*Warning – spoilers ahead for Outlander seasons 1-7.*
The main love interest of ‘s hit series , , has captured hearts with his portrayal of – yet some die-hard book lovers remain sceptical.
The historical fantasy drama, fresh from wrapping up its eighth and concluding season, takes inspiration from Diana Gabaldon’s widely acclaimed novels. It tells the tale of WWII nurse (played by ) who finds love across time with the dashing Jamie amidst the Jacobite uprising.
Though Jamie has been a smash-hit with viewers across mediums, there remains a contingent of fans feeling let down by his on-screen depiction. On the verge of the latter half of season 7’s premiering, online forums heated up when a user claimed Jamie came off as “dull” on TV.
A miffed fan known as @Melodic-Eggplant-916 voiced on : “Why show Jamie is dull?!” In their post, they lamented: “I know it’s probably been mentioned hundreds of times, but I need to say it!! I am rewatching the show after finishing DiA book, and I just can’t stop being annoyed how in show all great ideas coming from Claire, and Jamie is just like a tool to execute them. Book Jamie is so much more clever!!”
Sam Heughan plays Jamie Fraser in Outlander (Image: STARZ)
They also cited: “For instance, that scene where young William Grey gave information in order to protect English woman’s honour. In the show it was all Claire’s idea to act like those ‘filthy highlanders’ kidnapped her, while in the book that was Jamie’s idea!!
“Another one is that idea stopping Jacobite rebellion was Jamie’s idea, not Claire’s. I felt it brought so much more gravitas that Jamie himself overseen how valuable Claire’s information is.”
The user added with an anguished emoji: “These are just two things that I came across YET, but it really makes me upset why they didn’t choose to keep Jamie closer to original source. Do you agree with me?” (sic)
In response, the comments section lit up with agreement. A fan expressed: “I completely agree and I’ve heard it mentioned in other places as well, that the show runners are so focused on a Claire centric show that they make Jamie look like a tag along hot puppy.”
Venting frustration, they continued: “Even DG has said it’s the story of JAMMF through Claire’s POV. It’s annoying. And I’m not mad about a strong female lead. It’s not that at all. It’s that there is this idea that it can’t be a strong COUPLE. Obviously it can because in the books it can. So figure it out, RON.” (sic)
Outlander revolves around the romance between Claire and Jamie (Image: STARZ)
Echoing this sentiment, another fan wrote: “Book Jamie is amazing! I just finished the ‘Kill them all’ part in ABOSAA and the part where he picks the guy up off Claire and snaps his neck. Wow. I wonder if the show would have been closer to material on a network like HBO…”
Drawing comparisons while showcasing their preference, they continued: “Plus the fact he makes me laugh nearly every time I read. Don’t get me wrong the show is my first love but Book Jamie is a whole other level.” (sic)
While some viewers felt that Jamie’s character seemed less strong in the series due to Claire’s portrayal, with one fan humorously commenting: “Because Saint Claire is the bestest, brightest, and most beautifulest woman who every lived. Nobody is her equal, not even the king of men. (Gotta go pry my tongue out of my cheek now.)” (sic)
Another concurred: “I love the books (the first three anyway) but I have been struggling to watch the show because Claire just seems so obnoxious. In the books she is clever and opinionated but somehow it just doesn’t translate to the show.” (sic)
However, other fans defended the series’ representation of Jamie, with one remarking: “I don’t see what you see, lol. I think he’s amazing.” (sic)
Another wrote: “I always loved Jamie, book and show. It’s very hard to put 1,000 to 1,200 pages of plot into 1 season of a show. And after all, Claire is The Outlander.”
One more retorted: “Tf, dull? Sheesh. Some people are hard to please.” (sic)
Following the closure of Lionsgate+ in the UK, new episodes of Outlander will be available on Starz and to stream on Prime Video channel MGM+ from Sunday, November 22. You must be an Amazon Prime member before you can sign up for MGM+.