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, Stephanie Bryant, Nancy Roach, and Cameron Hogg. So, without further ado, the winners for episode, Mercy Shall Follow Me are…
Cameron: Brianna telling Bonnet, “I could never think any less of you.” I do love a good backhanded compliment. 😉
Stephanie: Bonnet talking to Forbes: “I suggest you start to behave more as my lawyer and less as my priest”
Nancy: I have to agree with Cameron on this one. “I could never think any less of you.”
Dawn: Jamie to Bonnet – “Know that whatever happens, the last thing you see on this earth willna be that of a friend.”
Tara: When Roger beat the snot out of Bonnet and they bound him for Wilmington.
Cameron: Agreed. It was good to see Roger take care of things with Bonnet and finally get his part in avenging Brianna’s suffering.
Stephanie: Seeing Bonnet’s face while slowly drowning! Priceless!!
Nancy: When Roger beats up Bonnet. When Bree shoots Bonnet in the head.
Dawn: The scene with Jocasta and Forbes…when Ulysses saves Jocasta and then calls her by name and kisses her hand. Hmmmm….a hint of things to come??
Tara: I have to go with Sophie on this one. She really showed different emotions in this episode.
Cameron: As much as I disliked the character, I thought this was a really good episode for Ed Speleers. Sometimes during his scenes in the past, I got a little too much of a Captain Jack Sparrow knock-off feel from him, but I think he finally settled into Bonnet as a distinct character, and he showed a lot of depth playing his various facets in this episode.
Nancy: Ed Speleers as Bonnet.
Stephanie: I think Ed Speleers nailed it as Bonnet! As creepy as he was, he was that perfect mixture of charming and sadistic!
Dawn: Ed Speleers (Bonnet), for sure! He made Bonnet só despicable.
Tara: When the whole Bonnet storyline came to a head. Not sure what they will do with S6 since his storyline was woven throughout the book.
Cameron: The way they presented the whole courtship angle in the time that Bonnet and Brianna were together and how she stalled and played along to try to save herself.
Stephanie: I guess I was surprised Bree didn’t put up a struggle at all. It was played a different way then is in line with her character. Yet in hindsight, I get it.
Nancy: Bonnet getting killed. It’s supposed to happen in Breath of Snow and Ashes.
Dawn: I was surprised the Bonnet storyline was ended prematurely.
Tara: Roger holding up Wylie and him acting like a woose!
Stephanie: I thought it was cute when Roger asked Jamie, during the fight in the shed…. what took you so long, Jamie responded that Roger was doing so well without his help. Apparently not!!
Nancy: I agree with Stephanie on this one
Dawn: Bonnet- “What I need from you is something I can’t buy.” Brianna – “A moral compass?” (Loved that she got her digs in.)
Cameron: I missed that line at first, Dawn, but that is a good one!
Tara: I loved the beach scenes since that is one of my favorite places and Scotland coastline as a stand in for Ocracoke.
Cameron: I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but I actually really liked the ending scene with Roger and Brianna when she shot Bonnet. Though things happened differently in the book, I thought for the changes that were made, that last exchange still worked. When Roger asked Bree if that was revenge or mercy, it was an interesting look into what they both were thinking or feeling now that Bonnet is gone. Even after all that happened, I think that it was mercy and revenge that Bree was aiming for (no pun intended). I think she really took to heart the conversation that she and Jamie had last season about forgiveness, but it had to feel good to know that he was finally gone, and she was the one who ended it once and for all.
Stephanie: I liked that Roger is finally gaining confidence to stand on his own. He’s earning Jamie’s respect. I like the way we are seeing Roger in a new light. Not as a frightened professor but as a 18th century badass, beating the crap out of Bonnet!
Nancy: I like what everyone else has said. I also want to mention two things I liked — I was happy to see Stephen Bonnet go for the plus size prostitute. I was also glad that they finally hinted that there was something romantic going on between Jocasta and Ulysses.
Dawn: When Bonnet has Brianna on Okracoke, and he asks her to teach him to be a gentleman and how to love. The relationship basically turns to that of Mother and Child. She scolds him about his table manners. She reads to him bc he can’t read. He exhibits such childlike behavior responding to her, esp when she “read” Moby Dick And he threw a tantrum about wanting to know how it ends.
Tara: The Bonnet and the hussey going at it in front of Bree. I could have done without that.
Cameron: Again, I agree here… I get that it was to show his cruelty, but I’m not sure that scene was the only way to do that. It reminded me of something that they might have done in the BJR storyline, so it wasn’t surprising, but still wasn’t totally necessary in my opinion.
Stephanie: Yes! Bonnet and the prostitute… I can’t unsee that scene, ugh!
Nancy: I agree. Bonnet having sex with the prostitute in front of Bree.
Dawn: Ugh….The Bonnet And Eppie sex scene. I felt like I needed to Clorox my brain after that.
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 510, Mercy Shall Follow Me!