Imagine your favorite romantic book exquisitely translated into an epic new TV series — that’s Outlander, the Starz original new drama series debuting this month. Here we include an Outlander episode guide and preview for the series fans have been waiting years for.
“There is a dedicated base of fans who love these books, who have read them for many years, and it’s the favorite book to a lot of people, that book that sits on their shelf that’s dog eared and they’ve read it many, many times, and I take that obligation seriously,” says Ronald Moore, executive producer and writer for the series. “I want to give them their story, but I do have to translate it into a different medium because there are differences of being a reader and being a member of an audience.”
Outlander tells the story of an ex-World War II British army nurse, Claire Randall (played by Caitriona Balfe), who is rekindling her relationship with her husband Frank in the Scottish Highlands after years of being apart when she is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Desperately trying to make sense of things, she finds herself fighting for her life in this unknown world with the help of a chivalrous young Scottish warrior, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). And so begins an unforgettable, action-fueled love story that finds Claire’s heart torn between two worlds and two vastly different men.
“These books have been out since 1991, so fans have been waiting a long time to see these characters come to life,” says Heughan. “We’re lucky that the team we have onboard is so authentic and so dedicated to the book.”
INTERVIEW with SAM HEUGHAN who plays Jamie Fraser
OUTLANDER episode guide:
The series airs on Starz Network on Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT. SPOILER alert on reading advance plotlines.
>Outlander, Episode 1 ” Sassenach” (Pilot) (original airdate Saturday, Aug. 9)
While on her second honeymoon, WWII combat nurse Claire Randall is mysteriously transported back in time to 1743 Scotland. After an encounter with a British soldier, she’s kidnapped by a group of Scottish Highlanders whose ranks include an injured young man named Jamie.
>Outlander, Episode 2 “Castle Leoch” (original airdate Saturday, Aug. 16
Claire is taken to meet the Laird and befriends the mysterious Geillis Duncan; the clan learns of her medical skills.
>Outlander, Episode 3 “The Way Out” (original air date Saturday, Aug. 23)
As part of her plan to escape Castle Leoch, Claire ingratiates herself to Colum through her ability to treat the sick and wounded. With Jamie’s help, she tends to a child who’s fallen ill. During an evening’s entertainment, a story gives her hope that there is a path to freedom.
>Outlander, Episode 4 “The Gathering” (original air date Saturday, Aug. 30)
As the Castle prepares for The Gathering, Claire plots her escape. But, after a dangerous encounter with a drunken Dougal and an unexpected run-in with Jamie, her plans are dashed.
>Outlander, Episode 5 “Rent” (original air date Saturday, Sept. 6)
Claire joins the MacKenzie rent-collecting party on the road. To her horror, Dougal uses Jamie’s scarred back to gain sympathy for the Jacobite cause. Claire remembers that a defining moment in Scottish history is fast approaching.
>Outlander, Episode 6 “The Garrison Commander” (original air date Saturday, Sept. 13)
Claire’s unexpected meeting with a British General turns tense when Captain Jack Randall joins her and the officers for lunch. A medical emergency gives Claire a sudden reprieve, but, ultimately, she finds herself alone with Randall – a dangerous man determined to uncover her secrets.
>Outlander, Episode 7 “The Wedding” (original air date Saturday, Sept. 20)
Claire and Jamie are thrown together in marriage, but as their emotional and physical relationship unfolds, deeper feelings arise. Claire is ultimately torn between two men in two very different times.
>Outlander, Episode 8 “Both Sides Now” (original air date Saturday, Sept. 27)
The mid-season finale finds Frank (Tobias Menzies) desperately searching for his missing wife, while Claire tries to come to terms with her new marriage to Jamie. Claire is faced with an emotional quandary as a life-altering opportunity presents itself.
The Second 8-Episode Half-Season Returned in Spring of 2015
To avoid major spoilers and respect the writing and production team of Outlander, episode synopsis will only be updated a week in advance.
>Outlander, Episode 9 “The Reckoning”: airs Saturday, April 4
Jamie and the Highlanders rescue Claire from Black Jack Randall. Back at the castle, politics threaten to tear Clan McKenzie apart and Jamie’s scorned lover, Laoghaire, attempts to win him back.
>Outlander, Episode 10 “By the Pricking of My Thumbs”: airs Saturday, April 11
Jamie hopes the newly arrived Duke of Sandringham will help lift the price from his head, while Claire attempts to save an abandoned child.
>Outlander, Episode 11 “The Devil’s Mark”: airs Saturday, April 18
Claire and Geillis are on trial for witchcraft. Jamie manages to rescue Claire, but but not before she discovers a secret about Geillis’s past.
>Outlander, Episode 12 “Lallybroch”: airs Saturday, April 26
Reunited, Claire and Jamie make their way to Lallybroch – Jamie’s family home. Reality quickly sets in, and old wounds are reopened between Jamie and his sister, Jenny.
>Outlander, Episode 13 “The Watch”: airs Saturday, May 2
Jamie finds himself between a rock and a hard place when a redcoat deserter from his past resurfaces. Claire tends to a laboring Jenny while Jamie and Ian join The Watch, resulting in devastating consequences.
>Outlander, Episode 14 “The Search”: airs Saturday, May 9
Claire and Jenny set out to rescue Jamie from his redcoat captors. When Murtagh joins up, they turn to unorthodox tactics to send word to Jamie. When word finally arrives, the news isn’t what anyone had hoped.
>Outlander, Episode 15 “Wentworth Prison”: airs Saturday, May 16
>Outlander, Episode 16 (Season 1 Finale): airs Saturday, May 31