We’re back! Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father,’ is the best episode of the series so far. It explores the characters as never before, weaving their present and past together like a spiderweb, while revealing their motivations, fears, and regrets. At the same time, the action never lets up for a second—you won’t be able to look away. Ready?
Here we go!
Colum Must Face What He Did to Ellen
Jane’s death at the hands of Mackinney causes Colum to sink even deeper into his regrets in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father.’ He finally realizes how poorly he handled everything—from Ellen to the situation with the Clan. He loves Ellen, but he failed her, breaking something between them that now seems beyond repair, no matter how much he might wish otherwise. In his heart, he feels he has lost his sister.
He was wrong about her from the very beginning. Resentment and envy—fueled by the fact that she was always their father’s favorite—combined with a desperate need to prove himself a capable leader, blinded him. He betrayed not only Ellen but also his father’s final wishes. He used Ellen as a shield for all his own mistakes—the very thing the Mackenzie patriarch had prayed would never happen.
Colum knew exactly what he was doing. Part of him believed it was the only way to save the Clan, while another part sought revenge against his father for favoring Ellen. Breaking every promise his father made to Ellen seemed the perfect way to punish him—and, by extension, Ellen.
But in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father,’ Colum comes to realize that all those choices have led him here: to the brink of war, the murder of one sister… and the loss of another. He betrayed the person he could trust most, and now he is paying the price—the price for his own pride and arrogance. And that torments him.
He’s also tormented by what might happen from this point forward, because there is no turning back. As head of the clan, he must save it from destruction, by any means necessary. Colum knows that doing so will require difficult—and perhaps morally gray—decisions. These’re choices his father might not have approved of, yet they’re necessary in these times. Consequently, Colum feels he may be failing his father’s memory again, but he truly has no other choice.
That said, it was time for Colum to confront his own decisions and realize the extent of his missteps. Though, playing devil’s advocate here, we must remember that Colum is young and carries a heavy burden of responsibility. It’s no wonder he doesn’t always make the best choices. We only hope it isn’t too late to mend things with Ellen, so that they might work together once more to save Clan Mackenzie from destruction.
MORE: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2, Episode 4 Review: A Father’s Betrayal
Jocasta Is Trapped in a Life She Never Chose
Janet’s death also takes a toll on the rest of Clan Mackenzie, especially Jocasta. We appreciate that the show is giving her the character development she deserves, while simultaneously highlighting the realities women faced in that era: forced marriage and a life of unhappiness at best—and violence at worst. Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father’ is a stark illustration of this.
As for Jocasta, it’s a relief that she has someone to talk to. She’s unhappy in her marriage. She doesn’t love Hector, and on top of that, she must endure his infidelity right under her nose. Yet, the man she truly loves… he, too, pays her no mind. In fact, he set his sights on the very same woman as her own husband did. And that leaves Jocasta feeling… disgusted, furious, and sad—as if there is something wrong with her. Whenever the men in her life have to make a choice, they never choose her.
And it hurts. It hurts like hell. Especially because she waited. She waited for a chance with Murtagh, and she finally got it… for one precious, fleeting moment. A moment that vanished just hours later. To her, it meant everything; to Murtagh, it meant nothing. Jocasta feels that, no matter what she does, she’s destined to be unhappy, as if she doesn’t deserve happiness.
For a long time, Jocasta blamed Ellen for her own misfortune and envied her freedom. But Ellen was never to blame for what happened to her, nor for the fact that she was able to be free. It’s a reflection of the deeply unfair world in which they live. Understanding this may not bring her happiness, but it did allow her to reclaim her sister. And for that reason alone, it’s worth it.
Speaking of her sister, Ellen’s day isn’t going much better than that of the other MacKenzies in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father.’ First, she must contend with Robert MacKinney and his attempt at revenge. Personally, we share Ellen’s view: this man is not a murderer, unlike his father.
Driven by pride and loyalty, he felt he had to avenge his father’s death, but when the moment came, standing before Ellen and Grace… he couldn’t bring himself to kill them. That speaks volumes, showing that this man is far better than his father.
We love that Ellen recognized this, allowing Robert’s humanity to prevail over his rage and desire for revenge. That said, it’s unclear what Robert actually expected to happen. His father arrived at the Mackenzie home with an army, intent on destroying them—thereby breaking his own oath. He brought his fate upon himself. If Robert is looking for someone to blame, he should look no further than his own father.
Dougal’s Men Pay for His Pride
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father,’ demonstrates once again why Dougal is a poor leader and ill-suited to be clan chief. A chief must prioritize the well-being of the collective over his own personal desires. Yet, Dougal is driven solely by his own impulses and instincts. He’s selfish.
As chief, you’re responsible for the entire clan. You cannot simply act on your own whims without considering the consequences. And that’s precisely what Dougal does here.
Consumed by pride, rage, and a bloodthirsty desire, he endangers his own men, sending them to certain death—all because he wanted more, wanted to win, and wanted to prove he was capable of it. The men who followed him blindly paid for his selfishness with their lives.
Now, only two remain and they are being held captive. We won’t pretend that Dougal doesn’t deserve this, but Angus certainly does not—and for that reason alone, we hope Brian and Murtagh find them. And we truly, truly hope that this serves as a lesson for Dougal.
His hands are stained with the blood of his own men. That ought to change him… though, honestly, we don’t think it will. Dougal is an expert at deflecting and evading responsibility, using excuses and blaming anyone—everyone—but himself.
MORE: INTERVIEW: Matthew B. Roberts & Maril Davis on Blood of My Blood Season 2’s Biggest Questions
Henry Risks Everything to Save Arch
Among the biggest surprises in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father,’ is the unexpected connection between Henry and Arch. Arch never liked Henry. He didn’t trust a Sassenach who seemed to know far too much, while remaining a complete mystery himself. When Henry left the clan, Arch’s suspicions were confirmed. For Arch, it became personal: Henry had broken his oath, he had betrayed them.
But in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father,’ for the first time, Arch looks at Henry with respect and treats him as an equal. Arch may not know exactly what happens at the stones, but he knows there is something magical about them. Realizing that Henry comes from them makes the pieces fall into place. Suddenly, the puzzle is complete. It explains everything—his sudden appearance, his knowledge of things others don’t know, his obsession with finding Julia… everything.
So, Arch understands. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to return to his wife’s side, so he grasps why Henry would do the same to get back to his own wife and daughter. He can respect that. And now that Arch knows—more or less—what’s going on, Henry finally feels free to confess things he had previously been forced to keep to himself. He no longer feels the need to pretend. In a way, he feels liberated.
When suspicion is removed from the equation, Henry and Arch reach a mutual understanding in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father.’ Both men come to respect one another—albeit reluctantly. Furthermore, discovering that this is not Henry’s first time in battle finally breaks down the last barrier between them. Consequently, when faced with a choice, Henry saves Arch’s life in the heat of the fight.
It would have been easiest for Henry to flee the chaos of the battle to go find Julia, but that simply isn’t who he is. Arch had hunted him down like an animal—Henry owes him nothing—yet he cannot let the man die. Henry never leaves anyone behind. That’s why he stays. We’re eager to see how this shifts their relationship. If learning the truth about Henry fostered a reluctant respect between them, we now need to see what happens next. After all, Arch owes Henry his life.
MORE: INTERVIEW: Hermione Corfield & Jeremy Irvine on Henry and Julia’s Blood of My Blood Season 2 Journey
Seema’s Obsession Turns Deadly
We didn’t think Seema was capable of going this far, but if Outlander: Blood of My BloodSeason 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father’ proved anything, it’s that we underestimated her—big time. As we’ve mentioned, we can understand why she became so obsessed with Henry. When your entire life has been defined by being used—treated like a piece of meat, like an object rather than a human being—and someone comes along who doesn’t treat you that way, it’s almost inevitable that you’d become fixated on him.
And that’s exactly what happened to Seema. She claims to love Henry, but she doesn’t actually know him—not really. Sure, she was present during one of his lowest moments, but that doesn’t mean she knows who he is. You can’t love someone without knowing who they are. Seema loves the idea of a man she can trust, a man who values her, treats her with respect, sees her as a person rather than an object, and views her as an equal. Seema is clinging to that—so much so that she’s constructed a fantasy about a fairy-tale future with Henry.
On a rational level, Seema knows that when Henry was with her, he wasn’t making love to her—he was making love to Julia. But in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Forgive Me, Father,’ Seema has moved beyond rationality. She’s holding on to the only thing she has: this fairy tale involving Henry. And to protect it, she’s willing to do anything—even kill Julia—genuinely believing that, afterward, there might be a chance for Henry to forgive her and for them to be together.
The problem, however, is that this fairy tale doesn’t exist, and Henry was never hers to begin with—even if she believes otherwise. And we have to give credit to Julia here. She tried to reason with Seema and help her see the madness of her actions. But Seema wouldn’t listen to reason, and when it became clear that it was either Julia or her, Julia did what she had to do.
And, honestly? We feel sorry for Seema—not so much because of her death, but because of the life she was forced to lead. A life so horrific that she became obsessed with the first man who treated her with the respect everyone deserves. A life so sad that she had to cling to someone else’s love—to someone else’s life—just to try and grasp even a shred of happiness.
That said, we need to know what happens to Julia next. She killed Seema in self-defense; she had no other choice… but she isn’t the type of person who can overlook what she’s done, even knowing she had no alternative.
MORE: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2, Episode 3 Review: Ellen Steps Up
Other Thoughts on Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5
- Little William is safe, and we’re celebrating! We were genuinely worried there for a moment.
- That moment of mutual understanding between Henry and Brian—sparing each other’s lives…
- The conversation between Colum and his wife about their children broke us. He had been so cold toward Ellen that she assumed he would despise having a daughter—but that’s not the case at all.
- Still, there’s no easy answer; a son would face just as much pressure as he does.
- We all need a Ned in our lives.
- Grace deserves to be happy. We hate Hector Cameron with all our hearts.
- Old Rupert…
- We can’t stand that Lovat managed to secure a small victory.
- We loved the conversation between Grace and Ellen—the love with which Ellen speaks of Brian and the baby she’s expecting…
- It pains us to see our favorite characters on opposite sides of that battle; we suffer so much for them.
- That said, those scenes are BRUTAL—in the best possible way. They gave us goosebumps!
- Henry talking about Claire makes us smile, yet it also breaks our hearts.
- Welcome, Lord Gerard Grey!
- Brian and Murtagh are fighting to keep Ellen from losing any more brothers. We love them for it.
- If, after this, Dougal still wants to pick a fight with Brian, we swear…
- Brian entrusting Ellen’s well-being to Murtagh brought tears to our eyes.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 airs on Fridays at 8:00 PM ET only on STARZ and at midnight in STARZ App.
