''There’s no Jamie Fraser”- Outlander: Blood of My Blood showrunner reveals how Julia's choice resulted in Jamie's birth

Julia proved her friendship with Brian and helped Ellen pass her virtue exam in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8. The recent installment in the Outlander prequel saga on Starz saw Ellen awaiting her humiliating virtue test at Castle Leoch, ordered by Issac Grant to confirm her 'innocence.'

Julia prepared an elixir just in time for Ellen, which helped her pass the physical examination of her virtue. While Brian and Julia's journey to Castle Leoch was dangerous in itself, Julia was confronted with a difficult choice. Claire's mother was literally standing at a crossroads in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8, where one way would take her to Henry. However, Julia made a selfless choice and instead accompanied Brian to Castle Leoch.

As showrunner Matthew B. Roberts revealed to Decider, Julia's decision had a larger effect on the greater Outlander saga, and her choice directly affected Jamie Fraser's existence in the parent series:

“If she goes and does what Brian says, then then Ellen probably fails. They want to kill her. Brian probably steps in. They both get killed. There’s no Jamie Fraser.”

While Brian insisted that Julia leave him and go to her husband in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8, she made a selfless choice and instead helped him and Ellen.

More on this in our story.

*Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8. Readers' discretion is advised.*

How did Julia's choice in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8 ensure Jamie's birth?

Outlander: Blood of My Blood has expanded Diana Gabaldon's fantastical lore to new heights and introduced a new canon about Claire's parents. While the series teaser had already confirmed that Claire's parents were fellow time-travelers like their daughter from the parent series, the show also brought Claire's secret brother into the fold. As teased by the showrunner, the identity of Claire's secret brother will 'explode many heads' and affect the series' family tree at large.

While Outlander: Blood of My Blood can be watched as a standalone series, each episode carries subtle Easter Eggs for seasoned Outlander fans, which makes the watching experience even more exciting. Episode 8 was one such outing, where Julia's decision had a grave outcome on the parent series. One wrong step and Jamie Fraser would have ceased to exist in Outlander.

However, Julia proved her friendship, and when she was presented with the opportunity to either go to Grant Castle (and to Henry) or to accompany Brian to Castle Leoch, she chose the latter. This choice not only cemented her friendship with Brian even further, but also helped Ellen pass her virtue test in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8. She managed to apply her elixir onto Ellen and fool the physician into thinking that Ellen was a virgin, when she had already consummated her love with Brian at the Beltane festival.

One wrong move on Julia's part would have had a butterfly effect in the Outlander universe and would have threatened Jamie Fraser's existence. If Julia had chosen Grant Castle instead, Ellen would probably have failed the virtue test, Brian would have come to her aid, and they both would have been killed by Ellen's brothers.

Julia's selfless choice in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 8 was not only fruitful for Ellen, Brian, and Jamie Fraser, but also for her and Henry. This selfless choice was heftily rewarded when she reached Castle Leoch and was finally reunited with Henry. After Julia discovered that Henry is Clan Grant's bladier, she was determined to find him at Grant Castle, unaware that he would actually be at Castle Leoch for Ellen's virtue test.

The couple was briefly reunited when Julia and Brian were about to sneak out of the Castle. While Julia and Henry had to part again, the latter learned that his wife and child were alive. Now that Henry has finally found his wife and child, it would be interesting to see how he will bring them home and what is in store for the couples in the future.

Tune into Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 9 on Starz on September 26, 2025.

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