Outlander Blood of My Blood Episode 1 and 2 Recap: Providence and S.W.A.K.

The Starz historical romance ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ transports the audience to the Scottish Highlands of the early 1400s, where two unique love stories unravel. The show, a prequel to ‘Outlander,’ focuses on the parents of Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp. The story of the former’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, presents a taut case of the star-crossed lovers. After the death of her father, Red Jacob, the Laird of the MacKenzie clan, his most beloved daughter faces an uncertain future.

However, the mounting unpredictability of the throne’s fate is softened after her paths cross with the charming son of her clan’s biggest, most unfortunate rival. On the other hand, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, whose love blossomed out of chaos in the Great War of the 1910s, find themselves set up for a different kind of tragedy. An unlucky motorcar accident sends the pair hurtling centuries into the past, 1400s Scotland to be specific. Yet, it’s just their luck that the journey separated the pair, sending them on their own personal missions to reunite with their loves. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Red Jacob’s Death Sparks a Rivalry Between Dougal and Colum

The MacKenzie clan goes into a period of deep mourning after the unexpected death of their Laird, Red Jacob MacKenzie. Yet, the loss perhaps stings the most for the departed’s daughter, Ellen. The father doted on his daughter, cherishing her as his most prized heir, even above his sons. In fact, he had promised never to use her as a political pawn by requiring her to ever enter an unwanted marriage. Furthermore, the Laird had gifted Ellen their family brooch and plaid, ones worn by men, to establish her complete and final place with the MacKenzie clan. Therefore, in his death, when the young woman is left powerless even to select the nature of his funeral rites, she’s understandably distraught.

On the other hand, Jacob’s sons, Dougal and Colum, deal with complications of their own. Neither has any love lost for their father, who never particularly paid attention to either of them. For the old Laird, Dougal was too boorish and without brains, while Colum, who has a skinnier frame and walks with a limp, was considered too weak. Perhaps for the same reason, Jacob had never even named an heir to his clan before his untimely death. Nonetheless, this decision leaves the MacKenzies vulnerable to outsider threats. Since there is no named heir, the clan would have to cast their vote in favor of one of the two brothers, or a third foreign party. In this competition, Dougal and Colum share no sense of unity. Both of them are eager to prove their own worth as the potential Laird. Thus, with no possibility for a peaceful conclusion, the future of the clan remains precarious.

Ellen and Brian Share a Fateful First Meeting

In the wake of Red Jacob’s death, the clan prepares for a gathering. Young Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser remains particularly interested in attending the event. Nonetheless, his best friend and cousin, Brian, doesn’t share his opinion. He knows that his identity as Lovat’s bastard son makes him an enemy in the eyes of the MacKenzies, who banished his father all those years ago. Lovat himself holds a great grudge against the clan due to their antagonistic shared history. However, this only makes the cruel Lord more compelled to encourage his son to attend the upcoming Gathering. He reasons that since no one knows how to connect his face to Fraser’s name, Brian should be able to pass through the crowd undetected. Consequently, he can be used as a spy to bring back news of the clan’s political environment, something the older man has a vested interest in.

Thus, Brian finds himself attending the gathering, participating in the feasts, and the revelry. Yet, soon enough, his ability to best the others in axe-throwing invites the wrong kind of attention from a band of troublemakers. As a result, he ends up hiding away with the horses, which is where he meets the beautiful and witty Ellen. The latter has been seeking out a hideout of her own, tired of constantly battling unwanted suitors. Nonetheless, as the two converse, it becomes evident that Brian’s interest in her is anything but unwanted. As such, the pair makes plans to meet again at the bridge in a few hours, away from the event’s crowd. Although Ellen manages to make it to their secret rendezvous, a daunting truth awaits the pair once they identify each other as heirs to the rivaling MacKenzie and Fraser names. Even so, they agree that their connection feels too valuable to be thrown away at the first sight of danger.

Dougal Makes a Rash Decision and Dooms His Clan

While Ellen meets up with Brian, her absence is inevitably felt by the rest of the Castle Leoch. When her brothers note her absence over dinner, her handmaiden, Fitz, can’t help but blurt out the gossip about how the young woman was last seen in the company of Malcolm Grant. The latter is the son of an important Laird, who has plenty of money and men at his disposal. Therefore, his vote is set to be crucial in deciding the fate of the MacKenzie clan. However, his riches make him a target and a threat in Dougal’s eyes. For the same reason, he immediately jumps to conclusions about the nature of Malcolm’s intentions with his sister. In turn, Colum boasts an agenda of his own.

The eldest son knows the vital value of earning the Grants’ favor. He also knows that his most pressing competition in the race for the throne is his own brother. Consequently, he subtly but intentionally riles his Dougal up to make the wrong decision. In the end, the younger brother ends up taking his men and attacking Malcolm’s retreating envoy. Yet, on the other side of the brawl remains only the fact that the other heir has no idea about Ellen’s whereabouts. Even though he is interested in the young woman and has walked her to the castle for the same reason, he has remained respectful of her dismissal. Therefore, now that Dougal has picked a needless fight with such an important name, he has doomed his own future as well as the future of the MacKenzie clan. That is, until Colum steps in with a solution and conveniently also proves his own worth.

Julia and Henry Find Love in the Middle of an Unforgiving War

Where episode 1 had been more centered on the narratives of Ellen and Brian, episode 2 shifts focus to the other protagonists of the show. Henry Beauchamp is a lieutenant, fighting for the King’s army in the Great War in 1917. While stationed on the Western Front of the Battle of Passchendaele, he pens down his existential thoughts to a letter addressed to no one in particular. By a twist of fate, the letter ends up on the desk of Julia Moriston, who works at the War Office Postal and Telegraph Censorship Department in London. On a whim, she ends up reading the soldier’s letter and finds herself moved by his words. As such, she writes back, hoping for a reply. As a result, the two begin a correspondence that bears their souls to one another without ever uncovering their faces.

In time, the couple makes plans to meet up once Henry manages to secure some time off from the army. However, a particularly bad attack at Passchendaele and the ensuing radio silence from the soldier threatened to undo these plans. Fortunately, destiny strikes, and Henry manages to make his way to his beloved. Their union remains passionate and giddy from the start as they agree on a future of marriage and lifelong partnership. Although the path is hard to travel, they manage to make their way to the other side, together as a happy family in the War’s aftermath. However, a holiday in the highlands of Scotland changes everything. After the duo gets in a motorcar accident, they end up washed up on a strange shore thanks to a river. As they try to find their way back, Julia stumbles across a stone circle, which transports her far away from her time. It isn’t long before Henry follows after.

Julia and Henry Assume New Roles to Survive and Find Their Way Back Home

Even though Julia and Henry both travel through the stone circle, the slight difference in their transportation ends up costing them dearly. Julia, who arrives at the 1400s, first tries to study her surroundings and ends up getting kidnapped by a band of travelers. Thus, by the time Henry arrives at the same place, his wife is long gone, leaving only one small evidence of her presence behind in the form of a code scribbled atop a boulder. This compels the former soldier to travel into town and find his wife by any means necessary. However, one wrong encounter at the local tavern sends him to the Laird of the Land, Isaac Grants. Henry managed to catch Malcolm’s eye with a keen observation of this unfaithful advisor.

Therefore, in the aftermath, Henry inadvertently earns himself a position as the grants’ spokesperson and advisor. Since the position is sure to take him far and wide, thus helping him find Julia, the man has no choice but to accept. Meanwhile, his wife suffers a much crueler fate. After getting kidnapped, the young woman, subtly pregnant with child, gets sold into the service of Lord Lovlat, who is known for his sleazy intentions. Therefore, she has to reckon with the reality of being out of time and in a place where she must work as a housemaid and bat off the advances of her powerful employer. Fortunately, she manages to make the acquaintance of the kind-hearted Brian Fraser. Even so, her reality remains bleak for now.