“Body, Soul and Secrets” - a recap of Blood of my Blood episodes 3 and 4 by your Aussie blogging lass

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What choices are left to a woman when her future is decided by others? Is she doomed to be a pawn, seen as little more than property, or can she ultimately fight back and live the life that she wants? In episodes 3 and 4 of Outlander: Blood of My Blood we see how Ellen MacKenzie and Julia Beauchamp each fight to hold on to some measure of control in a world that is stacked against them. While their individual situations are different, their strategies—careful, risky and hidden—show just how much strength they possess.

In “School of the Moon”, the succession crisis at Castle Leoch has come to a head. Colum and Dougal are busy making their own plans and alliances, each brother trying to sure up his own position to be chosen as laird. Unfortunately, they are succeeding only in fracturing the clan and making the third option of MacKinney as laird an attractive one. Only Ellen sees this, displaying yet again that she would have been the obvious choice to lead the clan had gender not forbidden it. She is furious at both brothers for the way each of them have traded her off to different clans. She feels particularly betrayed by Colum, who she had cared for following his injury, and angered by his refusal to accept her offer of help in manners of clan strategy. And so, she takes matters into her own hands and enlists Ned Gowan’s help to bring about a political solution. Colum is to be declared laird, while Dougal will be war chieftain, becoming Colum’s legs on the battlefield. At the oath taking, the brothers’ public shows of fealty to each other are enough to banish doubts within the clan and MacKinney swiftly capitulates. Clan MacKenzie are united once more, and though Ellen can never claim public recognition for it, it is her quick thinking that has brought about peace.  She may not be able to inherit the clan herself, but can still shape its future. Yet only Ned Gowan and her sisters standing beside her in the gallery are aware of this influence. Watching the way in which Ellen has controlled events so artfully, it is hard to imagine a scenario where she will become Mrs Malcolm Grant. 

Meanwhile, Julia’s pregnancy has been discovered by Mrs Porter. An unmarried woman carrying a child is socially and physically vulnerable, and since exposure could mean ruin, exile, or worse, Mrs Porter sees no other option for Julia but to “bring down the flowers,” going so far as to prepare the concoction that will bring on the miscarriage. But Julia has other ideas. She refuses the potion, insisting that she isn’t with child. Unable to bear the thought of losing the one link she has to Henry, she makes her own calculated manoeuvre, making her way to Lord Lovatt’s bed chamber and dropping her gown. If Lovatt beds her and later believes himself to be the father of her unborn child, Julia reasons, both she and the child should be safe. 

In “A Soldier’s Heart”, the stakes rise. Faced with a future that neither want, both Ellen and Julia refuse to sit back and accept their fate. Instead, both of them take steps to remain in control. Having endured time in Lovatt’s bed chamber in order to complete the ruse of carrying his child, Julia then takes steps to ensure she doesn’t need to continue to suffer his advances. A walk in the Scottish landscape, ostensibly to make amends for not thanking the fairy folk for the milk, allows her to gather the plants she needs to bring about a red itchy rash across her face and body. Its effect is enough to have Lovatt recoil from her, asking if her condition is contagious. Julia comments that she can treat it with a visit to the apothecary, if only she can be allowed to go. Lovatt immediately orders her to do so, adding that his manservant will accompany her. At this point, Julia is assisted by Brian, who offers to take her instead. 

On the journey, Julia finds herself with an ally. Brian has realised that she has been faking her “rash”, but doesn’t plan to give her away. Revealing his love for Ellen, Brian enlists Julia’s help. He will be unable to enter Mackenzie lands without being captured, but Julia will be able to enter under the guise of being a servant and so Brian wants her to deliver a message to Ellen. Julia is hesitant, admitting her pregnancy and her wish to keep her child from harm. Brian asks why she hasn’t told him before and she replies only that it is complicated. Brian reassures her that he would never put her in harm’s way and so a bargain is struck. In return for her help, Brian will assist Julia to escape from Castle Leathers.

Through flashbacks, Julia’s strength is further underlined, as we watch her care for Henry in the grips of his terrible PTSD. While obviously scared by the force of his traumatic nightmares, Julia, then pregnant with Claire, had instinctively known how to calm and soothe him. 

Without her in the 1700s, Henry is starting to unravel. The flashbacks are returning, leading to moments of brief violence and shaking. His desperate searching has only resulted in his making the acquaintance of a kindly prostitute, who offers him comfort in whatever way he wishes. He lies, shaking, on the bed next to her and we wonder what will happen if he is not reunited with his love soon. His tenure as Grant’s bladier is in jeopardy, temporarily reprieved by his ingenuity over introducing a “rents lottery” amongst the Grant tenants, which brings in twice the usual amount of revenue. The prize of a year’s free rent does not go down well with Grant though, who only allows the scheme if Henry pays for it himself. Without Julia’s strength, Henry is becoming increasingly lost. 

 Meanwhile, Ellen is forced to change her approach to ensuring her freedom. The announcement that she is to accompany Malcolm Grant to the Beltane festival as his beloved leads to an angry confrontation between Ellen and Colum.  She demands that he contact Grant and renege on the betrothal, a demand that leads only to Colum telling her a story of Grant’s retribution in a similar situation. Ellen asks Colum if he means to suggest that she herself could be killed and Colum asks her in return whether she wishes to risk Grant’s wrath. But there is another reason for the betrothal, he tells her. The Mackenzies are in dire financial straits. A marriage to Malcolm will relieve this and allow Ellen to be “the eyes and ears in Castle Grant.” But Ellen wastes no time in scotching that particular plan, telling her brother, “When you sell a woman to another clan, you sell her entirely, body and soul. And with that goes her loyalty. As the wife of a Grant, my allegiance would be to them. So if it comes to that, may God have mercy on your soul.”

Julia does succeed in getting into Leoch, and after a bit of quick thinking when she is discovered by Murtagh’s aunt Mrs Fitzgibbons, she finds herself in Ellen’s chamber and delivers Brian’s message. Brian wants Ellen to meet him, but Ellen despairs of being able to do so, as her brothers are watching her every move. She tells Julia of the obligation to accompany Malcolm to the Beltane Festival near Inverness, and her fears that she will be trapped in a 100 year dance with Malcolm, if the fairy folk have their way. Elaborating, Ellen tells Julia of the legend of the fairies, who lure people to their fairy hill on Beltane, and of the dance that results in people discovering that 100 years have passed by the time it ends. Julia asks if a fairy hill is marked by standing stones and Ellen confirms that it is and that one such hill can be found at Inverness. This news gives Julia both an explanation for her arrival in 1714 and a possible way back to Henry. To a despairing Ellen, she offers some feminist wisdom. “You may not have a say in what others do, but you have a say in what you do tonight.” As one who knows the pain of being separated from her true love, Julia urges Ellen to go to Brian. “If you don’t go, it will haunt you forever. Trust me,” she says. And Ellen does. 

The two women make their way to the meeting point and Julia keeps watch while Ellen and Brian affirm their love and Ellen promises to find a way out of her betrothal. They agree to meet at Beltane, before Julia hears someone coming and warns them. Brian and Julia disappear into the night, as the someone reveals himself to be Dougal. Ellen’s comment about wanting to pray outside doesn’t impress Dougal who orders her back to the castle. 

“I’m not a caged bird,” she replies. 

“But you are,” Dougal smirks, “until you’re married to Malcolm Grant, and then tis his choice whether to set you free.” 

But Ellen has no intention of being controlled by either her brothers or their choice of her husband. So she hatches a new scheme. 

Julia too, has a new plan. On the way back to the castle, she explains to Brian that the planned meeting at Beltane has the added complication that Ellen will be accompanying Malcolm Grant to the festival. Brian needs someone to liaise with Ellen and distract Grant, and she offers to be that person. In return, she wants him to take her to Inverness, in the hopes that she will be able to find Henry. 

“We have a bargain,” Brian replies and they smile at each other.

Although not part of Diana Gabaldon’s original story, the friendship between Brian Fraser and Julia Beauchamp is an enchanting thought. Hermione Corfield and Jamie Roy create a gentle chemistry and it will be interesting to see where this storyline goes.  

Ellen has now changed strategies and is playing the part of the dutiful sister, publicly betrothed to Malcolm Grant. She hands Colum a list of people to be invited to the wedding, telling him that she has thought about their conversation and that nothing is worth the chasm between them. She can’t lose a brother as well as a father, nor does she want the clan to fall into ruin. She will wed Grant, she tells Colum, and accompany him to Beltane. Colum looks grateful, not realising that he is being played. 

Back at Leathers, Julia has one last part of her plan to enact, to ensure that she is protected from Lovatt’s future advances. The rash gone, he has immediately sent for her, intent on a distraction from his terrible day. But Julia tells him he must be careful with her, as she is carrying something precious. She takes his hand and puts it on her belly, proclaiming him to be the father. But her announcement is overheard by Mrs Porter, who fixes Julia with a knowing look even as she offers her congratulations. It remains to be seen whether she will keep Julia’s secret or not, and whether the plan may yet unravel.

Episodes 3 and 4 remind us that Ellen and Julia’s journeys are as much about endurance as they are about love. Every decision, every lie, every careful performance is a way of holding onto their own lives when so much is out of their hands. Both women possess intelligence, determination and inner strength - it only remains to see if they can use these qualities to gain the future that they want.

This review was written by Susie Brown, a writer and teacher librarian who lives in Australia. While still nervous about the implications for the original Outlander canon, she is nevertheless enjoying the story! 

“Sing me another song” - A review of the first two episodes of ‘Blood of my Blood’ by your Aussie Blogging Lass

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!