Sam Heughan Opens Up About His Absent Dad in an Unexpectedly Touching Men in Kilts — Read Recap
When we rejoin Men in Kilts‘ Graham and Sam in the camper, Sam is talking about New Zealand’s Maori culture. Learning more about the nation’s indigenous people is the part of the trip about which Sam is most excited, and it’s all happening in this episode. “I really want to honor their culture,” he says, acknowledging that he doesn’t know a lot about it.
A brief overview tells us that the Maori came to New Zealand from east Polynesia in the 1300s and lived in New Zealand in isolation until British colonization “pushed the Maori to the sidelines,” Sam voiceovers, and “the country still wrestles with the effects of its colonial past.” Now, Maori people make up about 17 percent of the nation’s population, with many of them working to make sure that the culture thrives in the present day.
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The guys visit a marae, or a Maori “belonging place,” in Rotorua. Inia Maxwell, a Maori cultural consultant, tells the guys that “our funerals, our celebrations, our meetings — everything in Maoridom happens here.” Graham and Sam are officially welcomed by the community, and Graham formally presents himself and his travel companion, then everyone presses noses in a Maori gesture symbolic of the sharing of the breath of life.
They head out to the yard for a poi performance by Rosie Belvie, who leads the guys in manipulating the percussive object in a chant and dance. “This is flashbacks to the highland dancing” in Season 1 Graham says, but he and Sam do significantly better than that that debacle… until longer poi are introduced. Then, it’s a lot of bopping themselves in the arm or head and getting the ropes tangled around each other. “Let’s do something we’re even worse at,” Sam says as a segue.
So it’s on to a lesson in Maori hand-to-hand fighting techniques, honed over the culture’s many battles with the colonial government. Facial expressions are part of the package. “When we poke out our tongue, it’s a sign of defiance,” Inia tells them. He leads them through some stances and moves, and the guys pick it up pretty quickly. Next up: the haka, originally a war dance designed to intimidate opponents but also a celebratory ceremony that takes many forms. Sam, especially, gets really into this part.
The Maori tradition of tattooing is up next. On the way to explore it, Graham asks Sam what he’d choose if he got some ink — “The entire first book of Outlander just tattooed on your body?” Sam ignores that and instead suggests that they get matching Men in Kilts tattoos to commemorate their experience. “You go first,” Graham deadpans.
At the establishment, artist Hohua Mohi gently corrects the guys: While a “tattoo” is anything that marks the skin permanently, “moko” “tells a story, yes, but it tells a story of that particular individual that’s always been inside you, and my job is just to reveal the moko that’s already there.” They designs are generally drawn after a long conversation with the moko recipient, and the outcome is always one-of-a-kind.
Both of the guys tell Hohua their stories while he draws with marker on their skin. Graham talks about how maintaining a connection with his children is the most important thing in his life, and how he would travel back in time to spend just one day with his own father if he could “and ask him all the questions I never got to.”
Sam discusses how his father left when he was 3 years old, and how he didn’t meet him until he was in his mid-20s. “And actually, I got to see him just before he died… we spent a few days together,” he says as Hohua uses colored Sharpies on his left arm. He adds that relationships are difficult because he puts work first, and he works a lot.
The final designs are gorgeous, and the process “felt like going to therapy a little bit,” Sam says.
Lest you think this episode wasn’t going to include something that makes the guys sweat either from exertion or fear, the final segment involves taking part in a waka (or canoe) race. Each man pairs with a more experienced partner, and after a traditional blessing for a safe journey, they’re off! (Well, after Sam and his partner fall into the water before the race even begins.) The music that accompanies Sam’s hard-driving run and Graham’s far more leisurely one is chef’s kiss. Sam wins, but then promptly falls in again. At the end of the episode, there’s a rainbow in the sky as the men sip from a flask and reflect on their Maori education. (Stick around for the credits to watch Sam and Graham discuss the merits and drawbacks of driving while wearing a kilt.)
Now it’s your turn. What did you think of Episode 2? Sound off in the comments!
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