Malva Christie

Outlander, the genre busting and wildly entertaining Starz series, adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling books, has built a true fandom over its past five seasons. While many of the TV series that inspire deep devotion tend to be—we’ll just come out with it— a little nerdy, and more than a little male-oriented, Outlander is as riveting as it is relatable. And while fans painstakingly unpack episodes, trade theories about plot points and obsess over the show’s historical underpinnings, it’s ultimately a character-driven enterprise. The action hinges on time-travel, and there’s no shortage of romance, but the appeal of the drama is its expertly-drawn characters—especially its female protagonists. Never stereotypical, the series shows women as the multi-dimensional forces they are. “You know, it’s funny, my knee jerk reaction is always that we’re not setting out to make a statement about women,” says executive producer Maril Davis. “We’re just trying to show women as they are, in their most natural, amazing state.”