For the 2016 Golden Globes nominations, I'm rooting for a fantasy television show from a premium cable provider based off of a beloved book series — and no, I'm not talking about Game of Thrones. The Golden Globes nominees will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 8 a.m. and I'm crossing my fingers that Starz's Outlander will get a Globes nomination. While Outlander doesn't have the same level of notoriety as the aforementioned Game of Thrones, the time-travel saga is told from its lead female character's perspective and handles extremely heavy subject matter with realism and sensitivity that is often missing from the acclaimed HBO show. Regardless if the Globes do give Outlander a nomination or two, if you haven't seen the 16-episode Season 1, it's time for you to watch the steamy series. Fortunately there are ways to stream Outlander so you can catch up.
Outlander received almost no love from the 2015 Emmys — the only Emmy that Outlander was even nominated for was for Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) for the episode "Sassenach" — and it lost to House of Cards. But, the media has been predicting that Outlander may have a chance with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's awards show, which has a history of recognizing excellent first-year shows. While a Best Drama Series nomination is far from guaranteed, Sam Heughan (Jamie) expertly performed one of the most trying scenes that a male actor has ever had to do on TV and is receiving a lot of buzz for a Best Actor, Television Series — Drama nom. And Caitriona Balfe as Claire also has a shot (though perhaps a long one) of snagging a Best Actress nomination.
While Outlander isn't without flaws (the pace of the show can drag at times), it's truly one of the most groundbreaking, feminist series to come to television in a long, long time. No matter how the Golden Globes nominations shake out, here are six ways to watch Outlander — your eyes will thank you for it (most of the time).
Amazon
Even if you are an Amazon Prime member, you'll have to pay $2.99 to buy each HD episode of Outlander . (Or $1.99 for SD.) But, there is hope since Amazon recently announced that Prime members can add Starz to their account for an additional fee (current rate $8.99). And note that although it may look like only the first half of Season 1 is available, both parts are there — Amazon just separates the first season into two different seasons because the show had a significant break between the two parts.
iTunes
You can buy each individual episode of the first season of Outlander in HD for $2.99 (just like Amazon) through Apple's iTunes. Season 1 is also available to purchase in two different parts — Season 1 (The First 8 Episodes) and Season 1 (The Next 8 Episodes) for $22.99 each. (The two parts are available for $14.99 in SD.)
YouTube
You can watch all 16 episodes of Season 1 of Outlander on YouTube — either by purchasing single episodes or with a season pass — for (you guessed it!) the exact same price as Amazon and iTunes.
Starz Play
If you're a big Outlander fan, subscribing to Starz is really the best route to go. When you have a subscription, you can stream Outlander "for free" using Starz's service Starz Play. On the site's FAQs, it's stated clearly that if you don't pay for Starz, you can't use Starz Play.
Your Cable Provider
The same as with Starz Play, if you're paying for Starz, then your cable provider would have its own streaming service that you can watch the show on. The cost of adding on Starz to your cable package is dependent on your cable provider, but to see those sexy sex scenes, it may just be worth it to you.
Blu-ray & DVD
This option isn't streaming, but it's actually cheaper to buy Season 1 of Outlander on DVD through Amazon than it is to stream if you don't have a subscription to Starz. As of the date of this article, it cost $19.63 to buy the first volume of Season 1 and $18.49 for Volume 2 on DVD. (The list price for both is $38.99.) And for the truly devoted fans out there, Amazon has Outlander Season 1: The Ultimate Collection, which has the season in Blu-ray, as well as UltraViolet, and contains a keepsake box, a book with behind-the-scenes photographs, the Season 1 soundtrack, bonus special features, and a flask. (Trust me: That flask will come in handy.)
Outlander: Season One - Volume One, $22, Amazon; Outlander: Season One - Volume Two, $21, Amazon
So even if Outlander isn't nominated for a Golden Globe on Thursday morning, I think you know what you'll be getting the Outlander fan in your life — even if that fan is you — this holiday season.
Images: Starz; fponthedl (5), outlander-online/Tumblr
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