Caitption This

Caitríona (C): You’re looking all nice, nice and colorful

Interviewer (I): You are my third interview of the day, I am just trying to look classy. Caitríona, Sam, thank you so much for doing this with me, I know it’s pretty late in the day and you guys are super busy, so I appreciate it. The finale is amazing and I personally loved all the action stuff, the, I am anti-gun in real life, but pro Jamie and Claire guns...

(C): Same, Same

(I): It’s the best, Caitríona, You were right, you guys are like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, you even squeezed out a single tear and Sam I feel like you had a single tear last season, so it’s great. Sam, I know Caitríona’s favorite scene, so I guess what I am asking is , what was your favorite scene from this finale that you think fans are going to freak out at and what  was your favorite to film?

Sam (S): I think it’s the last meal together, it’s a beautiful intimate scene. We sit with Jamie and Claire for quite a while and their sort of assessing the situation that they’re in and death; but, then also, I don’t know, giving each other great comfort and there’s just a ....

(I): They’re lobsters (laughter)...

(S): There’s an intimacy about it, even in the height of a stand off and you know action, there’s this really beautiful, quiet moment, I think it was beautifully shot by Jamie Payne, the director. I really enjoyed that, working with Caitríona on that one. 

(C): Yea...

(I): You guys do a lot of domesticity stuff that we never really see on tv in marriages, that I think is like really phenomenal. So, you know, I know you both have talked about having an Intimacy Coordinator (IC), this season, mainly to help out the younger cast members, to give them the support that I feel like you guys were really missing. Caitríona, I think there should be an award for you for performing love scenes while pregnant, there should be something creative for that. I mean, I am sure it wasn’t comfortable...

(C): I don’t think it was comfortable for me or Sam...

(I): I know, that’s why I think you guys should get an award; but looking back on the earlier seasons, season 1,2,3 is there a love scene where you can say, oh my gosh, I wish we had an IC for that, because it was just, you guys had to navigate that a lot on you own, I felt like. 

(C): You know, I think, having one now, you know, I think before Venessa joined we were kind of like yea, we’re going to do this for the younger actors and you and I will probably be fine, blah, blah, blah; but having worked with Venessa now, I wish we’d had her from the very start. I think for all of them. It changes  a lot, in terms of how the conversation goes around how you do it. You know we have always had fight coordinators, it seems crazy now that we haven’t had an IC, I think to have had somebody advocate for you and be your voice, you know I think Sam and I probably both feel that we were very naive in the very beginning and I think you definitely could have, there were times where we weren’t told exactly where the cameras were going to be or exactly how things were going to be shot and you know you can end up not always being so happy with what ends up on the screen and people get to screen shot that for the rest of your days, you know. But I will also say, I’ve been so lucky to have had Sam and Tobias from day one to work along side because that has always been a very safe and trusting partnership that I have always been able to have, so I feel very luck in that way; but, it would have been nice to have an IC.

(I): Sam, do you want to add anything to that?

(S): I agree, firstly, yea. I think Caitríona and I, because we trust each other and have each other’s backs, I think we got to a place where we would feel our way through these scenes, work our way through it, but it was a real process. Having an IC just takes out the pressure and the temperature of the scenes, for us to then look at them objectively and what do we want from a scene and how are we going to do that, how are we going to portray this. And, also, look, we are in 7 seasons now, how do we make these scenes more interesting or how do we develop or go further with them and we don’t always have the answers so it’s great to have an outside, someone to support us and help us explore those scenes. 

(I): You guys did a great job, I think you covered the gamut of intimacy, especially with what Claire went through last season, I think you did a fantastic job, I think sometimes fans don’t need to gif every scene

(C): It would be nice (laughter)

(I): You know, speaking of your partnership, I think it is the foundation of this show, It’s as important, I think, to the success of this show as Diana’s books. So as producers, co-stars, everything, friends, how have you navigated conflict at work, I don’t mean like you two are dueling, but like if you see a scene differently, do you, how do you resolve differences at work?

(C): I mean it very rarely happens, right?

(S): Yea 

(C): But I think there’s always, I think it’s also, generally in a scene there is one character that’s driving it vs another character and I think we are pretty good, if it’s a scene that is more Jamie driven, I’ll let Sam take the lead on how he feels about how it should go and vice versa. I think we’re pretty good at sort of allowing each other to own our own spaces...

(I): you guys get along too well, just stop it, just give a course on it and lets move on, but that’s great because I always think you my job when I have conflict I always think, thank god I don’t have to make out with my co-workers (laughter)...

(S): I don’t think we’ve ever really, I mean of course there are moments where you get tired of each other, or it’s just so intense right? It’s so intense and we’ve been together for so long, it actually is amazing that we haven’t ever really fallen out. But I guess we always spend so much time, there is always that moment in the morning, where we’re together in the makeup trailer and that’s normally where we talk crap, where we might be like hey should we do this or whatever, but, it’s been great, lets, lets have an argument tomorrow

(C): should we just have a big blow up 

(S): A big argument and just scare everyone

(I): Just accidentally IG live it, it would be great

(Laughter)

(I): What is your favorite thing about portraying this marriage and this love story on tv?

(S): That sound isn’t me by the way, it sounds like a kettle, it’s not me

(I): Oh it’s a kettle? Is it you Caitríona? I don’t hear anything.

(C): It’s the boiler

(S): your boiler?

(C): I think that’s my boiler, sorry , like I have the shittiest office in the world 

(I): No it’s good, it’s good, you have internet connection that’s like a win...

(C): Yea, it’s been patchy (laughter) What’s our favorite, do you it’s just so lovely to put out something super positive, I know there is a lot of stuff around them, but at their core it’s, there’s positive love, there’s a positive bond that they have, that is unbreakable, I think it’s just really beautiful to be able to put that out in to the world. When there is just so much shit going on in the world, it’s nice to be putting something positive...

(I): What could you be talking about? Which trauma?

(C): I mean there’s just, pick one...

(I): Sam how about you?

(S): I think that’s a really great point, right, I think, I’ve always wondered, why? We have amazing fans, but I think we have some of the most invested fans of any fan group or genre or whatever and I think maybe it’s that they see in this pair, this couple, this relationship that everyone wants to aspire to have that kind of love, its beautiful to be able to portray that.

(C): Yea

(I): I was just about to say your fans are so passionate, they’re like, bar none that best I’ve seen in television. I was nervous to do this interview, because I was like if I let them down, they’ll let me know (laughter). Bar none, they are such pleasant, progressive, really nice people, I’ve only gotten yelled at by 3 of them, 2 of them were Roger fans and one was Richard so...

(C): Well, there you go, he does that all the time

(I): I have it on video...

(C): He was just hangry, that’s all

(I): He probably was so. lets do a few fan question, again I made the mistake of asking twitter and there are so many, so just do an IG live for them, that’s what they really want. Sam, they have a lot of passion for Jamie’s hair and the ponytail being free and they are very specific too, they want it free while it’s dry. So I just want you to know, I don’t even know it that’s a question, but they were really specific about it. 

(C): Would we not go in to Fabio territory with the long...

(I): That’s what I think

(S): Its, the thing is in their mind it’s all perfectly styled, the point is, it’s got a lot of hair and if it’s free and dry, it’s like out here. It’s going to literally look terrible...

(C): Also he would turn and it would be like swish...

(I): I think what you could do a free the pony behind the scenes slow-mo thing...

(S): I will, I don’t know when this is all over, at the end of the season, I will tweet a picture of it down, it looks horrendous...

(I): Ok so no Fabio guys, it’s not Fabio Fraser

(S): We have different wigs...

(C): I like that, that could be your alter ego, Fabio Fraser 

(I): Caitríona, maybe you could post something, I don’t know, Ok guys, we only have like 1 minute left, so, it’s going to be a long Droutlander, so If you had to describe season 7 in 7 words and go back and forth, you can do free word association. 

(C): Oh 7, ummm, oh jesus, Reshma, ummmm... Boats

(S): boilers, no 

(I): Ok 1 boats

(S): Boats...Babies

(C): Returns

(S): What season are we doing?

(I&C): 7

(S): Boats, babies, returns.... Ok... 

(C): Reconnections

(S): Reconnections, I was looking for like relationships, but reconnections is good. 

(I): Trauma, I’m just going to add that

(C): Revolution 

(I): That’s 6...

(C): We need one more...ummmm...

(S): Travel

(C): I was going to say that, that’s exactly what I thought...

(I): Ok good, you got it. We have time for one last question, This is one more fan question. Sam, what’s the movie that you haven’t seen, that you’ve been meaning to see, that maybe you have now seen? I don’t know what they’re talking about.

(C): He still hasn’t seen it...

(S): I still haven’t seen it, yet, I’ve got it....

(C): What does this day, what does this say...

(I): Sam, you can bribe me to not put this in the...

(S): I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’m gonna watch it...

(C): Oh put it in, put it in, let everybody see...

(I): I did notice that you said you saw, you watched White Lotus and I was just like, how did you have time for White Lotus and....

(S): That was ages ago....

(I): Caitríona paid me to do this (laughter)

(C): (laughing) I should have 

(I): Ok last question, final one guys...

(C): He is so sick of me, he sees me every day though, you know....

(I): But I didn’t mean it, they just gave me the warning, so here we go. Everyone wants to know, Season 8, I know you can’t answer whether you would do that, but this is what I want to know. If, do you guys feel like the show is challenging you enough, giving you enough growth to continue on in future seasons and have you read book 8 and is there anything you are excited about?

(S): That’s 4 questions...

(C): That’s like 4 in 1...

(I): I know, Caitríona, I just did you a solid...

(C): You did, that had nothing to do with me, don’t even, don’t even come over here and try to pull that kind of stuff (laughter)...

(S): Here’s our answer: Yes, Yes, Maybe and Probably...

(I): OK. Guys, you’re fantastic. I have to say, I have such a joy covering your show in the pandemic, I feel like we’ve spent these few years together and you do fantastic work.

(C): Well, and thank you for your great recaps, I know everyone loves them, they’re great

(I): I know, I’m not going to lie to you, I am so excited it’s the finale because I need my Sundays back (Laughter). But guys you are awesome and I can’t tell you how much I love covering your show, so...

(C): Awesome, Thank you

(I): Sam I am sorry, so sorry...

(S): The boiler is still going, it’s alright...

(C): It’s still going, I don’t know why it’s going right now, it’s never going at the right time

(I): Are you next to a boiler right now?

(C): It’s a, I, I can’t even explain where my um...

(S): Maybe someone is running a tap?

(C): There’s no one else here