Starz’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood episode five opens with Ellen (Harriet Slater) being carefully attended to by her maids. They take special care with her gorgeous dress to make sure everything is just right, with the final touch being a veil placed over her head. Jocasta (Sadhbh Malin) tells her that everyone’s waiting for her.
(What follows is a detailed recap of episode five, so there are spoilers ahead!)
The action jumps back a few hours, catching Ellen smiling while riding in the back of the carriage. Jocasta is obviously jealous, thinking about the wealth coming her sister’s way when she weds Malcolm Grant. It’s a contentious conversation, and Ellen tries to shift it, asking for advice on keeping Malcolm satisfied.
Jocasta admits her husband John only wanted a “silent prize” who knew her place and was admired but not touched. She thinks it’s possible that Malcolm will ravage Ellen at Beltane since it’s been known to happen. All sins can be cleansed by needfire during the celebration, and Ellen might get pregnant. That leads to another tense exchange about each other’s ability to have children, which only stops when Ned Gowan (Conor MacNeill) tells them to knock it off.
They arrive at the festivities, and Ned reminds Ellen not to even think about breaking off her engagement with Malcolm. If she does, she’ll face serious consequences. Ned considers Malcolm a good match, and if she messes this up, she’ll wind up married to someone much less suitable.
Julia Loses Her Only Ally
Julia (Hermione Corfield) seems nervous when Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) asks if she’s ready. She’s worried he’ll be punished for letting her escape, but Brian’s not concerned. Julia apologizes anyway. Brian lightens the mood by discussing the delicious food in store for them at Beltane. Plus, there won’t be any fighting among the clans since it’s neutral territory.
Mistress Porter (Sara Vickers) catches them before they leave, and she insists Julia can not go. Lord Lovat will be enraged if he finds out she’s left, but Brian claims he just wants her to receive blessings for her unborn child. Brian’s mother is equally insistent; Julia is Lord Lovat’s current favorite and he’s having his seer, Maisri, brought to the castle to do a reading on the baby.
Mistress Porter breaks the news to Brian that Julia’s pregnant with Lord Lovat’s child, which will be his half-sibling. This changes everything, and he tells Julia she needs to remain at the castle. Brian’s incredibly disappointed and feels betrayed that she lied to him. (She didn’t, but she couldn’t come clean in front of his mom.)
As Brian prepares his horse for the journey, Murtagh (Rory Alexander) rides up and declares that he’s joining him. Murtagh’s hoping for another shot at Ellen MacKenzie since during Beltane all vows are forgotten. Murtagh has no idea about Brian and Ellen’s romance and wrongly believes he still has a chance of winning her away from Malcolm.
Brian and Ellen Reunite at Beltane
Tents and games are set up and the mood is festive. Jocasta lies and tells Malcolm Grant (Jhon Lumsden) that Ellen’s been talking about him the whole trip. Neither Jocasta nor Ellen has celebrated Beltane at this location, and Malcolm assures them they’re in for a fun time of feasting and dancing, along with the actual Beltane ceremony. The procession to the stone circle will take place in a few hours.
Henry (Jeremy Irvine) has been nearby listening in and asks Ned about the stone circle. Ned explains Craigh na Dun is not far and that the maidens will dance there to keep the fairies from taking people. “They’re known to appear on Beltane, snatch those who don’t pay proper respects,” says Ned.
Henry gets down to actual business, confirming Lord Lovat wrote a disparaging letter about Ellen’s reputation and warned the Grants not to allow Malcolm to marry her. Ned believes Simon Fraser only wrote that letter because he hates the MacKenzies. Ned also reveals Simon’s been accused of raping a noblewoman and can’t be trusted.
Henry suggests that Isaac Grant knows all this and that he wrote back to Simon basically telling him to mind his own business. However, Isaac remains uneasy about Malcolm marrying Ellen. Ned assures Henry that any rumors are meritless.
Malcolm requests a dance and Ellen declines, claiming she’s not a good dancer. Malcolm convinces her that she could never disappoint him. She gives in and suddenly Brian’s there, taking her hand while whispering that no one will suspect a thing if they dance.
It’s true that Malcolm doesn’t suspect anything, and Ellen and Brian make plans to sneak away and meet at the old castle tower. Jocasta flirts with Murtagh, who’s watching the dance from the sidelines, explaining that her husband’s in bed with the sweating sickness. Murtagh makes her smile by asking her to dance, promising everything’s fair at Beltane.
Ellen’s named the May Queen and is told to choose her king for the night’s ceremony. All eligible men are supposed to step forward, but only Malcolm and Murtagh initially do so. Brian looks conflicted and finally joins them when even more men step into the competition. Asked which is worthy of her hand, Ellen inspects her suitors and selects Malcolm.
Back at Castle Leathers, Simon Fraser’s seer claims she sees a field of thorns, with men bleeding and tormented. Simon (Tony Curran) is not one of them. Instead, he’s away from the field, victorious. She sees that he’ll return to the powerful position he once held.
He asks about having a child worthy of his legacy, and Maisri (Katharine O’Donnelly) instructs Juilia to place an egg on her belly. Ellen then cracks it into a pitcher of water, and two yolks appear. “I see a lass all alone with dark curls and clear blue eyes,” says Maisri, and Simon doesn’t care about a girl. Maisri says the girl she described is still to come. (Julia thinks she’s talking about Claire.)
Maisri touches Julia’s stomach and declares that she’s having a boy “of great importance.” The boy will unite clans for centuries to come, according to the seer. She adds, “When the fate of our nation is in peril, he’ll have his part to play.”
In Outlander, we know that Claire’s uncle raised her after her parents perished in a car accident when she was a young child. Although Julia is determined to return to her own time in this prequel, Outlander fans know that didn’t happen. The huge unanswered questions now are whether Julia will deliver her son in the 1700s, how he will fit into the Jamie and Claire timeline, and whether Claire will learn in Outlander season eight that her parents survived and traveled to the 1700s. Will she ultimately meet relatives she didn’t know existed? And is it possible fans have already met Claire’s little brother at some point in Outlander?
Maisri’s vision leads Simon Fraser to believe the baby Julia’s carrying is a future king, which confirms Clan Fraser’s importance.
Back at the Beltane celebration, Malcolm is honored that Ellen chose him. Ellen’s still trying to figure out a way to get away and convinces Malcolm to help the men finish with the crowning ceremony’s decorations.
Meanwhile, Murtagh and Brian discuss women and what they want, with Brian suggesting Murtagh move on to a different woman.
Ellen breaks away from Jocasta, insisting she’s not going to the stones and asking for a bountiful year with Malcolm. Jocasta confesses she blames Ellen for setting her up in a joyless marriage with John Cameron, and Ellen says she finally understands how her sister feels about an arranged marriage. They strike a deal, swearing they’ll both say that they received the blessings at the stones. Instead, they’ll both do as they please.
Ellen heads straight to her secret meeting with Brian and places his hand over her heart. He does the same with hers, comparing their heartbeats. They’re caught up kissing when Murtagh approaches and watches his best friend betray him with the woman he loves. He leaves without saying a word.
Time passes and the couple moves inside the old castle, unwilling to part. The sun is going down, but Brian doesn’t fear darkness. He’ll have the fire she lit in him to make his world glow. Ellen doesn’t fear the darkness either; it’s where she finds him each night.
Brian warns her that if they keep going, it will ruin her honor and virtue. “Ruin me,” replies Ellen. Brian stops them just as they begin to remove their clothes. He rips his clothing into strips, and they grasp hands, reciting “blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give you my body that we two might be one. I give you my spirit till our life shall be done.”
They share a passionate kiss and then hurry to remove their clothes. Ellen caresses Brian’s chest, and Brian helps her remove her skirt. Hands explore as the music builds and then retreats to a gentler accompaniment as Brian lays Ellen on the ground. They stop rushing and take their time enjoying their first time together. Their eyes never leave each other’s as they make love.
Later, they get to know each other a little better while relaxing in each other’s arms. He talks about Murtagh; she asks about Brian’s father and if he deserves his bad reputation. Brian admits he does, and that’s why he left Scotland last year and went to El Camino de Santiago. He needed to figure out his place in the world. There, he learned to make peace with his station. But now, because of her, he wants to be better.
Brian asks if she regrets what they just did, and Ellen doesn’t. She’s happy she made this decision for herself and will always choose him.
Murtagh stalks around the grounds, grabs a drink, and runs straight into Arch Bug. They’re both looking for a fight, and Arch delivers a vicious beating while warning Murtagh to stay away from Ellen MacKenzie.
Over at Castle Leathers, Davina Porter points out to Simon that Maisri never called Julia’s baby his. She warns Lord Lovat that Julia can’t be trusted and that she was already pregnant when she showed up at Castle Leathers. Davina confesses she doesn’t have any proof and that she hasn’t told anyone else this. Simon reacts by ordering Davina to take over all of Julia’s duties and to keep this knowledge a secret. If she ever mentions this to anyone, she’ll be killed.
It’s late at night when Ned asks Henry if he found his woman. Henry didn’t, admitting he hoped he would since all the women from the surrounding area attend the festival. Ned confesses he was forced apart from the only woman he loved and had to choose between torment and starting over. He chose to work with Red Jacob and Clan MacKenzie. Ned’s worried that Henry will make the wrong choice, and Henry assures him there is only one choice. He will find the love of his life.
Julia’s alone when she places her wedding ring back on her finger.
Ellen and Brian have finally parted, and Malcolm finds her and gives her a piece of jewelry he made back when they were just children as a token of his affection. She says she’ll treasure it, but doesn’t reply when he says he can’t believe she’s his.
Jocasta finds Murtagh drunk and angry and takes care of his wounds. He explains it’s not a physical injury; he wants to be wanted. Jocasta understands and feels the same. They’re passionately kissing when Murtagh ruins it by saying, “Ellen.”
Jocasta leaves, sobbing.
While Beltane’s King and Queen ceremony is in full swing, at Castle Leathers Julia writes to Henry, telling him she intended to keep the promises they made when they exchanged vows.
Malcolm and Ellen, wearing the gorgeous dress and veil from the beginning of the episode, make their way down the path lined with attendees. Murtagh and Jocasta are among those watching from the sidelines, as is Brian. Murtagh spots the man who’s been like a brother and watches as his friend never takes his eyes off Ellen.
Henry misses the ceremony, returning to his tent and rubbing the St. Anthony pendant Julia gave him. Simultaneously, Julia holds her wedding ring and kisses it, while her voiceover recites their wedding vows.
Malcolm removes the veil from Ellen’s face, and she sees Brian in the crowd. Malcolm leans in for a kiss and the crowd cheers. Continuing with the voiceover, Julia says that their passion, memories, and children are more powerful than their vows. The camera remains on alternating close-ups of Ellen and Brian as Julia says, “I will burn for you, my love, always.”
- Production Begins on Season 2
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 1 “Providence” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 2 “Sealed with a Kiss” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 3 “School of the Moon” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 4 “A Soldier’s Heart” Recap
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