Welcome back to the ONC Administrators’ Choice Awards for season five! Now until the end of Season 5, (we refuse to think about it), some of the ONC administrators and myself will be voting on our “Bests” from the latest Outlander episode. We enjoyed this fun way to briefly recap each episode last season, and hope you enjoy it as we do! This week’s voting contributors are Dawn Woo, Mitzie Munroe, Harmony Tersanschi, Traci Thompson, Stephanie Bryant and Nancy Roach. So, without further ado, the winners for episode 2, Between Two Fires are…
Mitzie – Bree teaching Roger how to shoot by adjusting his stance, leaning in close and laying her head on his shoulder, breathlessly telling him to breathe.
Stephanie– How happy Bree is when she’s with Jemmy. Glad to see that she still can have some happiness even after she heard Bonnet was alive. I was afraid the terror we saw on her face and in her drawings would linger throughout the episode.
Harmony – I really enjoyed the interaction between Claire & Marsali when she was speaking to her about becoming her apprentice.
Dawn W.- I really liked the moment when Claire And Marsali looked at each other when Marsali was processing/butchering the goat. It was a moment where you knew that they were comfortable in their relationship with each other.
Nancy– I have to agree with Marsali’s reaction to Claire’ corpse and invitation to assist her.
Mitzie – Marsali “Don’t make me say it, Claire. Don’t make me say it. Was she right, my mom, was she?” And Claire’s response, “I’m not a witch”! I laughed out loud during that exchange!
Stephanie– Mr. Fanning “It’s getting worse and worse, this country is going to the dogs”
Scary to hear a line like that, very apropos to modern day, in my opinion.
Harmony – I’m with Mitzie on this one, “Don’t make me say it Claire. Don’t make me say it”. That had me cracking up!
Dawn W.– I think I liked what Murtagh said toward the end when they were back in the Regulator camp. He corrected one of the men who said that Jamie was fighting for the Redcoats. Murtagh said that Jamie was fighting with his his men just like he was fighting the Regulators. (They were both standing with their men.)
Traci – both Marsali’s “Don’t make me say it” and Fanning’s “this country is going to the dogs.” One was funny & hilariously acted, and the other puts things in perspective – someone’s always thought the country was going to the dogs in one way or another!
Nancy– All Marsali’s lines when she walked in on Claire and the corpse.
Mitzie – Lauren Lyle has my vote this week. I am really liking her character development these last couple seasons. She was so funny acting all shocked and affronted when Claire showed her the body still in her surgery, but then she looked excited about jumping in and learning all she can from Claire.
Stephanie– Have to agree with Mitzie, Lauren is so good as Marsali! I like the way the she responded to Claire’s offer to help… from outraged,to suspicious to the beginnings of acceptance.
Harmony – Yup, Lauren Lyle for me as well. I love that we’re seeing more of her this season!
Dawn W.– Lauren Lyle
Traci – Yes, Lauren shone in this episode! I find myself liking her more and more.
Nancy– I have to agree Lauren Lyle stole the show in this one. I think her acting talent has inspired the writers to write more lines for her this season and make her part bigger.
Mitzie – Bonnet
not yielding mercy and instead going in and cutting the bridge of the
nose/eyes of that man. Not that I expected anything less from him, but
he had no qualms to do that in front of a crowd and so it shocked me
that he felt safe enough in that company to not suffer any repercussions
from his actions. He feels like he can do absolutely anything and get
away with it. It’s going to make psychopathic Bonnet even more dangerous
and unpredictable.
Stephanie–
Bonnet mentioning he was a father. Who would think he cared? I’m not
sure he’d really say that but I guess it’s a set-up for the future plot
line.
Harmony – Bonnet being so close & mentioning being a father.
Dawn W.– Bonnet “….after all, I’m a father now.”
Traci – Murtagh still hanging around (wasn’t he supposed to “be hard to find?”) and Marsali becoming the surgery sidekick – but I like it, it works!
Nancy– The realistic tar and feathering scene. I have seen this portrayed in movies, but don’t think they showed the aftermath of burnt flesh. My dog even barked during the act of tar and feathering. Also Claire hiding a corpse in the surgery and deceiving a family by burying a coffin full of rocks. (See more info on this in my answer to least liked overall award.)
Mitzie – Roger and Bree’s exchange during target shooting practice about Tufty Fluffytail. Brought back memories from when I was a kid, obsessively reading Ranger Rick.
Stephanie– Marsali asking in a roundabout way if Claire was really a witch. I mean I’m sure Laoghaire pounded it into her head growing up so she was bound to think it at some point, with Claire practicing her 20th century medicine.
Harmony – Marsali and Claire’s whole dialogue when they were there with the body. That was such a great & well acted scene!
Dawn W.– The whole autopsy scene with Marsali And Claire. Marsali’s facial expressions…her dialogue…her body language. Don’t make me say it Claire!
Traci – Far and away the Claire & Marsali scene!
Nancy– Again Marsali, Claire and the corpse.
Mitzie – Overall I liked seeing Roger and Bree trying to still adjust to their new life here in the past. Bree is having an easier time with finding her niches but Roger is struggling. He’s always bringing in modern references; Tufty, Nancy Drew, Jeremiah was a Bullfrog. It’s as if he is desperate to not forget or it helps to ground him in such an unfamiliar circumstance.
Stephanie-Jamie…trying to keep his emotions in check. I really felt his dilemma being caught “between two fires”. His expressions said it all, no words necessary!
Harmony – I really loved the candle making and seeing more of the day to day activities on the Ridge.
Dawn W.– So many different scenes with Roger and with everyone he stood out. His delivery is so natural…..his singing added so much to the episode…his facial expressions.
Traci – the overall harmony of everyone being “caught between two fires” – Claire with her medicine, Bree/Roger between two time periods, Jamie between two political groups & all that goes along with that, even Murtagh between Jamie and the Regulators and Marsali torn between what to think of Claire.
Nancy-Again Marsali, Claire and the corpse. I’m always partial to humor in the show.
Mitzie – Jamie being forced to hunt down Murtagh, and in turn he is crossing paths with people he knows. Good people who are fighting for what they know is right and seeing Jamie longing to stand by their side, but can’t because of his oath. It worked out this time that he could secretly save the two caught regulators, but I don’t think he will be so lucky again.
Stephanie– I didn’t like all that gore in one episode. Claire and the autopsy,the tar and feather scene,the killing of the Regulator and Bonnet in the brutal fight scene was just too much to handle in one hour.
Harmony – Murtagh and the whole tarring and feathering. I had to close my eyes for half of it, and I’m usually not that squeamish.
Dawn W.– I can’t put a finger on anything that I did not like.
Traci – Roger finding the pictures of Bonnet and then trying to pretend everything is okay instead of saying something. I could have done without some of the gore, too – while tar & feathering was appropriate for the time period in general, I would have been happier had the Hillsborough riots been depicted closer to reality.
Nancy– Claire hiding a corpse in the surgery. I know the writers put it in this episode because they couldn’t put in later, but how could Claire hide a smelly bloody corpse from people? I worked in a hospital before I retired. We had a situation where a corpse in the morgue created a stinch throughout the main floor of the hospital where my office was located. Maintenance brought in fans to help blow the smell out the nearest door to the outside, but it didn’t help. I know people in the 18th century stank, but even they would cover their noses at that smell. I also find it hard to believe Claire would deceive someone by burying a coffin full of rocks. It just seemed out of character for her.