Aahana Swrup
In episode 5 of ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ Season 2, all four protagonists find themselves on the verge of a doomed demise. As the Jacobite uprising continues, Brian, who has thrown in his lot with Dougal MacKenzie, and Henry, reinstated as the bladier to the Grants, enter the battlefield on opposite sides. Meanwhile, Julia remains trapped at Castle Leather with Seema, the brothel worker with green eyes of envy who threatens to succumb to a homicidal rage with one wrong move. Finally, Ellen, having served as a messenger of Lovat’s betrayal, journeys back to Leoch with Grace. However, their trip is interrupted by the resurfacing of an old enemy who is more than eager to exact his revenge by spilling the blood of the MacKenzie heir. With war brewing in the air, both political and personal, it seems no one in the Highlands is safe. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Julia Passes a Threshold She Can Never Come Back From
When Julia returns to Leathers, it’s to find her, Davina, and her son, young William, missing from the castle. Instead, she’s confronted by Seema, who is armed with a blade and seething hatred for the other woman. As she locks the two of them in a room, ensuring no one can escape, a tense game begins between the two. The key point of contention driving this conflict forward is Seema’s past with Henry. Months ago, the WWI vet slept with her during a grief-induced haze after he was given false information about the death of his wife and his yet-unborn child. During their time together, Henry projected his memories of Julia onto Seema and took pleasure and comfort from her touch. Eventually, this affair came to an end once he came to his senses, and all hopes of rekindling disappeared when he discovered his wife was alive.
However, this left Seema in a cold aftermath. She became infatuated with the love Henry showed her, even if it was with another woman in his mind. Therefore, she has become convinced that she can have it back if only she can erase Julia from the equation once again. However, her biggest dilemma resides in figuring out how this can be achieved without earning Henry’s direct ire. Although this conflict buys the other woman some time, Seema eventually decides to just cut to the chase and ask for forgiveness later. As a result, a violent altercation breaks out between the two, at the end of which Julia finds herself strangling her jailor with her own hands. Once Seema is dead, the protagonist finally exits the room and finds Davina returning to Leathers with William. The mother reunites with her son, while Seema’s murder, albeit committed in self-defense, clouds over her.
Henry Stands His Ground in the Battlefield
After the Grants found Henry, Mac forced him back into the role of the bladier. Moreover, he insisted on taking him along for the upcoming Battle of Sheriffmuir against the Jacobites. As a WWI veteran, he has plenty of experience in the art of war, but no eagerness to return to the battlefield. Still, he has no choice but to take up arms against an enemy once again. The battle that unfolds between the Grants and the Mackenzies remains a bloodied affair, ripe with gunfire and bloodshed. Earlier, after his brief but significant reunion with Julia, Henry had made the plan to escape from the battlefield and return to her. Nonetheless, once the war begins and he finds his chance to slip away, he ends up choosing otherwise.
Instead of fleeing from the Grants, Henry chooses to stick around and fight, saving Archbug’s life in the process. In the aftermath, once the battle has ended and both parties have retired to their camps, the Grant loyalist asks him why he didn’t escape. It’s then that Henry reveals he couldn’t have faced his family knowing that he abandoned his brothers-in-arms when they needed him the most. Despite their past, it seems Henry and Archbug have bonded notably to the point where they have gone from enemies to friends. Moreover, regardless of the horrors he faces, it seems Henry will always remain an honorable soldier at heart. On the battlefield, Lord Gerard Grey, Earl of Melton, also takes note of this same honor and introduces himself to the bladier.
Ellen Talks Robert Out of Seeking Revenge
On their way back to Leoch, Ellen and Grace rest for a while. They talk of their respective lives, and the latter even manages to deduce the MacKenzie heir’s pregnancy. Similarly, the latter takes note of her other woman’s fondness for Murtagh and encourages her to follow her heart. Afterward, as the two women slumber, they’re attacked by Robert MacKinney, son of the clan leader who attempted to stage a coup at Leoch earlier. The father had died at the hands of the oldest MacKenzie. Therefore, the son now wants to exact revenge upon her in his father’s memory. Yet, he refuses to outright shoot or stab her. Instead, Robert insists that he wants to give Ellen a slow and painful death.
While this is meant to be threatening, Ellen comes to a few conclusions when Robert ties both her and Grace up. She realizes that the MacKinney heir is stalling, likely because he doesn’t have the temperament of a cold-blooded killer. On some level, even he knows that his father brought his fate upon himself. Moreover, not enough love seems to be lost between him and his deceased father to justify his own surrender to mindless violence. Despite being tied up and at Robert’s mercy, Ellen speaks her mind to him and eventually helps him realize that revenge isn’t the only path he can take. However, in the end, while the threat of the MacKinney heir diminishes, a new villain emerges. Bulloch, loyal to Lovat, appears and takes Ellen away.
Dougal Makes a Mistake, and Brian Sets Off to His Rescue
The Battle of Sheriffmuir ultimately comes to an inconclusive end. Both sides can lay their own personal claim to victory as long as Argylle’s forces retreat and Mar doesn’t press forward with the Jacobites. However, this remains unacceptable to Dougal. While the battle unfolds, we also see a glimpse of Colum, who remains tormented by the difficult choices he has had to make thus far. During this time, he and Ned contemplate what the outcome of this war would be. If they lose, Ellen’s scheme will keep Leoch and its lands safe. However, if they win, the older brother doubts his war chieftain brother will be satisfied with his title. The implication remains that Dougal has always been one for wanting more. At the battlefield, he unwittingly ends up proving his brother right.
After Mar refuses to continue Jacobite expansion, Dougal makes a bold decision. He gathers some of his MacKenzie men and sets off on a quest. Later, only one man returns severely injured. He tells Brian how his leader’s plan to attack Argylle’s supply train had gone south. The men with him all died, while the war chieftain himself was taken hostage by the enemies. Thus, Brian makes a difficult choice. He had promised Ellen that he would ensure her brother returned home safe and sound. Therefore, despite their differences, he sets off to save Dougal. Murtagh, eternally loyal to his cousin, follows.
Read More: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 4 Recap: A Portion of My Soul
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