We’re back! Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies’ left us stunned and in tears following that shocking ending. Meanwhile, Henry and Julia find a new way to stay in touch, and both Colum and Dougal begin to pay the price for their decisions. Ready?
Here we go!
Lovat Made the Unthinkable. Can Ellen Survive It?
We knew Lovat was up to something when he ordered Ellen’s abduction, but we had no idea it would be something so horrific. What he did in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies’ left us absolutely reeling with horror.
He murdered his own grandson—his flesh and blood—all for the sake of a foolish prophecy and the power he supposedly stands to gain. He carries it out with such cold, cruel detachment that it sends shivers down our spines. Lovat didn’t care about the damage it would cause. In fact, he stayed to witness it all, relishing his own handiwork and Ellen’s suffering—smiling as he imagined her reaction once she finally learned the truth. He is, quite simply, completely unprincipled and utterly deranged.
Even Julia, who usually maintains a composed exterior, couldn’t hide the horror and disgust she felt upon realizing the lengths to which Lovat was willing to go. And, of course, Maisri was his accomplice. Yet, as horrified as we are by her actions in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies,’ it’s clear she felt she had no other choice. The way she treats Ellen—and the way she looks at her, knowing her mission is complete—reveals that she truly regrets what she has done.
But Maisri knows that Lovat has the power to destroy her if he chooses, so obeying him becomes a matter of survival. In a perfect world, Maisri would have refused—but we aren’t perfect. We’re human. So, it’s understandable that Maisri agreed to end the baby’s life and continue appeasing Lovat, if only to keep her head on her shoulders.
And then there’s Ellen. Goodness, she knew Lovat couldn’t be trusted, but she never imagined he was capable of something like this. She’s so devastated, so shattered… she can’t even speak. She doesn’t even seem like herself. She just wants—needs—to go to a safe place, to her refuge, her home. We sensed her as so tiny, so diminished, pleading to reach a place where no one would hurt her anymore—to get away from that nightmare.
That child was the symbol of her future with Brian. It was her everything. She loved it. Her mission was to protect it—and she failed. She lost it… at the hands of his own grandfather. It’s as if she’s lost a part of herself. Now, she has to process what happened, share it with Brian, and find a way to move past it together—and, hopefully, they’ll manage to take revenge on that wretch.
MORE: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Director on Julia’s Breaking Point and Colum’s Regrets
What Is Colum Willing to Sacrifice to Keep His Power?
In Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies,’ Colum begins to pay the price for becoming the man he believes he must be. When he learns what happened to Ellen and Dougal, he decides… to wait and do nothing. To play devil’s advocate for a moment: he didn’t have many other options—Dougal had left them without men and, consequently, vulnerable—so he didn’t exactly have an army at his disposal to send after them.
That said, seriously? Nothing? Colum didn’t even try to find out what had happened to them or where they were—especially Ellen. Eventually, Colum did go to the battlefield, where he learned what had happened and that Brian and Murtagh were attempting a rescue. But Colum didn’t know who had abducted Ellen, where she might be, or what she might be enduring—and he made no effort to find out.
He simply let it be. To us, that felt far too callous. This impression was reinforced when we hear him speak in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies.’ Colum’s words showed no concern for Ellen or what she might be suffering—let alone any desperation to find her. It all boiled down to the fact that Leoch was in her name. This makes us wonder whether Colum truly loves Ellen, or if he merely views her as a means to an end. And we aren’t the only ones asking this.
Even Ned—who was always loyal to Colum and the MacKenzies—questioned the fact that Colum’s first thought was of the castle and his power, while he didn’t even bat an eye at the kidnapping of his own sister. The truth is, however, that Colum does care about Ellen. The fact that he was frantic upon learning she was at the castle—yet so shattered that he couldn’t even speak—proves it. He was even afraid that she might not want to see him, that he had lost her for good.
So, why does Colum behave so insensitively? Why this contradiction? We think—as Emer Conroy, the director of the previous episode, told us—that Colum is torn between the man he truly is and the man he feels he has to be: the clan chief, always in control, responsible for countless lives, and with no room for sentimentality or following his heart, lest he appear weak.
And being that man comes at a price. As we see in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies,’ that price is his heart, his soul—pieces of himself. And Colum is beginning to pay it.
MORE: Outlander: Blood of My Blood: Matthew B. Roberts on Ellen’s Kidnapping and Henry’s Defining Choice
Did Brian Just Save a Monster’s Life?
Brian shouldn’t have stopped Dougal in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies!’ We stand by that. We understand why he did it, though—young Jack seemed far too young to die that day, especially while unarmed. This brings us to an important point: even at such a tender age, Jack already showed signs of the monster he would eventually become.
He took the lead in torturing Dougal, and when Dougal wounded his pride, his cruelest side emerged and he relished it. He enjoyed seeing the fear in Dougal’s eyes and silencing his laughter. Randall felt powerful, superior. He—barely more than a child—was subduing a man as incredibly strong as Dougal. And that gave him satisfaction. We’re witnessing the birth of a monster.
Honestly, one has to wonder: did his early exposure to such extreme violence—war, torture—turn him into this monster, or did it simply reveal who he truly was all along? It is an age-old debate, one for which we may never find an answer. Much like the question of what might have happened if Dougal finished what he started.
MORE: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2, Episode 5 Review: Every Choice Has a Price
Henry’s Next Move Depends on the Last Person He Expected to Trust
On another note, Arch and Henry end up becoming reluctant friends in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies.’ There is a sincerity and respect between them that wasn’t there before. Now that Arch knows the story of the stones, Henry can speak freely about his intentions, and Arch recognizes in him a fellow brother in arms, an equal. Someone who saved him when he could have easily left him to his fate. That’s why he finally confronts him.
Whether he likes it or not, if Henry leaves again, the Grants will send men after him to finish him off. And even though Arch knows and understands Henry’s reasons, he would still be compelled to do it. That’s why he tries to get Henry to surrender. But, of course, Henry refuses. Curiously, this only makes Arch admire him more. If he were in Henry’s shoes, he wouldn’t surrender either. Nothing would keep him from his wife. He would die trying to reach her, just as Henry would.
So, as the saying goes: if you can’t beat your enemy, join him. Arch agrees to help Henry so that he and Julia can communicate. This will prevent the Grants from coming after him again before Henry and Julia can return to their own time through the stones. And so—though we never thought we’d say this—thanks to Arch, Julia and Henry are reunited in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6 ‘Small Mercies.’
And, honestly? Both of them needed that moment—a moment of hope—especially after the horrors they had endured over the last few hours. Only in each other’s arms do they feel safe, protected, and truly at home. It’s a brief moment, but with Arch’s help, they will have many more together. And we can’t wait to see them!
MORE: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2, Episode 4 Review: A Father’s Betrayal
Other Thoughts on Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 6
- Julia feels bad about Seema’s death—and we understand why. Like us, she pities the sad, lonely life Seema led—but she did what she had to do.
- It’s clear that, to Lovat, Seema was just an object, something replaceable. He knows Julia is lying and that Seema is almost certainly dead, but he doesn’t care how or why; he only cares about finding a replacement.
- We also saw Maura’s concern for Dougal…
- Seeing Jocasta and Mrs. FitzGibbons looking after Ellen was truly moving.
- We were really hoping Dougal would finish the job with Jack Randall.
- We’re going to miss Angus. The thought that his child and Rupert’s child will always have each other—just as their fathers would have wanted—brings tears to our eyes.
- Grace and Jocasta hate that Hector survived—and so do we—even though each one has different reasons.
- Harriet Slater and Tony Curran, the actors that you are!
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 airs on Fridays at 8:00 PM ET only on STARZ and at midnight in STARZ App.
