Outlander introduces the key characters of Colum MacKenzie, Geillis Duncan, and Laoghaire MacKenzie this week as the highlanders and Claire arrive at the iconic Castle Leoch.
This week, Claire will finally arrive at the “home base” of the highlanders who rescued or abducted her depending on your point of view. Castle Leoch is the ancestral home of Clan MacKenzie, and Claire meets some pivotal characters for the first time.
In the first clip from Starz, entitled, “Need Not Be Afraid” Claire shows her vulnerable side to Jamie for the first time. Devoted book readers might pick up something in the subtext here that that has to do with Claire pulling away.
In the next clip from Starz, “They Say I’m A Witch,” Claire meets Geillis Duncan, played by Lotte Verbeek, for the first time. Without spoiling, it’s fair to say that Claire instantly is intrigued by the mysterious Geillis (pronunced Gey-liss) who is very unlike the other women she encounters in the castle. The question is will Geillis be an ally or foe in this new world?
In the final Starz clip, “Widowed Lady from Oxfordshire,” Claire comes up with a cover story as to who she is when she is taken to meet the Laird (ruling lord) of Castle Leoch, Colum MacKenzie, played by Gary Lewis. Colum is the older brother of Dougal, the highlander who was in charge of the group that captured Claire. Colum might seem a harmless old man of few words, but Claire quickly realizes that very little escapes Colum’s notice.
Lastly, Laoghaire (pronounced Leery) will be making her debut this week. We had a chance to talk to Nell Hudson, who plays Laoghaire, about how her character is misunderstood. Non-book fans should be warned that there are mild book spoilers and likely mild series spoilers in the interview.
The series, so far, is a hit for Starz with over 3 million tuning in for the first episode. Starz has a history of renewing early, hopefully Outlander continues this pattern.
Outlander airs on Starz at 9:00pm ET/PT on Saturday.