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Starz expanded on author Diana Gabaldon's fantastical universe with Outlander: Blood of My Blood, a spin-off of its popular historical romance series Outlander, that has charmed its audience's hearts for more than a decade now.
While the show will sadly bid farewell with its eighth and final season in early 2026, the prequel series aired a double-episode premiere on August 8, 2025, on Starz. With Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) ruling the small screen with their sizzling chemistry for over a decade, the question is, is the prequel series worthy?
It is without a doubt that Outlander: Blood of My Blood was already highly anticipated by Outlander fans and had some big shoes to fill. The spin-off series follows two love stories, set in different periods each. While Jamie's parents, Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), are star-crossed lovers in 18th-century Scotland, Claire's parents, Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield), have a chance encounter during World War I.
While both of these love stories unfold in their respective periods, they are also bound together by one of the most iconic features of the flagship series, ie, time travel. Without giving any spoilers away, let's just say that Jamie and Claire's worlds were destined to collide even before their births.
Here is the Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere review.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere carries the heart and soul of its predecessor
The opening shots of Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere transported Gabaldon's fans to the former Outlander days as the prequel series carries the beautiful Scottish aesthetic in its opening shots. Wide shots of sprawling Highland plains, the familiar music of the bagpipes, the fantastical background music as Clan MacKenzie comes into the picture, and Caste Leoch-- the premiere was an ode to the former seasons of Outlander, which evoked just the right amount of nostalgia.
However, in contrast to this Scottish beauty, the tone of the premiere soon takes a tragic turn. Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 1 opens with a funeral, a supposed end that becomes a new beginning. We learn that the laird of Clan MacKenzie, Red Jacob, has died without naming an heir, which leaves his two sons, Dougal and Colum, eyeing the throne. While his unmarried daughter, Ellen MacKenzie, is mourning her father, she is fearful about her future, which now lies in her brothers' hands.
Castle Leoch, one of the most iconic and primary locations in the Outlander universe, is once again made the battlefield for Colum and Dougal, where the two brothers fight for the throne. The walls of this castle, unbeknownst to the history that is about to come, are grand and majestic as ever. From the workings of the castle, to the plaid kilt and the Gathering itself, Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere wears its predecessor's heart on its sleeve.
Familiar characters, new faces
One of the most interesting aspects of the Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere was the re-introduction of beloved characters, Colum (Séamus McLean Ross), Dougal (Sam Retford), and Murtagh (Rory Alexander).
In the prequel's universe, all of these characters have not yet hardened by the years of war and loss, and we see them in a new light. Colum and Dougal MacKenzie, the iconic brothers from Outlander's initial seasons, make their debut as two calculating individuals who are eyeing the throne, more than mourning their father's death. While the characters are still unaware of the future that lies ahead of them, we see glimpses of what is to come in the Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere.
Colum, who already thinks of himself as at a disadvantage because of his physical disability, is ever calculating and proves why he eventually beat his brother and became the laird. On the other hand, Dougal carried the eagerness, indecisiveness, naivety, and temper that hindered him from taking over the throne. I appreciated how the prequel series managed to sustain an air of mystery about the future of Clan MacKenzie for new fans, even when the OG fans know the fate of these characters.
Lastly, the character who surprised me the most was Murtagh Fitzgibbons, who debuted as the dreamer and friend to Brian Fraser. While Colum and Dougal perfectly echo the older versions of their characters, Murtagh's younger version will surely evoke a sense of sorrow, for how the subsequent years of war and loss have changed him for the worse in the parent series.
Two intertwined love stories
The heart of the Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere lies with the two love stories (taking place in two different periods) between Jamie and Claire's parents. One of the biggest USPs of the flagship series was the chemistry and connection between Claire and Jamie, and how their love triumphed over everything. A part of me feels that the weight of their romance was so monumental that the prequel series features two lead couples and their stories in their place.
Jamie's parents had their first meet-cute in Episode 1, which immediately establishes them as star-crossed lovers, the Romeo and Juliet of the 18th century. If you think Jamie was charming, wait till you see his father, who seems to have a personal dictionary of impressive words. As Brian and Ellen formally introduce themselves to each other, fans can almost anticipate the many obstacles that will follow in their eventual love story, and I am surely seated to see the events unfold.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 2 took us to WWI, where Lt. Henry Beauchamp's hope is slipping away with each death of his men at the Frontlines. Just when it seemed that all his hopes are dwindling, a chance encounter begins a series of letters between him and Julia Moriston. The eloquent prose penned by Julia becomes a new symbol of hope for Henry, and in the subsequent months, their friendship becomes something much more intimate.
Final Verdict on Outlander: Blood of My Blood
I'll give the Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere a 4/5 shining stars.
I understand fans are often wary about prequels and sequels, especially when the show is as beloved as Outlander. But if the Outlander: Blood of My Blood premiere proved anything, it was that it can retain its predecessor's former glory, while shining in its own light. The world-building and characters in the spin-off series are surely promising, and I see the potential of the flagship series.
With Outlander sadly concluding in early 2026, Outlander: Blood of My Blood is the perfect continuation of Gabaldon's universe we all fell in love with. While I devoured Claire and Jamie's romance, and it is nearly impossible to recreate Balfe and Heughan's on-screen chemistry, their parents' love stories are equally swoonworthy and carry the genuineness of true love.
Catch Outlander: Blood of My Blood new episodes on Starz every Friday.
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