Outlander Page #3

Season #1 Episode #1 - 'Sassenach'

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Claire tries to look interested.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

Not that I minded. I was raised by

my uncle after the death of my

parents.

EXT. MIDDLE EAST - ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG - DAY - FLASHBACK

The dig is somewhere in the desert, with a TEAM of BRITISH

and NATIVE WORKERS carefully uncovering the remains of an

ancient building. YOUNG CLAIRE (11), brings her UNCLE LAMB

(40’s) a KIT containing several specialized BRUSHES.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

Uncle Lamb was an archeologist, so

I’d spent the balance of my

formative years traipsing through

dusty ruins and various excavations

throughout the world.

Uncle Lamb uses the brushes to begin whisking away dirt from

the delicate structure they’re uncovering.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

I’d learned to dig latrines and

boil water, and to do a number of

other things not suitable for a

young lady of gentle birth.

Young Claire then produces and lights a cigarette with

aplomb, before deftly handing it to her uncle, who nods his

thanks absently and takes a deep, grateful drag.

12.

INT. ENGLISH LIBRARY - DAY - FLASHBACK

An archeologist’s library, overflowing with books and papers

in a London townhouse. A slightly older Uncle Lamb stands up

to greet Frank as he comes through the door.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

And then one day a handsome, dark-

haired historian came to consult my

uncle on a point of French

philosophy as it related to

Egyptian religious practice.

Claire (now in her early twenties) steps out from behind a

stack of books, carrying a heavy tome. She sees Frank and he

sees her -- and there’s a small, but clear, flash of

electricity between them.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

I was smitten from the first... and

remained smitten even through the

long years apart.

EXT. CASTLE LEOCH - DAY

The Randall car is parked outside the picturesque ruins of a

medieval SCOTTISH CASTLE. Frank walks the narrow ledge

nearby, making notes in a small journal, while Claire makes

her own way along the same grounds, examining the local flora

-- again they’re in the same location, but in different

places. The structure is abandoned, with weeds and grasses

encroaching on what were once neatly kept grounds.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

While I was with the army, Frank

had served in London -- MI6,

overseeing spies, running covert

operations, that sort of thing.

(beat)

In six years, we’d seen each other

a grand total of ten days.

FRANK:

From what I’ve been able to gather,

Castle Leoch was the ancestral home

of the MacKenzie clan until midway

through the nineteenth century...

INT. CASTLE LEOCH - GREAT HALL - DAY

Later. Bounded on either end by large archways, the room

once served as a meeting hall, dining room, ballroom, etc.

(CONTINUED)

13.

CONTINUED:

Whatever furniture it once held is long gone, along with the

window panes and most of the decoration. What remains is

dimly illuminated by narrow shafts of daylight.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

Frank’s new-found passion was

genealogy -- his personal

genealogy, that is.

Claire picks her way among the dirt and debris while Frank

moves about, animatedly gesturing and chattering about the

life that once filled the space.

FRANK:

... I haven’t found any hard

evidence that my ancestor actually

visited this castle, mind you, but

it was within his operational

sphere of activities and it is just

possible that he did walk this very

hall on occasion...

CLAIRE (V.O.)

He’d become fascinated with tracing

and exploring the various branches

of his family tree. From what I

gathered, some tiresome ancestor of

Frank’s had had something to do

with something or other in this

region back a couple of centuries

ago.

INT. CASTLE LEOCH - SURGERY - DAY

Later. Frank puts his shoulder to an ancient wooden door,

but it won’t budge. Claire pitches in and the two of them

shove OPEN a dusty door to a lower room in the castle. They

step into the room, but it’s hard to see anything in the

gloomy interior. A single slash of light comes from a high

slit window and all they can make out is a high-ceilinged

space crammed with broken furniture and junk.

Frank roams the room, somewhat disappointed. Claire lingers

near the doorway.

FRANK:

Just a storeroom at this point, I’m

afraid. I was hoping for something

a little more indicative of its

original purpose.

(CONTINUED)

14.

CONTINUED:

CLAIRE (V.O.)

In a way, burying himself in the

distant past gave Frank an ability

to escape the recent. I knew he’d

sent dozens of men behind the lines

on secret missions during the war

and that most never came back.

(beat)

He didn’t talk about it very often,

but I knew it preyed on him, the

responsibility for the deaths of so

many.

CLAIRE:

From the lack of proper lighting

and ventilation I’d imagine this

was the province of the castle

hermit. Or perhaps a troll or two.

FRANK:

I don’t believe trolls live in

pairs, my dear. Solitary

creatures, they.

CLAIRE:

More’s the pity. All this and no

one to share it with.

Frank flashes a quick grin, which crinkles the corners of his

eyes in a dashing way. He’s quite handsome, even in this

light, and Claire feels that rush of attraction for him once

more. She pushes some junk off a tabletop and sits on it.

FRANK:

You’ll get dirty...

CLAIRE:

You can give me a bath...

She hikes up her dress, then c*cks an eyebrow. He smiles and

crosses the room toward her.

FRANK:

Why Mrs. Randall, I do believe you

forgot your undergarments at

home...

She grins as she pulls his head down between her legs.

WIDER -- THE CASTLE

Framed by the morning sun, its shadow extends far across the

rolling hills and fields.

15.

EXT. VICARAGE - DAY

Afternoon. The manse of the Vicar is over a century old and

sits close to his church. DARK CLOUDS are settling in on the

horizon, a STORM appears to be on the way.

INT. VICAR’S STUDY - DAY

Frank pours over various documents on a desk. Enormous

windows let in a flood of nearly blinding light into the

study, which is currently overflowing with books, documents,

maps, and sheet after sheet of aging yellowed paper covering

virtually every surface.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

Before the war, we were

inseparable. But now the war was

over and yet we were still

separated somehow. Not physically,

perhaps, but apart just the same.

FIND Claire sitting in a comfortable chair, idly watching

from across the room. Frank suddenly reacts.

FRANK:

Yes! There he is! I’ve found him!

REVEAL the REVEREND WAKEFIELD (50’s, short, tubby) working in

a different section of the library.

REV. WAKEFIELD

Indeed? Let us have a look.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

The Reverend Wakefield, Vicar of

the local parish, shared Frank’s

passion for genealogy. Several

long nights were spent here in

hopes that one of them might

suddenly unearth a baptismal

certificate or some other scrap of

paper related to the notorious

ancestor.

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