While the first episode of “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” Season 2 Episode 2 put a lot of focus on Henry and Julia, the second hour reminds everyone just how smart Ellen MacKenzie is. After leaving Brian to protect him, she finds a way to protect her home.
Meanwhile, Brian steps up as he must. He needs to help rally the men for the Jacobite cause, as that’s the side his father has chosen. While doing that, he proves that he is a man to follow.
Ellen Reminds Everyone How Smart She Is on ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’
STARZEllen isn’t cunning; she’s smart. While her brothers are focused on the death of Malcolm and her jilting the man at the altar, Ellen is focused on Castle Leoch. She knows that if the MacKenzies joint he Jacobite cause and lose, they will lose their home to the English, and she doesn’t want that.
So, she offers Colum an option that he can’t turn down. He needs to put Castle Leoch in her name. Even if it’s just temporarily, she can’t be blamed for her brother’s actions, and it speaks to the decision that Jamie Fraser would later make in “Outlander” when it came to protecting Lallybroch.
I do love to see the debate. After all, it’s easy for the MacKenzie brothers to think that Ellen is up to something much bigger. Isn’t the lairdship something that she’s been after all this time? Of course, they’re not going to initially trust that she just wants to protect the land, especially when it comes to her relationship with Brian Fraser.
Colum proves that he is the cunning man that he later becomes on “Outlander.” He finds a way to make sure the land will revert back to him.
I do find that this is just a small arc to overlook the very real problem brewing in Scotland, and not the Jacobite rebellion. The Grants are plotting, and the MacKenzies don’t even seem to be paying attention.
Brian Steps Up as a Man to Follow on the ‘Outlander’ Prequel
STARZMeanwhile, Brian Fraser follows his father. He has no choice. Simon wants to stand for the Jacobite cause, and that means his son must follow him. It doesn’t really matter what Brian believes in, and we can certainly see where Jamie gets his loyalty from.
In the end, Brian proves to be a man to follow. I can’t tell whether he does believe in the Jacobite cause or not, as he steps on the table and encourages the men to follow him. In a way, it’s a chance for this young man to get approval from his father, who is shocked to see such a speech. I won’t say proud, as Simon doesn’t have the ability to be proud of Brian being who he is — he’s proud that Brian has done this to gather men for him.
Knowing that the cause is in safe hands with Brian, Simon decides to head back home temporarily. This is where things almost go wrong for Julia, who has paid for Maisri to come back and help figure out how to get back to her own time. It’s bad news, though, and I’m left with a lot of questions.
Can Julia and Henry Find Their Way Back to Each Other on ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood?’
STARZWhy are the stones closed to Julia? Was she never meant to be able to travel? Was it baby William, who she was pregnant with, that made it possible for her to pass through the stones? I thought it was that she didn’t have a gem, but now I’m not too sure. There was no mention of a gemstone to Julia.
The only place the gemstone came up was in 1924. Thank the world for Mrs. Graham, as she tries to make sure Henry holds on to love and hope. She needs him to find Julia again.
There is a moment at the start of the hour that makes my heart ache. Just as there is a picture of Henry in the newspaper, Uncle Lamb decides that he’s done holding out hope that his brother and sister-in-law will return. He’s ready to break it to Claire that her parents are dead, and just one glance could have told him otherwise.
STARZInstead, Mrs. Graham makes it possible for Henry to escape the asylum, and now he can make it to the stones. Whether it’s blood or the gemstone is unknown for Henry at this point, but it doesn’t matter. He has the stone on a brooch, allowing him to spill blood if he needs it. He will get back to Julia, and it’s time for him to remember what was taken from him.
He’s in for a shock, though, as Seema has also ended up at Simon Fraser’s home. This is sure to open a can of worms, and you have to wonder if someone else has a baby on the way.
“Outlander: Blood of My Blood” knows how to bring the magic of the original series while keeping its own identity. Now, as long as Henry can get back to the past to Julia and William, maybe everything will be all right!
“Outlander: Blood of My Blood” airs on Fridays on STARZ.
