Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish Return in Adrenaline-Filled Premiere (RECAP)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Men in Kilts Season 2, Episode 1, “Scottish Influence.”]

Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish are leaning into the silly side of their sweet travelogue series Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham as Season 2 kicked off with the episode “Scottish Influence.”

The half-hour episode opened with a dour Sam, who is nursing a cocktail alone at the bar. Listening to Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” he begins remembering the good times traveling around Scotland with Graham and recalls his friend suggesting they do it all again. This inspires Sam to pick up his phone, calling Graham, whose ringtone happens to be Outlander‘s theme music, “The Skye Boat Song.”

When Sam suggests they follow up on their previous adventures, Graham is open to it but reminds his pal that he’s now halfway around the world in New Zealand. That’s no issue for Sam, who somehow teleports his way to Graham’s front door, spooking the man in the process. While it’s a silly staged gimmick, you can’t help but feel the joy emanating from Sam as Graham opens the door.

(Credit: Starz)

Together, they take off in their mini RV for a fresh adventure in what’s known as the “adrenaline capital of the world.” As they drive along the New Zealand countryside, Graham notes that many of the population have Scottish ancestry, tying the show’s theme back to its new location. First up on their adventure is a zip-lining excursion that Graham isn’t thrilled about.

It was no secret that the actor isn’t a big risk taker regarding his travel activities, but Sam’s continuing to push the envelope with grand-scale stunts. Ultimately, Graham takes the plunge across a lengthy line, leaving Sam in the dust while cursing him at the same time, screaming things like, “How much do I f**king hate that man?” We’d expect nothing less!

Eventually, Sam follows suit, and the men enjoy smaller zip lines as the excursion plays out. But if you think that was the end of Sam torturing Graham with wild activities, you’re wrong. They follow up the zip-lining with shark diving, which Graham is also not keen on, especially as Sam explains that it will be Great White Sharks.

Before they enter the cages, the men strip down to their swimsuits, and Sam gets a judgemental side-eye from Graham, who is wearing a more modest pair of shorts. While they’re both a bit nervous, the men take on the challenge and end up enjoying the experience. Whether they’ll do such a thing again remains to be determined.

Rounding out the exciting premiere episode is a helicopter flight over the picturesque Milford Sound which the pilot calls “Hobbit country.” Together, the men marvel over the mountains, water, and glaciers they observe and conclude the episode sitting around the fire and hinting at even more fun things to come as Season 2 unfolds on Starz.

What was your favorite part of the episode? Let us know in the comments section below, and don’t miss Men in Kilts as it airs on Starz this summer.

Men in Kilts, Season 2, Fridays, 9:30/8:30c, Starz