The first episode of Starz’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood mainly focused on Jamie’s parents, Brian and Ellen, in the days surrounding the death of Red Jacob and the selection of a new Laird for Clan MacKenzie. Claire’s parents put in brief but pivotal appearances in episode one and are at the heart of the action in episode two.
The following recap of episode two, “SWAK (Sealed with a Kiss),” has tons of spoilers. Continue reading only if you’ve seen the episode!
WWI Western Front, Battle of Passchendaele, Belgium 1917
Bombs explode and soldiers scramble for safety as Starz’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood episode two begins. Lt. Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) frantically searches for Private Charlton, and his captain advises him to stay with the rest of his men. Henry promised his men he wouldn’t leave anyone behind (this time) but the captain orders him to stand down.
Henry disobeys and runs through a barrage of bullets to retrieve the injured man. He’s suffered a gutshot, and Henry lies and says he’ll be fine. The men watch as the captain threatens to shoot Henry for disobeying an order. But he won’t, because the men would attack him. Henry promises not to do it again.
Henry hands off the letter the now-deceased private wrote to his mom and then writes his own letter to whom it may concern, describing what he’s going through as hell on earth. He’s lost friends, but some of the things he’s seen in war are worse than death. Henry doubts he’ll be able to erase the images from his mind. Physical injuries may heal, but an injured mind will not.
Henry says he’s writing as a witness to the insanity of war and the tragedies of young men dying. He claims they’re trying to hold onto their sanity while holding onto hope.
War Office: Postal and Telegraph Censorship Department, London, 1917
Hundreds of bags of letters make their way through the hands of the women staffing the office. A cup of coffee is accidentally spilled on Julia’s work and she hurriedly tries to write down the work assignments she remembers reading on the nearly destroyed paperwork.
Julia (Hermione Corfield) takes charge of a Passchendaele regiment just as her co-worker spots a flyer for a meeting hosted by women suffragists demanding women be allowed to vote. She warns Julia to be careful, but Julia is passionate about the cause. She hopes one day to be allowed to attend university and earn a degree. (The scene also serves to inform us that Julia has a near-photographic memory.)
The women go through letters to home, redacting passages that give away any possibly important details. Julia opens Henry’s letter that isn’t addressed to anyone. In it, Henry asks what there is to live for. Julia hides the letter in her book before getting back to work.
Later at home, she reads the entire letter and writes back. Julia doesn’t have the answers Henry is seeking, and admits she also wonders why they “must live through this abominable war.” She compares their circumstances to raindrops, never too small to make a difference.
“We too are shaped and changed by our suffering until we are strong enough, like water, to carve our way through rock,” writes Julia. She reveals that after her parents died, she paused her studies to help with the war effort. Julia also feels alone and understands why he questions their circumstances. She suggests that Henry not give up and that he can write back, if he wants to.
Henry does write back and says there was magic in her words. He now has hope.
They continue exchanging letters and each one becomes increasingly personal. They share details of their families and Julia reveals she’s in a Scottish phase. There’s something magical and romantic about Scotland. She writes of a folklorist named J.F. Campbell who told of a man who joined the circle of a fairy dance in the Highlands. When he came out, he felt he’d only briefly been away. In actuality, it had been years. Julia compares that to their letters, saying she could spend an eternity in the dance of their words.
Henry confesses he’s found his soulmate and seals his letter with a kiss. He quotes poet John Donne; she quotes Robert Burns‘s description of the Highlands. Henry jokes that he’s worried she’ll run off with a Highlander and confirms he’s always wanted to visit Scotland.
Julia has just finished reading a letter from Henry in which he said he was requesting a month’s leave to come to London when German planes fill the skies. They drop bombs and one blows out the window where she’s standing.
Henry’s men are engaged in combat as Julia writes to him from under a table by candlelight. She confesses her greatest fear is that they’ll never meet. Henry writes that he now calls her his hope.
Henry’s just been handed a letter when an explosion rocks his trench. More bombs send dirt and debris into the trench, burying the injured men.
Julia thumbs through the letters but there isn’t one from Henry. The war office receives a telegraph that Henry’s regiment plus two others were involved in ground attacks. 1,399 men have died.
Julia won’t give up hope but writes to Henry that it’s been two weeks since he last wrote. She admits to being frightened but still has hope.
Julia leaves work and walks through the streets and down a flight of stairs. Suddenly she looks up when a man passing by says, “Hope springs eternal.” She can barely believe her eyes as Henry gently caresses her face. Their foreheads touch, followed by a kiss that turns from tentative to passionate.
They barely make it back to Julia’s place before starting to take off each other’s clothes. Before they get far, Henry asks if she’s worried they’re not married yet. She takes the “yet” as a proposal and says yes.
They giggle as they fight with their clothes before experiencing each other’s naked body for the first time. The camera pulls away and focuses on Julia’s naked back as they make love.
The next scene shows Henry carrying his bride across the doorway. Julia can’t believe the priest squeezed them in at the last minute.
Henry experiences a terrible nightmare, waking with a scream when a car backfires outside. Julia comforts him as he sobs, and finally he calms down as she reminds him to hold onto his hope.
Julia and Henry Time Travel to Scotland in 1714
The story moves forward to Julia waking next to one of the standing stones. The diamond has fallen out of her wedding ring and she searches for it but gives up as she looks around the area. Julia walks back to where she left Henry after the accident, but he doesn’t respond when she calls out.
She spots a horse and quickly scribbles a message on a boulder. It reads “SWAK” with an arrow pointing toward the direction she’s heading. Julia stops the carriage and asks if they’ve seen her husband, explaining their motorcar had an accident. The three passengers speak Gaelic and don’t speak English. She asks about Inverness and they respond, “Inbhir Nis.” They indicate she should join them, but Julia wants to remain here to look for Henry.
Before she can react, one of the men places a bag over her head and the other knocks her out. Her unconscious body is placed in the carriage.
Meanwhile, Henry looks around the stones and calls out for his wife. He finds the SWAK message and heads in the direction of her arrow. He sees the town and hurries toward it.
Julia is tended to by Mistress Porter (Sara Vickers), a housekeeper, at Castle Leathers. She’s told the Connors left her there as payment for their debts. Julia tries to escape but is stopped at the door by Simon Beaufort Fraser (Tony Curran) who seems pleased she’s a fiery sassenach. Brian (Jamie Roy) watches from the doorway as Julia is stunned to learn they think she’s their new maidservant. She tells them she’s Julia Beauchamp from Hyde Park, London, and Lord Lovat isn’t impressed. She’s now his property.
Brian confronts his dad, reminding him they should have demanded money from the Connors. Lord Lovat admits that he prefers a new woman to satisfy his needs instead.
Henry’s also called a sassenach when he approaches two men in the woods. He sees other men and understands something strange has happened to them. Malcolm Grant (Jhon Lumsden) pays for Henry’s ale in a tavern and tells him he owes him. Henry notices flyers on the wall that indicate the year is 1714.
Henry’s grabbed and nearly tossed down a well after mistakenly inserting himself in clan matters. Malcolm Grant saves him again, as Henry explains he was just pointing out something he’s sure Malcolm already noticed from the flyers. Henry whispers an explanation in Malcolm’s ear and is taken to see Mr. Grant.
Over at Castle Leathers, Julia begs Mistress Porter to help her, pleading that she was in the Highlands on holiday with her husband and isn’t a servant. Henry’s business in Edinburgh turned into a brief vacation and somehow they got separated. She believes Henry’s looking for her. Mistress Porter thinks he’s probably not coming.
Mistress Porter is convinced Julia must have been knocked senseless and that’s why she’s so confused. Julia says King George V is on the throne; Mistress Porter corrects her that it’s 1714 and King George I is the ruler.
Julia is warned that Lord Lovat is known for paying “special attention” to the servants.
Bowmont House, Clan Grant
Henry’s taken to speak with Isaac Grant (Brian McCardie) and repeats what he whispered. Henry deduced from conversations and paperwork that the Grants’ proposed deal with the Campbells would mean the Campbells would still collect rents on the properties they are supposedly selling Isaac. Malcolm also believes that’s true but couldn’t convince his dad that the deal wasn’t fair.
But Henry’s observation doesn’t end there. He also believes that Isaac Grant’s advisor, Padraig Druiminn, was paid off to misrepresent the Grants’ interests. Isaac has Arch Bug (Terence Rae) confront Druiminn, and after an offscreen fight Bug returns with a sack of coins. Henry was right.
Isaac Grant asks Henry to replace Druiminn as his new bladier. Henry explains he’s searching for someone, and Isaac says taking the position would allow him to travel all over the area, not just on Grant lands. Also, an Englishman alone in the Highlands would have a huge target on his back unless he worked for the Grants.
Henry accepts the position.
Later, Arch Bug escorts Henry to the bladier’s quarters, pointing out Henry’s predecessor’s head, which is now atop a spike.
Julia is forced to accept that at least for now she’s a servant at Castle Leathers. As she’s working, she looks for any information that may be helpful in figuring out a way out of her predicament. She’s just finished stealing a map when Lord Lovat tells her she’ll do as he says. Julia pretends she hears Mistress Porter calling her and escapes.
That night she makes a run for it but is chased down by Brian on horseback. She begs him to let her go and explains that she’s just trying to find her husband. Brian understands but a storm’s coming and it’s too dangerous outside. And if she runs off now, his father will just send Balloch after her.
Julia doesn’t listen and only makes it a few feet before Balloch grabs her. She screams but Balloch won’t release her. She’s taken to Lord Lovat and about to be whipped for her insolence when Brian speaks up and says it was his fault. He lies and says he convinced her to flee.
Brian is whipped in Julia’s place.
One month has passed and we’re now caught up with the events of the first episode. Henry meets with Red Jacob’s advisor, Ned (Conor MacNeill), and Ned apologizes for the actions of Dougal. Ned wonders how the MacKenzies can make things right with the Grants. He proposes a marriage between Ellen MacKenzie and Malcolm Grant to smooth things over. Their marriage would benefit both clients. Henry insists Isaac Grant wants Dougal’s head, not Ellen’s hand.
Ned changes the offer. He noticed Henry was asking around for a woman at the gathering but didn’t find one he liked. Ned will help him locate the woman he’s after if he takes the betrothal offer to Isaac Grant. Henry agrees to present the offer to Lord Grant.
Over at Castle Leathers, Julia studies the maps and then uses a piece of the paper to write a letter to Henry about her last memory. She recalls the sound of a swarm of bees near the stones and then they were separated. Julia’s not sure if she’s dead, lost her mind, or fallen through the looking glass. She’s still madly in love with him, Claire, and their unborn child.
Julia admits she doesn’t think this letter will get to him; it’s more a record of her thoughts.
Henry also writes to Julia, explaining he’s constantly searching for her. He must act brave but doesn’t feel it. Only his memories of her and Claire give him hope.
Henry vows that he will find his way back to her. “I will not rest until we are reunited,” writes Henry.
Julia confesses she can only bear this by clinging to the thought that Henry is home with Claire. She asks Henry to kiss Claire and promises to find a way home to them.
Henry calls Julia his anchor and his reason for carrying on. He seals his letter with a kiss. Julia also finishes her letter and seals it with a kiss.
- Production Begins on Season 2
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 1 “Providence” 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 7 “Luceo Non Uro” 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
This post was last modified on October 10, 2025 11:54 am