When Ellen’s brothers opened up about Castle Leoch being vulnerable to anyone who wanted it while Dougal was away at war, I didn’t expect bad things to happen this soon.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 3 found Castle Leoch under siege as McKinney waltzed through the doors, killed a guard, and seemingly thought he had an easy path to taking control.
It’s not a bad time to try to take a castle when most of the men are away at war, but couldn’t these people have some decorum?
McKinney’s biggest mistake was assuming the people left behind wouldn’t put up much of a fight.
Ellen may have a fraught relationship with her brothers, but you best believe she’ll move heaven and earth to protect them and everything that’s important to her.
Ellen getting the deed to Castle Leoch was undoubtedly a massive undertaking on Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 Episode 2, but I bet she didn’t think she’d have to prove herself worthy of it quite so soon.
The way she maneuvered through the castle, setting traps and taking out McKinney’s men, was remarkable. Better still was watching Colum finally realize how badly he had underestimated his sister.
Colum has constantly belittled Ellen, but without her tenacity, he may not have had a place to call home by the end of the hour. More people almost certainly would have been killed, too.
I hate to say it, but Janet’s death didn’t register with me as much as it probably should have. The series hasn’t put enough stock in the character for her death to land as this devastating loss, but at least it had a profound effect on Ellen.
If anything, it made her even more bloodthirsty in her quest to get these men out of the castle, and I suspect taking lives to protect her family will change her outlook forever.
That final moment between Ellen and Colum was far more effective because it felt like the first time Colum truly understood his sister. The problem for him is that understanding someone doesn’t magically undo everything you’ve done to them.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood Is Getting Darker
He’s treated Ellen terribly and spent years trying to control her life, so he should understand that there’s no easy path back from that.
Even earlier this season, he signed Castle Leoch over to Ellen with the caveat that she couldn’t marry while holding the title. Colum is all about power plays, and Ellen’s feelings have rarely factored into his decisions.
Maybe staring death in the face changed something in him. Maybe Janet’s death made him sentimental.
Either way, I’m thankful Ellen didn’t suddenly forgive him because he finally managed to say thank you. If Colum genuinely wants to repair their relationship, he’s going to have to put in the work.
Oddly enough, I was far more on board with Ellen and Maura reaching an understanding by the end of the episode.
These two seem destined to hate each other, but they actually have quite a bit in common when you strip away all the animosity.
What surprised me most about Maura was how genuinely terrified she was for Dougal after learning that Lord Lovat was leading the MacKenzie men into a trap.
I’ve spent a lot of Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 2 wondering whether there’s actually love between Dougal and Maura or whether their relationship is largely driven by lust. Maura’s reaction gave me the answer I needed.
She went from wanting Ellen dead to practically begging her to be the person who saves her husband.
Maybe Ellen finally proved to one of her biggest naysayers that she’s capable of far more than anyone gives her credit for.
Either way, I cannot wait to see Ellen show up to save her man and the MacKenzie men.
Lord Lovat pulling this schtick shouldn’t really be surprising, but after the way he reacted to Brian being so successful at rounding up fighters, I foolishly wondered whether father and son were actually about to bond.
But this is Lord Lovat we’re talking about. The man has repeatedly shown that honor comes second to whatever serves him best, so why would he suddenly change now?
It would be incredibly satisfying to see his entire plan come crashing down because Ellen shows up looking for blood.
The problem is that Lovat is leading the men far off course, and by the time Ellen catches up with them, some of them could already be headed for their deaths.
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Then there’s Julia, who’s hard at work trying to craft another escape strategy at Castle Leathers with probably the last person she wanted showing up there.
Bringing Seema into the castle is interesting because she’s there to get answers about Henry’s whereabouts, but her presence could create another problem entirely.
I don’t think Seema poses an immediate threat to Julia, but she’s there under false pretenses and has every reason to start asking questions.
Julia has already been playing a dangerous game under Lord Lovat’s roof on Outlander: Blood of My Blood. Now there’s someone else watching her who could begin putting the pieces together.
What is Seema’s Goal?
There’s also something deliciously messy about Seema potentially realizing Julia isn’t merely some woman occupying space at Castle Leathers.
If she discovers the truth about Julia and Henry, does she help Julia because she finally understands what’s really happening? Or does jealousy win out and send her straight back to Lord Lovat?
That’s probably the part of the storyline I’m most interested in because Seema has the potential to either become an unexpected ally or completely derail Julia’s plans.
After an episode that proved just how formidable Ellen can be when someone threatens the people she loves, I’m far more interested in what happens when she arrives on that battlefield.
Lord Lovat may think he’s several moves ahead of everyone else. He might be about to discover that he underestimated the wrong MacKenzie.
Can it be next week already?
What are your thoughts on Lord Lovat’s betrayal? Do you think Ellen is about to unleash holy hell?
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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