Aahana Swrup
Following the first battle of the Jacobite uprisings, the MacKenzie clan finds itself worse for wear in Season 2, Episode 6 of ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood.’ When the forces return to Leoch, their numbers have significantly dwindled, and their War Chief is missing. Dougal’s inability to accept the aftermath of the battle has led to his capture at the hands of the Crown. As such, the redcoats have taken him back to Fort Williams as their prisoner.
Since the MacKenzie clan is helpless to sanction any rescue mission for him, Brian Fraser and his friend, Murtagh, remain Dougal’s only hope. Meanwhile, on her way back home, Ellen is kidnapped by Lovat, who brings her to Castle Leathers. Under the guise of a friendly demeanor, he concocts a sinister plan against the rival clan’s heir. As for Julia and Henry, the torn lovers finally find some hope as they gain an ally and a way to communicate with each other despite their distance. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Lovat Serves a Poisoned Meal at Castle Leathers
After Balloch abducts Ellen from the road, he brings her back to Castle Leathers, where Lord Lovat awaits her arrival. However, instead of holding her prisoner, the disgraced Laird puts on a show of a friendly front. He claims that he had his guard tail the young MacKenzie once he had realized the depth of his son’s feelings for her. As such, Ellen’s arrival at Leathers gets reframed as a rescue rather than a kidnapping. Furthermore, he claims to have sent out more men to search for Brian, who has yet to return after switching loyalties at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. Therefore, until news arrives, he urges his son’s lover to stay put and share a meal with him and his wife. While this leads to a reunion between Ellen and Julia, supper remains a tense ordeal.
However, stiff conversation isn’t all that the meal has to offer. Lovat seems to have also invited Maisri, the Seer, to the table, hoping to have her divine insight about Brian’s fate. Although her answer arrives in cryptic riddles, the core of it remains that the young Fraser is still alive. Ellen, who develops a sickly demeanor over the course of the meal, is content with the news. Nonetheless, any happiness is overshadowed when she tries to leave the table, only to stumble, showcasing the depth of her sickness. Yet, her sudden ailment doesn’t seem to be a coincidence, given Julia’s similar, if subdued, state. Consequently, the latter puts the pieces together and realizes that her husband hadn’t touched the wine at all during the meal. Thus, she realizes that the drink must have been tampered with in some way or another.
Brian and Murtagh Come to Dougal’s Rescue
At Fort Williams, the redcoats hold Dougal MacKenzie prisoner, hoping to learn Mar’s future plans from him. Nonetheless, even if the War Chief had any knowledge of any Jacobite schemes, it’s unlikely he would’ve succumbed to their violent interrogation. Still, the redcoats try their best to break him, and a young officer, Randall, even deploys some barbaric threats in the process. Fans of the original ‘Outlander’ series will recognize this Crown soldier as the lead antagonist from Claire and Jamie’s story. Fortunately, before he can do any significant harm to Dougal, Lord Grey reels him in. Afterward, the MacKenzie leader and his ally, Angus, are thrown in the vault, where the threat of the rising tide acts as an incentive for them to eventually talk.
Fortunately, Brian and Murtagh attack For Williams before the day is over. Their strategy is one of stealth, as they slowly pick off guards one-by-one until they are able to locate Dougal at the vault. By the time they arrive at the dungeon, the water levels in the vault have already reached up to the prisoners’ necks. Thus, without the key, the duo are forced to improvise a way to open the underground grate, keeping Dougal and Angus from their freedom. In the end, they utilize an iron rod as leverage to break the latch open. This requires some effort from Dougal and Angus as well, who push against the grate from the other side. Ultimately, although the Frasers are able to rescue Dougal, Angus succumbs to the rising water. In the aftermath, the surviving trio flees from the Fort with only a brief run-in with Randall, who fails to hold them back.
Ellen Returns to Leoch With a Broken Spirit
Back at Leathers, when Julia confronts Lovat about the poisoning of the wine, she makes a horrifying discovery. As it turns out, the Lord had summoned Maisri with the explicit intention of procuring a potion from her. This potion supposedly has the power to destroy wombs, leaving the poisoned ones barren. Lovat believes that William is his son, Simon, who will be the King one day. However, in order for this prophecy to come true, he must be the last heir in his lineage. Therefore, the Lord pushed the poisoned wine on his wife in the hopes of rendering her barren. Similarly, he targets Ellen to ensure that she wouldn’t be able to bear any children for Brian, perhaps in the hope that it would drive his son away from her.
Once Julia shares this discovery with Ellen, the latter is distraught because, unbeknownst to anyone else, her womb is already with child. As her condition worsens, she begins to bleed, introducing the possibility of a miscarriage. Afterward, Ellen insists on returning to Leoch, refusing to stay at Leathers a moment longer. Davina takes her back home, where her sisters and Mrs. Fitzgibbons care for her. This new development promises dark things for the future of the rivalry between the MacKenzies and the Frasers. Although Colum doesn’t know the extent of what has happened to his sister at Leathers, her defeated state has cast a dark cloud over Loech.
Henry Gains an Ally in Archbug
At the Grants’ camp, Henry realizes that he has emerged from the battle with an unexpected friend. Despite their history, Archbug now seems eager to help the Bladier, given that he saved his life on the battlefield. For the same reason, he expresses his willingness to help out the other man in his continued quest to reunite with his wife and run away with him. As it stands, Henry can’t use his status as a Grant to get Julia out of Leathers since he has no evidence to prove that Lovat has forced her into their marriage. Therefore, he can only operate under the table, which means the couple will have to remain separated for a while yet.
Archbug comes up with the idea to use his own standing to act as a messenger between Henry and Julia. Furthermore, he takes his new friend out to Leathers, where he manages to sneak his wife away from the Castle so the two lovers can briefly reunite. The two only have a few moments together, so instead of catching up, they come up with a plan for the future. They decide to write letters to one another and pick out a hiding spot for their clandestine “postbox” in the boundary walls of Lovat’s estate. While Julia will continue to ensure their son’s safety, Henry will stay the course and gather the supplies they need to travel back to their time. In the meantime, although they can’t be together in person, they will have the comfort of each other’s words.
Read More: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: Forgive Me, Father
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