Welcome back to the season five ONC Administrators’ Choice Awards! Now until the end of this season, (we refuse to think about it), some of the ONC administrators and myself will be voting on our “Bests/Mosts/Leasts” 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 Tara Heller, Dawn Woo, Mitzie Munroe, Nancy Roach, and Traci Thompson. So, without further ado, the winners for episode 7, The Ballad of Roger Mac are…
Traci: The birthday conversation. A great part of the books, and this kind of Jamie & Claire intimate scene was needed in such an emotional episode.
Tara: I agree with Traci! I’m glad to see show Jamie and Claire still have the moments that make them Jamie and Claire.
Dawn W.: The scene where Jamie gives the coat back to Tryon. Total disgust and repulsion and anger.
Mitzie: Claire seeing Jamie off to battle. I love their exchange – “Will you wish me luck then?” “I can’t let you go without saying something. I suppose good luck will do. I love you soldier.” “Good luck will do, and I love you does so much better”.
Nancy: I have to agree with everyone.Those intimate moments between Jamie and Claire are so special. I also liked when Jamie angrily throws the red coat on the ground at Governor Tryon’s feet.
Susan: Jamie not only gave his “coat” back to Tryon, he spoke loud and clear when he dropped it on the ground. (And Tim Downie has made such a great William Tryon!)
Traci: A lot of them, but I’ll go with a tie between 1.) “There might be a day we part, but it won’t be today.” and 2.) “I’d never betray your mother, no matter who asked.”
Dawn W.: I love the book lines but I think Jamie’s response to Claire before he went to battle….”Good luck will do. But I love you does so much better.”
Mitzie: Tryon’s – “Fire! Fire, God damn you! Fire on them, or fire on me!”
Nancy: Again I have to agree with everyone on the lines. I also liked some of the humorous ones that really need to go under the funniest award. Jamie to Claire: “As for taking stock, I have all my teeth…none of my parts are missing, and my cock still stands up in the morning.” Morag: “I’ve a thick skull.” Roger: “ I’ve a thick skull too. It runs in the family.”
Susan: “Whatever tomorrow brings, I’m grateful to see it.” Jamie speaking of being older than his father–I remember the day I become just one day older than my mother–she died when she was 40–I can’t imagine dying that young, especially when you have a family to care for, and I totally related to Jamie’s feelings here.
Traci: Sam Heughan, hands down. How many ways is it possible for the man to look absolutely gutted?? But Caitriona too – she reflected his emotions like a mirror.
Tara: Definitely Sam. So much face acting this episode. So many emotions.
Dawn W.: Sam Heughan…not just his words, but his body language, his demeanor, his facial expressions…wow!
Mitzie: Sam! So much emotion, all across the board! From swoon worthy bedroom eyes to utter disgust and hatred to heart retching anguish! WOW! Bravo!
Nancy: Again I agree with everyone. Sam Heughan. His impassioned plea to Claire to fix Murtagh, was heartbreaking. He ran the gamut of emotions from the start of the episode to the finish.
Susan: No doubt about it–Sam Heughan.
Traci: Of course, Murtaugh. I knew it was coming, but not… like that.
Tara: Other than Murtagh, Graham McTavish as Buck 🙂
Dawn W.: I was most surprised with the appearance of Graham McTavish as William Buccleigh. I was not expecting Murtaugh to be killed during the battle. I was expecting his death at another event.
Mitzie: Seeing Graham McTavish playing the role of William “Buck” MacKenzie. Best kept secret this season! I loved it! It makes me giddy thinking we could see more of him and his current character in future seasons (wink, wink).
Nancy: Graham McTavish playing Dougal’s son. When I first heard his voice and saw his face, I thought, “Wow, they really did a good job in casting Buccleigh McKenzie. He really looks like Dougal!” Then I realized it was Graham. They did a great job of keeping that secret from all of us.
Susan: Surprising for me was realizing that the young man who shot Murtagh was one of the soldiers that Jamie was encouraging earlier that morning.
Traci: Hard to find a bright spot in this one, but Jamie checking himself out under the sheet is always good for a chuckle.
Dawn W.: Roger always has a way of slipping snide comments in. I loved it when he called William Tryon “Billy Tryon” when he was talking to Bri before he left Hillsborough.
Mitzie: I didn’t really have a haha moment but I think one of Jamie’s looks could be seen as somewhat amusing in a comparison. After Jamie dons the red coat and grabs his hat back from Myers, he had a look on his face that my husband best equivalates to a Carolina fan being strong-armed into a Duke jersey after losing a bet; and when he walks by his fellow UNC pals, that look on his face says “Don’t…. you…. freaking….. say…. a…. word”! LOL! Once my husband said that I thought it kinda fit and I giggled.
Nancy: As I mentioned under best lines, Jamie taking stock of himself on his birthday and Roger Mac bumping heads with Morag.
Susan: Roger mentioning that his thick skull ran in the family.
Traci: Jamie, Jamie, and Jamie.
Tara: The way the writers and producers brought everything crashing down in one big episode and did it mostly by the book, might I add. Fantastic!
Dawn W.: I went back and tried to skim over the chapters that this episode covered. There were a LOT! I agree with Tara….so much material beautifully blended plus having to add Murtaugh’s storyline. I think it’s the best episode in the series…Faith being right up there with it.
Mitzie: The final moments we got to spend with Murtagh and Jamie’s anguish at losing his Godfather. It was so heartbreaking seeing Jamie go through all those emotions and also for Claire. Murtagh was so dearly loved by them both and this was an expected and fitting ending for our beloved Murtagh.
Nancy: Best overall goes to Toni Graphia for giving us an episode that followed the book. I agree with Dawn that this is the best episode.
Susan: The entire episode was the best moment for me–so well done, so much compressed into an hour of great, great television.
Traci: Overall, it was just too much…war, death, hanging, Jamie in a red coat, even Claire’s precious syringe & penicillin stomped into the ground…have mercy!!
Tara: The way we are literally left hanging, for two weeks!
Dawn W.: I was hoping they’d stay true to the book and use Morag to deliver the news Jamie about Roger being hanged.
Mitzie: Bree’s dumbstruck stance at seeing Roger hanging. I think I would have preferred her screaming her bloody heart out, saying “GET HIM DOWN!!! CUT HIM DOWN!!!!!” Jamie was just so slow at getting him down. I didn’t like that passive, air of resignation that said “Whelp, he’s gone. Nothing we can do”. I did not like how that played out.
Nancy: I didn’t like when Buc McKenzie slammed Roger in the forehead with the butt of his rifle. I also agreed with Mitzie about Brees’ underwhelming reaction to discovering Roger hanging. I expected all of the Fraser’s to be crying, screaming and rushing to cut his body down.
Susan: I’m still thinking about what I liked least, and it’s hard to come up with anything. Maybe how perfect Claire’s hair is pinned back when she wakes up in the morning?
So, now that we’ve voted, it’s your turn! Agree? Disagree? Tell us in the comments who or what gets your votes for Episode 507, The Ballad of Roger Mac.
2 Comments
I agree 100% with all of you. I think Bree coming in on the horse was a bit much. They had discussed the skrimsh . I loved how Toni did follow the book, and the morning tent scene was much needed and long over due. Hope they have more of those. Imo it is the best episode in 2/12 years.
It was really a great episode, Beth! Thanks for chiming in!