Outlander season 3 notes: On fictional (and real-life) settings

Settings really seems to be the theme of today’s Outlander notes, which is fine by us given that we do spend so much time talking about people. Why not look at locations for a change?

Let’s begin here with a discussion of what’s going on with the show itself. The latest video from the show’s official Twitter features Leanne Aguilera of Entertainment Tonight talking alongside the fantastic Jon Gary Steele, a man responsible for bringing so many fantastic sets to life. He discusses briefly some of the processes that go into creating sets, color choices, and then also if there are any specific sets that fans should be keeping your eyes peeled for as we get close to season 3 coming on the air. (Let’s just say that there could be something fun hidden within the famous Print Shop for diehard fans to look out for.)

Steele’s challenge this season probably increased exponentially when you think about just how enormous in scale the story is. You’ve got multiple continents and several different time periods playing out here, whether it be the 1940’s, the 1960’s, the Battle of Culloden, or even a couple of decades removed from that. There is more variance in this season the arguably any that came before it, and we say that knowing full well that we spent a significant portion of season 2 off in France. (Exterior scenes there were shot in Prague.)

Any opportunity to get a look behind the scenes at Outlander is obviously one that we’re going to appreciate. Here’s to hoping that there are more coming both before and after the premiere. We’re also looking to provide more of our own in due time!

The latest reports out of Scotland

You may have heard of some of the stories that are out there about some graffiti and other issues coming out of the Clava Cairns, popularized of course because of the stones seen on the show. There is an influx of traffic to the Inverness area thanks to the show, and the same goes for Northern Scotland in general. Yet, we have a hard time thinking that true Outlander fans are going up there and wrecking up the joint.

It’s almost like any other situation where a thing or place becomes popular: A small few tend to cause problems and the blame gets cast on a large group of people. The location probably needs to be monitored a bit more closely, but you also have to remember that the majority of people heading up there are just doing so to honor the show and feel connected to some of the work of Diana Gabaldon. It appears beautiful in pictures (we’ve never been personally), and there is a sacredness to the site thanks to its purpose within Bronze Age history. You also have to remember that it’s an adjustment for those who live and work around the location — they’re not accustomed to a rise in tourism and have a certain manner of doing things.

We’re protective of two different things when bringing up this story: The Clava Cairns itself, and also the majority of Outlander fans since we don’t want any outlet out there to make them appear as though they are a batch of ruffians.

Want some other Outlander news?

Then head over here! That’s where you can get both our recent discussion of mainstream popularity and some other coverage of the show itself. (Photo: Starz.)