All of Outlander Season 1 Episodes: Ranked

17 of 17

1. “The Wedding” Episode 7

If “The Wedding” isn’t your favorite episode of season 1, we have to question whether or not you’re an Outlander fan. To say this episode was hot is the understatement of the century. It might be the hottest, most realistic sex scene ever filmed for television. Anne Kenney wrote the much-anticipated episode, and Anna Foerster directed it. Kenney and Foerster didn’t just write and direct a great episode; they changed the game. They single handily started the conversation on the female gaze and potentially transform the way sex scenes should be crafted for television. Gone are the days of accepting gratuitous sex scenes as the norm from shows like Game of Thrones and True Blood. Why should viewers take it when we have seen the alternative? Kenney and Foerster have made female pleasure and sexuality shown as healthy and natural. That in its self is a huge leap forward.

We should also thank the actors Cait and Sam for nailing (intentional double entendre) the scene. The consummation of Claire and Jamie’s marriage is just as awkward on television as it was drafted in the books. Being the more experienced of the pair, Claire teaches him what to do, and adorable Jamie is worried about hurting her.

For book fans, the episode wasn’t what most had envisioned “The Wedding” to look like; it was so much better. The episode is not a direct lift from the book, and if we are honest with ourselves, it was better. Getting to hear Claire and Jamie’s wedding from the perspective of the groom was much more satisfying. Since the book is written from Claire’s point of view, we don’t know what’s going through the mind of Jamie. It isn’t until later in the book Jamie reveals he wanted to marry Claire and never regretted it.

I think we all can agree we all seriously owe a debt to Outlander. It wrote the book on how TV producers could make a woman the hero of her story, and it can be successful. For that, we thank them and look forward to seeing what else they bring us when the show resumes September 2017.

Home/Outlander