Outlander: Blood of My Blood cast react to "shocking" season 1 finale: "Nobody saw that coming"
"I honestly think it is going to split fans."
Warning: contains major spoilers for the Outlander: Blood of My Blood season 1 finale.
The first season of Blood of My Blood has come to an end in typically jaw-dropping Outlander fashion, with the prequel series boasting a time-travelling cliffhanger and a shocking death.
While most fans expected that the series’ two romantic pairs – 18th century Highlanders Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie, and 20th century English married couple Julia and Henry Beauchamp – would be reunited by the finale (at least for the time being), there was one plot twist that surprised even the cast when they were first given the scripts.
In the first season of Outlander, Jamie Fraser told his new wife Claire how his parents, Brian and Ellen, had escaped Castle Leoch, saying: “They slipped out of the castle, right under the noses of three hundred clansmen!”
And in the first season finale of Blood of My Blood, viewers finally saw that happen, as Brian came to spirit Ellen away before her wedding to Malcolm Grant could take place.
Unfortunately, Malcolm discovered them in a Leoch hallway and refused to let Ellen go without a fight, resulting in a violent and bloody confrontation between Malcolm and Brian that ended in Malcolm’s death.
Speaking about the shock scene, Harriet Slater, who plays Ellen, told RadioTimes.com exclusively: “Everything to do with Malcolm was a huge surprise. Nobody saw that coming. So when we all read that, it was like, ‘What? Sweet, sweet Malc!’
“It’s so satisfying because I feel like we’ve waited for it. We’ve waited 10 whole episodes for them to finally be free and have each other, and for Ellen to be free of that betrothal that she never wanted in the first place. I think killing Malcolm was the only way they were ever going to get out of that.”
She continued: “They didn’t want to kill him. Brian says a couple of times, ‘Please don’t do this,’ because he knows how it’s going to end. They give him opportunities to back down but he’s hell bent on revenge instilled in him by his nasty uncle. So it was unfortunately the only way out – it was kill or be killed.”

“That was unfortunate for old Malcy, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” added Jamie Roy (Brian).
“I would imagine fans will be surprised. Because most people know how the story ends, they know we get together, we have children, Jamie Fraser, and all that stuff, but it’s the ‘how’ which is the most fun part.
“I don’t think anybody is going to see that coming with Malcolm. I think it is going to be a huge shock. And I know Malcolm is such a likeable guy as well, so I honestly think it is going to split fans.”
Read more:
- Outlander: Blood of My Blood showrunner teases potential future spin-offs
- Outlander: Blood of My Blood's Jeremy Irvine was initially sceptical about character romance
Jeremy Irvine and Hermione Corfield, who play Henry and Julia, were also surprised by Malcolm’s death when they first learned of it.
“I think the death is pretty shocking,” said Hermione. “It will be quite shocking to fans.”
Jeremy agreed. “I was so gutted about that. Jhon [Lumsden, who plays Malcolm], he’s just such a lovely actor to work with. That hurt, reading that script.”
Outlander: Blood of My Blood is available to stream on MGM+ in the UK. You can buy Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books on Amazon.
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