What are you looking forward to most?

Sam Heughan, star of the upcoming Outlander series (as if you didn’t already know who he was) recently asked:

Not long until show airs…
Getting excited!

what are you looking forward too most?#Outlander

— Sam Heughan (@SamHeughan) July 20, 2014

Several people answered “EVERYTHING.” Makes sense because it’s difficult to pick one thing. I thought of several answers, but whittled it down to this:

@Heughan I'm most looking forward to the inevitable success of the show. I hope you don't tire of playing Jamie for the next 10 years.

— 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑎 𝑁𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑧🕊 (@Candida_LN) July 20, 2014

Of course, the question kept me thinking . . .

Dissatisfied with a 140 character answer, I thought I’d put a few more thoughts down. These are in no particular order.

I am most looking forward to Bear McCreary‘s musical score, having already heard snippets that gave me chills. I’ve always been a fan of bagpipes, especially accompanied by stings, be it the violin or guitar.

And being a fan of foreign tongues (keep your minds out of the gutter, ladies and gents), I am really looking forward to hearing the Gaelic dialogue. It’ll be a bit frustrating not knowing exactly what they’re saying, but I trust in Ron Moore and Diana Gabaldon that we’ll “get it.”

Am I looking forward to the moment Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is zapped back to the 18th Century? Of course, I am! I expect the music to sweep me away with her. And I can’t wait to see what the visual effects look like (of course).

If I were putting these in a particular order, I might have to put our first sight of Jamie in the cottage near the top. In the trailers, we’ve seen the shots of Jamie fighting the Redcoats at Lallybroch trying to protect Jenny. Don’t know if they will be our first glimpse of him, or if those scenes come later in a flashback when Jamie reveals his story to Claire at Leoch. I’m hoping that’s the case because I want the first reveal to match the book.

I shrank back into the shadows near the fireplace, hoping to avoid notice. The man called Murtagh had untied my hands before leading me here. Perhaps I could slip away while they were busy elsewhere. The men’s attention had shifted to a young man crouched on a stool in the corner. He had barely looked up through my interrogation, but kept his head bent, hand clutching the opposite shoulder, rocking slightly back and forth in pain.

Dougal gently pushed the clutching hand away. One of the men pulled back the young man’s plaid, revealing a dirt-smeared linen shirt blotched with blood. A small man with a thick mustache came up behind the lad with a single-bladed knife, and holding the shirt at the collar, slit it across the breast and down the sleeve, so that it fell away from the shoulder.

I gasped, as did several of the men. The shoulder had been wounded; there was a deep ragged furrow across the top, and blood was running freely down the young man’s breast. But more shocking was the shoulder joint itself. A dreadful hump rose on the side, and the arm hung at an impossible angle.

What an introduction to a character! We know he’s young but not what he looks like. He’s in pain, and we feel sorry for him – more than we do for Claire at the moment. Our eyes will be on his shoulder, not his face. Well, maybe some of you silly gooses will be looking at his chest.

What about Claire’s first meeting of Jonathan Randall, you say? Unfortunately, I’ve seen it – or part of it. I wish I had been stronger and avoided it like I avoided the Jamie ghost scene, but at least I learned my lesson, aye? Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing that scene in full context, including her “rescue” by the MacKenzies.

We’ve seen several stills and itty-bitty clips of the scene by the fireplace where Claire tends to Jamie’s wounds. Oh, how much do I want to see that scene in its full, uncut glory? About this much <holding hands as far apart as they will go>. The music. The mood. The steamy looks. The dreamy dialogue. I expect to hear a world-wide collective sigh.

Am I looking forward to the Jamie kissing Laoghaire scene? Sure, I am. Um, Jamie is kissing someone . . . Hello?

Speaking of kissing, Jamie gets beaten up a lot in this first book – see what I did there? I’m looking forward to every punch, kick, smack, whack, and whip he’s expected to give and receive. I’m an action-girl. No, I’m not going to enjoy it – unless he’s the one giving, but it’s all part of his personal growth, so . . .

No, I have not forgotten about The Wedding or the honeymoon. Who among us is not counting the days until we’ll need a drool cup by our chairs? Or sofa or bed – wherever you plan to watch it. Okay, I admit it. I’m more looking forward to the honeymoon than the wedding. There, I said it. I’m more into kissing scenes than lovey-dovey, fainting scenes. I want to see Claire take Jamie in hand – literally. I want to hear the famous lines:

“I said I was a virgin, not a monk,” he said, kissing me again. “If I find I need guidance, I’ll ask.”

Aren’t you just melting, thinking about it? I hope Outlander Starz doesn’t leak a single, solitary bit of that scene before it airs.

Moving on, I’ve always had a soft spot for men crying. I love the scene at the end of the movie, The Holiday, with Cameron Diaz and Jude Law after she leaves him at the cottage to return home. She changes her mind and runs back, calling his name when she enters. He comes out of the bedroom with tears running down his cheeks. It makes me laugh – as it’s supposed to – but it’s also touching. Why am I bringing this up? Because I’m thinking of the scene when Jamie takes Claire back to Craigh na Dun. He leaves her alone and goes down to the crofter’s cottage, expecting her to return to her own time. Of course, Claire decides to stay with him. Who wouldn’t? [Not including those in love with Tobias Menzies.]

He was in the front room, asleep on a narrow oak settle. He slept on his back, as he usually did, hands crossed on his stomach, mouth slightly open. The last rays of daylight from the window behind me limned his face like a metal mask; the silver tracks of dried tears glinted on golden skin, and the copper stubble of his beard gleamed dully.

I stood watching him for a moment, filled with an unutterable tenderness. Moving as quietly as I could, I lay down beside him on the narrow settle and nestled close. He turned to me in sleep as he so often did, gathering me spoon fashion against his chest and resting his cheek against my hair. Half-conscious, he reached to smooth my hair away from his nose; I felt the sudden jerk as he came awake to realize that I was there, and then we overbalanced and crashed together onto the floor, Jamie on top of me.

Yeah. Take a moment.

Okay. Also near the top of my list are the scenes that could have been in the book but weren’t. Luckily, Mr. Moore’s vision includes those scenes for our viewing pleasure. Being a huge fan of anything World War II related, I am salivating over the upcoming WWII parts. And then there’s “Poor Frank.” We get more Frank in the series than we did in the books, so yay! Can’t wait to see the flashbacks.

Most of you reading this have probably seen the tweets and perhaps my blog post – IAN’S KILT – campaigning for a picture of Ian Murray (Stephen Cree) in a kilt. So, put that near the top of my list, too. At this rate, I’ll have to number things as 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.

And although I said this list of things I’m “looking forward to most” was in no particular order, this last item can be listed as #2 after all the aboves.

Basically, it’s the entire ending – from Jamie’s short “exit” from the show while Jenny and Claire search for him to his recovery at the Abbey. I’ve read those chapters more than once, and they ALWAYS make my stomach harden – just like when I watch the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. Yes, I know it’s fiction, but terrible things are happening to a character I love, and it has the desired effect on my senses. Seeing it visualized is going to be horrifying and beautiful at the same time. I’m sure I will cry and wince, especially during the bone-setting scene.

I know I’ve left out lots of things to which you are looking forward. I’d love to hear from you in the comments section. I’ll repeat Mr. Heughan’s question: What are you looking forward to most?

Looking ahead, per my original answer, I can honestly say I am most looking forward to Claire and Jamie’s reunion scene in the print shop. Voyager is unquestionably my favorite of the series [I’m partial to mature Jamie], and those scenes have always been my favorite. The build up of her return, walking through the streets of Edinburgh – not sure what to expect. The fainting, hugging, crying. The photographs of Brianna. More crying, melting, falling apart. Le big sigh.

Here’s hoping we’ll get to see it all. I know it’s difficult for actors to stick with the same part for too long. Only time will tell whether we greedy fans will get to see the entire series of novels realized.

Here’s one more thing I’m looking forward to most – watching the number of Golden Globes, SAG awards, and Emmys this show is going to win.