeated torture and rape is one of selfishness — she is concerned for him, but her concern primarily expresses itself in relation to his resulting inability or unwillingness to re-engage her in their marriage bed. out of this desire to have him retake this traditional heterosexual role, to bend to her will as his english wife, claire deliberately triggers him with details of his rape he had confided to her. his role as the virtuous scottish youth preyed upon by the deviant english homosexual is to provide for claire, the englishwoman’s, voyeuristic and maternal pleasure — when his lasting trauma from being the subject of imperial violence interferes with her sexual desires, she chooses to revictimize him in pursuit of her own pleasure. both she and randall utilize the colony of scotland as a frontier within which to enact sexual desires considered deviant and forbidden in england on the bodies of a subjugated populace.

in conclusion outlander is not self aware about any of this and is just breathtakingly imperialist, anti-scottish, AND homophobic all at once.

Nicholas Sparks

Video 📹 clip from Twitter

Screenshot: Irish Examiner (full video)

Remember… we had our first read-through a few weeks ago, and there were definitely tears. — Caitríona Balfe

BOMB - Will it?

So, the New Batch is being let out into the light. We see them - like a poor man's copy - celebrating with cake at the Table Read - familiar ground. The character and actor share a birthday. Photo opportunity achieved. Next.

SM is beginning to up the profile of the cast and they are beginning to talk about the new Outlander, sorry, BOMB. Ms Balfe opines that we will soon forget her as the presequel is launched upon the vulnerable fans.

How long will BOMB last? We all know how it ends for ALL the characters. Will they start with the characters at a pre-pre sequel, age 5 so a Series 2 can be achieved?

I don’t know - I’m uncomfortable about the new lookalike batch. They are following an iconic show and, unlike Mr Heughan, I just can't with this show. Not yet.

I’ll probably be eating my words when it becomes a huge phenomenon and I’m feeling the story and characters. Only I won’t. Because I’m still having a temper tantrum and stamping my feet and screaming until I’m sick. I won't watch it, I won't watch it, I won't!!!

But, I probably will. At least the first episode. It’s not the actor's fault. I’m sure they are delighted to have this opportunity. They know how iconic OL is. How big Sam and Caitriona have become. How many doors this may open? So, my mean girl state of mind, my cutting off my nose to spite my face - it must stop!

I’m just not there yet!

Beside the Seaside: Ch 14

Chapter 14

“This column here shows the room numbers and next to that, how many beds.” The words were innocent enough, a simple instruction like she’d asked for — this inn was her home now, her family’s business, and she wanted to know the running of it, should she need to pitch in. Jamie’s mouth at her ear as he stood behind her and his hand splayed possessively over her hip and abdomen were… less innocent. Especially when he nipped at her earlobe.

“Jamie.” She spun in his arms, trapped by the wall of his chest and the front desk counter biting into her lower back. Her husband only grinned, unrepentant. “You’re terrible at staying on task,” she teased, feeling the tug of her own smile.

“I think I’m doing verra well, actually.” His fingers traced a pattern over the small of her back. She knew she didn’t have any room to judge — he damn near drove her to distraction with just his presence. Nevermind when he touched her…

She gave in and kissed him.

[Read the rest on ao3]

In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. His name... Merlin.

No it’s not TBT, but a bonus post. Last week I posted “Clair(e)voyance” and I just want to make sure you read the continuation of this marvelous story. So here’s the next part and just keep following. Don’t forget the ficlets! Cheers, I’m on my way to Scotland 🛫🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in OUTLANDER S01E02

Caitriona + Sam behind-the-scenes of Outlander Season 8 production