Boss on Jamie's [Spoiler], Season 2 in France and Why [Spoiler] Went Full-Frontal in the Finale 

Warning: The following story contains spoilers from

‘s brutal Season 1 finale, but the aftershock of the violence against Jamie Fraser “definitely carries forward,” series creator and executive producer Ronald D. Moore says.

If you missed the episode, Moore is referring to Jamie’s repeated rape and emotional torture at the hands of Black Jack Randall, who was later taken out of the picture by Murtagh’s brilliant plan and a herd of cattle. (Full recap here.)

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Though Claire sets Jamie’s broken bones and tries to soothe his troubled mind, “The reverberations of this will echo throughout the second season in the relationship, his development as a character and how he deals with certain story points,” Moore adds. “Absolutely.”

boss about the merciless episode, we also asked for some spoilers to tide you over during the droughtlander that lies between now and Season 2. Naturally, we kick off the discussion with a question about nudity. (Oh, you

has gotten a lot of press for being one of the few series willing to show full frontal male nudity. What was behind the choice to do it in this episode?

That was mostly just decisions you make [during editing]. I remember not really caring one way or the other what I saw… It was OK in certain moments, and then if I saw their penis in this other shot, it might distract me. It might be like, “Oh, look, they’re showing it!” [

I think we only left one cut in there that’s full frontal of just Tobias [Menzies]. It’s the one where he gets up and walks away. It’s not really about anything else happening in that moment. It’s a quiet moment. He’s literally just getting out of bed, and he’s walking across the room. It wasn’t taking you out of the scene, if that makes sense. There were other points where you just decide, “No, if I use that angle, I’m not even listening any more.” You’re just kind of going, “Wow, look.” That was the wrong note to sound in those scenes.

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TVLINE | When Claire confronts Jamie at the abbey, you’ve portrayed it as less of a fever dream than it is in the book. What went into the decision to play it straighter and to have Jamie more mentally present in the moment?

It was just more about translating and adapting the material. On the page, it becomes more surrealistic… It’s a wonderful passage of the book. I know we’re going to get some criticisms from fans who will miss it, because it was such a great, really well written section, but making it literal changes it.

When you suddenly start getting into literally making surreal television, what are the shots, and are we in a [computer-generated] world, and are they floating? You just start getting into all these discussions that I felt instinctively were going to take you out of the story instead of keeping you in the story. Very early on, we said, okay, we’re just going to play it more grounded. We’re going to play it more real, and just let the actors carry it through.

TVLINE | Claire and Jamie are off to France for Season 2. Talk to me about how the show will look next season.

They’re going to Paris, and they’re going to be dealing with the French aristocracy. So you’re already in a completely different planet than where we were with Season 1. Scotland is about heavy stone, rough wood, dark tabletops, smoke and candlelit rooms, and now you’re in world of gilt, fine China, glassware and costumes that are made of silks and bright colors.

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It’s going to be a whole different tone, a whole different…playing the story as much more political. We’re dealing with the Jacobite Rebellion. It’s much more about deception, and lies within lies, and the gossips and the surroundings of Paris. And dinner parties, and going to the court of Louis the XV — and if you know those books, there’s St. Germain, and there’s Master Raymond, and there’s more of an occult feeling to a lot of that stuff. [Plus], she’s pregnant, and he’s got the aftermath of Jack Randall.

In probably every which way you can think of, it’s going to be different than Season 1 was, which I think is one of the strengths of the series overall: its continuing evolution.

TVLINE | What can you tell me about how Jamie and Claire will navigate that world?

In a lot of ways, [Parisian society] is more familiar to him in certain ways than you would anticipate, because he is a laird in his own life, and he has lived in France, and he speaks the French language. It is a somewhat familiar culture to him. He does know his cousin, Jared, who runs a wine business, and he’s been to this place. Claire also speaks French, and she’s adapting in a different way, but she still struggles with the roles woman in these times, even in French society.

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TVLINE | Do Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan speak French?

Caitriona definitely does, because she spent quite a bit of time in Paris, and Sam is learning French. I just heard him at the table read the other day, and I was pretty surprised. He did quite well.

TVLINE | Can you speak to whether Season 2 won’t be quite as true to the structure of the novel 

It’s just a complicated process of adaptation… The Paris section [of

], the plot is not as clean and simple as the plot was in Book 1. Book 1, for a big chunk of it, is Claire going back in time and trying to get home, and then she’s trying to find Jamie, and those are very clean narratives.

The Paris section of Book 2 is just more complex. It’s about many more ideas, other characters coming and going. They’re involved in something that’s more complex Diana [Gabaldon] shifted points of view, herself, in Book 2. So that alone just makes it a more complicated task to make the adaptation. So, yeah, we’re still struggling with the same things, with trying to be as true to the book as we possibly can while making it a television series. We always just try to do our best.

TVLINE | Does it start in the 1960s, like the book does?

I know they *just* started filming it, but do we know when season 2 starts airing?

Well, it premiered last August, so let’s hope it will be back again this August! Fingers crossed!!!

No way that’s happening. I’ve heard Spring 2016, but nothing’s confirmed until Starz makes an announcement.

I’ve just listened to Ron Moore’s podcast and he ends by saying See you in 2016

Not me. I absolutely hated the book as I’ve said in a comment after a different article. If you’ve not read Dragonfly, I wouldn’t. It’s awful, and I’m hoping that Moore changes most everything so that I will continue to watch. I guess the main plot points are fine, but the new characters are crap and having dinner parties occur in almost every chapter is nauseating. Please change some things, Mr. Moore!

You’re talking rubbish. Dragonfly is an excellent book, a good and very different follow up to the first one. What on earth is nauseating about seeing dinner parties? They had a very serious purpose relevant to the story.

Nothing is relevant to the story. If Paris never happened, they would still be in the same situation at the end of the book.

Dragonfly is extremely relevant ! It is to do with the Jacobite Uprising !

I really did want I see the book version of Claire going into the darkness with Jamie…the fever dream. I know it would have been a hard scene to write, map, and film but I think it would have been amazing if they could have pulled it off. And I am curious why they left the ‘Alexander’ moment out of the prison scenes….since it ties to season 2 in some respect. It could be touched on later I suppose. And I hope they start season 2 as the book starts just because I liked the moment of WTH?? that I experienced when reading it.

See, I thought that whole fever dream stuff in the book was just too strange and hard to follow so I personally was very happy they only went there lightly. I guess I have forgotten what the ‘Alexander’ moment was in the book? I tend to not like shows follow books though exactly so that is just me. I was also hoping it would just lead up to the 1960s but I bet they will start with it.

In the book while or after Jaime is raped, Black Jack telks him he wants Jaime who he starts calling Alexander to tell him he loves him. Claire hears this and makes a connection that Alexander is the name of one of Black Jack’s. brothers.

I can see why it was left out. In the books, that line didn’t really go anywhere. We know that he has a brother by that name, but there is really nothing that explains why he would use that name in that moment.

Really? I thought it showed that there was most likely something dark either in Randall from childhood or introduced to him in childhood and it involved them both. I thought we’d see it in the episode after the promos had Randall making that statement “you think I can not control the darkness” because it was the moment that proved that statement wrong. Right after that he started wailing on Jamie with the whip, and Jamie says he became crazed.

Maybe. I thought that there were implied meanings when I read that line the first time, but nothing in the next book really grew out of that moment. Alex seemed to exist outside of Jack’s darkness, making that line seem more out of place.

I am surprised that the episode didn’t upset me as much as I thought it would, but I think that’s because it wasn’t as bad as the book. And I have spent the last few weeks wondering what they would show and how they would show those scenes, so I kind of prepared myself for them. I did have an anxious upset stomach as the episode was starting. And what they did include was truly tough to watch. Sam Heughan was phenomenal. I can understand why he’d need a few weeks to decompress from this episode. Caitriona was great as usual, but Tobias Menzies…..I have a strong desire to cause that man bodily harm. I really did want I see the book version of Claire going into the darkness with Jamie…the fever dream. I know it would have been a hard scene to write, map, and film but I think it would have been amazing if they could have pulled it off. I had envisioned them dancing between him going berserker on Claire and berserker on Randall….with Randall slowly fading from the room. But again, a hard scene to map out visually. I am curious why they left the ‘Alexander’ moment out of the prison scenes….since it ties to season 2 in some respect. Plus since they had Randall say the line about Jamie thinking he can not control the darkness he inhabits, I thought for sure we’d see that scene since it proves he can not. It could be touched on later I suppose. All in all, an overwhelming and tough episode….very well done considering the subject matter.

Ok…..not sure what just happened there Drew…..but my reply to you didn’t post. Instead my post against the recap was reposted??? What in the world?? This site does not like me sometimes. LOL!

What I had said was that what you said is true. They never really explain what may have happened to them or between them. It is never really fleshed out, even when he approached Claire, of all people, asking her to help Alexander. It speaks to the level of attachment to that brother, but doesn’t explain the why. And I just reread that passage in the book where Jamie is telling what happened, and he said that Randall called him “Alex”, not Alexander. Which got me thinking, do you think Randall is referencing Alex MacGregor and not Alexander? I think I made the assumption he meant his brother because Claire immediately made that assumption. But if I’m wrong, and Gabaldon meant that to be a reference to MacGregor, then it makes complete sense that it wasn’t included (except that it would have been a good moment to show Randal doesn’t have control.)

Ah! Alex MacGregor makes much more sense! I had forgotten that character’s name and had to look him up. But that works a lot better than Alexander. The line being cut from the show is probably a good choice.

No Claire does not make any definite connection with Alexander Randall, some readers do. There is at least one other Alexander in the book , Alexander Mac Gregor who could just as well be connected to this .. or any other Alexander not met in the book

Well Claire is the one thinking about it after Jaime tells her what happened between him and Jack Black in the prison. Sounds to me like she is the one making the connection, not the readers.

I am just happy there is a show so I want them to do whatever they need to do to insure its continuation. It has to be done in a way that they feel keep the show on the air. People need to get over this whole idea it has to be just like the books or we may end up without a show.

I am behind on watching, so I can’t comment on the episode itself. But speaking about the filming process, I have been cringing at the thought of filming these scenes. I’ve read the book and the material itself wouldn’t be fun to film. But filming the Starz version with full on nudity… I can’t imagine that being comfortable at all.

I’m sure that there were all sorts of methods for making it appear one way while the reality was much easier, but even with normal sex scenes, there isn’t usually full-on nudity. The part of me that obsesses over behind the scenes elements is curious about that process, compared to one of the normal sex scenes (which usually involve some amount of covering). If only to get my own mental images out of my head.

Had to fastforward through part of the season final. If more exposure to the graphic rape I go from avid

watcher to total avoider. What garbage. If there is more such please let me know and I will take my viewtime elsewhere and never darken your door, ever again.

I am on book 4 now and that rape was easily the most difficult part to deal with. There are other uncomfortable events, but nothing as graphic or disgusting that I have read.

Anyone that is a true fan of the series knows that this part of the book HAD to be shown in the television series. It is very important to the series. This is something Jamie and Claire have to deal with through out the entire series. The dream sequence is great in the book. But I cannot imagine trying to bring that to life in the time allotted, without leaving other things out. The prison sceanes were very grafic and hard to watch, that being said, they were also very grafic and hard to read in the book. I think they did a fantastic job the entire season, tonight being no exception. They were able to keep it relevent in every scene. I cannot wait for season 2! I have been an avid fan of the series for 20+ years now and am so excited to see it come to life in such a great way!!!

24 hours after watching the finale of outlander and my stomach is still in knots! I absolutely HATED the finale. If this is a prelude of what is to come, I just lost my obsession with Jamie and Claire. I don’t think the episode NEEDED to be that graphic to follow the story. Disgusted and Disappointed.

I read the Outlander series and am impressed at how well the series is faithful to the books. I absolutely love this series and am looking forward to season 2. Thank you to everyone involved in making this wonderful series.

CAN’T WAIT!! God, it’s Droughtlander all over again…

I LOVE this series as I did the books. So glad there will be a Season 2 and I hope many more.

My wife and I are 60. Love outlander. The sexual brutality of the final episode was to much for my wife who couldn’t watch it. I thought it went a bit over the top. The series is so interesting I don’t think it needed to be that brutal.

I HAD enjoyed the series as well, and wish like hell that I had followed your wife and completely skipped finale. It was far too graphic and violent for ANYONE to enjoy. 24 hours later and my heart is still heavy. I don’t want to watch this show anymore.

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