Sam Heughan
Actor Sam Heughan participates in the Starz "Outlander" panel at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California, January 9, 2015. Reuters/David McNew

“Outlander” Season 3 is based on Diana Gabaldon’s book “Voyager.” The show has introduced the world to new people who are frantically reading up the source material, but one particular chapter appears to paint a popular character as a rapist. The author has been quick to defend her character and explain any misunderstanding some people have about a particular scene.

[Spoiler alert]

Fans who have read the book will know about the sex scene between Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Geneva Dunsany. For just a moment, it seems like this was rape, but in a Facebook post Gabaldon cleared up any confusion so that the fans can go back to loving their favourite character.

Gabaldon pointed out that the events leading up to the scene in the book clearly show that Geneva was keen on having sex with Jamie. She was about to be married against her will to a man who is old enough to be her grandfather, and she wants to deny her future husband her maidenhead.

Whether or not the producers show this scene as is in “Outlander” Season 3, they will have to show how Geneva is sexually attracted to Jamie. In “Voyager” she constantly flirts with him.

Jamie is not interested, and constantly turns down her advances. When she asked him to deflower her; he again refused. That is when she blackmailed him with a letter that could get his whole family arrested and even hanged. The Scottish warrior is a prisoner on parole at this time and is powerless in the situation.

The main concern about Jamie being a rapist comes from the sexual act itself. There is a moment in which Geneva, being a virgin, feels that Jamie’s member is too big. She asks him to stop and take it out, but he proceeds anyway. Gabaldon explains that it is pointless for him to do that because the girl is scared only for a moment and he will have to eventually do it anyway.

After the sex Geneva asks him to do it again, proving that she didn’t herself consider it rape. Gabaldon said that the whole controversy was started by a blog that used a “cheap trick” to get eyeballs. She said the post, which apparently insults the books and the TV show was meant to provoke the fans to comment and repost. The author did not reveal the name of the blog that suggested Jamie raped the girl, but said that the fans can find it by doing a quick search.

If this scene is featured in “Outlander” Season 3, Gabaldon appears to have thwarted any future attempts by writers to generate unnecessary controversy for their own gain. Commenting on the post, support for the author poured in with fans pointing out how it was Jamie who was the victim in the episode.