Outlander: Blood of My Blood Review – Romance, Revelations, and a Few Risky Choices

There’s a kind of enchantment to Outlander. Sure, part of it comes from the literal magic woven into its story the time-bending stones, the whispers of fairy lore, the threads of fate pulling two people together but the real wonder is in how the show itself managed to succeed. Think about it: adapting Diana Gabaldon’s sprawling, beloved saga about a World War II nurse tumbling through time to fall for a Scottish Highlander in the 1740s sounds like the kind of pitch destined for disaster. On paper, it’s borderline absurd. And yet, from the very first episode, it just… worked.

Premieres: Friday, Aug. 8 at 8/7c on Starz
Who’s in it: Harriet Slater, Jamie Roy, Hermione Corfield, Jeremy Irvine
Who’s behind it: Matthew B. Roberts (showrunner and executive producer)
For fans of: Romance, time travel, or, you know, Outlander
How many episodes we watched: 6 of 10

That’s thanks to the perfect storm behind the scenes Ronald D. Moore’s steady hand guiding the vision, Jon Gary Steele’s lush and immersive production design, Terry Dresbach’s meticulous and sumptuous costumes, and perhaps the most magical element of all: the utterly perfect pairing of Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan. Their on-screen connection was instant, electric, and felt like one of those rare bits of lightning you simply can’t engineer. It’s this unique blend of talent and chemistry that’s kept Outlander fans hooked for seven seasons and convinced many of us it could never be duplicated.

Which is exactly why the announcement of the prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, sparked such curiosity. Could they possibly capture that same rare alchemy again? The thrilling news is… yes. Somehow, the magic’s back.

While Claire (Balfe) and Jamie (Heughan) have always seemed destined for one another, Blood of My Blood promises to pull the camera back even further, showing just how far back that destiny runs. This time, we’re meeting both sets of parents. Longtime viewers already know pieces of Jamie’s family history his father, Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), and his mother, Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater), whose romance we’ve glimpsed in flashbacks and even in one memorable time-travel side trip. Their love ran so deep that, once they realized their feuding families would never allow it, they eloped a tale steeped in Scottish clan drama. The prequel lets us see it all unfold from their very first meeting in 1714.

Claire’s parents, on the other hand, have been more of a mystery. Fans have known only what Claire herself did: that Julia (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) supposedly died in a car accident, leaving her to be raised by her archaeologist uncle. But Blood of My Blood throws us a tantalizing curveball what if that story wasn’t true? What if they didn’t die at all… but traveled through time? And, in classic Outlander fashion, not just to any old era. When Julia, holidaying in Scotland during World War I, accidentally slips through the stones, Henry rushes in after her and both land in 1714. As Henry searches desperately for Julia, and Julia struggles to survive in a world for which she’s woefully unprepared (because nothing in the Outlander universe is ever simple), their paths become intertwined in varying degrees with Brian and Ellen’s budding romance. It’s a premise that will have any Outlander devotee leaning in, eager for the ride.

But, as any critic will tell you, an intriguing premise isn’t enough. Thankfully, Blood of My Blood delivers where it matters most the romance. It’s rich, it’s sweeping, and it’s satisfyingly swoon-worthy. The casting alone is almost eerie in its precision Suzanne Smith and Simone Pereira Hind have found leads who not only look the part but feel genetically plausible. Roy and Slater could easily be Jamie Fraser’s parents, and Corfield channels Balfe so convincingly at times it’s uncanny. Still, Outlander has set an almost impossible bar for on-screen chemistry, and without it, no amount of good casting can save a romance-driven story. Happily, both couples clear that bar with room to spare.

The show sets itself a tricky challenge right out of the gate: juggling two very different love stories. In the first six episodes provided for review, the series alternates focus one episode centered on one couple, the next on the other. This rhythm could shift as the characters’ paths start to cross more often (and already, the slow build of friendship between Julia and Brian is one of the early season’s quiet pleasures). The danger, of course, is imbalance if one romance starts to overshadow the other, the prequel risks losing momentum. And let’s be honest, they didn’t have to include Claire’s parents at all, so their storyline needs to earn its place. The encouraging news? So far, the balance works, and if the series keeps this up, it may just pull off the impossible giving fans two love stories worth rooting for.

Even with the weight of expectation pressing down, Brian and Ellen’s romance has one big advantage it’s rooted in a history fans already know from the Outlander books and series. The tricky part is keeping it fresh when we already have the broad strokes of their fate (though, let’s be honest, Outlander has never been shy about throwing in a curveball or two). There’s also a bittersweet undertone to this thread, because viewers are well aware of how things ultimately end for not only Brian and Ellen, but much of the MacKenzie clan. That’s why it’s such a testament to Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater’s performances and their undeniable chemistry that those looming outcomes fade to the background. They make it easy to lose yourself in the early days of this love story. Both actors make their characters instantly warm and worth rooting for, but Slater, in particular, shines in the opening episodes as a woman unafraid to voice her frustration with the narrow role she’s been assigned in the clan. More than just recreating figures we’ve heard about, Roy and Slater carve out fully realized people, distinct and layered. If Blood of My Blood truly wants to step into Outlander’s shoes as the flagship begins to wind down, these characters can’t just replay the past they need to stand firmly on their own. Thankfully, these performances give them the grounded authenticity to do just that.

Helping anchor their storyline is another pairing not romantic, but equally compelling. It’s no secret that Outlander has always been at its strongest during its early seasons in Scotland, steeped in clan politics. Blood of My Blood seems to know this. While Brian and Ellen fall for each other, Ellen’s brothers Colum (Séamus McLean Ross) and Dougal (Sam Retford) are locked in their own power struggle. Fans know this rivalry will only deepen with age, but here we see them younger, less hardened, and more impulsive. Ross and Retford might not be dead ringers for their older counterparts, but they capture the essence of Colum and Dougal with ease, delivering younger versions that feel believable and alive. Their dynamic is a highlight, adding depth to the clan backdrop and giving the show the kind of layered storytelling it will need if it hopes to last. Because as strong as the central quartet may be, the surrounding characters can’t feel like filler something Outlander itself has struggled with as it’s aged.

And then there’s our other central romance. Some might assume Julia and Henry have it easier after all, they arrive in the Outlander world as relative blanks, with no baggage of established canon. But in reality, Hermione Corfield and Jeremy Irvine face the tougher challenge. Their courtship unfolds under a brutal time limit: we meet them briefly in the pilot, then their full “how we met” flashback is crammed into the first half of episode two, and before you know it, they’re both hurled into 1714 and separated. Brian and Ellen’s love story gets room to breathe; Julia and Henry’s has to bloom in twenty minutes and bloom so convincingly that when they’re torn apart, we feel every pang of longing. Corfield and Irvine nail it. Their connection feels genuine from the start, and their urgency to reunite radiates off the screen. By the sixth episode, the mere thought of their eventual reunion is enough to stir emotion. (They have to find each other… right?) Pulling an audience in that quickly is no small feat.

For many fans, the romance and the magnetic core four will be reason enough to jump aboard Blood of My Blood. But it’s also worth noting that the production values the rich period design, the sumptuous costumes, the sweeping music have made the leap from the mothership intact. Developed by Matthew B. Roberts (who also penned the pilot), the prequel feels fully formed. That said, the near-total lack of explanation around the time travel once Julia and Henry settle into their 1714 “home bases” is a curious omission. Yes, veteran viewers might not need a refresher, but skipping over it entirely risks alienating newcomers. It’s also disheartening that the series turns to sexual violence as a plot device within its first six episodes something Outlander has leaned on far too often. Hopefully, this prequel takes a different path.

Still, the dominant impression from this first half of season one (ten episodes total) is how smooth a landing this new chapter makes. And the key word here is “new.” The most impressive thing about Blood of My Blood is how vibrant and fresh it feels, even as it returns to familiar ground. Whether it can match its predecessor’s staying power remains to be seen, but based on these first six episodes and these four richly drawn leads the question of whether we needed this series is already answered: a resounding, confident yes.