After war and harrowing subterfuge, there’s lovin’ to be had in Season 2, Episode 7 of Blood of My Blood. But while both Jamie and Claire’s parents reaffirmed their love, the two steamy sex scenes actually belonged to other couples.
Before the romancing, the women of Clan MacKenzie are preparing burial shrouds after Dougal (Sam Retford) led so many men to their deaths in the Battle of Sheriffmuir. So Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) isn’t all that thrilled when his brother returns home to Leoch with his saviors, Brian (Jamie Roy) and Murtagh (Rory Alexander).
There’s a flash-forward to Henry (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia (Hermione Corfield) at the movies where they’re happy until they run into his ex, Charlotte (Lily Travers). “Lottie” is still not over their breakup — simultaneously accusing “Julie” of being a gold digger and insulting the stone in her wedding ring for being too small. Well, which is it, Lottie?! In the past/present, Henry writes Julia a letter remembering their movie nights and saying to meet at their wall in a few days.
Colum fears that the Redcoats will come for Dougal following his escape from Fort William, so he exiles his brother to the crofter’s cottage on the property. Brian, on the other hand, is welcomed into Leoch and allowed to see Ellen (Harriet Slater), who reveals she’s lost their baby. As Ellen mourns the daughter they won’t have, Brian tries to remain positive about future children. Ellen says she’s cursed to be childless because his father poisoned her. Though she thinks Brian won’t want her anymore, he only leaves his love’s side to go kill his evil father.
On the road, a lady in a coach gets stopped by the Redcoats. Introducing new character Margaret Grant (Erin Shanagher), the feisty sister of Uncle Mac (Simon Merrells). The Redcoats were searching for Jacobites and allegedly took her pearl necklace. But since the Grants are loyal to the Crown, they also gave her an invitation from the king for Uncle Mac. Ooo, fancy!
Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) also got the king’s invite to the investiture hosted at the Duke of Sandringham’s. This should be fun since the Duke plays quite the part in the early seasons of Outlander (and especially if Murtagh somehow crashes the party). Julia tries to get on the guest list since she realizes Henry will also be there. But Lovat denies her because of her outspoken behavior. Plus, he doesn’t think she’s fashionable enough… how rude!
Like Simon, Margaret is also worried about looking stylish at the investiture and argues she can’t go to the party without jewelry. Uncle Mac wants his sister to find a husband (which could be important since, according to Diana Gabaldon’s books, the “old maid” Margaret does indeed get married to a prominent Blood of My Blood character), so he allows Henry and Mr. Bug (Terence Rae) to go search for her missing necklace.
Margaret is likely lying about the necklace, but that doesn’t bother Henry since he’s using the opportunity to go hunting for gemstones for time-traveling purposes. Another flash-forward shows Julia and Henry talking about her ring after Lottie’s insults, with Julia saying she loves her amethyst stone as it comes from the “heart of the Highlands.” Back in 1715, Mrs. Bug (Sorcha Groundsell) helpfully reveals the location of some amethyst based on an old legend. Mr. Bug is not interested in joining, but Mrs. Bug thinks that if he brings back gemstones, maybe the fair folk will grant them another bairn after losing their son. So he and Henry set forth on another adventure.
At Leoch, Murtagh is emboldened to pursue Grace (Ruby Fubara) in earnest after surviving the Battle of Sheriffmuir. Grace tries to fight her feelings by arguing that they’re too different and she has years left in her servitude to the Camerons. But Murtagh doesn’t care and they make a plan to meet at Cameron House, where Grace is relocating with Jocasta and John.
As for other lovers, Dougal is struggling to perform with Maura (Bobby Rainsbury) before he goes into hiding. She takes matters into her own hands, which does the trick, and they have a tender lovemaking sesh — a contrast from their previous sex scenes.
Brian arrives at Leathers, ready to kill Simon. But Julia and Davina (Sara Vickers) plead with him that he’ll be hanged and to think of what that will do to Ellen. So instead of murdering his dad, he demands the terrified Simon give him the house by Broch Morda and never come near Ellen again. Lord Lovat agrees, and as thanks for saving his life, he invites Julia to accompany him to the investiture.
Things are looking up, or rather down, for the Beauchamps as Henry and Mr. Bug arrive at the gorge. Behind some blue flowers (are those forget-me-nots?! A very symbolic flower in the Outlander Universe), Henry discovers the amethyst and mines some for his family’s time-traveling needs.
Grace and Murtagh have their secret rendezvous in the barn at Cameron House. While Murtagh is worried about her virtue, Grace says it’s already been taken from her, and she wants to experience giving herself to someone freely for the first time — a sad but liberating statement. She shows Murtagh how it’s done, but something tells me neither of her employers is going to be too happy for this lovely couple.
Brian returns to Ellen, revealing he didn’t kill his father and presents her with a stone from the bridge where they first met. He says it’ll be the hearthstone for their home — and thus, the origins of the beloved Fraser family home, Lallybroch. (Where, yes, they will raise their children, including Jamie.)
Brian and Ellen may be ready to move on, but her brother still thinks Lord Lovat should pay. After all, according to Colum, a woman who can’t have children is worthless. Man, Blood of My Blood is really making it hard to have any pleasant feelings toward Colum. Ned (Conor MacNeill) advises there’s nothing to be done, but it looks like Colum may not accept that answer.
Henry and Julia reunite at the wall, and with the amethyst, they’re ready to leave for the 20th century except that they don’t have baby William. They plan to meet at the investiture and escape to their time then. But when Julia returns to Leathers, Maisri (Katharine O’Donnelly) is there (bold after having just poisoned her). While the seer reveals Claire is safe in South America, she also reconfirms that Julia is not a time traveler. Julia can’t comprehend it… after all, that’s how she landed here. But Maisri explains that Julia was only able to travel because she was carrying William, who can time travel, inside of her. And no amount of gemstones will change that fact.
So while Jamie’s parents are ready to build a home together after “Heart of the Highlands,” home may be impossible for Claire’s parents to ever return to.
Caitlin Gallagher is a New Jersey-raised, NYC-based entertainment writer. When not writing about or watching TV, she can be found planning her next Halloween costume, crying over rescue animals, or praising Season 2 of The Leftovers.
