Outlander, the fantasy and drama TV show produced by Starz, aired the first season in 2014 and ever since has been a hit, both to viewers in the United Kingdom and America and to Award-giving organizations.
The show has received several nominations in different categories since Outstanding Actress to Outstanding Show and Best Fantasy TV Series. The show is based on the books written by Diana Gabaldón.
Season 2: ‘The Hail Mary’
Mary Hawkins was a character introduced this season, and she was not the main character of the story. To most viewers, she was just the daughter of an English aristocrat who was getting ready to her arranged marriage.
It was the relationship Mary created with Claire Fraser, the lead character, that put Mary on the map. Certainly, what is most relevant in Mary’s story is her transformation. She became a true aristocrat who then turned into a rape victim, to finally transform into a powerful woman. Powerful enough to kill the man who raped her, Albert Danton, something that happened in the last episode.
To the actress, Rosie Day, allowing Mary to kill her rapist means a turning point of growth for the character. It is also a step forward to embrace girl power in the show. Mary was a sheltered teen that suddenly had to grow up to transform herself into an empowered woman that does not need to be looked after.
However, she still is a tragic figure. Mary’s story main plot is based on her unhappiness and forced marriage. Her pregnancy is a shred of light since her true lover fathers the baby, but then the tragedy comes again when he dies and leave her alone. To Rosie Day, Mary is a victim of the era.
The Hail Mary allowed viewers to reach the conclusion of the Mary Hawkins storyline. She managed to take her place in the Randall family, protecting her unborn baby, son of Mary and Alex Randall, Black Jack’s brother, who died after the marriage between Mary and Black Jack. This episode was extra special considering that the author of the books wrote the script herself.
The books
The genre in the Outlander saga can be described as a romantic novel, mystery, adventure, fiction, and fantasy. The story goes around Claire Randall, a XX century nurse that travels in time and end up trapped in the XVIII century, where she falls in love.
The first book, Outlander, was published in 1991, and it was followed by seven other books, being the last one of the saga published in 2014. Along with the books, the author published several short stories, graphic novels and guides to provide the reader a more comprehensive understanding of the story.
Diana Gabaldón has been an active part of the show, but she has not directed or written the scripts (except for some particular episodes). Several relevant figures in the industry are part of the Outlander production, like Anna Foerster, Brian Kelly, John Dahl, Mike Barker, Richard Clark and Metin Huseyin.
The TV show is aired across the globe, mostly by the FOX chain and MovieCityPlay.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The Hail Mary script was written by Ira Steven Behr & Anne Kenney. Diana wrote the previous episode (Epi 11 – Vengeance is Mine).