Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of sexual assault.
Warning! Spoilers for Outlander: Blood of My Blood season 1, episode 2 ahead!
Outlander: Blood of My Blood’s first episodes have introduced a new, surprising twist that completely changes the context of a particularOutlanderscene. The prequel series explores the respective love stories of Jamie and Claire’s parents, establishing precisely how the central characters ofOutlandercame to be born. Naturally, there’s far more to all of this than we ever thought while watching the central series.
The trailers forOutlander: Blood of My Bloodrevealed the surprising detail that Henry and Julia Beauchamp, Claire’s parents, never died in a car accident. Instead, they accidentally slipped through the stones of Craigh na Dun. Not only this, but the couple found themselves in the same locations and with many of the same characters as Claire when she first arrived in the 18th century.
Of course, when Claire traversed through thiscentury inOutlander, she had no reason to look out for signs of her own family history. There was never any indication that her parents had walked those same halls and hills only a couple of decades previously. So,when Claire met Jamie’s grandfather, Lord Simon Fraser of Lovat, she had no idea that her mother Julia had met him first.
Outlander: Blood Of My Blood Reveals That Julia Was A Servant For Lord Lovat
The first episode ofOutlander: Blood of My Bloodsaw Brian and Simon Fraser waited on by a rather familiar housemaid. Then, episode 2 confirmed it—this is Julia Moriston, Claire’s mother. She had been captured by some highlanders while looking for Henry nearCraigh na Dunand sold to Lord Lovat to settle their debts.
We know fromOutlanderthat Lord Lovat took a disturbing interest in his housemaids. He often molested them, resulting in several illegitimate children over the years. This is evident inOutlander: Blood of My Blood, where Julia faces significant danger from the Laird’s physical attention. Unfortunately, there’s nothing she can do, sinceJulia is essentially a slave.
The Outlander Prequel Makes Claire’s Meeting With Lord Lovat So Much Darker
InOutlander, Claire had the misfortune of meeting Simon Fraser when she and Jamie were on their mission to change the outcome of the Jacobite uprising. She immediately hated the man, who promptly began objectifying his granddaughter-in-law. Lord Lovat even told Jamie that he would rape Claire—it took convincing the man that she was a witch to stave him off.
Claire’s interactions with Lord Lovat in Outlandere were already unpleasant, but the knowledge that this character had once owned Claire’s mother as a slave completely shifts the context of their encounter.
Claire’s interactions withLord Lovat inOutlanderewere already unpleasant, but the knowledge that this character had once owned Claire’s mother as a slave completely shifts the context of their encounter. Claire certainly despised the man, butit would have been so much worse had she known what Simon Fraser had done to Julia.
Of course, we don’t yet know the extent of it. InOutlander: Blood of My Blood, Julia is determined to make it back to her daughter in the 20th century.Outlandermakes it clear that this doesn’t happen. So, what becomes of Julia? After all these years, could we discover inOutlander: Blood of My Bloodthat Jamie’s own grandfather is the reason that Claire grew up without a mother?
