Outlander: Blood of My Blood Recap: Testing, Testing

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Honestly, 2025 has been surprisingly peaceful until now, so it was especially shocking to see everyone seemingly enjoying a show centered around men subjecting a woman to degrading and archaic virginity tests. It was incredibly difficult to watch without getting angry.

I was pretty upset to find out last week that Isaac Grant, thanks to a letter from Lord Lovat, was demanding a virginity test for Ellen – honestly, framing it as checking her “virtue” felt incredibly condescending. I figured *Blood of My Blood* would probably *show* some of it, because *Outlander* unfortunately loves to highlight the violence women faced (and still face!). But I honestly didn’t expect the whole episode to revolve around this awful test. “A Virtuous Woman” is a really tough watch, but I found myself unable to look away.

I’m still puzzling over whether it was a serious attempt or just silly that *Blood of My Blood* went to such lengths to show us how much the male characters – Henry, Colum, Ned, Dougal, and Malcolm – supposedly disliked having to put Ellen through this ordeal. They all express some level of discomfort, either by saying they wish they could help or looking away in shame, but ultimately, none of them actually *do* anything to stop it. The person ordering it, Isaac Grant, isn’t even present due to illness. While canceling the test would cause trouble, Malcolm is in the strongest position to overrule his father and protect Ellen, especially since he wants her with him when he becomes laird. He values her honesty, independence, and trusts her completely, and he fears she won’t forgive him. He even tries to convey his regret through Henry and speaks to Ellen directly beforehand. It’s a thoughtful gesture, and it will be satisfying when Malcolm discovers Ellen has been deceiving him, but it would have been even better if he’d simply put a stop to the test in the first place. Unfortunately, he doesn’t.

Ellen’s brothers aren’t thrilled about this situation either. Dougal doesn’t seem to mind one way or the other, actually. He figures it’s a good outcome either way-if Ellen is still a virgin, great, and if not, they won’t have to deal with the troublesome Loyalist family she might have married into. Dougal’s always been difficult, but Ellen really needs to confront him soon. Colum isn’t much help either, constantly needing a reminder from Ned that Ellen losing her virginity would be dangerous because the Grants might kill her, not just because it would cause a scandal. Ned is clearly the most upset by everything, and genuinely cares about Ellen, but he doesn’t have much influence. Henry is also unhappy about dealing with this, and he tries to encourage Malcolm to stand up for himself, though he’s mostly trying to gain Malcolm as an ally to help him escape the Grants. He has a lot on his plate, that one.

But Brian is different – he immediately decides to ride to Castle Leoch and stop whatever’s happening to Ellen, even if it means risking his life. He’s determined to rescue his wife! It’s easy to see where Jamie gets his fiercely devoted husband energy from.

Davina attempts to dissuade her son, understanding the danger he’s facing is almost certain death, but he assures her of his love. Their relationship has already led to her losing her virginity, and he feels deeply accountable for that. He’s terrified of the consequences she’ll face if she doesn’t pass the test. It’s clear this test is deeply flawed – the idea of determining virginity this way is both offensive and scientifically unsound. Hymens vary naturally and can be broken in many ways unrelated to sexual activity, making the test completely unreliable. You likely realized this when the doctor arrived with a priest overseeing the process.

Brian isn’t the only one trying to fix things. As soon as Julia overhears Brian and Davina arguing, she wants to help. She remembers something from an old encyclopedia of women’s health, called the Trotula. This book reveals that women have faced virginity tests for centuries-and sadly, still do-and have historically sought ways to pass those tests regardless of their sexual experience. Julia recalls a recipe for a topical solution that’s supposed to temporarily tighten the skin, making it *appear* as though the hymen is intact. Honestly, it’s a better option than another suggestion from the Trotula: applying a leech to the labia to create a scab that would bleed during intercourse. Just another reminder of the challenges women have faced – and continue to face!

Julia is determined to help Brian, even though it means potentially delaying her own escape. Knowing Henry’s location and that Lord Lovat will be away, now would be the ideal time for Julia to leave, but Brian doesn’t want to prevent her from helping. Julia insists on assisting, as she’s the only one who can move freely around Castle Leoch undetected, and she’s promised Davina she’ll protect her son. Davina, in turn, will look after William while Julia is away. I’m really enjoying seeing Julia and Davina become friends.

They arrived at Leoch with perfect timing. Julia insisted Brian hide in the basement to avoid being caught, warning him there would be serious consequences if he was discovered. It was incredibly difficult for Brian, but he complied, understanding that getting caught would put both him and Ellen in danger. Julia then found Ellen and Mrs. Fitz, who was understandably frantic with worry about Lady MacKenzie. Julia assured them she was there to help. While success wasn’t guaranteed, Ellen was thankful for Julia’s assistance – and for Brian’s involvement in the rescue.

The ordeal continued with a degrading test of endurance. Ellen was forced to drink large amounts of liquid and then denied the chance to relieve herself. (A cruel joke was made about her supposed promiscuity.) When permission finally came, it had to be explicitly stated. This entire humiliating process took place publicly, in the Great Hall, before a crowd of men, including a particularly unpleasant observer. Only Mrs. Fitz was present to offer Ellen any support. While the first part was deeply embarrassing – though Ellen tried to remain strong – the final examination, where a physician inspected her hymen, was agonizing to witness. Even Ellen, despite her resilience, couldn’t suppress a few tears during the invasive procedure. Fortunately, the men quickly declared her “virgo intacta,” confirming her virginity. As she left the hall, she glared at her brothers, who had offered no help or comfort throughout the entire ordeal. The MacKenzies and the Grants then began planning the wedding ceremony.

Despite everything that’s happening, there’s a bright spot: Henry and Julia are both at Castle Leoch at the same time. After saying goodbye to Ellen, Julia rushes to the cellar and unexpectedly overhears Henry bidding farewell to the MacKenzies. They spot each other, and Henry is stunned – he thinks he’s seeing a ghost. Julia signals him to come with her, and he can’t quite believe it’s real until he touches her face. She reassures him with the words, “Hope springs eternal,” letting him know it’s truly her. While I expected more tears, their breathless kiss felt like a moment of disbelief come true. Just as she begins to tell him about the baby, Brian arrives, urging them to leave immediately because it’s not safe. They’re separated again, but she tells him she’s staying at Castle Leathers and pleads with him not to come. She promises they will find their way back to each other, time and time again, always. A real reunion won’t be easy, but it’s a huge relief that they now know they’re close.

Clan Business

After Henry leaves, he learns that Isaac Grant has passed away, and Malcolm is now the new leader of Clan Grant. While Henry is relieved to no longer have to deal with Isaac, Malcolm now sees Henry as a valuable asset and wants him to stay on and continue working for the clan. This makes leaving Clan Grant much more complicated.

• Ohhh what’s going to happen to Arch Bug now that the only person who wants him around is dead?

Lord Lovat is traveling to Aberdeen, hoping the local waters will improve his health, and confident that his scheme to prevent an alliance between the MacKenzies and Grants will succeed. He’s in for a rude awakening, and we’re worried about how he’ll react when he finds out what’s really happened – hopefully, he won’t take his frustration out on anyone we’re close to.

Ellen expressed deep gratitude to Julia, saying she’s “eternally indebted.” Could this be a hint that Ellen and Brian plan to safeguard baby William as a way of repaying Julia’s kindness? It seems like a fitting gesture, given the circumstances.

As Brian and Julia try to escape the castle, Mrs. Fitz catches up to them and gives Brian a meaningful, but painful, gift: the tartan from his handfasting ceremony with Ellen. She explains that true love means letting Ellen go, which must have been a difficult thing to hear!

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2025-09-19 18:56