Many Outlander fans say the fifth novel is one of the dullest to start. Just what will Outlander Season 5 need to do to make it more entertaining for the show fans?
One of the issues of turning books into TV shows is the flow. A book gets away with having a series of highs and lows, with sections that aren’t fueled with drama. TV shows don’t get that liberty. Every hour of Outlander needs to have some sort of intensity or conflict. There needs to be a story that draws people in.
Normal life isn’t something that does that, which is something fans of “The Fiery Cross” worry about. The fifth novel is one that many Outlander fans say is the dullest at the start. It takes about two-thirds of the book to pick up. This is according to some in Facebook fan groups. I can’t base it on my own knowledge since I’ve not read it.
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For others, the first two-thirds are fun because they’re more about life on Frasers Ridge (minor spoiler, but this place is coming up in Season 4). There’s a chance to slow down a little and appreciate one another more. There’s the chance for the story between Claire and Jamie to develop deeper than ever before.
It’s clear that it depends on what you want from a story, but normal life certainly doesn’t translate well onscreen. So, what does Outlander Season 5 need to do to make “The Fiery Cross” more interesting?
It could add its own drama
One thing the writers could do is add in their own drama and conflict. This was something Outlander Season 3 did to an extent. When it came time for Claire to return through the stones, the show writers decided to take Claire and Brianna back to the States first. From there, it was possible to create conflict between mother and daughter, with Claire fighting her love for her daughter against her love for her Scottish husband.
In the end, there was the chance for Brianna to give her mother her blessing, making it easier for Claire to step back through the stones. Then there was the walk through the jungle (don’t get me started on that!) and Jamie’s conflict within the ship during the voyage part of the story.
It’s possible for the series to create elements of drama during the more mundane parts of the story, setting up separate conflict for each individual hour. These elements could be standalone sections, involving Claire and Jamie together, Fergus and Marsali (there are going to have to be adaptations for that story), and Young Ian.
Keep most of the story on the last section of the book
Outlander Season 4 is seeing the book take out of order in parts. This was something Ron D. Moore shared would likely happen. It’s something that could also work for “The Feiry Cross.” Some of the elements towards the end of the book could be pulled forward. More focus could be placed on the latter of the book, cutting down the amount of time on the quiet snippets at the start.
This is something Twilight did with the second novel. “New Moon” had a 100-200-page section that was just boring and monotonous. It was a lot of whining from Bella, rather than getting on with the storyline. It should have been important for Jacob’s storyline, but was too focused on the main protagonist. The movie changed that, making you forget that you found the section of the novel bland.
Join with “A Breath of Snow and Ashes”
A third option is for Outlander Season 5 to be focused on two books instead of one. While the first four seasons are individual books, the showrunners and writers continually look at whether they should split up the books, join them together, or do something different. It all depends on the story to be told and how it all translates on the screen.
There is the chance that Outlander Season 5 would include parts of, if not all, “A Breath of Snow and Ashes.” This would give more action but it would mean a shorter show since the writers would run out of material sooner.
Next: When will Starz need to confirm Outlander Season 5 to avoid a long Droughtlander
What did you think of the first part of “The Fiery Cross?” Are you worried about how the writers will adapt the novel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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