Caitriona Balfe on 'Outlander's' shocking twists, rape, Claire's baby ...

[@jennnunya1224]

Oh she's so adorable! What a special person and a sweetheart! Must be something about Ireland and Scotland, they seem to turn out some wonderful people!

[@databloom70]

21:34 - 23:49. Wow, just brilliant... Great great answer- so engaged, so deep and insightful. I have no illusions now as to why I've completely fallen for Claire. Caitriona just gets it... Intelligent, compassionate, wise, and above all else graceful and kind. All hallmarks of being truly human. Thank you Caitriona for breathing your life into this wonderful character. We all have a lot to learn from her.

[@BarbiePeralta]

I'm obsessed with the books & the show! It's a phenomenal show! The best on tv right now!!! I absolutely love it!!!

[@HelyneMay]

Give Sam and Caitriona ALL of the awards!

[@cuando1979]

He let himself go because of Claire, she was the only one that was able to bring his walls /controls down and let him vulnerable. He left himself into her memory and so he did not betray her in my opinion. For a man that always has to be strong etc , Jamie showed that only Claire was able to break his soul , no one else.

[@Cynthia713]

Thank for sharing such candid interviews with the cast of Outlander. I've seen one you did with Sam and this one with Caitriona. I don't even "know" them and I am so happy for them in their success. It was so refreshing to experience them in this way as "regular" humans who happen to be superb in their craft sharing their experiences about the show & their "everyday life" perspectives about their characters. Thank you to Caitriona, Sam, and ALL those a part of the show, onscreen & off, for bringing such wonderful entertainment to us fans (They all seem to come across so humble in various interviews that I've seen of Caitriona, Sam, and others cast members. It is just really nice)... May they always be blessed with continued success in their craft... Good parts/good characters for good people (Just my humble view since I, again, don't actually "know"them & just choose to send them my best "just because"). Thank you once more, Tom, for bringing this content in this way so humbly to KZbin. Thumbs up from Florida! :)

[@InweSeregon]

I love these interviews. They feel very "down to earth" and relatable...like chatting with friends. Kudos Tom O'Neil! Haha Balfe's "I never know the lyrics to anything", a cat named Frank, deleted scenes, and learning about the audition...so neat!!

[@JustS0meChick]

Tom O'Neil is a VERY good interviewer.

[@Trini2DeBone]

Episode 1 and Episode 13 of Season 2 were the best Episodes. of the season. The last Episode gave me hope and made me cry. Excellent production, acting, costumes, music etc.

[@AbbieJolie]

I think the release that so shamed Jamie was simply his body's need for endorphins to reduce the pain he was suffering.

[@shanzfendi]

AbbieJolie Exactly!!

[@autumnrosedearborn8923]

AbbieJolie that's a very interesting observation! I never thought of that before, but that makes perfect sense.

[@barbwalker1324]

AbbieJolie Jamie told Claire it just felt so good not to hurt any more

[@CatrionaStevenson]

Okay so books aside, they are discussing the tv series, how they felt about the scene and the series interpretation of the books of which the tv show is"based" on. I took from it that Jamie found a "happy place" to get himself through the ordeal and the use of language is powerful but I can understand how the word "enjoyed" can be used here. He is ashamed to have allowed himself to succumb to the pleasure his body experienced and that is no disservice to rape victims, it is involuntary and a mere survival instinct. He branded himself for goodness sake. Randall broke him, at least in Jamie's eyes. The use of the word "enjoy" does not excuse the heinous act inflicted or somehow absolve the pain and suffering that rape victims experience and in a lot of ways emphasizes the psychological affects rape leaves the victim. Rape is not always the act itself, it is the taking of something you did not wish to give and the legacy that leaves. In fact I believe that it is an appropriate word to use as it highlights what the victim goes through afterwards, the turmoil they then experience at their bodies response to something so awful and how could they let it happen and so on. People who rape often do so because they want to degrade the person fully, take all the self respect that person had and that is why it is such an effective crime. To criticize the use of language is to take away the severity of the ordeal victims go through! Well done on an excellent show which brings male rape to the agenda which is often ignored or played down. Also brings to light what rape does to the victim after the act and the fact we are taking about it now can only be a good thing.

[@jakek4876]

I hope this role has opened huge doors for Caitriona in Hollywood. She deserves it.

[@mysticmeg111]

Jake K I hope she never sets foot in Hollywood. It is a mess of old fat semites who want to nail every young actress who comes through the door, She is Irish Catholic to boot and no wolf will get her to kneel in front of him.

[@eva-mariaehrhardt9487]

I love the show, the actors, actresses, the plot, the costumes... everything

[@kakyoukuzuki]

Great interview!!!

[@lioneart19]

From what I got, Jamie found relif in not feeling pain, because he was letting and participating, so it got more smooth and he felt ashamed of feeling relieved, guilty for feeling this in a moment/situation like that. Of course he would feel pleasure, because it is a body stimulus, but I think it is more complex than it appears.

[@anleeeee5554]

Paulo Junior it was his vision and love for Claire that Made him somehow in a very profound way experience some sort of enjoyment...that has nothing to deal with his genitals being stimulated by Jack Randall but rather the memory of the beautiful moments with Claire which I would say was more of a mental stimulation!

[@nolsp7240]

It was a mental defense reaction, plain and simple. There was nothing voluntary about it. It was later when Jaime realizes what happened that he couldn't forgive himself.

[@lorinebiancarelli]

Nolsp I 100% agree with you ! This is called psychological dissociation. When a person experiences terrible stress or trauma, the brain can anesthetizes emotionally. The victim does not realize what's going on. She becomes a spectator. That's what happened to Jamie. His brain anesthetized him emotionally so that he could handle this untold trauma. He has nothing to blame himself even if guilt is part of post-traumatic stress. He suffered something horrible and it is normal that he suffered a beautiful nervous breakdown when his brain no longer anesthetized. But again, he has absolutely nothing to reproach himself for. The only culprit is this scumbag of Jack Randall !

[@eleanorkalfin-royte8709]

In terms of biology & human sexuality Jamie's response sexually at one point in the night of torture & rape, pain & hopelessness may have been a simple physiological response to sexual stimulation. If a prosthetic / mechanical hand was stimulating a sex organ would it matter if the prosthetic was attached to a female or a male? Read Masters & Johnson & al the other research on sexual response. Given sufficient stimulation a sex organ comes to orgasm, & it doesn't matter who is doing the stimulating. The character of Jamie has not had the benefit of modern research on human sexuality & he could not process that knowledge in terms of his body's biological response.

[@SpiritualBabydoll]

Thank you for normalizing this because we do educate rape victims about that because there is a lot of shame. Especially for men that have been sexually assaulted because that’s the body’s response to what’s happening and it gets really confusing and muddled and really they showed this beautifully the shame that comes with something like that.

[@mbpandora50]

Excellent interview!

[@BarbiePeralta]

Dawn Emrys explained the rape scenes perfectly!!! For some reason I couldn't reply under your comment, but what you wrote & described was beautifully said!!! If there's people who Still doesn't understand the depth of the rape scenes... Read Dawn Emrys comment... It explains the depth & situation wonderfully!!!

[@MrSecretariat]

I don't think Like was the right word but more that Jamie was aroused by things that happened during the violation by Black Jack:(

[@lucamolta]

Gold Derby are you reporting all these comments back to Tom O'Neil because what they are saying is really important.

[@lauraclements2308]

She is a tremendous actress

[@kerolives]

They used the wrong word, but he was aroused, which is not that uncommon.

[@TheKiddy3]

kerolives Words matter. Think how much more clear it would be to say what you said? He is shamed because he was aroused. He is shamed because he climaxed. This is something that happens with rape victims. Why excuse the words they use? Ron Moore has used the word "enjoy" in more than one interview. Cait uses it here. Sam talks about "pleasure". They are doing every rape victim in the world a disservice. Yet, Tom O'Neil knows what he saw, of course, and that is problematic. Because what he saw is something that looked like "he liked it". So in his case, he is seeing how they choreographed it and it looks to him that Jamie the character "liked it". Maybe that is what Ron Moore meant to show?

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

TheKiddy3 Words matter, but sometimes in conversation, the "right" words escape you. I could see Tom was struggling for the right words, couldn't you? It is well-known by PTSD therapists that some rape survivors report having climaxed while being raped. It is often a source of great shame for the survivor, because it makes them feel as if they were at fault, or somehow "asking for it." YOU are the one doing the world a disservice by shaming people for an aspect of their real-life experience that hardly anyone will talk about. www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/science-arousal-during-rape

[@TheKiddy3]

Donna B. No Tom was not struggling. He watched the scene and he says that one of the "big reveals" is "he liked the rape". He is a professional. Hold him to a professional standard.

[@imisstoronto3121]

kerolives in the book, Jamie says 'he roused' to Randall, and that he could not help it.

[@beaed9296]

@@imisstoronto3121 he was not able to help himself. Sometimes sex is like that , even nasty stuff.

[@Metal-Bane]

that smile....awwww

[@shelisadaniel3577]

I see so many different actresses in her face depending on the angle I see it from. Most times she very much reminds me of Cate Blanchett. Oops, now she turned her face to the side and I got a glimpse of Helen Mirren! Weird...

[@mandalaartist4423]

So articulate and so lovely.

[@blancacepeda3021]

Que alegría caitriona que aclaro todobesotes para vos y sam. LOS QUIERO MUCHO.

[@bjarbj944]

I want to watch the episode! How do I get Starz without cable?

[@jaxgal618]

+Bjarb J You can watch all of the episodes on a file sharing site called primewire.ag

[@sharifeekes9069]

+Bjarb J I don't know if you've found somewhere to watch the first season yet but it's available on Starz.com for free till Apri 10.

[@bjarbj944]

Thank you! I got Starz for an additional fee on my Amazon Prime account and caught up through the second season! So happy I can watch it now!

[@blancacepeda3021]

No cai no tienes que irte cler te quiero linda😢❤❤❤

[@margotfanny3281]

rape is brutal. women or men..

[@beelauren]

Oh interviewer, he did not "like" it. I am not a mental health professional but I'd surmise that it was a trauma response. Survival instincts on a subconscious level. And especially in cases of r4pe, the body (and mind) can do amazing things to protect itself. A female's body can lubricate. The mind can disassociate. I've also heard that trauma and sexual arousal can sometimes look similar which can put survivors of trauma at odds with themselves if they don't understand that. I couldn't watch another moment of this interview until I looked at the other comments and shared my own thoughts. I'm sure the interviewer had no ill will but it discredited everything that came out of his mouth afterwards in my opinion.

[@joannemazza1657]

RDM savagely raped Sam emotionally betraying his trust having him do the rapes scene twice and the cast and crew witnessed it all and were in tears. There you see his jealousy of Sam, him being a good man, Cait being in love with Sam, short man syndrome. Evil man not given Sam's name for Emmy nomination but only Tobias and Cait. Sam's this year revealed his secret place where he screamed inside the disable toilet at the Cumbernauld studios, releasing 11 years of trauma at the hands of Starz and RDM who knew about their marriage, for those who know their story. Check this year NYCCOMCON October 2024.

[@DonalovesMegaLadybird12]

It was a small pox scar not polio.

[@Plans7]

I don't understand pleasurable asphyxiation. Or severe S&M. But it exists whether I empathize or not.

[@TheKiddy3]

Tom O'Neill seems to be suggesting that one of the big "reveals" of this episode was that the victim of a vicious, violent rape in the end liked it. And Caitriona Balfe confirmed it, repeating talking points first put forward by Showrunner Ron Moore.

[@grannym2]

Seems to be the view of the cast..They sound like parrots...maybe they have talking points....do ya think..

[@Tsyroc]

TheKiddy3 I haven't seen the episode but I got the impression from the books that Jamie did briefly feel pleasure during the rape. It's part of him trying to protect himself by thinking of Claire instead of what is happening to him and Blackjack takes advantage of that and uses it against him. It's also why he tries to make Claire leave him because, at least for a time, he can't separate his thoughts of Claire and the rape. He is traumatized by that and feels shame for feeling pleasure during the rape.

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

TheKiddy3 That's NOT what he was suggesting at all. Sometimes in conversations the "right" words escape you and you use the best substitute you can think of. Do some research: It is a FACT that the victim climaxing during rape is a fairly common physiological response, that's all. Jamie went there because, as he said "It felt good to not be in pain." He went "there" because he needed a moment of comfort, to think about his beloved Claire, and Randall used it to destroy him.

[@TheKiddy3]

Donna B. I am on your side up to a point, even though you apparently cannot tell, but in contrast to you, I hold professionals responsible for their language. If one chooses to say, he "enjoyed" it or "liked" it instead of he was, for example, "involuntarily aroused" one is part of the problem. As for "it felt good to not be in pain" I call bullshit. Come on. He got hard. He had a climax. He felt ashamed. He didn't understand that it wasn't his fault. He didn't need a moment of comfort, he was f-ing being raped. Stop being an apologist for professionals who should know better and moreover should have their talking points down on this important topic. And btw, when someone who is likely gay watches that scene and comes away thinking the victim "liked" the rape as this interviewer did, the show itself has a problem.

[@lesliegorton2092]

TheKiddy3

[@JustS0meChick]

She is absolutely lovely and super cool.

[@breathlessmahoney3689]

Wish I didn't feel this way: felt the singing clip/story line to "find Jamie" was a bit off. No, not "a bit"... it felt really off. Felt cheap. Not Caitriona's performance. She's brilliant. It was the plot-writing I found distasteful...

[@sharonrichards7656]

Breathless Mahoney it's all in the book.

[@beaed9296]

They were smallpox vaccinations not polio (that doesn’t leave a mark). Pity he doesn’t get his facts right.

[@blancacepeda3021]

Estas enojada cler?.

[@TheKiddy3]

@dawn For heavens sake, if you need to go into that much explanation of what happened, then the TV show screwed up. If the interviewer saw someone who "liked" the rape, then you have to be critical of the producers and call them on it. Making excuses about "oh if you had read the book you would know" let's them off the hook.

[@carlosa.sanchez896]

Funny how this Irish lady speaks so much like an American.

[@85Aheadstix]

It's an American sounding accent... it is not "American"

[@jonneekohler9743]

Author Diana Gabaldon has portrayed some essentials of the Priest Abuser scandals in Jamie's Rape and also in Mary Hawkins' Rape: Father Goeghan 's wish to hurt people and violence as motive vs primarily sexual desire. If you read the FBI's part of the Grand Jury report on abusers in Altoona-Johnstown 2016, you see characterizations that DG wrote about more than 20+ yrs ago. In Ireland they have a Abused by Authorities slogan: One in Five? ratio of abused changes. Much of the audience has been abused by authority figures. "Spotlight" riveting about John J. Geoghan (/ˈɡeɪɡən/; June 4, 1935 - August 23, 2003) and other abusers in Boston. We know the audience for Sexual Abuse part is MUCH bigger than was obvious in Dragon Fly in Amber's contemporary 1988-1990 era. The question is how did Jamie stop the cycle of abuse?

[@blancacepeda3021]

Tene mucho cuidado con decir argentino límpiate bien la boca y que sam en la guerra de las Malvinas sam peleó para Inglaterra y cuantos argentinos abra matado sam¿

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

@TheKiddy3 You clearly have an issue with the show and the subject matter. No problem. But calling Tom O'Neill a "professional" is a huge stretch. The man runs a website. He's not a trained interviewer or journalist. He always stumbles through these interviews. The fans went ballistic over how "awkward" he was when he interviewed Sam Heughan. I don't think his word choices are significant enough to get so indignant about. I follow several fan forums and yours is the first complaint I've seen with this viewpoint. Most people who have an issue with him complain about his awkwardness.

[@TheKiddy3]

Donna B. Hi: no I don't have an "issue" with the show or the subject matter. I have an issue with the way Ron Moore and now the actors are communicating about it. Mr. Moore repeatedly has said in interviews that Jamie "enjoyed" the rape -- and now Cait in an interview has said so. Someone needs to call them on it and help them better communicate. And if Tom O'Neill isn't a professional, why does Starz have Cait and Sam doing interviews with him?

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

TheKiddy3 All right. We need to talk about context here. Not one of them ever said he enjoyed "the rape." They said that Jamie experienced a MOMENT of (pick your word) enjoyment or pleasure, which is true. Which makes it all the more heartbreaking. Tom O'Neill is a professional *writer*, not an interviewer. He runs the Gold Derby website, which is devoted to awards predictions. He is often right and has a lot of influence in Hollywood. That's why he gets these interviews. Jamie gave himself up to the illusion that Claire was there with him because it offered a few moments of escape from horrible pain and despair, and in so doing, he had an orgasm. As he told Claire, "It felt so good...not to be in pain." I wouldn't have used "liked" as Tom O'Neill did, but the context in which he was using it made his meaning abundantly clear; it didn't remotely mitigate the horror of what happened to him. Cait clearly struggled to find an appropriate word and settled on "Enjoyed." Others called it a moment of "pleasure." What word would you use to describe that moment?

[@blancacepeda3021]

Sam la guampea todo el tiempo a cait ahora anda de nuevo con la chopra es un asco esos episodios como le gustan a Diana ami me tienen enferma con el incesto en mi país señordigale por favor al señor Ken que saque a esa gente de acá es mi país y no es justo que con todo lo que nos pasa con mi país venga gente incestuosa a vengan esta tipo de cosas apestosas y la metan a mi pais

[@frenchartantiquesparis424]

She is so boring to listen to...... just a flat voice. (I know the fans won't agree..)