5 Outlander Episodes That Should Come with a Serious Warning

Outlander is a time travel drama with a difference. It has never shied away from gruesome but realistic depictions of the depravity that human beings can inflict on each other.

And these five episodes really should carry trigger warnings:

The Reckoning (Season 1, Episode 9)

The infamous spanking was meant to be a portrayal of how things were at the time. Jamie did what he thought was right as a man in the 1740s. But that doesn't mean that what we see on our screens isn't domestic abuse by modern standards.

It's true that there's something of a power struggle between them, but that's because Claire sees the situation differently - albeit from a time when misogyny was the norm.

Outlander's Infamous Season 1 Scene is Still Its Most Divisive

Wentworth Prison (Season 1, Episode 15)

Any scene involving rape has the potential to harm the viewer. In this episode, we see the final stage of a power play in which Black Jack is desperate to break Jamie and get him to surrender.

Jamie's submission comes out of love for Claire, but we see a nasty, evil and sadistic side to Jack that goes beyond what we have previously thought of him.

To Ransom a Man's Soul (Season 1, Episode 16)

This episode recounts what happened to Jamie while he was held captive, and includes gruesome images of torture.

But it's not just the physical torture that makes you feel sick. Throughout the episode we see the mental anguish that tears Jamie apart as he struggles to come to terms with what has happened to him and questions whether he even wants to go on. It's truly heartbreaking.

Do No Harm (Season 4, Episode 2)

In this episode, the show tackled a variety of themes. At the heart of the scene in which Claire administers poison to kill a black slave is the question of whether euthanasia is ever acceptable. As a nurse, killing a human being goes against everything she knows and believes. But on this occasion, she has decided it is preferable to the brutal death he will otherwise suffer.

Never My Love (Season 5, Episode 12)

While not one of Outlander's most graphic rape scenes, Claire's abuse by a group of men comes at a stage in the series where we feel we know her well - and have seen her through enough trauma.

Her utter helplessness is something that is conveyed so well, but is incredibly hard to watch.

These are just a few examples of Outlander episodes that should come with a warning. It's simply not a show for those who struggle with graphic sex and violence, because they are so important to the story. And they never get easier to watch.