Before Outlander draws to a close with its eighth and final season, a new chapter is beginning – and it’s every bit as captivating and emotionally ruinous as fans could hope.
Debuting in Australia on August 9 (exclusively on Stan) Outlander: Blood of my Blood, winds back the clock to tell the story of Jamie Fraser’s parents, Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie, and introduces Julia and Henry Beauchamp, whose 20th century romance echoes forward in time to their daughter, and Jamie’s beloved, Claire. And while viewers have spent a decade swooning over the time-tossed lovers, the epic prequel stands ready to stir the hearts of devoted fans and new viewers alike.
marie claire Australia sat down with stars of the long-awaited series, Harriet Slater (Ellen), Jamie Roy (Brian) and Hermione Corfield (Julia), to talk forbidden love, family legacy, and what it’s really like stepping into the eye of a fan storm as big as the Outlander universe.
As epic as the series’ original love story may be, Blood of my Blood makes a compelling case for its dual storylines packing the deeper emotional punch.
From the outset, viewers are thrust into the perilous political climate of 18th century Scotland, where the power vacuum created after the sudden death of Ellen’s father, and Clan MacKenzie’s Laird, threatens to destroy the hard-earnt position (and relative autonomy) her father had sworn to protect.
When her younger brothers begin scheming their way to clan succession, Ellen becomes a key pawn in their game. But when she meets young Brian Fraser, the bastard son of an enemy clansman, her complicated position takes an even more precarious dive.
“They’re both taking massive risks in even meeting,” Harriet Slater, who plays Ellen, tells marie claire. ” Because if anyone were to discover them, both her reputation, and their lives -would be at risk.”
Unlike Jamie and Claire’s romance, which unfolded in the heat of war and passion, Ellen and Brian’s is, by its very nature, an inherent act of rebellion. And it shows.
“There’s this much softer, more vulnerable side to Brian that only comes out with Ellen,” says Jamie Roy. “He’s almost two different characters, where I feel like I’m holding my breath with everyone else, and then with he’s with Ellen, he’s able to breathe out and relax.”
It’s that duality – between duty and desire, protection and vulnerability – that drives Blood of My Blood in all directions. Harriet Slater’s Ellen may live in 18th-century Scotland, but her challenges feel eerily current.
“I would love to say what she goes through is unique to that time period,” Slater reflects, “but in many parts of the world, women’s choices are still not always their own.”
That same duality plays out across the centuries in Julia Beauchamp, played by Hermione Corfield.
Julia falls in love with Henry after responding to his open letters from the front. Before long, and upon Henry’s return from war, the couple marry and and have baby Claire Beauchamp shortly after. When Julia is thrust back into the 1700s after falling through the stones, she finds herself stripped of her agency, her guiding light – and most importantly, her child.
“She has to assimilate, protect herself, and stay quiet,” Corfield says of the challenges facing her character. “It speaks to her intelligence that she’s able to pick up on those nuances so quickly and survive.” And that she does, but it’s her maternal instinct that transforms Julia’s love story into something far more primal.
“Of course, she’s longing to be with Henry,” she explains. “But her overwhelming drive is to get back to her daughter, and she will go to immeasurable places to protect her child.”
Perhaps what makes Blood of My Blood so captivating is how deftly it tackles one of Outlander’s longest-standing questions: how much of our fate is shaped by love? “If they weren’t in love, I think Brian and Ellen would have turned around and said, ‘This isn’t worth it,’” Roy admits. “But love is the strongest force – it makes people do crazy things.”
Corfield agrees – but sees Julia’s motivations as bigger than just romantic love alone. “She’s led by her heart, yes. But it’s also about her daughter. Everything she does is for her child.” And through all of them, we see love expanded to something more than just a force of fate – it’s a dangerous choice, but still an undeniably worthy one.
Between their performances, and a script that takes care to root every character choice in complex emotional logic, Blood of My Blood is a historical romance that doesn’t just live up to its legacy, it deepens it.
Outlander: Blood Of My Blood premieres on August 9 and is available to stream exclusively on Stan.
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- ‘Outlander’ Prequel ‘Blood Of My Blood’ Is Coming
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- Who Is ‘Outlander’ Actor Jamie Roy Dating?
