5 Outlander episodes to watch instead of Super Bowl 53

4. Sassenach

Next, jump right back to the very beginning of Outlander. “Sassenach” is the pilot episode and introduces our characters. It’s one that will never get old, as we watch Claire interact with Mrs. Graham and Frank, before heading through the stones unknowingly and finding herself 200 years in the past.

Everyone knows how this episode goes. Claire meets Jamie for the first time and there is immediate chemistry. You can tell that Jamie instantly falls in love with the World War II nurse, who shows her authority and her knowledge without caring what the Gaelic-speaking Scots around her think.

Whether you’re avoiding the whole of Super Bowl 53 or just the first half while waiting for the Halftime Show (that will be on between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. probably), the pilot episode will work wonders. You’ll probably actually have time for two episodes, so pick this one and one of the others on this list.

There are some awkward moments in Outlander Season 1, Episode 1. That’s common for a TV pilot episode since it’s not written purely for the viewers. However, it’s certainly aged well. When Frank and Claire are in the surgery at Castle Leoch, listen out for what some people think is Jamie saying “mine.”