Outlander Anniversary! Our Sassenie Awards celebrate the first year! Autographed Swag giveaway!

Can you believe it’s been a year since Starz launched the amazing Outlander series? There was so much pressure for Ronald D. Moore and team to get this show right since fans have adored these books for decades. And, yes, the team delivered beyond our expectations!

In honor of the one year anniversary of Outlander’s debut on Starz, we wanted to take a look back at the wild ride through the stones with some well-deserved awards in overlooked categories! So lads and lasses here be our First Annual Outlander Sassenies, honoring the best of last season!

Best new line
“Looks like I’m going to a fucking barbecue” – Geillis Duncan at the witch trial

A lot of the dialogue is right out of Diana Gabaldon’s book, but not all of it! This original line is hilarious and it’s also the first clear hint that Geillis is not all that she seems. It’s a great line and perfectly delivered by Lotte Verbeek.

Line we miss most from the books
“Don’t be afraid. There’s the two of us now” – Jamie Fraser to Claire on their wedding night

Not only is this a swoon-worthy line, but it’s one that’s repeated often in future books. Perhaps it didn’t quite fit the tone of what the episode was going for, but we miss it all the same. Maybe we’ll still hear it in the future…we have many more seasons to go!

Least successful pick-up lines
“Well, I must admit the idea of grinding your corn does tickle me” – Dougal McKenzie to Claire
“How is it to be alive and wear so much dead flesh?” Black Jack to Jamie

We actually have two winners for this Sassenie since not all men are born with silver tongues. (Clearly!) Both lines perfectly sum up thsese characters in their own, um, signature way. It’s amazing that Graham McTavish could deliver that line with a straight face (and Caitriona Balfe didn’t giggle!) and that Tobias Menzies could say those creepy lines with such fascination.

Most testosterone-fueled fight
Dougal vs. Jamie during the shinty game

Sometimes, guys just have to let off a little steam and, well, a grief-stricken Dougal stepped into a bone-crushing game of shinty (ie…extreme field hockey) and battled Jamie (Sam Heughan) for the ball. We got bruises just watching this scene. Ouch!

Best foiled rape
Jenny Murray stopping Black Jack Randall

In a TV season with lots of violence against women, Outlander also had its fair share (poor Claire!). But armed with only her wits,  Jenny Murray (Laura Donnelley) laughed off her would-be rapist. She stopped the masochist in this track without resorting to violence. Take THAT Black Jack!

Best use of threatened-violence during sex
Claire threatening Jamie’s life during sex

She is woman, hear her roar!

That’s right, in the middle of ‘getting it on’ with Jamie, Claire whips out a knife and threatens to cut out his heart if he ever strikes her again. (Nope, no irony here!) Even our own Billy Beer named this the best scene on TV ever.

Of course, once that’s done…ride ‘em Highlander! Tulach Ard!

Best villain
Black Jack Randall

Well…arguments could be made for quite a few characters – Father Bain (Tim McInnerny) anyone? Laoghaire (Nell Hudson)?
But, hands down, this honor has to go to Captain Jonathan Wolverton Randall aka Black Jack. He’s an equal opportunity sadist who has no fucks to give about anyone or anything. Like all good villains, he makes sense in his own head, which makes him all the scarier.

Best bromance
Rupert MacKenzie and Angus Mhor

No, Black Jack’s thing for Jamie does NOT constitute a bromance! But the fun and colorful bickering/banter between Rupert (Grant O’Rourke) and Angus (Stephen Walters) is everything a bromance should be. These two characters were nicely drawn and add more personality to the whole MacKenzie clan. Watching Angus’ eyebrows was a show by itself.

Best cameo
Diana Gabaldon, of course!

It was a pleasure to see Herself make an appearance and, brave soul, also give lines with a Scottish accent. A lady born to the manor!

(Honorable mentions to Ron Moore and the inspiration for Jamie – Frazier Hines).

Best moment for fashion
Claire’s wedding dress!

In a show filled with so many amazing kilts, tartans, 1940’s outfits, etc. Claire’s wedding dress was something all it’s own! That silver color alone is outstanding, but the details of the leaves!! Costume designer Terry Dresbach outdid herself!

Worst moment for fashion
When you realize how they set the dye back in the 1780’s

The amazing wool waulking scene was fascinating and punctuated with a lovely work song. There’s nothing wrong with this scene! But it’s when you realize what liquid they’re using to set the dye, well, that makes you re-examine whether you want to  wear any period-accurate clothing. (That and the amazingly tight corsets Caitriona had to wear!)

Best two-timing
Tobias Menzies as Frank and Black Jack Randall

Every actor in this show is amazing, but we have to give special props to Tobias Menzies for playing two characters who are ancestors/descendants of one another. Polar opposites – charming and joyful vs. cold and calculating. Such an amazing job with each of the Randalls!

Best musical sequence
The Skye Boat song by Bear McCreary

Emmy-nominee for Outlander Bear McCreary (we love saying Emmy-nominee for Outlander!) wrote some gorgeous themes for this show and had some great spotlight numbers (the druid dance sequence, the wool waulking work song, Claire’s road show song, the swelling theme when Claire and Frank race to Craigh na Dun), but the opening title song is lyrical, haunting and beautifully song by Raya Yarbrough. We love hearing this every week!!!

Bear McCreary, Raya Yarbrough and Paul Cartwright perform the Outlander main title theme

Most surreal sequence
The musical road show of Claire and Murtagh

What was just 6 pages in the book turned into the focus of a full episode and, well, it seemed like some odd dream complete with a dancing Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix).

Trait we miss most from the books
Jamie’s “wink”

For those of you who have not read the books, one of the most endearing things about Jamie Fraser is his inability to wink. (It’s one of the few faults this man has!) Every time he tries to wink, it comes off as an owl-ish blink.

Jamie, I had found out by accident a few days previously, had never mastered the art of winking one eye. Instead, he blinked solemnly, like a large red owl. – Claire from Outlander

While this endearing little tick wasn’t written into the show, Sam was well aware of this trait of Jamie’s and gave us a demo during the Outlander Invades LA event a few months into filming season one. (He knows the books!)

And those are our Sassenies for this first season of Outlander! What additional Sassenies would you like to give? Comment below or tweet us!

And what’s an award show without some swag? To celebrate Outlander’s launch we are giving away an autographed Outlander swag pack!

That’s right! An autographed Outlander giveaway! We are giving away an Outlander trade paperback signed by Diana Gabaldon at San Diego Comic Con!

We’re also giving away an Outlander tartan bandana, Pocket Jamie, an Outlander shot glass, Outlander bookmarks, pin and postcard poster with the original premiere date!

All this can be yours if you fill out the rafflecopter below! Just fill it out and tweet/comment your Sassenie — we’ll be awarding extra entries to our favorite suggestions! You can also tweet daily if you really, really want to! Good luck!

Stay tuned!

Comment below or email us at Erica@MikeTheFanboy.com or thenovelstrumpet@gmail.com
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