One of the challenges Outlander will face as it goes on is balancing the different time periods. Claire's thrust into a new world and has to find her way in a land full of dangers, but she doesn't forget Frank or where she came from. She encounters Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) almost as soon as she arrives in 18th century Scotland, and while sparks are present, it's not too overt. That's a fine line, and it will be interesting to see how it's maintained in future episodes.
Another hurdle is communicating all the information from the books to the screen. Outlander isn't a short story, and we learn about the world from Claire's perspective. Voiceovers are used to get everything across in the series. I understand it's a necessary evil, but it could become cumbersome.Balfe couldn't be more Claire if she tried. She nails the traits book readers know and admire, and she paints a clear portrait of the Claire for people who are meeting the character for the first time. It's apparent from the beginning that this is not a token "strong female character." Balfe shows in the pilot that she's more than capable of carrying a scene and the series. She's magnetic.
Actually, mostly everyone is wonderful. Menzies also plays a character in the 18th century (an ancestor of Frank Randall), and that's a touch jarring but only because we've seen Menzies in a completely different light as Claire's husband. I'd actually rather they have cast someone who resembles Menzies instead of using him in the same role. The band of Scots Claire ends up with are amusing and bring a couple of laugh out loud moments to the drama.
The landscapes are lovely and almost like characters. Since Claire is a woman out of her time, the settings in the 20th and 18th centuries wrap around who she is and the decisions she makes. They've chosen stunning locations for the unfolding story, and it goes a long way towards pulling viewers in.
Outlander premieres on Saturday, August 9th, at 9:00pm ET/PT on Starz, or you can catch an early release on various platforms beginning August 2nd.