Outlander season 4, episode 6 recap: Blood of My Blood

Outlander gets emotional as Jamie reunites with William–and Claire and John Grey have the awkward conversation.

Outlander was a bit slow this week, but after reflecting back on the episode, it makes total sense. I think because everything is leading up to Brianna eventually coming to Fraser’s Ridge. And this anticipation sort of brews under the surface this week as Jamie reunites with his other child, William.

Apparently, John Grey and Jamie have been in touch, and Lord Grey decides to pay a visit to Fraser’s Ridge (for very obvious reasons). It’s very clear how much he still loves Jamie, but that’s a topic of conversation for later. Side note: We totally get it, Lord Grey.

Lord Grey has some errands to run in Virginia, so he figured North Carolina would be an ideal stop. Plus, he has William with him. However, before bombarding Jamie, he wanted to let him know the deal. Funny enough, Murtagh and Claire run into William in the woods.

While swimming around in the stream, leeches got all over his legs, and just as anyone else would be, he was freaking out. Luckily, Claire comes to the rescue and remedies the situation. She also learns of the young boy’s father and takes him back to the cabin.

Credit: Starz

Lord Grey reveals that Isobel has died, and it is decided that they won’t tell William about Jamie being his father. William, Murtagh, and Claire arrive at the cabin to find John and Jamie in conversation. Immediately, Claire puts two and two together and realizes that the child she’s found is William. Luckily, she already knows who William is, but it doesn’t make the situation any less awkward.

It’s just as frustrating for Murtagh who remembers John as the guy who kept him imprisoned in Ardsmuir. But at this point in Outlander, he doesn’t know all the deets of what transpired in the following years. However, if you thought things were a bit icky before, then the dinner later that night made things even worse.

During dinner, John mentions Lord Tyron which makes Claire suspicious as to why John has come in the first place. There’s definitely something shady going on and Claire and Murtagh are on top of it. Murtagh storms out of dinner as Jamie follows closely behind. Confused as to what Jamie’s deal is with the kid, Jamie finally comes clean as to who William is to him.

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Of course, this all has to stay hush-hush for William’s sake because he would lose his inheritance if anyone was to find out. But come on Jamie, Murtagh is your day one, of course, he’ll keep it a secret. You know, just like he has with the whole Claire is from another time secret.

William is no dummy, however, and quickly figures out that Jamie is the same guy from his childhood. But things aren’t exactly jiving between the two, which is difficult to watch. Jamie yearns to be there for one of his kids, but unfortunately, it’s rather impossible–for now.

Later that night, Jamie and John bond over a game of chess and some good ‘ol alcohol. It’s here that John realizes that Jamie is very happy with how his life has turned out. Ouch, that has got to hurt for John.

But the hurting is about to get worst, and not in the matters of the heart. As William and John get ready to head out the next day, John collapses. Claire fears that he has contracted measles because of the local epidemic. While she’s vaccinated, and Murtagh and Jamie have both had measles as children, they have to protect William.

So while she tends to John, she asks Jamie to take William away for a few days. William is not eager to go anywhere with Jamie, but kicking and screaming he does. Eventually, William comes around to everything and even bonds with Jamie over some fishing.

Kids are kids, and despite Jamie telling William not to cross the land barriers between their land and the Cherokees’, he does. And it doesn’t end very well as the Cherokee show up seeking blood. After a brief tussle and back and forth, one of the men simply cuts into William’s hand and calls it even. Phew, that could have gone worse.

Back at Fraser’s Ridge, Claire and John are having quite the intense conversation. This involves John basically saying that Jamie was ready to give it up to him, but he didn’t take advantage. It’s pretty much John’s declaration of love for Jamie, which may have come because he thought he was dying.

John goes as far as saying that Claire is jealous of the fact that he and Jamie took care of William together. But hold up, Jamie and Claire have a child together too! So she may not be jealous of the child, but rather the distance and separation they had during the birth of Brianna and the years following.

Outlander hits us in the feels as John and Claire’s conversation reminds us how brutal their lives have been. So much has happened, and they’ve still managed to keep it together. John makes it through the measles and the next day, Jamie and William return to the cabin.

Things may not be “fixed” between them, but hey it’s a start. It is a very complicated situation given William is in the mix, but there are other things to worry about. Jamie and Claire finally get a moment to themselves with John and William gone, and Ian away with the Cherokee.

It is here where Jamie presents the new ring he’s had made for Claire. The two share a passionate moment as Jamie reveals that the ring has the words “give me a thousand kisses” engraved on it. Sigh, these Outlander moments are the best!

Outlander airs every Sunday on STARZ at 8 PM EST!