If the new Outlander: Blood of my Blood series was a relationship status, this reviewer’s response would be “It’s complicated.” While fully appreciating the mantra “The show is the show and the book is the book”, it is difficult to apply it in this case. Blood of my Blood is a hybrid creation, based on the yet-to-be-finished prequel by Diana Gabaldon and the imagination of show runner and producer Matt Roberts. Once published, Diana Gabaldon’s book will deal only with the origin story of Jamie Fraser’s parents, whereas Matt Roberts’ storyline not only resurrects Claire’s parents from the car crash that had been their fate up until now, but also catapults them into the 18th century and into the lives of the Frasers and McKenzies. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on the original canon, no matter how entertaining the tale.
For the opening two episodes are indeed entertaining, full of the beautiful Scottish landscape that we have come to know and love, and introduced by a stirring new theme song. The actors playing the younger versions of characters we have known for years do a wonderful job. It is obvious that they have studied the mannerisms and vocal patterns of the actors who portray their older selves, resulting in a very believable transition.Two actors in particular stand out: Jamie Roy and Seamus McLean Ross. As Brian Fraser, Roy peppers his performance with Sam Heughan traits, so much so that we can easily believe that Jamie is (or will be) his son. Similarly, Seamus McLean Ross sounds uncannily like Gary Lewis, with his soft husky tones and deliberate way of speaking. Other familiar names are also portrayed with impressive nods to their later selves. The younger Murtagh is less acerbic than Duncan Lacroix’s version - and it was rather nice to see him smile - while the younger Dougal is every bit as confrontational and hotheaded as the Dougal that Graham McTavish brought to life. Mrs Fitz was immediately recognisable before she was addressed by name, purely due to her vocal intonations sounding exactly like Annette Badland’s. The younger Ned Gowan is every bit as earnest as his older persona, with his self preservation firmly in tact, along with a possible hint of unrequited love.It was unnerving to witness the finger severing confrontation that introduced a young Arch Bug, who is every bit as unpleasant in 1714 as he is more than fifty years later! But perhaps the sweetest younger selves portrayal comes in the form of boyish Angus and Rupert, now played by the sons of the original actors. We only see them briefly, while they spy on a personal act by peering through a hole in a door, but the banter and humour between the two is evident immediately. And while she doesn’t have a later version of herself in Outlander to be compared with, Harriet Slater’s vocal patterns as Ellen reminded me of the way that Laura Donnelly spoke as Jenny Murray - like mother, like daughter, perhaps?
A number of “Easter eggs” are on show throughout the episodes for the die hard Outlander fans, including the boar’s tusk bracelets that we know Murtagh later gave to Ellen, the spirited game of shinty at the Gathering, the name of the Fraser family’s housekeeper also matching the name of the narrator of the Outlander audio books and the familiar act of chivalry when Brian Fraser takes the punishment meant for another.
The plot of the opening two episodes sets up what promises to be an action packed season. The story begins in 1714 with the rituals following a recent death, such as opening the windows to let out the spirit. This death, one Red Jacob MacKenzie, head of the MacKenzie clan, has immediate implications for his children. Despite declaring his intentions of ‘not dying any time soon’, the father of Ellen, Dougal and Colum has done just that, the situation further complicated by the fact that he had not chosen a heir to succeed him. Presumably, this was also due to his assessment of his two sons - “One canna walk and the other canna think.” The strong father-daughter bond established through flashback scenes makes it clear that Jacob would have loved Ellen to be the heir to Clan MacKenzie, but this was something that was simply not possible in that time period. Instead, his death rips away any security and power that Ellen had. While Jacob had consulted his daughter on clan matters and assured her that she needn’t marry if she didn’t wish to, those privileges and assurances ended with his last breath. Suddenly, Ellen becomes little more than a bargaining chip in clan alliances, while her two brothers vie to be the next MacKenzie laird.
Family rivalry and scheming weaves its way through the action of episode 1, not only within the MacKenzie clan, but the Frasers as well. Lord Lovatt, Brian Fraser’s father, is a truly despicable creature. When we first meet him, he gloats over the death of Red Jacob and plots to spy on the Gathering. His sadistic tendencies towards women are quickly established and his animosity towards his own bastard son is clear for all to see.
There is no love lost between the Frasers and the MacKenzie’s, so the growing attraction between Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie will undoubtedly have far reaching consequences as time goes on. Indeed, their attraction is almost Shakespearean, with definite parallels to Romeo and Juliet - although at least we know that this love story won’t end in a double suicide! After poignant glances and hesitant conversation, the two arrange to meet in secret and it is not long before their romance is in full swing, complications be damned.
Amidst all the scheming and manipulating of the first episode, two other characters begin to take centre stage, in the form of a new servant in the Fraser household and the newly appointed bladier to Clan Grant. Both English, these two “sassenachs” are finding their feet and as episode 1 draws to a close, we discover why they are so out of place. Henry and Julia Beauchamp, aka Claire’s parents, are on holiday in Scotland in 1923, with their young daughter Claire in the care of Henry’s brother, Lamb. They are discussing Julia’s latest pregnancy and how Claire will react, when they swerve to avoid a stag. After crashing the car and narrowly avoiding being swept away in the loch, Julia climbs a hill to get their bearings. Of course, the hill turns out to be Craig Na Dun, and before they realise it, first Julia and then Henry find themselves hurtling back in time.
The second episode begins in 1917 and presents us with the romantic story of Julia and Henry Beauchamp. Their relationship begins via letters, with the two become accidental pen pals against the backdrop of the first World War. A soldier, Henry’s impassioned letters about the horrors he is facing find their way into Julia’s hands, courtesy of her work as a correspondence censor. Before long, they are exchanging personal letters that become increasingly romantic. They finally meet on a London street after Henry has returned from the fighting. This initial meeting is fairly unbelievable, with them just walking past each other and conveniently each immediately knowing who the other is. But they waste no time in moving their relationship to the next stage. All is not completely smooth sailing though, with Henry dealing with war terrors and crippling nightmares. It is Julia who comforts him, by reciting words from their letters to bring calm.
Now in 1714, neither Julia nor Henry seem particularly perplexed by their time travelling experience, perhaps because Julia had shared stories of a fairy ring in one of her letters. Arriving first, Julia has the presence of mind to mark a rock with their sign off - “S.W.A.K” - a decision that proves a sensible one, given that Henry discovers it soon after his own arrival and sets off to find her. But their fortunes differ greatly. Julia has been kidnapped and delivered to Castle Leathers in payment for some debts, where she is kept busy trying to dodge the unwanted attentions of Simon Fraser, Lord Lovatt. She is rescued from one such instance by Brian, who then also accepts her punishment of a whipping, bringing to mind the Outlander memories of Jamie accepting Laoghaire’s punishment, as well as the whipping that he endured at the hands of Black Jack Randall.
Henry on the other hand, lands himself a position as bladier for Clan Grant, thanks to his lawyer experience and his ability to recognise an attempted swindling of the Grants by their rivals, the Campbells. It is a position that brings with it relative safety, and presumably a greater chance of finding out what has happened to Julia.
The final scene starts to draw the threads of the two storylines together. Ned Gowan has advised the McKenzie brothers that the path to becoming Laird is not a smooth one, given no official successor had been named. Both men want the title, but Colum seems to have the upper hand, having manipulated Dougal into an attack on the Grants that has weakened Dougal’s claim. Colum presses the advantage further by sending Ned Gowan to negotiate a betrothal between Ellen and Malcolm Grant. This negotiation is being managed by none other than Henry, in his role as bladier.
Amidst the McKenzie vs Fraser vs Grant conflict, much of which we already know the outcome of, given the events in Outlander, we are left with unanswered questions for Henry and Julia as the credits roll. Will they find each other? Will Henry’s war time trauma resurface? And perhaps the biggest of all - what will happen to Julia’s pregnancy?
It is this last question that has fans posing all sorts of wild theories. Are any of them right? Presumably, only time will tell. And a drama centred around time travel certainly has plenty of that!
This review was written by Susie Brown, a writer and teacher-librarian who lives in Australia. She has to admit that she is already a little frustrated at fan theories that use Matt Roberts’ writing to predict events in Diana Gabaldon’s universe - but is trying to remain open minded!
