‘Outlander’ S6 Episode 1: The first chapters silence all criticism

Spoilers for ‘Outlander’ season 6 episode 1 follow.

Note: The following article contains a discussion of sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers.

As ‘Outlander’ returns for a sixth season, fans will remember that the fifth season ended with the shocking rape of Claire Fraser (episode 5×12, here our analysis)who was kidnapped and assaulted by Lionel Brown and his men before being rescued by her husband Jamie and the men of Fraser’s Ridge.

While the horrific attack was handled with care (the camera panned on Claire’s face and scenes of her imagining an idyllic life with her family in the 20th century were intercut as a way of coping with the attack), the series received criticism for showing another rape on screen.

Indeed, there are more rapes in ‘Outlander’ than in any other period drama. Since the series began in 2014, Claire’s character has been threatened with sexual assault several times (including attacks by Jack Randall and an English Redcoat deserter, as well as being forced to have sex with King Louis XV of France in exchange for Jamie’s freedom), all before the rape of the fifth season.

And she is not the only victim: in the fourth season, Claire’s daughter, Bree, was raped by Stephen Bonnet, while both Jamie and her adopted son Fergus were assaulted by Randall in previous seasons.

Of course, the reason so many assaults appear in the series is that they all appeared in the original novels of Diana Gabaldonand the producers remain fairly faithful to the source material: “There are many rapes in Diana Gabaldon’s books”executive producer Maril Davis told Entertainment Weekly in 2018, when Bree’s rape was going to be released (it should be noted that her assault takes place off-camera).

“Obviously we’ve seen some of that and each time we try to figure out what’s best for the story. We certainly want to be careful with the character that’s going through that.”

While ‘Outlander’ could be criticized for featuring these attacks, the first two episodes of the new season highlight one thing the show does incredibly well that many other rape dramas fail to do: provide a realistic and sensitive portrayal of the emotional aftermath and consequences of such assaults.

The first episode of season six picks up weeks after the events of the season five finale, and it’s clear from the start that Claire’s not doing well. Haunted by memories of the attack and the other attacks from her past (such as a nightmare she has with images and voices including those of Jack Randall), Claire uses her new discovery of the anesthetic ether to put herself to a peaceful sleep. and no nightmares, a desperately needed break, all while pretending to her family that she’s okay.

In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Caitriona Balfe talked about how Claire’s PTSD would be explored in the new season: “When last season we were talking about the attack and the rape and what it was going to be, we were already having conversations at the time about how important it was that we were going to show the aftermath and the recovery.”says Caitrione.

“What I loved is that we see Claire fall apart like we’ve never seen before., and this way of coping, where you’ve had to compartmentalize everything and move on, no longer serves you. You can’t expect a character or someone to go through something like that and not be deeply, deeply shaken.”

Caitriona Balfe and the Outlander writers are right, of course. Many victims of sexual assault and rape suffer traumas for years and even decades after, being deeply affected by what has happened to them. Some people suffer from feelings of guilt and shame, feel terrified to be around other people, cringe even at the touch of a close family member, or even experience nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD.

However, many other dramas feature rape and these emotional scars are barely touched. The story usually wraps up in a couple of episodes with no lasting effects, and the aggression itself can even be used as motivation for another character’s actions while completely forgetting the victim’s perspective.

‘Game of Thrones’, for example, was rightly criticized for its depiction of Sansa’s rape, which was not only described as “gratuitous” but also more time was spent focusing on Theon’s reaction, who was forced to watch.

An anonymous screenwriter told Variety about the scene: “A guy turned to me and said ‘Well, would you rather have seen it [desde el punto de vista de Sansa]?’ and i said yes, actually. If you’re going to do it, teach it well, show it from a woman’s point of view, and don’t use it as a way to motivate a male character.” (That aggression is often cited as Theon’s first step on the road to redemption).

Meanwhile, the ‘True Blood’ series, full of sex and violence, featured Tara’s violent rape in season three, but the story was quickly glossed over (Tara attends a support group meeting) and is barely mentioned again. The attack was clearly included just to add some impact and nothing else.

Even ‘Downton Abbey’, which drew praise for its portrayal of Anna’s suffering after her rape, was rightly chided for taking such a sensitive story and using it to invigorate another character’s story: after the attack, it all revolves around her husband, John Bates, as he tries to figure out what happened, leading to a mysterious plot twist when he becomes a murder suspect when the rapist ends up dead. I’m sorry, Anna, your rape isn’t about you, it’s about your poor husband.

While it would be preferable if ‘Outlander’ didn’t show another rape in future seasonsthe writers, directors and especially the cast, especially Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan and Sophie Skelltonare to be commended for their sensitive portrayals of the consequences of rape and sexual assault.

In the series, the physical and emotional effects are far-reaching and never let up after an episode or two, and that’s been the case for every one of the hard-hitting stories.

Jack Randall’s horrific and graphic rape of Jamie at the end of the first season has plagued Jamie throughout the series., with him obsessed and repelled by it in the second season and only achieving some sort of peace after Randall’s death. Meanwhile, Brianna quietly continues to deal with her own aggression, with her violent drawings of her rapist, Stephen Bonnet, expressing more than she could say with dialogue.

And it’s clear from the first few episodes of season six that Claire’s recent experience will have far-reaching consequences in the upcoming season.that her rape hasn’t been forgotten or trivialized as a mere argument, and that once again the ‘Outlander’ team has handled an extremely sensitive subject in a thoughtful way they should be proud of.