A Coffee TV Review - Outlander

First off, WELCOME to my new blog, A Coffee With Sean! In this blog, I plan on going over things that I have found interesting like TV shows, movies, music, parenting tips and tricks, and etc. All in enough time for you to sip your coffee. I hope you enjoy the things I have to say! I look forward to writing more and am open to suggestions. There will be a podcast coming along with it so be on the lookout for that as well!

So sit tight, grab that brew of caffeinated goodness, and relax. This week we are going to be reviewing a show I absolutely fell in love with far too late: Outlander. 

This is a show that was recommended to me through Netflix AND a friend. I have always watched it pop up on my list but never gave it the time of day. Eventually, a good friend suggested I give it a go and it has blown me away. 

The show, in a nutshell, is about an English woman named Claire. She is a nurse in World War 1 and while on vacation after the war, finds herself somehow teleporting back in time to the 1700s through some stones in Scotland. She meets a hunky Scottish man and falls in love. Crazy right? How does she get there? Well just find out to watch as I won't give any main spoilers away.

I will, however, let you know that while I thought this would be sort of a "cozy" type show that is by no means that. It is full of topics that will sometimes leave you uncomfortable and angry or even bawling and sad. I was often left jaw on the floor with some of the scenes and how they are depicted. Outlander does NOT hold back. It is not a show to watch if you have the little ones around. Or parents? You know how weird that can be. That being said, it is an absolute masterpiece in emotions as it also makes you feel love, anxious, and pure joy. The show has absolutely decimated me all the while opening me up to my own Celtic roots and planning a trip to see the highlands soon. I'd say that it's pretty influential, yeah?

The history itself is all pretty accurate with obvious revisions and such to fit the timeline of the 1700s. It really make you look things up and study a bit on subjects you may not have had the chance to dive into in your high school history class. After a season ended I would Wiki some of the events to see how they played out and yep. Pretty darn to the tee. I love shows like this because I feel education is just as important as additive Netflix shows so there is a win-win here.

The actors themselves are extremely believable, yet sometimes over the top (looking at you, Claire!). Not a bad thing though. I'm sure it is like any other television show. You always have one. But with a fantastic cast you will definitely find yourself fully invested and realize "whoops it's 2am. I may have watched 4 episodes in a row." At least that is how it was in my case. I would binge way too much because I kept wanting to see what happened next. There ARE advantages to waiting a few years to watch a show (this started in 2014).

I didn't know a lot of the actors initially. I am totally the type to IMDB anyone I see on screen at any time. I only found a few surprises in there but to be honest, I feel that is what makes the show completely special. It's not littered with billboard faces that may be there to foil a plot in a single episode. That can be pretty dang distracting. I did not get that sense at all here. 

While you will question a few of the character's decisions, motives or even wardrobes, it is nothing that would take you away from seriously believing that a human time traveled and made her way 200 years before she was born. Now, like I said, you WILL question something like "why didn't she..." but I feel Outlander does a good job at justifying it's actions. It's a freaking love story. Love conquers all. Including rational decisions.

With plenty of twists, turns, and cliffhanger, this is a series that I ultimately never thought had failed. While you can watch a show and be quite bored or lose interest in certain seasons, I did not get that here. As a matter of fact I am upset that I watched SO much of it SO fast. Now I will just have to play the waiting game for the new parts/seasons to come out and be left hopeless until then.

I cannot recommendation this show enough if you're into love stories, war stories, or historical pieces in general. I didn't realize it had such a cult following until recently and if there is any show deserving of one, it is this. 

Outlander is still currently running  and heading into it's 8th season with part 2 of the 7th be airing in November. Season 8 will be the last of the series and I cannot wait to see what they dive into next. 

You can currently watch Outlander on Netflix or Starz depending on your country. Check out the trailer below: