There are a lot of things that make me happy like drinking a great cup of coffee by a fireplace reading a good book while snuggled in a fuzzy blanket. Or listening to children giggling or watching puppies frolic. Good Stuff. You know what else is good? Learning that Outlander had been nominated for 3 Golden Globe awards.
The results started rolling in this morning and so did the tweets. In very little time, my notifications were lighting up with good news. Caitriona Balfe, Tobias Menzies, and the show its self were at the top of the list. I kept asking if I had missed Sam Heughan’s nomination because I was THAT sure his brave and moving performance would be recognized.
When I realized it was true…no nom for Sam, I experienced some very conflicting emotions. I was thrilled for the others maybe even surprised. Not because their performances weren’t brilliant, they were, but because I was worried we wouldn’t be noticed at all. I’m pretty cynical about these awards things and I had been told repeatedly that we would be lucky to get one nod with all the great TV out there right now. So, there I was feeling elated for Cait and Tobias one second and absolutely gutted for Sam the next.
Because my feelings ARE so strong, it hasn’t escaped me I might be giving validity to my families insistence that I have become obsessed. For whatever its worth, I’m willing to admit maybe they are right because this feels personal. I’m sure that part of the reason it feels personal is because I’ve been around the fandom since Diana Gabaldon announced the show was a go and a lot has happened in that amount of time. We fans awaited casting news like the birth of a precious child. And, our first picture of Cait and Sam as Jamie and Claire? Surreal. There they were in the flesh and we all couldn’t quite believe it.
Our fan experience was intensified by the willingness of the cast and crew, writers, producers and directors to talk with us and share behind the scenes tidbits and looks into what they do. Matt B. Roberts “POD”, Maril’s “heard on set” and Terry’s “tidbits” all helped us feel apart of what was happening. We knew they were all fans of the book and I felt reassured by Ron’s insistence that he wouldn’t mess up his wife’s favoriite!
It was a singular experience and this inclusion has contributed to my feeling personal about these awards. This is MY show about MY book. We fought the critique that the show would only interest bored housewives and that men wouldn’t watch. Our battle cry was, “Just wait you’ll see, this story is so much more!” While we waited for the premier, I remember anxiously hoping that they would do my very favorite book justice. It could have gone so wrong. It was such a wonderful story and I wanted the world to see it and fall in love with it too.
Diana Gabaldon’s books have become my favorite because of the wonderful stories she tells of a passionately committed couple and their adventures through life. I’ve always felt there were truths about what it means to be human spoken between those pages. Diana spoke to the irony and wonder that is life. So, I hoped that Ron Moore’s “adaptation” would be able to capture what I loved about this story; it has, but what I didn’t expect to see was Ron’s story of what it means to be human. The visual story-teller told Diana’s story and somehow made it…more. I am seeing Diana’s truths about life AND Ron’s as well. Two creative people’s ideas came together and the melding of their genius has created a new and inspiringly delightful visual version of my favorite story. Each new episode was like unwrapping a beautiful gift filled with amazing costumes, sets, acting, directing and writing. It is a quality production that wasn’t afraid to be different or take on difficult material. Truly, I couldn’t be prouder if I had actually had anything to do with it myself <g>.
I was reminded today that the show received a nomination for best drama and that means that everyone who had a part in creating the show is nominated. That did make me smile. So, congratulations to everyone! Happiness is knowing people you’ve come to respect are getting recognized for all of their hard work and I’ll be celebrating by watching Claire get lost through the stones tonight while I snuggle in a blanket and drink some good coffee.