Starz’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood episode seven opens with the Grants reacting to a raid on their land. Arch Bug (Terence Rae) is certain it was the MacKenzies, but Henry (Jeremy Irvine) thinks they’d be fools to attack since Ellen’s betrothed to Malcolm. Plus, Ned Gowan wouldn’t allow it.
(The following is a detailed episode seven recap, so there are spoilers ahead.)
Malcolm sides with Henry and decides to take care of the matter without disturbing his dad. Malcolm (Jhon Lumsden) recalls Murtagh caused problems at Beltane and orders Henry to investigate the attack. “No one steals from us and gets away with it,” says Malcolm.
Mrs. Fitz (Sally Messham) gets busy preparing the wedding sheets and teases that she hopes Malcolm’s “blessed” where it counts. Ellen (Harriet Slater) is not in a celebratory mood and Mrs. Fitz is concerned that something’s bothering her. Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) interrupts to find out how her trousseau is coming along. Ellen gives him an update and Colum offers her their mother’s sheets. Ellen reminds him their mom didn’t have time for a trousseau before she was wed. Colum suggests this is all a delaying tactic. He gives her until the Sabbath to finish and confirms he’s writing to the Grants to set the wedding date.
Ned (Conor MacNeill) informs Colum that the Grants believe Dougal led a raid on their property. Ned’s sure Dougal is innocent (this time) since he was far away driving cattle. Colum’s not so sure and his suspicions are raised when Ned admits the men have returned from the drive without Dougal. Apparently, Dougal’s heading to the House of Nairne for a cattle auction.
Ellen’s been listening and speaks up, reminding them Nairne doesn’t keep cattle. She believes Dougal’s there because they are Jacobites. Colum’s furious that Dougal’s actions could lead them to being accused of treason. Ned suggests he’ll meet with the Grants’ bladier immediately to sort things out. However, Colum’s now concerned they won’t have money for Ellen’s dowry and that maybe it wasn’t a wise idea to align the MacKenzies with the Grants in the first place. (Ellen keeps silent, but you know exactly what she’s thinking!)
Colum decides the best course of action is to try and intercept Dougal and keep him from giving any money of their limited funds to the Jacobite cause. Colum wants to do it himself, but Ellen volunteers. She has a good cover story and believes she can convince Dougal to stop any further Jacobite dealings.
Ellen’s sure she’s the right person for the job since she has no actual authority, unlike either of her brothers. She says, “luceo non uro,” the episode title, which translated means “I shine, not burn.”
After she leaves, Colum worries Ellen’s just like their dad. And now she holds the family’s fate in her hands.
Brian (Jamie Roy) draws his sword and christens William Henry Beauchamp in the proper Highland way. Julia (Hermione Corfield) is thankful for Brian’s friendship and help; he’s her only true friend.
Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Baird, two of the gossips who cursed Julia and called her evil, now try and make up for their bad behavior by offering their well wishes and blessings to Davina Porter (Sara Vickers) in church. Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) looks around impatiently, disappointed in the small attendance. He sends Davina off to fetch Julia and Brian, and Davina finds them right outside. Julia can’t get William to eat and begins singing, “Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside,” a song she used to sing to Claire.
Brian heads inside and Davina tries to calm Julia’s nerves by reminding her she wanted the protection of Lord Lovat’s name. Davina is incredibly sympathetic and is now truly on Julia’s side. Julia’s worried Simon Fraser will want to marry her today, since they’re in a church. Davina doesn’t think so since the world already views them as man and wife.
Julia holds William while the reverend performs the baptism. Murtagh (Rory Alexander) walks in, glares at Brian, and takes a seat as far away from him as possible. Lord Lovat is practically glowing as he holds his son (and namesake), Simon Fraser of Lovat.
Lord Lovat stops Brian as he tries to make a quick exit, and Brian confesses he believes this is all a sham. His dad and Julia aren’t married, so none of this matters. Lord Lovat confirms he had a Protestant reverend perform the baptism because parliament declared a king cannot be Catholic or married to a Catholic. Lord Lovat will do whatever it takes to see his son succeed, even if it’s unscrupulous.
Brian chases after Murtagh and Murtagh stops and punches him in the face, knocking Brian down. Brian swears he didn’t know who Ellen MacKenzie was and never intended to steal Murtagh’s woman. Murtagh understands Brian and Ellen falling for each other but doesn’t understand why Brian didn’t tell him and kept it a secret. Murtagh feels betrayed.
Although Murtagh wants nothing to do with Brian, he can’t turn down a meeting with Lord Lovat. Asked to report on the Jacobites, Murtagh confirms he’s going to attend a meeting and figure out which way the MacKenzies should lean. Simon orders Murtagh to take Brian with him so he’ll understand what they’re fighting for if they join the rebellion.
Simon’s aware there’s a rift between Murtagh and Brian and orders him to go anyway. If Brian disobeys, Lord Lovat will take it out on Brian’s mother.
After Brian leaves, Lord Lovat tells Balloch that they’ll be gone for the wedding. He believes he’ll have enough to pay off the reverend to perform the ceremony and alter the records.
Ned hurries to Henry’s table at the tavern and assures him the MacKenzies had nothing to do with the raid. Henry knows that since the soldiers in the tavern have already determined Rob Roy MacGregor was responsible. Rob Roy is a Jacobite and traitor to the crown, and Ned points out the Grants don’t associate with the Jacobites. Henry insists that the Grants need to stay loyal to the crown because “it’s the wiser course of action.” He suggests the MacKenzies do the same.
Henry thanks Ned for helping with the search to find Julia and informs him the search is over. He confesses that he thought about Ned telling him that to carry on the way he was was to linger in torment. Henry wants to leave the Grants, but Ned thinks that’s impossible. Ned knows Henry would have to actually disappear to pull that off.
Henry replies, “I think I can manage that.”
Elsewhere, Ellen arrives at the House of Nairne and invites Lady Margaret Nairne (Joanne Crawford) and her husband, Lord Nairne, to her wedding to Malcolm Grant. She accepts if they’re able. Lady Nairne points out it’s dangerous for Ellen to visit given all the Jacobite supporters on the premises. Ellen admits she’s there to see her brother, Dougal, and keep him from disrupting her betrothal to Malcolm.
Outside, Murtagh introduces Brian Fraser to Dougal MacKenzie, and Dougal is unimpressed. When Dougal and Murtagh walk off, another man introduces himself to Brian as Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair (Jamie Sives). Brian’s honored to meet “the notorious Rob Roy,” and Rob Roy MacGregor walks away smiling.
Ellen weaves her way through the crowd before the meeting begins and tells Dougal he shouldn’t be there. But she’s too late; the meeting is gaveled to order. Rob Roy opens the meeting and says they need to decide if it’s time to restore their true king. As he speaks, Ellen and Brian lock eyes, each surprised to see the other at this meeting.
Rob Roy addresses the men, saying he knows they’re attending the meeting because they either have everything or nothing to lose. He suggests the undecided join them to change their fate. Their war will be costly, and Dougal speaks up, pledging the MacKenzie men and coin to the cause. Ellen tries to talk him out of it, but Dougal believes he’s doing what’s best for the clan. He suggests she change Malcolm Grant’s mind and make him take up the Jacobite cause.
The men toast to the glory of Caledonia. Ellen and Brian continue to stare at each other, fully aware of the consequences of Dougal’s action.
Ellen continues to try and get her brother to take back the money, but he refuses. Before he walks off, he asks Murtagh to take care of his sister. Murtagh hopes she didn’t put herself in danger by attending this meeting, and she wonders if his auntie Mistress Fitzgibbons knows he’s there. She doesn’t, and he’s not sure how he leans right now. He hasn’t made up his mind yet.
Malcolm Grant and Arch Bug show up unexpectedly, and Arch is convinced this means the MacKenzies are up to no good. Ellen says she was just visiting to invite Lady Nairne to their wedding and discovered Dougal was there. She believed she could change Dougal’s mind without disrupting their nuptials. But now she thinks her presence there might end their engagement. Malcolm insists his father will never know if she leaves at once. He also reveals he didn’t come alone.
Just then redcoats enter the meeting room, led by Captain Fleming. He places Rob Roy MacGregor under arrest for stealing cattle from Clan Grant. Malcolm thanks Fleming for his help and asks him to call off his men. He’ll take care of getting the Grants’ property back himself. Captain Fleming and his men don’t leave and instead, he threatens to place more men under arrest on suspicion of Jacobitism.
Brian carefully draws his gun and when Captain Fleming orders his men to round up the Jacobites, Brian fires a shot into the floor. Chaos ensues and the men pour out of the building, with Dougal ordering his men to retrieve the trunk full of coins. Ellen grabs Brian’s hand as they run, and they pause for a moment. Ellen is convinced Malcolm’s dad will call off the wedding after he hears what just happened.
Dougal sees Ellen caressing Brian’s face and grabs him behind. He punches him while growling, “Get your hands off my sister!” Dougal drags Ellen away while she pleads with him not to tell Colum she was with a Fraser, their father’s sworn enemy. Dougal threatens to tell their brother her secret, and she warns him she’ll tell Colum that he was about to turn over her dowry to the Jacobite cause.
Brian makes it to his horse just as someone rides off with Murtagh’s horse. Both Brian and Dougal offer him a ride, and Murtagh chooses Dougal.
Julia asks Davina for help sprinkling chaste berry on Lord Lovat’s food. It’s supposed to lessen a person’s sexual desires.
Julia holds her baby as she approaches the reverend, Lord Lovat, and a few women. Lord Lovat informs her that Mistress Veal will now nurse the baby, and Julia reluctantly hands him over. The reverend, who’s being paid handsomely, conducts the wedding ceremony. The reverend dates the wedding ceremony November 17, 1714. He records the baby’s birth as July 5, 1715. Simon informs Julia they’ll consummate their union that evening.
Davina serves the newlyweds, flashing a quick smile at Julia. Simon notices a difference in the taste but enjoys it. He believes it’s well seasoned and has more spice than usual. Julia and Davina can’t stop smiling.
Henry visits Seema the prostitute (Lauren McQueen) and says having sex was a horrible mistake. He was in grief and acted irrationally. Henry thinks he left Julia’s necklace there and will give Seema everything he has if she gives it back. She hands it over and Henry’s hands quiver as he holds it. He confesses, “I thought this would have been lost to me forever.”
Seema assures him she can be whoever he wants and that his kindness has made her life bearable. Henry insists he can’t stay and hands over a bag of coins, suggesting she can start fresh. He must leave and says this time stole his wife and child. (He believes Julia and the baby died in childbirth.) Now, he needs to get back to Craigh na Dun and return to Claire.
Henry rides at top speed toward Craigh na Dun but is stopped on the road by Arch Bug and other Grant men. Seema told Arch Bug where to find him, and Arch knows Henry’s hoping the fairies will take him away. Henry is forced to return with Arch and his men.
Ellen’s home working on her trousseau with Mistress Fitz when Fitz finds a Fraser tartan among Ellen’s possessions. She asks if they were handfast and Ellen doesn’t reply. Mistress Fitz doesn’t need an answer to know the truth but initially believes Ellen is with her nephew, Murtagh. Ellen doesn’t correct her and refuses to allow her to burn it. Mistress Fitz orders her to hide it and never speak of it again.
Ellen’s about to go for a ride when she’s ordered to appear before Colum and Dougal in the great hall. Henry is there along with Ned Gowan, and Ned announces that Ellen’s character is being called into question. Henry explains they received a letter, and Isaac Grant is concerned. They want to test to see if she’s still a virgin. Henry apologizes.
“By god, you better pray you pass,” says Colum. Dougal adds, “Ye have made your bed, let us hope ye dinna die in it.”
Brian returns home and learns he was sent on a fool’s errand so his dad could marry Julia without him in attendance. He’s shocked to discover that his father knows about his relationship with Ellen MacKenzie, thanks to Balloch’s spying. This actually makes Brian useful to Lord Lovat for once. He hugs his son, happy Brian finally took what he wanted. The seed of doubt is growing, and Lord Lovat hopes his sworn enemies (the MacKenzies) don’t survive this scandal.
Later, the special sauce works and Lord Lovat can’t get an erection. Julia offers to return to her room, but Lord Lovat wants more food, hoping the spice will wake “the Old Fox from his hole.” Julia smiles and assures him she’ll fetch some more delicious food.
Balloch drives the reverend home and kills him. He takes the register that recorded the marriage and birth and places it inside the church. He also takes back Lord Lovat’s bag of coins.
Episode seven ends with Julia making a shocking discovery. She’s cleaning up Lord Lovat’s room while he sleeps and spots a letter on his desk. She recognizes the penmanship and then looks at the signature: Henry Grant, Bladier for the Grants. She whispers Henry’s name and kisses the letter.
- 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
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 5 “Needfire” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 6 “Birthright” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 8 “A Virtuous Woman” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 9 “Braemar” Recap
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Season 1 Finale Recap
