Top 5 Outlander Episodes Even Die-Hard Fans Can't Sit Through

The time-traveling romance Outlander deals with a lot of uncomfortable historical issues: the dirt, the grime, the oh-no-she-must-be-a-witch-let's-burn-her-at-the-stake of it all. But if there has been one consistent criticism of the both the show and the books, it's the sheer amount of sexual violence.

Rape is used as a plot device over and over in both the Outlander book and television series. Six characters have suffered through it, including all of the major characters. While the creators have trumpeted 'historical accuracy' in their defense, at many points the abuse is both gruesome and gratuitous. Here are 5 episodes that went too far, according to fans on Reddit.

Wentworth Prison: Season 1 Episode 15

Believe it or not it was worse in the books… and you might not believe it after watching Jamie have a nail driven through his hand, the close-up of a hanging, and having to witness fingers getting smashed. Of course, all fans know there was worse to come – though some of them 'noped' right out of there and skipped the next episode entirely.

To Ransom a Man's Soul: Season 1 Episode 16

If you thought Jamie getting rescued meant the end of the cruelty, you were forgetting the gut-wrenching power of flashbacks. Jamie's suffering at the hands of 'Black' Jack Randall ran the full spectrum of physical, sexual, and psychological torture.

Jamie's eventual rape and branding was so graphic that some fans stopped watching the show altogether.

Faith, Season 2 Episode 7

It isn't just Claire's rape at the hands of the King of France that causes us to squirm during this episode (though having to trade your body for your husband's life is awful enough). We also have to sit through Claire's agony over her miscarriage, and Fergus telling the tale of his assault by Captain Randall.

Of course, just telling us about it wouldn't be enough for Outlander – we also have to see flashbacks of the young boy being raped. Did we mention he's 10 years old?

Wilmington, Season 4 Episode 8

How romantic! How beautiful! After many trials and tribulations, Roger and Bree are finally married. They share a steamy love scene, so this episode will be one to cherish, right?

WRONG! Before the hour is out, Claire's daughter is being violently raped in a pub. Thankfully this one is less gratuitous in its details (we mostly hear her screaming, which is ignored by the pub's indifferent customers) but was it really necessary for this to happen at all? There are other ways to demonstrate the savagery of the time!

Never My Love, Season 5 Episode 12

Although this episode isn't terribly graphic – perhaps the show learned its lesson after Season 1 – Claire's treatment is viscerally upsetting and feels like it will never end. After being kidnapped for her role in helping women avoid pregnancy, Claire is beaten and gang-raped. As she slips in and out of delirium, it takes nearly twenty minutes of screentime before Jamie arrives and rescues her.

Here the show can't even defend itself by pointing to its source material – Claire is only raped by one man in the book, which was bad enough.

Outlander celebrates Claire and Jamie's love story in the face of many obstacles. The difficulty of life in the 1700s is an essential part of the story, but going back to rape over and over in order to push the plot forward is just lazy. There were many other gruesome challenges to life in the past – if only Diana Gabaldon and the writer's room of Outlander could pick some new ones.