The day has arrived. Outlander: Blood of My Blood is here, and it premiered with no less than a double episode. These episodes served to introduce the characters, connect with the couples, and establish all the upcoming conflicts. Ready?
Here we go!
Clan Mackenzie vs. Clan Fraser
After her father’s death, Ellen Mackenzie is alone. Her father raised her and made it clear that, woman or not, she had the right to have a say in the family and her own life. Thus, in Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Ellen is an independent woman who wants to help save her Clan at a particularly vulnerable time, under the same conditions as her brothers. The problem is that they don’t share their father’s thoughts. For them, Ellen shouldn’t interfere in Clan affairs, as that concerns them as the men of the family.
Colum and Dougal love Ellen, but there’s much more than love there. There’s envy and resentment. They always envied the way their father loved Ellen unconditionally. And they resented her for never showing them the same love. Still, Ellen is willing to do anything for the sake of her Clan.
But she feels increasingly alone in it. She tries. She tries to avoid the advances of suitors who only see her as a trophy and aren’t interested in her. Ellen tries to ignore the whispers from the other clans or her own family that pressure her to step back, marry, and take a back seat. But she does hear them. And it affects her.
Still, Ellen doesn’t give up. While Dougal and Colum are locked in a pointless fight over who should be laird, she constantly thinks about how to show her family’s strength so that the enemy clans don’t destroy them. And there’s a tremendous irony in this because Outlander: Blood of My Blood makes it very clear that she is the one who should be the Chief. But she can’t. And his brothers make it their mission to make this clear. Amid this loneliness, Ellen meets Brian Fraser.
Brian, for his part, lives in a nightmare. His father makes it clear that he despises him. He only puts up with him because he has no other son who could be the future laird of the Frasers. Lord Lovat is despicable. Let’s not mince words. And Brian knows it, so he fights every day not to be like him.
And it becomes increasingly difficult for him to avoid confronting his father when he sees the way he treats women. He hates him and would like to confront him, but at the same time, his loyalty to his family and the respect he feels he must have for his father prevent him from doing so. The only people Brian can be himself around are his mother, Davina, and Murtagh, his best friend. That’s when he meets Ellen.
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The First Encounter in Outlander: Blood of My Blood
At first, it’s only their eyes they see, and they can’t look away. They don’t really know who the other is, but they know that something, inevitably, has changed. That’s why they dare to see each other, alone. They’re both defying all the rules, but something inside them tells them they’re doing the right thing. So they dare; they both run away from their homes…to go see the enemy. Their Clans are mortally wounded. Neither of their families will ever accept a courtship between them. Brian and Ellen know they must separate, now. Before it’s too late. Only…it already is.
In that bridge scene in Outlander: Blood of My Blood, they really try to move away. But they end up getting closer and closer, until they can breathe each other’s breath. They can’t tear their gaze away, can’t control their feet. Ellen is bewitched by Brian’s sincerity, by the truth she sees in his eyes. He’s the first to truly see her. Not as a trophy, not as a ticket to Clan Mackenzie’s control, but to her. Ellen. And Brian is fascinated by her, by her courage, her independence, her strength, her defiance. He can’t unsee her.
And this changes everything. They’re both willing to defy their families because of what was born between them. But at that moment, they don’t know the implications. They don’t know that the woman Murtagh yearns for is Ellen, nor that her brothers have sold her as merchandise to Malcolm Grant. And the latter feels like a kind of betrayal, because we really thought that, of the two of them, Colum was the one who would protect Ellen the most… and he’s the one who ends up condemning her. And the worst part is, he doesn’t care at all.
It’s not fair that she should be the one who has to pay for Dougal’s mistake. Yes, Ellen was careless, and, knowing her brothers, she should have been more careful, but it was Dougal who thought of nothing but violence. And now, the one who must pay for his mistakes isn’t him, but Ellen. And we can’t wait to see how she rebels against it and hits her siblings with their own medicine.
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Sealed With a Kiss
Julia and Henry find themselves in the middle of this whole story in Outlander: Blood of My Blood. And the truth is, their story held more surprises than we imagined. Their romance through letters has a special charm, although we still think we need more of the physical connection we felt with Brian and Ellen. But there’s no denying that the way their words bring them together, how they end up becoming each other’s light in an increasingly dark world, has a distinct magic.
But we still have mixed feelings about them. On the one hand, we liked learning what happened after that car accident, and on the other, we’re not entirely sure if it makes sense for us that Henry and Julia’s adventure begins halfway through their romance. We guess it’s all a matter of getting used to it. That said, it will be very interesting to see how Outlander: Blood of My Blood fits both Claire’s new brother and Henry and Julia’s time in the past with Jamie and Claire’s story in Outlander.
On another note, it’s clear that Julia and Henry are determined to do whatever it takes to get back to each other. And to survive in the meantime. But they’re both trapped. Henry can’t let the Grants down. And Julia tried her hardest to escape… but Brian caught her.
He was on the verge of letting her go. Brian saw what his father’s intentions were for her and knows how that story ends. But, out of conscience, he couldn’t let Julia go alone in the middle of the storm, and soon, the decision was made for them. However, Brian could be an ally for Julia. Will she get him to help her escape? When will Julia and Henry reunite? We can’t wait to find out!
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Other Stuff in Outlander: Blood of My Blood
- We really thought badly of Malcolm when we saw him follow Ellen. But he accepted his defeat.
- Jamie is a worthy son of his father. Those romantic lines made us sigh.
- And the way he takes the punishment for Julia, just like Jamie did for Laoghaire.
- Honestly, this show has many callbacks to Outlander. Maybe too many. They could have made it more independent in some ways.
- We love how well-developed the characters are.
- We really feel betrayed by Colum. Ellen supported him in everything, and this is how he repays her.
- Although it was very clever to expose Dougal in that way to win the game.
- We can’t wait to find out what will happen when Murtagh finds out that he and Brian are in love with the same woman.
- Jocasta is in love with Murtagh and jealous of Ellen? Trouble brewing!
Outlander: Blood of My Blood airs on Fridays on STARZ.
