Episodes

Monday Mar 18, 2024
Droughtlander Book Club: The Amber Brooch - Part I
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
This week on The Sassenach Files, Chelsea is breaking down the eighth installment in Katherine Lowry Logan’s Celtic Brooch series: The Amber Brooch. In Part One of this two-part series, she discusses the idea of bringing David and Kenzie back into the fold as main characters and why that was extremely appealing. She also chats about the blooming romance between Olivia Kelly and Connor O’Grady, how small moments of character development speak to a broader stroke of “show don’t tell”, and the prevalent theme of "Coping with Loss". Rick O’Grady is an emerging character in this book as well, so he gets his time in the spotlight as she analyzes what makes him tick.

Monday Feb 26, 2024
Season Three -- What Did We Miss?
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
This week on The Sassenach Files, Chelsea is discussing all of the extended, deleted, and additional scenes on the Season Three Outlander Blu-Ray. Come along as she chats about some of her favorite hidden gems and why they are key to a viewers understanding of our favorite moments and character arcs. She also explains why certain editing choices were made and gives her opinion on whether those choices were of benefit or detriment to the overall feel of the episode and the season. From swooning over Lord John’s proposal to Isobel and marveling at why a crucial Fergus and Jamie scene was cut, you won’t want to miss this roller coaster of emotions!

Monday Feb 12, 2024
Faith Redux
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Welcome back to another episode of The Sassenach Files. This week on the podcast, Chelsea reviews the extended cut of the season 2 standout “Faith”. Come join her as she chats about the stella performances of series favorites like Frances de la Tour, Stanley Weber, and Roman Berrux. She also discusses the scenes that were trimmed or completely cut from the TV version of the episode and breaks down how these decisions by the producers and editors ultimately impacted the trajectory of the episode and the season, particularly for Jamie’s character.

Monday Feb 05, 2024
Season Two -- What Did We Miss?
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Chelsea dives into some of the extras from the Season Two Blu-Ray / DVD to uncover what we missed with all the deleted, extended, and extra scenes that never saw the light of day. Join her as she chats about great moments left on the cutting room floor and the impact those choices had on the trajectory of the season's story. She also discusses background information and character motivations that were left to the viewers imaginations and could have been used to inform the viewer's understanding of the story. Tune in to see what she did and didn't agree with producers about regarding these behind the scenes goodies!

Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Droughtlander Book Club: The Diamond Brooch - Part II
Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Welcome back for Part II of Droughtlander Book Club on The Diamond Brooch by Katherine Lowry Logan. In this episode, Chelsea discusses the tension in Kevin and JL’s characters and how their recent hardships have impacted their relationship. The road to their 100% earned Happily Ever After is a bumpy one and she breaks down the ins and outs. She also chats about the main theme of this book: The Journey to Enlightenment. This is a topic that is relevant to all the main characters’ stories (Kevin, JL, Jack and Amy), and she dives into the details. There’s also discussion on the growth of the family and how this changes dynamics between our beloved characters!

Sunday Nov 19, 2023
Droughtlander Book Club: The Diamond Brooch -- Part I
Sunday Nov 19, 2023
Sunday Nov 19, 2023
Chelsea presents Part I of Droughtlander Book Club for The Diamond Brooch, the seventh installment of The Celtic Brooch series by Katherine Lowry Logan. Join her as she chats about the protagonists of Amy Spalding and Jack Mallory, breaking down what makes them tick and what makes their story unique from other brooch couples. Chelsea also discusses the main players in Amy’s jaunt through 1909 New York City, and how earlier books in the series impact the emotional state of our beloved MacKlenna Clan.

Sunday Oct 29, 2023
War Is A Terrible Business
Sunday Oct 29, 2023
Sunday Oct 29, 2023
Welcome back for another episode of The Sassenach Files podcast. This week Chelsea is discussing the midseason finale of Outlander’s seventh season, “Turning Points”. Come along as she chats about Buck’s pivotal decision to travel back through time with Roger, Ian and Rachel’s palpable chemistry, and the use of the wind throughout the episode to communicate the turbulent emotions of the characters. She also talks about Jamie finally getting to speak to his son (!!!), the phenomenal performances by Angus MacFayden, Rod Hallett, and Barry O’Connor to bring their respective historical characters to life, and how the song selection for the final scene of the episode was absolute perfection.

Sunday Oct 22, 2023
You’ll Come Back to Me. You Always Do.
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
This week on another episode of The Sassenach Files, Chelsea is talking all things 707: “A Practical Guide for Time Travelers”. So grab a wee dram, and pull up a chair as she discusses the humor Margot Ye weaved into the script as well as the character oriented direction from Joss Agnew. She also chats about Buck’s rehabilitation as a character, the necessity of William losing Sandy, and Rob Cameron’s resemblance to a bad head cold. The entire Battle of Freeman’s Farm was a creative masterpiece, including it’s portrayal through the British perspective, so stay tuned for Chelsea's thoughts on that as well.

Sunday Oct 15, 2023
A Life for A Life, Mr. Murray.
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
Sunday Oct 15, 2023
This week on The Sassenach Files, Chelsea is chatting about 706: “Where The Waters Meet”. Join her as she discusses Roger’s path toward finding himself in the 20th century, the difficulty of Claire’s role as a medical professional, and her thoughts on the episode title. She also chats about Charles Vandervaart’s creative choices and how they create a subtle link between Jamie and William. A couple of adaptational choices, one glaring continuity issue and the Gabaldonian Time Travel Theory are also on the docket this week.
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Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Violence Follows Such A Man
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Sunday Oct 08, 2023
Welcome back to another episode of The Sassenach Files! This week Chelsea is breaking down episode 705 of Outlander: “Singapore”. Come along for the ride as she discusses Jamie and Claire’s oddly familiar Fort Ticonderoga journey as well as Ian’s discovery that he has a son! She also discusses the practical location of the dam and how it made her eyes dance with cinematic beauty. But wait, there’s more, because William also had a crazy arc this week and she makes sure to chat about what his first kill means for him and his relationship with Rachel.