Season five of Outlander saw Claire (played by Caitriona Balfe) furious with Jamie (Sam Heughan) when he asked to use her wedding ring from late husband Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) to gamble with. Despite the pair arguing, they later enjoyed a tumble in a barn as they got out their frustrations. However, the steamy scene didnât go down too well with Diana Gabaldon as she opened up on why it didnât work.
Fans will remember Jamie finds Claire in a barn petting a horse before going up to her and trying to break the tension.
However he angers Claire even more and she slaps him before they make love in the hay.
The scene in the Starz series sees the raunchy moment take place in the light of day in the afternoon but the moment is very different in the novels.
Speaking about the sex scene and her issue with it, Diana detailed: âThey were actually using the lines from the books, I canât complain about the writing.
Outlanderâs Diana Gabaldon details problem with steamy Claire and Jamie scene âNo passionâ (Image: STARZ âą GETTY)
Outlanderâs Claire and Jamieâs steamy clinch in a barn last season was slammed by Diana Gabaldon (Image: STARZ)
âIt was more what they had going on around that particular event because, and I donât know how this got involved, they sort of framed it with this odd sort of jealousy between them.
âThey had to get from where they were to a scene of white hot passion in about five seconds which is a little difficult to do and they didnât do it for obvious reasons.
âIn the book, itâs written completely different. He goes off to gamble with Claireâs ring and sheâs furious but she knows what heâs doing.
âShe falls asleep and a little later someone is playing with her feet in the dark where she is on a bed with a number of other ladies.
Outlanderâs Diana Gabaldon detailed how the sex scene wouldnât work in the daylight (Image: STARZ)
Outlander couple Claire and Jamie Fraser have featured in several racy moments (Image: STARZ)
âItâs obviously this man is playing with her toes and sheâs like, âWho the hell is it?â
âAnyway, she gets up and goes out, she sees Jamie at the bottom of the stairs completely drunk and she doesnât know if he has been in her room or if someone else has just come along.
âAt that point he grabs her and takes her out to the stables and they have ferocious sex.
âSheâs in a shift and heâs in a kilt, so itâs not a problem. It is hot.â
Comparing the scenes, Diana said on podcast Outcasts: âIn this one, itâs a brightly lit, completely sterile looking stable and sheâs out there petting a horse and he walks in cold.
âThereâs a tardy exchange about the ring and stuff and he says something, you know, completely sexist and she slaps him out of nowhere.
âThere is no emotional context for what is going on there, it doesnât exist in the lines and that is why it was so difficult.
âYou could tell that the actors didnât want to be doing this, you can tell when an actor doesnât want to do what heâs doing. That scene depends on entirely what happened ahead.â
Podcast host David Berry noted: âThere was no room for context, they hit it cold, there was nothing there, no white hot passion.â
Diana agreed adding that Claire and Jamieâs costumes were an issue too.
âThey are both fully clothed in 18th century clothes so the words were âwhile I take youâ has much more less impact when itâs obvious he can get nowhere near her private parts,â Diana laughed.
