We’re back! Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time,’ shows us that war makes for strange bedfellows while revealing something mind-blowing that could change everything. Ready?
Here we go!
What Happened Between Ellen and Colum in Blood of My Blood Season 2?
As we discussed last week, we were certain Ellen would make Colum listen to her, no matter what it took. And we weren’t wrong. He remains reluctant, angry with both her and himself, clinging to his pride. Yet, in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time,’ Ellen manages to make him see the merits of her idea. Ultimately, they share the same goal: for Clan Mackenzie to survive the rebellion, regardless of whether it succeeds.
It comes down to calculating which plan offers the best chance of achieving that goal. And, much as he hates it, Colum knows Ellen’s plan might be the only solution. He’s right. They can walk the line for a while, but Dougal has committed his men to the Jacobite cause, and come what may, those men will follow him. As clan chief, Colum must project an image of unity to the outside world. He cannot let any weakness or rift show, so he cannot publicly discredit Dougal.
That leaves him with few options should the rebellion fail. But with Ellen’s plan, the Crown wouldn’t be able to reach them. However, Colum is a Mackenzie—calculating and cunning to the core. He knows that, whether he approves or not, Ellen and Brian are going to be together. But he isn’t about to relinquish control of everything. He isn’t going to let Ellen win this war. Colum views Brian as an upstart bastard unworthy of Ellen; consequently, he wants to ensure Brian cannot wield power over his family’s lands—even though Brian doesn’t care about that.
Hence the condition he imposes on Ellen in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time.’ It’s a condition Ellen has no choice but to accept, knowing Colum will give her nothing else. That said—appearances aside—this represents progress. Both are making concessions. Ellen entered negotiations with her brother as an equal, and for the first time, he treats her as one.
We love that the show depicted this, just as we appreciate how it helped us understand the characters’ motives and gave them space to confront each other over the wrongs they had committed. It’s essential to understand where they are coming from and just how broken their relationship is. Both have felt betrayed by the other—by the very person they trusted and relied on most. They’re wounded. Colum finally understands Ellen’s motives, yet he clings to his pride.
Meanwhile, Ellen is unsure if she can ever forgive Colum for putting the clan ahead of her—his sister, his own flesh and blood. Here, however, we differ from Ellen. We don’t think Colum put the clan above her, but rather his pride. We would have understood if, as clan chief, he had prioritized the collective good over Ellen’s happiness; leaders sometimes must make such difficult decisions, even at a cost. But ordering Brian’s death served no clan interest—only his own pride. Colum betrayed his sister out of selfishness.
Nevertheless, both set that aside to protect the family. Because it was what they had to do. And we are proud of them both for it.
Brian and Dougal Form an Unexpected Alliance
Just as Ellen scores a small victory in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time,’ Brian does the same. He loathes his father with every fiber of his being and knows—rightfully so—that the man deserves neither to regain his lost position nor his power. Yet, seeing his father fail to rally the masses to the rebellion’s cause, Brian couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing. So, he took matters into his own hands… and succeeded.
This makes the father-son dynamic even more twisted and complex. Brian’s success deals a blow to Lovat’s pride. While Lovat couldn’t get anyone to believe in him or pledge their swords to Clan Fraser, Brian managed to do just that. Lovat’s resentment toward him deepens and intensifies, yet he knows he needs Brian—without him, he wouldn’t even have men to start with.
It makes us nervous, though. We can’t help but feel that Lovat is biding his time to settle the score and is plotting something terrible to teach his son “a lesson.” We’re on the edge of our seats with anxiety!
That said, Brian and Ellen can’t stay apart for long, and they reunite in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time.’ However, the war keeps disrupting their plans. They want to marry and be happy, yet something always stands in their way—something that demands priority. First, it was their families; now, it’s their clans.
Colum’s condition hits Brian like a punch to the gut because it means a longer wait to marry Ellen—to make it official and stop hiding. It breaks both their hearts. She’s the only thing that matters to him. That’s why we melt when they vow that, once this is all over, they’ll start their life together openly for the world to see. They’re our babies, and we love them! We just want to see them get married. Now.
But reality is cruel and always asserts itself. Dougal, impulsive as ever, doesn’t hesitate to pick a fight with Brian. To him, Brian is nothing more than a bastard who defiled his sister and humiliated his clan. But Brian has no interest in fighting him. Dougal is Ellen’s brother, and no matter how badly they get along, Brian knows she loves him. He would never hurt her like that—forcing her to watch two people so important to her constantly hurting one another. And it’s precisely because of things like this that Brian is the new king of men.
In the end, what began as a brawl in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time,’ resulted in a rather interesting truce. Dougal cannot afford the luxury of fighting a clan allied to the cause—they need to be more united than ever—nor can he afford to turn away hundreds of men ready to fight under his command. So, we’re eager to see what this new alliance brings. Will Brian win over one of his brothers-in-law?
Is Julia Really Not a Time Traveler?
On another note, while Lovat is away, Julia is considering her next moves in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time.’ Although Henry did manage to cross over by mistake, the truth is that it didn’t work when they tried it together. And both Julia and us need to know why. Was it because they didn’t have gemstones?
Maisri seems like the right person to shed some light on this. After all, she prophesied William’s fate, and Julia felt she wasn’t just some charlatan. However, what Maisri tells Julia in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time’ leaves us in shock. How is it possible that Julia isn’t a time traveler? It makes no sense. She traveled with Henry the first time.
But did she really do it, or was it just Henry and the baby who actually traveled, dragging her along with them? This question keeps running through our minds. However, the idea doesn’t quite sit right with us, because if that were the case, Julia would have ended up trapped within the stones—caught between the two worlds—like so many others.
Another possibility is that something—or someone—drew Julia into the past, but now nothing draws her back to the future, preventing her return. But in that scenario, wouldn’t Claire be enough to call her back to her time? Of course, Maisri could have been mistaken—part of what she does is an act; that much is clear, as she tells Lovat exactly what he wants to hear—and perhaps Julia failed to travel because she wasn’t carrying any gemstones. But then, why did Henry manage it? As we recall, he wasn’t carrying gems either.
So, as you can see, Maisri’s visit left us with far more questions than answers, because nothing quite adds up. And we love that Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time’ has ramped up the mystery exponentially!
Arch Bug Has a New Plan for Henry and Julia
That said, what truly breaks our hearts in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time’ is that—based on Maisri’s words—Julia believes Henry is with little Claire, when in fact he isn’t. Maisri was actually referring to Claire’s uncle. He cares for and loves her like a father. Julia clings to the hope that Henry and Claire are together; it keeps her from giving up, helps her survive, and fuels her dream of reuniting with them one day. But what will happen when she finds out it’s all an illusion?
The only silver lining is that Henry is already on his way—bless Mrs. Graham. We knew she could get Henry out of that place—and they’ll be able to fight together to get back to Claire. Though first, they’ll have to fight to recover Henry’s memories… and Henry himself.
And just as Henry and Julia’s troubles are mounting, another one arrives in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2 ‘The Veil of Time.’ Arch Bug isn’t going to let Henry slip away. He saw what Julia means to him, so he knows that, sooner or later, Henry will come back for her. And that brings us to Seema.
In reality, she could break free from Arch if she wanted to, but she is madly in love with Henry. She knows he loves another woman—Julia—and although she doesn’t understand the story Arch is telling her, she plays along. She does so partly because it’s her only chance to see him again, and partly because she wants to meet Julia—to find out what Julia has that she doesn’t, what sets them apart, and why Henry loves Julia but not her. And this is only going to lead to trouble. A lot of trouble.
Other thoughts on Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2
- Little Claire is so cute!
- If only they had stayed in Inverness a little longer… or if Claire’s uncle had spent a bit more time reading that newspaper…
- It’s interesting that Letitia is pregnant. This gives us a glimpse into how Jocasta feels—envious on the one hand, and like a failure on the other for not having managed to conceive a child herself. Here’s hoping the show explores this further…
- Also, we certainly didn’t see that spark between Murtagh and Grace coming. And Jocasta noticed it too. She’s consumed by jealousy because Murtagh is the only man she has ever loved, and what happened between them meant everything to her—even though it didn’t matter to him. And they really need to talk about it!
- The passion between Moura and Dougal is heating up. But we keep wondering what she’ll do when her uncle tries to bring down the MacKenzies.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 airs on Fridays at 8:00 PM ET only on STARZ and at midnight in STARZ App.
