Welcome back to the ONC Administrators’ Choice Awards! Now until the end of Season 4 (we refuse to think about it), some of the ONC adminstrators and myself will be voting on our “Bests” from the latest Outlander episode. Last week, we gave awards for Episode, 401.4, Common Ground. Next up, is Episode 401.5, Savages. This week’s voting contributors are Mitzie Munroe, Nancy Roach (a/k/a The White Sow), Susan Jackson, Tara Heller, Blair Beard and Cameron Hogg! And the winners are…
Tara: Murtagh and Jamie seeing each other for the first time in 12 years! I almost died when I saw Jamie’s eyes start to water and that turn of his mouth that he does when he’s emotional and then them embracing! The family is almost back together!
Cameron: When Ian is looking for the smithy, and lo and behold, it turns out to be Murtagh. I squealed like a kid at Christmas. But I did the same when he turned around to see Jamie… and again when he saw Claire… it seems there’s a common thread here.
Susan: Definitely Murtagh–I love the show character, and was so tickled to see him in the blacksmith shop, and that reunion of shock and awe with Jamie was so moving. I assumed he’d be the silversmith and Jamie would have to eventually tell him about his sassy wife. lol
Blair: I call them “The Murtagh Moments”. They start when Ian goes into the smithery and speaks to the man at the forge. Though the ponytail was grey, I immediately identified the backside of Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser! Welcome back Duncan Lacroix!
Mitzie: No-brainer here; we have been teased all year about a possible appearance by Murtagh and AT LAST we have it! My mind is joyfully imagining in all kinds of roles and scenarios we will find our beloved Murtagh engaging in for the rest of the season (and hopefully beyond).
Nancy: The appearance of the White Sow. I’ve been on tenterhooks for two years now as to whether she would make it into the television series. (Lol) Second would be the appearance of Murtagh.
Tara: ‘You’ve no idea you are just a Christmas pork chop, do you?’ It just cracked me up!
Cameron: The exchanges between Jamie and the frisky Mrs. MacNeill. I’ve never heard so much subtext in someone just saying “not today,” when asked if Mr. MacNeill was home. And I’m pretty sure she was hoping to serve him more than “a hearty piece of pie.”
Susan: Jamie’s response to the silversmith’s wife’s question about whether his wife was good at making pie–”Aye, very.” I laughed out loud.
Blair: Murtagh’s cheeky comment to Ian, “Who you calling an old coot, eh?” was the best line of the night! Reminds me of the dated meme, “Whatcha talkin’ bout Willis?”, but better!
Mitzie: Murtagh’s greeting to Claire as he approached the cabin. “Murtagh…?! Is it really you?” “Well, it isn’t no the boogie woogie bugle boy.”
Nancy: Murtagh’s reference to the “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B” song as he greeted Claire. It brought back to mind the episode in season I with the two of them singing and dancing to find Jamie.
Tara: Murtagh/Duncan it was so great to have him back and have his humor infused into the season. There’s a new side to him being apart of the Regulators so that will be interesting. Loved how he announced his arrival on the Ridge, I did like that part of the Search episode.
Cameron: Duncan LaCroix- he’s just great in this role anyhow, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed him until he was back!
Susan: Cait gets my award on this one–she was great. Claire’s emotions had to run the gamut in all of those scenes, and Cait is just wonderful at portraying them all.
Blair: Actress Tantoo Cardinal’s character, Adawehi, was stellar. Sometimes less is more, and Adawehi spoke volumes.
Mitzie: Well it looks like it’s Claire’s turn to snag this honor. Like Jamie last week, we got to see so many emotions from Claire this episode. We saw her strong, weak, happy, sad, scared, angry, exhausted and determined.
Nancy: Again, the White Sow. I believed she was really trying to mess with Jamie’s hat.
Tara: When Murtagh showed up and being part of the Regulators. I don’t know if I saw that storyline coming.
Cameron: The Cherokee setting fire to the Mueller cabin and Mrs. Mueller’s death in that scene. It was different than the book, if I recall, and really more graphic than it needed to be. I felt like it villainized the Cherokee.
Susan: To see Murtagh rousing the troops, so to speak.
Blair: Claire surprised me when she unwrapped the towel that contained not a doll, but the scalp of Adawehi. Her face reflected the horror and sadness that I felt as well. Claire tenderly cares for what remains of her new, yet dear friend and respectfully puts her to rest.
Mitzie: Claire unwrapping the checkered cloth thinking it is baby Klara’s doll when in fact it was Adawehi’s scalp. Being a book reader I knew it was coming but I was still completely caught unawares as to how horrific that moment really was for Claire.
Nancy: The appearance of Murtagh. I knew the moment was coming, but I didn’t guess that he was a blacksmith, silversmith and regulator.
Tara: Well there’s two things.1. Murtagh showing up and reuniting with Jamie and Claire. 2. Seeing Claire’s day to day working on the Ridge.
Cameron: That Murtagh settles right back in with Jamie and Claire, despite being a Regulator and Jamie’s land grant, and it’s like they’ve never missed a beat.
Susan: Seeing Claire being portrayed more accurately as a woman in the 18th century–cooking over a hot fire, being a midwife, feeding the animals (did she run to the Walmart in Woolam’s Creek for those fresh veggies?), and handling a firearm. Historically speaking, women of that time period didn’t live an easy life, unless their family was very well off financially.
Blair: The entire episode was exciting. Full of reunions, regulators and readiness for the future!
Mitzie: We still have split storylines going (which I love) and seeing Roger chasing down leads for Brianna just breaks my heart. And with seeing the rabbit, Adawehi’s comment about Brianna being here and Jamie’s dream, I am enjoying the slow integration of Brianna to Jamie and Claire in the past.
Nancy: The reunion between Murtagh and Jamie and Claire. These moments are so emotionally rewarding.
Tara: I think this is going to see my favorite now. Last week’s moved down to number 2. This week’s had grit and substance and then the day to day thrown in there with Claire.
Cameron: Best so far! The gang’s all here! The Murtagh/Jamie dynamic brings back some of the earlier seasons’ spark. And a lot of the clever one liners are back too, like the silversmith’s wife bit. This episode has some of the “zip” of season 1, which had been been missing in many of the episodes so far this season.
Susan: My favorites in order of 1-5: 404, 405, 403, 401, 402.
Mitzie: We have a new #1!!!! 405 – 1st/403 – 2nd/404 – 3rd/401 – 4th/402 – 5th.
Nancy: This episode moves to number one for me.
So, now that we’ve voted, what about you? Agree? Disagree? Tell us in the comments who or what gets your vote for “Best” Awards for Episode 401.5, Savages. Leave it in the comments!
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