Henry (Jeremy Irvine) has made it back through the stones and is immediately captured by Arch Bug’s men as Starz’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood season two, episode four opens. He insists he needs to find Julia and then punches Arch (Terence Rae) in the face for lying that Julia had died.
Arch is about to physically escalate the situation when he’s told to look at Henry’s face. There are marks there and since he went through the stones and came back, Arch’s wife, Murdina (Sorcha Groundsell), believes it’s obvious he’s been with the fair folk.
Murdina is adamant they leave him be since she doesn’t want to risk a curse. Henry plays along and claims he was with the fair folk and they put lightning in his head.
(The following is a recap of season two, episode four – “A Portion of My Soul” – and there are spoilers.)
Henry’s shocked to learn Malcolm Grant and his father are dead. Murdina believes Malcolm died of a broken heart on what should have been his wedding day.
Arch takes Henry to the new laird, Malcolm ‘Mac’ Grant (young, deceased Malcolm’s uncle), who’s unhappy that Henry was gone when he needed him the most. He makes Henry promise that he’ll never disappoint him again. Mac (Simon Merrells) orders Arch to give Henry 20 lashes since Lord Lovat demands retribution for kidnapping Julia and his son. Plus, he informs Henry that he’ll be marching with them when they meet with Argyll’s forces.
Fortunately, Arch knows better than to mess with someone who has been with the fair folk, so he only pretends to whip Henry. Henry cries out with each lash, but only as an act to fool those nearby.
Over at Castle Leathers, a messenger arrives with a letter from Lord Grant to Simon Fraser, and Julia (Hermione Corfield) reads it as soon as he leaves. She learns that Henry has returned and is back with the Grants. Seema (Lauren McQueen) is eavesdropping as Julia becomes emotional and hugs Davina (Sara Vickers). She hears Julia say that she’s going to her husband and finally realizes this is the wife that Henry was always talking about.
Davina helps Julia with a disguise as a man after sending Seema and their cook to market. She’ll make sure Seema doesn’t leave the house when she comes back. Davina gives Julia a knife, and Julia asks her to watch over her baby if she doesn’t return tomorrow.
Julia rides to Bowmont House to see Henry, as Henry is writing to her, reminding her that she’s his reason to survive. Although he’s going to war again, he now knows her face and that she is his life. Suddenly, he looks up from his letter and sees her outside. He rushes out and calls out, “May I assist you, sir?”
Julia turns and nearly in tears, follows him inside. They fall into each other’s arms, and she confirms their son, William, is fine. She’s sorry she couldn’t follow him through the stones and learns the stones took him to 1924. They thought he was crazy and looked him up in Inverness at an insane asylum. Henry says that because he kept talking about his wife in another time, they gave him shock treatments. When Julia brings up Claire, Henry doesn’t recognize the name.
Henry looks confused and Julia reminds him they have a six-year-old daughter born on October 20th. He’s frustrated that he knows October 20 but didn’t realize why it’s important. Julia says they left her with his brother in London, and suddenly all the memories rush back in. Henry explains the shock treatments were to take away his pain by wiping away memories of the war but instead stripped him of memories of Claire.
Henry’s devastated that the treatments burned away his memories of Claire, and he didn’t even realize what was happening. He confesses he’s not sure what’s real anymore. Julia insists she and their family are real.
Julia becomes quiet and later that evening she finally explains why. She discloses that Seema is now at Castle Leathers and told her about sleeping with Henry. Henry doesn’t deny anything but claims it’s not what Julia thinks. Seema was a prostitute in a brothel that he visited because someone said an English girl was there. And then he explains he was told that she and William died in childbirth. He ran to their home, saw Julia alive in their bed, and they made love. It was only later he realized it wasn’t Julia.
Henry believes the grief broke something in him, and when he realized what was actually happening, it was like Julia died again. Julia is furious he slept with another woman.
“It was you! In my heart, in my mind, it was you,” pleads Henry. He didn’t tell her because he was a coward, and Julia’s upset that she had to hear it from Seema. She will forgive him, but it will take time. Julia wants her old Henry back and Henry promises to find him. When he does, Julia wants Henry to come home to her after the war.
Night falls and Julia listens to men sing a song of war outside. She smiles at Henry as she recalls the letters they exchanged and their first time meeting in person. He proposed and although the timing was terrible, she said yes – just like in every letter she wrote him. And she confesses that she’s terrified he’s leaving for war again. Forget what she just said earlier; she needs her husband tonight – her real husband that she fell in love with through letters.
They take off their clothes while staring into each other’s eyes. “Find him…now…tonight…for me,” begs Julia. Henry replies, “He’s here.”
Lying in bed after making love, Julia tells Henry that the seer said she can’t travel through the stones. They put the pieces together and realize they need gems to travel, but the gems disappear once they do. Henry believes they need to find three stones – one for each of them – to get home to Claire. Henry’s going to look for them when he’s gone, even though Julia’s scared she can’t travel. Henry will send word when he finds the stones.
Henry wakes up and discovers that Julia’s already up and writing him a letter. She claims she doesn’t want letters back; she just wants him. Julia writes SWAK on the outside. They briefly kiss before Henry joins the men outside.
Julia returns to Castle Leathers and takes off her disguise while calling out for Davina. Seema quietly follows her, picking up the knife Julia puts down. The cradle’s empty but Julia doesn’t have time to react because Seema is now behind her, talking about her time with Henry and how he would whisper Julia’s name.
Julia demands to know where her son is, but Seema is obsessed with her memories of Henry. She believes Henry loved her and she locks the door behind her as she holds Julia at knife point.
Ellen Brings Brian a Mixed Bag of News
Ellen (Harriet Slater) and Grace (Ruby Fubara) make it to the Fraser camp and immediately run into Murtagh (Rory Alexander). Ellen and Brian (Jamie Roy) have a quick embrace before she blurts out that his dad’s a traitor. She explains Castle Leoch was attacked and before she killed MacKinney, he revealed that Lord Lovat made a deal with the Duke of Argyll. Brian and Murtagh realize that’s why Lord Lovat divided their forces.
Dougal’s heading into a trap and Brian and Murtagh need to stop him. Before Brian confronts his dad, he tells Ellen to go to Dougal if he doesn’t return. He pays his father a visit and Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) doesn’t deny that he made a deal with Argyll. Brian wants no part of this. Lord Lovat insults Ellen and kicks Brian out of his family, warning him he’ll have nothing after the war’s over.
After Brian storms out, Lord Lovat tells Balloch that love will be his ruin. Lord Lovat watches as Brian, Ellen, Murtagh, and Grace ride away. He orders Balloch (Chick Allan) to get the men prepared to march in an hour. Lord Lovat believes they can make it to Inverness and get the jump on the Jacobites before Brian’s able to spread the word of his treachery.
Not long after, Lord Lovat and his men arrive at Inverness and claim it without encountering any opposing forces.
Brian’s foursome finds Dougal (Sam Retford) and his men on the road, and Ellen explains that Lord Lovat’s taking Inverness for the crown. He’s heading into a trap. Plus, she had to kill MacKinney after he and a small group of his men attacked Castle Leoch. However, 20 of his men are with Dougal right now and ready to attack. Dougal has a whispered conversation with his men near him and determines MacKinney’s men are at the rear of the column.
Dougal wants to kill Lord Lovat now, but both Ellen and Brian advise that’s a foolish idea since Lord Lovat has Inverness’ cannons. Instead, they should head to Perth and join up with Mar’s forces. Murtagh agrees and reminds Dougal, “Dead men win no wars.”
Ellen quietly informs Dougal that Janet’s dead, but Maura and Jocasta are alright and helping with Janet’s wake.
Dougal agrees they’ll head south to Perth. He orders one of his men to gather others. They need to kill the MacKinneys now.
A short while later, Dougal insists that Ellen return home, and Brian confirms she will, telling her which road to take that’s safe. Dougal still doesn’t like or trust a Fraser, but Brian reminds him he chose Ellen over his clan. Dougal warns that they’ll settle matters after the war if both survive.
Meanwhile, Jocasta’s husband, John Cameron, wonders why Grace is in camp and orders her to tidy his tent. After she walks off, John’s cousin Hugh reveals that he’s heading home in the morning and will place a union flag on John’s door. Hugh’s certain Mar’s a fool and that the uprising will fail.
Murtagh watches as John enters the tent with Grace. That night, Murtagh gently asks about Mr. Cameron and Grace doesn’t reveal anything about what happened. They have a quiet chat about their lives by the fire, but when Murtagh moves to put a cloak over her shoulders, she suddenly gets up and says good night.
In their tent, Brian asks Ellen about Janet and her family, and Ellen describes each with one word except Janet. Janet had a kind heart. Ellen admits her dad would have thought Brian was crazy for throwing his life away for a woman. She wonders what he’d call himself for giving up everything, and Brian replies, “Yours.”
Before they make love, Ellen breaks the good news that she’s pregnant! Brian is speechless, and then he asks how he can be a good father with Lord Lovat as his dad. Ellen reminds him he chose her over everything Lord Lovat offered. Brian finally smiles and says, “A child?” Ellen replies, “Our child.”
The following morning Ellen and Brian get ready to part, and she tells him she promised Maura she’d bring Dougal home. She makes Brian promise not to be the one who kills him, and they both smile. Brian wishes he could just leave with her, and she makes him promise he’ll fight like he has everything to lose. Brian assures her that even if he’s gone, his love will never be.
Ellen rides off, unaware that Balloch’s been spying on them.
Murtagh apologizes to Grace and she reveals she wasn’t offended; it was just unexpected. She made a flower for him from her underskirt and hopes it will remind him that there’s kindness in the world.
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This post was last modified on October 8, 2026 11:13 pm