Warning! Spoilers for Outlander: Blood of My Blood season 1 ahead!
Outlander made a massive change from author Diana Gabaldon’s books, but forOutlander: Blood of My Blood’s sake, I’m so glad it did. Of course, such changes to canon are often a problem for prequel shows, since they impact the overall continuity. I was a bit worried about how one storyline in particular would play out, but the very first episode ofBlood of My Bloodhas reassured me.
The bigOutlanderchange I’m referring to revolves around Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, who is a key player in both the central series andOutlander: Blood of My Blood.Played originally by Duncan Lacroix, Murtagh was kept alive far longer on the screen than in the books. What’s more,Outlanderput him into a romance with Jocasta Cameron, anotherBlood of My Bloodcharacter.
Since Murtagh had been deeply in love with Ellen MacKenzie in his youth, I was curious if or howBlood of My Bloodwould address hisOutlanderromance. My fear was that Starz would try too hard to foreshadow Murtach and Jocasta’s eventual fling, ultimately diminishing the man’s dedication to Ellen. However, so far, I thinkBlood of My Bloodhas handled things exactly right.
Murtagh & Jocasta’s Romance Story Is A Huge Asset To Blood Of My Blood
In the first episode ofOutlander: Blood of My Blood, it’s perfectly clear that theyoung Murtagh, now played by Rory Alexander, has it bad for Ellen MacKenzie. However, he and Jocasta (Sadhbh Malin)doshare a sweet moment. Ellen’s sister is already married, but it’s evident that she has a soft spot for Murtagh. She mentions his affection for Ellen and subtly expresses her jealousy, and Murtagh has an excellent response.
Murtagh doesn’t seem to be overly interested in Jocasta inBlood of My Blood. However, when she states that she lives in Ellen’s shadow, Murtagh is immensely kind and genuine. It’s clear that he doesn’t see Jocasta as the lesser sister. The comment brings Jocasta a great deal of joy, and the two smoothly part ways. It’s short and simple,but the scene added a lot to the overall dynamic of these characters.
Outlander: Blood of My Bloodhas moved away from the Brian-Ellen-Murtagh love triangle, and has instead established a chain.Jocasta is married, but she has a bit of a crush on Murtagh. Murtagh is in love with Ellen, butEllen is in love with Brian. Brian is Murtagh’s best friend and has no idea in the prequel’s first episode that the girl he just fell hard for is the same girl Murtagh has his eyes on. It’s a good deal of fun.
Could Something Happen Between Murtagh & Jocasta In Blood Of My Blood?
My fear has been thatOutlander: Blood of My Bloodwould work too hard to make it look as if Murtagh and Jocasta were meant to be together from the start. The prequel series may try to sneak in a secret afair between the characters, establishing that their intimacy started long before the events ofOutlander. While this is still possible, the first episode gives me hope.
It’s perfectly possible that Murtagh will react poorly to the news that Ellen is in love with Brian and rebound toward Jocasta. However,Blood of My Blood’s first episode indicates that, though not in love with Ellen’s sister, Murtagh respects her. This is the perfect launching point for the later romance inOutlander. So, even if the prequel does create a moment between them, I’ll be happy so long as respect and care are evident.
