In our Hangoutlander chat for last week’s episode, we agreed that this episode 114 The Search would probably be super boring. Just because … there’s not a lot of ground to cover here and nothing truly exciting happens. And while it was a good hour of TV, I gotta say, we were right. But I still found ten moments to share with you guys, so here they are!
My Top Ten Moments from Outlander: The Search, ep 114
1. Jenny
I don’t normally do the “eat my words” thing. And I’m not doing it here; I still dislike Jenny in general and think she would NOT be someone who, IRL, I would bother trying to be friends with. I mean, I would TRY, because I’m a people pleaser by nature, but it’s obvious SHE would not. Ugh. She’s such a Jenny.
Thank Mary the Mother that my Resting Bitch Face hide my actual You Guys Are Gonna Bumble Arse Over Tits This Whole Search Until I Swoop In to Save the Day Bitch Face.
But I do love Jenny in this episode. It opens with her holding her newborn, trying to comfort her, but already making plans above Claire and Ian’s heads for how to get Jamie back. She knows they don’t have time to argue whether or not she’s going to go … so she doesn’t bother to tell them she is. She’s capable. Just as capable a tracker as any man would have been in the situation. She ruthless. And throughout it all, she somehow manages to curb her bitchiness to work with Claire towards a common goal. You gotta admire a woman who can rein it in when need arises.
2. It’s BOOBA* TIME
YAY WE JUST SAW A NURSING MOM DOING WHAT BOOBS WERE MADE FOR ON TV AND I AM SO PROUD TO HAVE MAMMARIES RIGHT NOW.
I love everything about this scene. How right whatever contraption they made for Laura Donnelly’s chest looks, how the milk spurts out in more than one stream, how fascinated Claire looks, everything. They got it so right. (Except that shift would be soaking wet with leaked milk, let’s be real).
But more importantly, boobs were shown and it wasn’t sexual or exploitative, gratuitous or graphic. BOOBS ARE THE BEST. NURSING IS BADASS. WOMEN ARE THE GREATEST CREATURES ALIVE OMG. MAMMARIES 5EVA.
*booba is what my daughters called my boobs. Yes, I nursed until they could talk about it. No shame in my game.
3. This Guy
… who looks like he’s been in this situation before.
Not Again. I can’t believe I fell for the dead hooker on the road trick more than once. I’ll never live this down.
Nope, dude. You’ll just never LIVE again because Jenny the Jenny has no time for your bullshit. She’s going full Kill Bill on you (although how she didn’t think to gag him before torturing him, I’ll never know. That seems like Highland Survival Tip #8 to me, right after “Keep Your Socks Dry” and “Warm Horse Poo Means Danger is Near”). You never stood a chance.
4. Lady Time
Look at these two insufferable know-it-alls making nice and being lady friends.
They’ve progressed from being frenemies, to cohorts to sisters in just three (reeeealllly loonngggg) episodes!
Sure, maybe it only took Jamie half an episode to warm up to McQuarrie enough to begrudgingly respect him, but you gotta give girls time to size each other up, circle the fences and insult each other before they can muster a hug of gratitude.
Truthfully I like seeing Claire and Jenny come together about something. And kudos to Claire for breaking through that steel deflector sheild that Jenny wears instead of knitwear. That’s a real win.
5. Buddy Comedy
What do you get when you take a cantankerous, sweaty, stinky highlander who is butthurt that no one likes his dance and put him together with a gorgeous girl dressed as a boy trying to sing a fancy city song with these country lyrics in order to find her missing husband? LAUGHS A MILLION, I TELL YA!
It’s just like Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker!
This is the worst plan of all time, Murtagh. It makes sense for Jamie to hear about a Sassenach healer traveling the northern Highlands with a Fraser clansman and think, “CLAIRE!” It makes a lot less sense for him to hear about an English lass dressed up as a boy singing a song to a tune no one’s ever heard and think, “That’s my girl!”
Why don’t we just throw Murtagh and Claire in a cop car for their road trip, maybe have a domesticated moose in the back seat, a lovable but dangerous gang on their tail, Bill Murray as an antagonist stealing their thunder, and sit back as the improbable hijinks ensue? Add in a montage of his bad dancing and her uncomfortable performances! Maybe they could quip on each other with lines like, “Don’t quote the Bible; it doesn’t suit you.” and “His word is worth hee-haw.” What even is this storyline?
Oh, look it’s Mugatu.
6. Ah, catharsis
Thank God Murtagh told that story so we could shed some tears. Because this episode made me want to cry.
Murtagh’s “You think you’re the only one who loves Jamie? He’s like a son to me!” was some of the best acting of the episode, and surely one of the most emotional moments of the series. It was then followed by a really weird editing jump that totally pulled me out of my imminent tears and made me go “WHERT” … but at least the emotion was there for a minute.
7. Uncomfortable Proposals
So far in the series, Dougal has kind of been a stand up guy. I mean, he fights with his brother and makes drunken advances on Claire (who doesnt!), but for the most part he seems relatable, cunning and respectable. Even when he’s lamenting his wife’s death after celebrating his mistress’ widowhood, you kind of feel for the guy. And then, this scene happened. And you realize, thanks to Claire, that Dougal has been orchestrating this whole thing for years … a plan to take Jamie’s land even if that means letting him die and taking his wife. What.A.Toolbag. This scene felt straight out of the books I loved. Dougal’s duplicity finally came through.
Thanks for giving everyone a case of the squicks, Dougal.
8. THIS EXCHANGE
“You’re being clever, not wise.”
“Am not.”
Was the best … because Claire made a real error earlier not listening to Murtagh about the gypsies. She pulled rank, acted stubborn and she was wrong. It may have cost Jamie his life. HAS SHE LEARNED NOTHING? Even during the catharsis scene, Murtagh is telling her that it’s her fault and she’s still arguing with him. Had she let him trail the gypsies, they may not be in the situation they are in. And Dougal in this one moment is making her see some reason. Hard truths that she doesn’t agree with, doesn’t want to even entertain, but “clever, not wise” may just be what gets through to her to strike her bargain with him.
9. This guy
Making everyone feel the shame of their own cowardice. You go, Willie.
I loved that Willie was able to remind everyone (not just the highlanders, but the viewers as well) of the honorable way Jamie would handle the same situation. We feel Jamie’s absence in this episode, which yanno, makes sense as they are searching for him. Had we gotten flashbacks or scenes from his perspective as he is hiding out and hearing about Claire and Murtagh’s Wacky Weird Adventures, we would have felt less of an impetus to get to him. But just this one little sentence from Willie reminds us that Jamie is more than just Claire’s husband and Murtagh’s surrogate son. He’s worth saving because he’s a good man. NOW GO GET HIM.
10. Nope.
I’m officially NOT WATCHING next week. I’m NOPE-ing out.
What were YOUR top ten moments? Did it have that “buddy comedy” feel for you halfway in? Are you snuggling under a big blanket of NOPE next week like I am? Tell us in the comments.
