Outlander: Blood of my Blood, a prequel to the celebrated time travel show, is set to follow the love stories of the parents of both Jamie and Claire. What happened before Outlander? How did these star-crossed lovers get to the place where they could meet? What led them to each other? Outlander: Blood of my Blood travels one generation back to give fans the answer.
But, what do you need to know before you watch? What do we already know about Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, Jamie’s parents, and Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp? Here are all the Outlander episodes you need to watch before Outlander: Blood of my Blood.
"The Wedding" (Season 1, Episode 7)
A fan favorite, this episode doesn’t just see Claire and Jamie marry each other, it also works as a backstory episode for Jamie. It’s here that we learn about his parents, including that his mother Ellen, was the oldest of three siblings, which included Colum and Dougal MacKenzie, and that she died young, but his father, Brian, survived to see him grow up. We also learn some details about their love story. Additionally, this episode introduces Ellen’s pearl necklace, which Jamie gifts to Claire and teases Murtagh’s feelings for Ellen, which Outlander: Blood of My Blood will develop.
"The Watch" (Season 1, Episode 13)
In an episode where Claire plays midwife to Jamie’s sister Jenny during an extremely complicated birth, we learn more about his family via Jenny. This episode reveals Ellen died from complications of childbirth, which makes Jenny’s birth all the scarier for everyone. Also, in this hour, Jenny gives Claire a pair of bangles made from tusks that belonged to Ellen. As Jenny tells it, the bangles came from a secret admirer that Ellen wouldn’t reveal to anyone else. Sounds like the show was leaving enough breadcrumbs to go into Outlander: Blood of My Blood from the beginning.
"The Search" (Season 1, Episode 14)
While looking for a missing Jamie, we see Murtagh and Claire bond and clash in equal measure. This is the episode that reveals Murtagh’s love for Ellen, which has been part of his impetus for looking after Jamie for so many years. Murtagh tells a story hoping to prove himself worthy of the woman he loved during a hunt and managing to kill a boar with his dagger alone. This impressed the MacKenzies so much he was gifted the boar’s tusks, which he made into bracelets and gave to the woman he loved. Claire then shows him the bracelets she has and they commiserate over loving Jamie, even if they love him in different ways.
"Wentworth Prison" (Season 1, Episode 15)
This episode introduces Sir Marcus MacRannoch, who has a history with Jamie’s parents, particularly Ellen. As Claire tries to pawn her pearls off to sway MacRannoch to help break Jamie out of prison, he asks if Jamie is Ellen’s son and reveals he was the one who gifted Ellen the pearls years ago, as a wedding present. Sounds like the kind of story that will surely come into play during Outlander: Blood of My Blood, particularly if that proves to be even half as successful as Outlander.
"The Fox's Lair" (Season 2, Episode 8)
In this hour, Jamie and Claire travel to Castle Beaufort, where they meet his paternal grandfather, Lord Lovat, the Chief of Clan Fraser. This is when Claire learns about Jamie being a bastard, since his father Brian was an illegitimate son of the Laird. We also learn about Davina, a kitchen maid, who was Brian’s mother. This hour also reveals that Lord Lovat harbors a deep hatred for Clan MacKenzie and even attempted to kidnap Ellen MacKenzie at one point. This means that Brian choosing the MacKenzies would have been seen as an act of rebellion. Outlander: Blood of my Blood will surely explore this choice and the feud.
"The Hail Mary" (Season 2, Episode 12)
This hour doesn’t give us much information about Ellen MacKenzie, but it does give us a fair bit on her brothers Dougal and Colum. We see Colum on his deathbed, recounting the story of when he was thrown from a stallion, injuring his back and legs in the process. This episode explores the animosity between Dougal and Callum that is present from the beginning of the show and also sees the death of Colum, who chooses to die by suicide aided by a vial of poison Claire had provided him, instead of continuing to talk to his brother. Outlander: Blood of My Blood is certain to explore where the issues between the brothers came from.
"All Debts Paid" (Season 3, Episode 3)
This episode introduces the idea of a curse on the Jacobite gold, something that would be perfect for Outlander: Blood of My Blood to delve into. In this hour, Jamie is serving time in Ardsmuir following Culloden when the warden, Lord John Grey, asks him to speak to a man he can’t communicate with. The man tells Jamie about a cursed gold hidden by a White Lady. As if that weren’t enough, he name-drops Colum, Dougal and Ellen. "Death Be Not Proud" (Season 7, Episode 3) also deals with the Jacobite gold, if you want to do this part of the homework right.
"If Not For Hope" (Season 4, Episode 11)
As Jamie and Claire search for Roger after he’s sold to the Mohawk, Brianna stays at River Run with her Aunt Jocasta. There, she learns about her grandmother Ellen, including tidbits like the fact that she was a talented artist and that she was her father’s favorite child and was allowed to remain unmarried long past the acceptable age. After her father died, Ellen eloped with Brian Fraser after refusing the matches her brothers made for her. Jocasta also tells Brianna that Ellen was pregnant before she married. This is important information that is sure to come into play as we meet Ellen and Brian’s younger selves.
"The Fiery Cross" (Season 5, Episode 1)
The season opens with a flashback scene of Murtagh and a young Jamie, moments after Ellen’s death. In that moment, Murtagh promises to Jamie he will be with him always, following him and supporting him in what he does. It’s likely we will see what led to this vow in Outlander: Blood of My Blood and, perhaps, even learn if Ellen was aware of Murtagh’s decision to make it, or even asked it of him. Either way, it’s clear the prequel isn’t just about two love stories, but also about Murtagh’s place in Jamie’s life.
"Written in My Own Heart's Blood" (Season 7, Episode 15)
One of the newer episodes that feels like a must, the penultimate episode of Season 7 opens with a moment of Jamie thinking about his mother as he prepares himself for battle. We see Jamie recalling Ellen’s death and how she’d been put in the coffin with her hair in a braid, only for his father to undo the braid so her hair could lay on the pillow. Jamie also recalls the body of his little brother, who also perished during the birth, being covered by Ellen’s hair. This episode provides a timeframe for Ellen’s death, something crucial to know as we embark on Outlander: Blood of my Blood.
Where To Watch Both Shows In The Outlander Universe Online
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