Then she hears it: the thunder of hooves. A troop of British Redcoats thunders past, their uniforms anachronistic—mid-18th century style. One of them, a tall, sharp-featured captain with cold eyes, reins in his horse. He looks at her with a mix of suspicion and interest. “Lost, madam?” he asks. His voice is polished but cruel.
The first episode of the popular Starz series Outlander, titled "The Wars of Noughts and Crosses," premiered on August 9, 2014. The show is based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon and transports viewers to 18th-century Scotland. Here's a brief summary of the episode: episode 1 outlander
Before they can move, shots ring out. Two Redcoats fall. Scottish Highlanders, armed with swords and muskets, burst from the trees. In the chaos, Claire’s horse bolts. She is thrown and tumbles down a ravine, losing consciousness. Then she hears it: the thunder of hooves
She witnesses a group of Scottish Highlanders engaging in a skirmish with British Dragoons. This is the audience’s first introduction to the brutality of the 18th century. It isn't romanticized; it is bloody, loud, and terrifying. He looks at her with a mix of suspicion and interest
Frank is consumed by his genealogical research, tracing his ancestors back to the 18th century. One day, he shows Claire a gravesite in the churchyard of St. Kilda’s in the village of Inverness. The stone marks the grave of Jonathan Wolverton Randall, a British Army captain and direct ancestor of Frank’s, who died in 1746. Frank speaks of him with pride, calling him a “decorated soldier and a good man.” Claire, still haunted by the carnage she witnessed in the war, is less enthusiastic about romanticizing the past.