Adapting the Dragonfly in Amber chapter for the Outlander TV series
As I mentioned, rereading this chapter helped me understand a little more about the decision to bring us to 1948 during the Outlander Season 2 premiere.
I do find reading the journal as telling rather than showing. Something like this wouldn’t have really worked for the TV series. We could have had the odd flashback, but really, it’s just Reverend Wakefield’s thoughts in his journal.
The series opted to show us what happened when Claire went back through the stones. We got to see how Frank reacted, especially to the idea of the pregnancy. This was a chance to see whether Claire and Frank could have a life together.
I found this far more helpful than jumping straight to 1968. The biggest downside was that we didn’t get to see the relationship between Roger and Brianna form as much as it did in the books. However, this was purely about timing.
I’m not begrudging the show, especially when it comes to Season 2. My biggest complaint was their lack of focus during Season 3 considering they became such a big focus during Season 4.
The show also changed a few things for Claire searching for Geillis. In the TV show, Claire didn’t purposely seek her out. It wasn’t until she saw a leaflet about Geillis that she went in search for her. I did find this a little disappointing as I loved the hint of what could have been a friendship. Claire even thought of Geillis as a friend in the first season.
I would have loved to see Claire want to search for Geillis to warn her. Like with Bree and Roger’s relationship, I think this was due to time limitations.
Finally, there was nothing about St. Kilda and Black Jack Randall being buried there in the TV show. In the books, this plays a bigger role. It’s not needed in the TV series, likely because of time.
What did you think while reading Outlander Book 2, Chapter 4? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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