Outlander season 5 premiere: A Sam Heughan performance spotlight

One of the things that we do love to do throughout Outlander seasons is take a granular look at certain episodes and performances that stand out. We all know that for so many years, this is a series that has long been overlooked by major awards shows. Sam Heughan, in particular, has not received anywhere near the love that he deserves. Jamie Fraser is a flawed hero with strength, command, and also still vulnerability and pain. He’s multidimensional in a way you rarely see from epic love stories.

Also, Sam was brilliant in the season 5 premiere “The Fiery Cross,” an episode that puts an early stamp on him as a contender.

There are three moments in particular from Sam Heughan that are worthy of greater attention.

1. Jamie with Governor Tryon – We like to call this showcase one of restraint perhaps more than anything else. We know that Jamie was filled with anger and despair at the thought of turning against his friend Murtagh; we still imagine it being something he’d like to avoid. Yet, he had to ensure that he came across correctly to the Governor for the sake of protecting his family and Fraser’s Ridge. There’s a lot that went into these moments but we’re quite pleased to say that Sam nailed it. Jamie was able to adequately convince the Governor that he was still on his side, even if there was a tentativeness in his efforts to form a militia.

2. The Fiery Cross scene itself – This was Sam’s strongest extended scene of the entire episode, and no doubt there was some nostalgia fueling it with Jamie back in the kilt. This is a character who is capable of being so emotional in front of Claire and Brianna; yet, here he was confident, formidable, and made sure to put on a grand show in front of both Knox and many people in his community. It’s the sort of speech that would make you want to kneel before him, and the moment between Jamie and Roger was perfectly layered. Roger managed to surprise him, and you sensed both that from Jamie while also a commitment to the larger show.

3. The concluding scene with Murtagh – Jamie releasing Duncan Lacroix’s character from his oath was not an easy thing for him to do; yet, it showed how complex his dilemma is. It’s his way of recognizing that he has to do what he needs to for Tryon, but that there are lines he does not want to cross. There were decades of history masterfully played within this scene; Sam was able to both look back towards his past as Jamie, but also towards the future of Fraser’s Ridge and the necessarily evils of the days to come.

What do you think was the best Sam Heughan moment from the Outlander season 5 premiere?

Be sure to share right away in the comments! Meanwhile, remember to stick around for some other news on the series.

Photo: Starz