Starz was running a loop of Outlander’s Season 1 over the weekend and I finally got to see “the wedding night” episode where they bang for the first time. It was pretty hot, even though I’m not really into Sam Heughan in general. Starz ran the marathon of Season 1 because they’re about to premiere Season 2. I know, I thought we were already on, like, Season 4 of this show. That’s because they split up Season 1 in two parts, with months in-between. Season 2 premieres on Starz on April 9th, this Saturday.
So, these are some photos from last night’s New York premiere. I’m including photos of the three primary actors, Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan and Tobias Menzies (who plays dual roles). While Tobias is perhaps not the strapping Scotsman panty-dropper, I still find him attractive because he is quite easily the best actor on the show, and his posh accent makes it even better. Sam is also hotter in the show than in these photos – he looks better in motion and in costume, and his accent is quite lovely.
Caitriona Balfe is so pretty, you guys, but I wish she hadn’t done her hair like this. She has gorgeous hair, so I don’t know why it looks like this at the premiere. Her dress is Delpozo and it’s… okay. It has some good angles, but in most of these photos, it’s sort of blah.
In real life, Caitriona and Sam have the raw sexual chemistry of wet noodles, right? I think she seems to prefer Tobias.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Sam Heughan has such a huge forehead. I do not get the appeal of this guy. He leaves me cold.
Tobias Menzies on the other hand is such a good actor, that makes him attractive.
All I can see now is his forehead.
There’s a resemblance between Sam and ASkars…
Totally agree. I’ve seen Tobias Menzies on stage a number of times and he has great stage presence. Most recently, he did a production of Uncle Vanya in which he both acted beautifully and danced around clad only in his underwear. It was delightful.
SAM on a Monday on Tuesday on Wednesday on Thursday and twice on Friday
I really loved the first book, but I’ve only seen the first episode of the show and it was booooOOoOOooring. I guess I’ll try watching a few more episodes, but the guy they cast as Jamie really doesn’t do it for me. 🙁
I gave up after about book five. Give the show another chance; it’s worth it to see Sam in character as Jamie. MOAR KILT!
I read the first 3-4 books and then it just got too much. As for the show, the graphic, constant rapey violence is just too much for me. I watched the first part but could only make it about 2 episodes into the 2nd part. It just isn’t my thing. I know all of it is in the book, but reading it and seeing it graphically played out on screen are 2 different things.
I stopped watching early on because of the excessive violence too. Way over the top.
Nope, I still can’t get behind them as Claire or Jamie.
Tobias is the best actor on the show.
Heughan and Balfe have a nice chemistry, but (in a very unpopular opinion) she has more chemistry with Tobias.
Then again, Tobias Menzies had a small but pivotal role on GoT as Edmure Tully, and I was super impressed with him from that. He is supposed to back in season 6 of GoT.
I thought someone posted here ages ago that when Heughan was first starting out in theatre in Scotland that he was out and that it has since been quieted down once this show started promotion. They are great on the show, but I only get a friends vibe from them IRL. The showmance angle seems sad anyway since the target audience is older and they shouldn’t have to please the crazy Twihards. Normal people understand the concept of acting.
You are not wrong someone did post that on here. I remember reading that too. I agree, normal people understand the concept of acting. I think Sam is fine as Jamie and there is no need to create a showmance angle for the two of them.
Tobias also was in a show Rome years ago and was fabulous in it!
I hated Outlander the book, I hated Outlander the series and I find neither Sam nor Caitriona attractive.
Tobias Menzies is hot in a weird way.
Right? Tobias is very hot in motion.
I didn’t stick with the show but I do think it’s well done. Props to all the actors.
So do these two poor souls also have Twihards who insist they are together in real life because of the characters they play? Seems like delusional fans are standard these days. 🙄
Yes, indeed. There’s also a large group that realizes they’re not together, but wishes they were. And another group who has appointed themselves as defenders against shipping and try to prove they’re not together at every turn. It’s funny, but also a little scary how invested some people are in their personal lives.
I hated the book. I hated the show even more. They need to add white walkers or something to make it somewhat interesting to me.
I have loved Tobias Menzies since Rome, where he played Brutus. I also remember him from an adaptation of Persuasion, and even then preferred him to the hero.
Took me a few episodes to get into the show, but now I love it. I actually think Sam and Caitriona have amazing chemistry normally, I think this might just be a bad example.
Can’t wait for.season 2!!! Sam is so hot on the show.
Has anyone else tried to read past the first or second book? The series turns out to be unbelievably racist and homophobic…
I have. I think I made it to 4 or 5. I felt like it got too repetitive and someone is always saving someone else and all the racial and sexual undertones and overtones – just not what I’m into.
It’s a series that takes place in the mid-18th century! What did you expect–people standing around singing kumbaya?
Um, there are lots of novels set in the past which do not contain characters who are written in a fundamentally racist way… it’s not the setting that was racist, IT WAS THE WRITING!
@Kip. Or maybe you need to tamper your expectations by not imposing your 21st century morality on a piece of historical fiction? SJW these days!
It has nothing to do with the setting of the novel, it is the wrating that’s racist and homophobic – the bad guys tend to be gay, or Muslim, etc. You can see hints of it even in the first book, which is, btw, awful, Kudos to people who managed to read further than the first one.
Wait, so it’s my fault, because I was born in the 21st century, that the author can’t write a historical novel with racist stereotypes instead of actual characters? I don’t understand your argument. It’s legitimate for you to say you don’t think the books are racist, I happen to think that they are, and that there are a lot of historical novels out there that deal with racism and homophobia that aren’t racist, homophobic repetitive rants.
It’s simply untrue that the bad guys are all gay/nonwhite. Can you give one example of a homosexual or person of color from the story who is a “bad guy”. I’ve read all of them multiple times and I can’t.
Just throwing this out there, but since it is supposed to take place (mostly) in the 1700’s, one would think that they would be that way since the world back then was more racist and homophobic.
Nope, there are lots of period novels that are not racist and full of stereotypes. E.g. Roots etc.
@KIP. You probably think that Roots isn’t racist because it focuses on a black family. There were plenty of racist things going on in that book.
Right, there were descriptions of racist situations and behaviour in Roots because it was a historical novel, BUT there were emphatically not a series of flimsy characters that are clearly just stereotypes derived from the author’s own racist world view. I really can’t believe you can’t see my perspective on these unbelievable racist books, seriously they are really really offensive…
I’ve read the entire series and enjoyed it. Lord John is gay and is a beautifully fleshed out character. Tobia’s character is a sexual deviant/sadist not a “gay, bad guy”….the series isn’t homophobic in the least. The amount of rape in the series is gross. People give GOT a lot of shit for being rapey but Outlander puts it to shame. Maybe because it’s written by a woman she gets a pass.
I adore Tobias, I too loved him in Rome and have watched as much of his work as I can get my hands on. He IS Frank.
Outlander is good Sunday night soapy fare. Sam Heughan is a gorgeous specimen. And yes, it’s been stated/speculated in many places that he was an out and proud gay man going back to his days in Scottish theatre, a fact which the showrunners and the author of the Outlander series are trying to downplay. Hence, the showmance rumors between Sam and Caitriona.
The Wedding Episode in Season 7 was smoking hot. All three leads have good chemistry together. Caitriona and Sam are good actors, but IMO, Tobias Menzies is the standout. He smokes everyone with his dual role of Frank, Claire’s good guy 20th Century husband and his bad guy 18th Century ancestor Capt. BlackJack Randall. Menzies has that “everyman” look, so it’s easy sometimes to overlook him in supporting roles. But he’s been in a LOT of things: Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones and he also notably plays the supporting pivotal role of the MI6 agent in The Night Manager.
Tobias Menzies was outstanding in the latter episodes of Outlander Season 1 — he and Sam both did a terrific job in the episode where Capt. Randall takes Jamie prisoner and rapes him. And while Hiddleston’s “English Countryside” is grabbing all the headlines, Tobias Menzies went full frontal in that episode without much notice, LOL! I’m sure fans will be clamoring for Sam to follow suit in Season 2.
Tobias Menzies is the SEX. Seriously. He’s electrifying in character, especially as the horrible Randall in Outlander. I loved to hate him and watch him at the same time. The dude’s amazing.
Sam Heughan is very good looking and not a bad actor either, but sort of bland, I don’t quite know why….
The “evilness” of Randall is right up there with Shakespear’s, Iago.
I’m terribly attracted to that thug … LOL …
I don’t get Starz, so just got around to watching Season 1/part 2( so funny to write that). Whoever wrote the episode were Jamie is tortured/raped by Mendies’ character should be ashamed of themselves. It was just mindless brutality- a viewer has a bit of imagination. Thank goodness for 32x fast forwarding!! That out of the way- they all look good here. Never read past Book 1- the fact that Toby appears I am assuming the Frank character is still in play?
Yes, Randall died at the end of Season 1/Pt 2 of the TV series but Frank lives on in the books for awhile and based on Tobias’ presence at the Press Conference as well as the trailers for Season 2 we’re going to be seeing a lot of Frank!
Yep did see his demise, though given what had gone bef was shocked that the cows did not walk over him repeatedly in slow motion!
Er… don’t read on if you don’t want to (though it’s referenced in the trailers for Season 2)….
SPOILERS
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But Jack Randall is totally not dead. Being not dead is definitely an important plot point in Season 2.