Cold in NYC but HOT in deleted Wedding scene

There’s a blizzard a blowin here in the city so I’m warming up with my favorite deleted scenes from Season 1’s The Wedding episode (and a few others)!

Hands down that this episode is my favorite (The Reckoning a close second). To me, it’s perfect in terms of structure, narration, and character development. Much to my delight when I saw that the Collector’s Bluray/DVD Edition has a few deleted scenes for that one special episode!

Action on Big Sigh of Sweetness!

“Contract of Marriage” Deleted Scene

(per subtitles – Why not learn a little Italian along the way?)

Murtagh challenges Dougal and pointedly asks him why not marry Claire off to Ned or Rupert instead of Jamie? To Murtagh, this is Dougal’s scheme to remove him from becoming the next Laird of Clan Mackenzie.

I love this because it gives more of a sinister glean to Dougal. A cynicism that is at times more of a pungent thread in the book. Also, Murtagh being protective of Jamie? What’s not to love about that!

“Tell Me More About Your Family” Deleted Scene

Side question: I wonder how much more we learn of Claire’s parents in future books or in the show….I’ll allow my thought bubbles to float up to the heavens.

Moving on.

While discussing his parent’s courtship, Jamie states that “love and marriage don’t always go together Sassenach”. Claire disgruntledly responds with an  “indeed”. Isn’t it lovely to see that small moment where the pang of hurt crosses Jamie’s face when he hears her say that? I say lovely because it reveals another layer to his character…That despite this arranged circumstance he, of course, has an affection for her that he’s more willing to reveal than she.

Regarding the original wedding scene that was shot, from a production standpoint, I am fascinated with the Producer’s decision to completely reshoot it. If you think about it, they could’ve kept the original, right? In a parallel universe it exists as the sole visual representation but how lucky we are that the creatives had the vision to say ‘actually we can make this better’. The final version creates a far more sumptuous and intimate feel that easily fits into the mood of the entire episode. And the mood that we’re all feeling watching it, ya ken?

Also, Future Big Hollywood Producer Jordyn asks, how much did that reshoot cost? A lot. I’d love to have heard that conversation between Moore and his team with the network:

“So we wanna reshoot it.”

“What?”

Luckily it paid off cause the end result is just so scrumptious.

In other favorite moments in Season 1 deleted scenes:

“Life Can Be Perilous” Deleted Scene

(how about a little Russian lesson this time?)

“My brother must never be allowed to succeed me as Chief of the Mackenzies.” Aw shit and the heat turns on in Clan Mackenzie! A lot of the deleted scenes reveal more depth in these characters (something that the first book does if you haven’t taken a gander yet but need a Droughtlander fix) so isn’t it great to see Colum so complex?

What IS up with his relationship to his brother Dougal? And why exactly does he not want him to be Laird? In this deleted scene he attributes the reason to his bad temper but is that really the whole reason? Now as a DIA Virgin, I can only speculate but I smell that there’s more to this than even this little deleted scene reveals.

Colum threatens Jamie (by way of Claire) when he states that “life can be perilous”. To see Jamie’s blood pressure rising is priceless. Again, I love these moments that reveal his themes of  devotion and tradition that run throughout many of his relationships (even a hasty marriage to a cute sassenach).

The other Colum deleted scene for The Devil’s Mark episode is so juicy with “Colum deviousness”.  It answers what even the book doesn’t – Did Colum know and perhaps even help orchestrate Claire’s capture at Craines Muir?

By the way, any deleted scene of Ned always leaves me with a twinge of sadness. Still waiting for the new show of “Ned Gowan and Mrs.Fitz’s Mystery Hour”. A girl can dream.

“The Simple Things” Deleted Scene

I like this scene and wish they kept it. It’s dreamy and the gravity of the emotional stakes fits nicely into the here-I-am-lumbering-around-Scotland-looking-for-my-husband-while-I-sing-this-ridiculous-song that the episode (in my humble opinion) languishes under.

“I Vow To Protect You” Deleted Scene

Woe the dreaded editorial scissors that cut this splendid moment between Murtagh and Claire. Ah the gift of hindsight for Moore (even the best make mistakes) and I feel like in the “Town Hall” of Outlander fandom, the kid woulda stayed in the picture.

I dunna about you but this is one way I’m dealing with Droughtlander on a cold blizzard day. Seeing what was and what coulda been but overall, most of these deleted scenes were right to stay on the cutting room floor. Perhaps someday we’ll get a Director’s Cut of episodes on a future DVD edition.