A Legacy of Cruelty: Young Black Jack Randall Appears as Lord Lovat Targets the Fraser Lineage

The sixth episode of the second season of Blood of My Blood, titled “Small Mercies,” marks a dark turning point for both the MacKenzie and Fraser families. As the fallout from the Battle of Sheriffmuir ripples through the Highlands, the episode introduces a chilling origin for one of the franchise’s most enduring antagonists while revealing the lengths Lord Lovat will go to ensure his family’s prophecy remains unchallenged.

The episode begins with a somber burial as Julia (Hermione Corfield) and Davina Porter (Sara Vickers) lay Seema (Lauren McQueen) to rest. Despite Seema’s earlier plot to kill Julia and claim William and Henry as her own, Julia expresses a haunting pity for the woman, acknowledging that the weight of this death will likely follow her for the rest of her life.

At Castle Leoch, the political fractures within the MacKenzie clan deepen. Grace (Ruby Fubara) informs Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) and Ned (Conor MacNeill) that Ellen has been abducted. However, Colum’s reaction is driven by pragmatism rather than familial loyalty. He expresses more concern that Ellen’s death might allow the British to seize Leoch than for his sister’s safety. Ned is left visibly horrified by the laird’s refusal to send a search party.

In reality, Ellen (Harriet Slater) is being held at Leathers by Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), who has returned from taking Inverness. Simon Fraser, the “Old Fox,” attempts to mask his cruelty with hospitality, claiming he rescued Ellen from MacKinney rather than capturing her. Ellen remains defiant, calling him a traitor and reminding him of his past attempts to ruin her reputation. During a forced meal, Ellen is briefly reunited with Julia and Davina, though they must hide their true relationship. Lovat, playing the gracious host, makes a pointed toast comparing the Frasers and MacKenzies to the feuding Montagues and Capulets, all while insisting his actions are for the benefit of his children.

The horror of Lovat’s hospitality is eventually revealed. As Ellen grows pale and begins to cramp, Julia realizes that the spiced wine served by Maisri (Katharine O’Donnelly) was a delivery system for a sinister potion. Lovat admits to the scheme, explaining that he ordered the mixture to destroy both Julia and Ellen’s wombs. He justifies the act by citing a prophecy regarding young Simon/William becoming king, which he believes requires the end of any other potential heirs in the Lovat line. The situation turns tragic as Ellen begins to bleed, revealing she was pregnant and now believes she has miscarried. Broken, she insists on being returned to Leoch, where she is eventually cared for by Mrs. Fitz (Sally Messham) and Jocasta (Sadhbh Malin).

Parallel to the events at Leathers, the episode provides a brutal introduction to a young Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall (Finley Glasgow). Following the Battle of Sheriffmuir, Dougal (Sam Retford) and Angus (Ross Mann) are held at Fort William. While Captain Lord Gerard Grey (Digby Edgley) leads the interrogation, it is the young recruit Randall who demonstrates a precocious sadism, using a burning coal to torture Dougal in a horrifying display of creative cruelty.

Brian (Jamie Roy) and Murtagh (Rory Alexander) eventually infiltrate the fort to stage a rescue. They find Dougal and Angus in a vault where the tide is rapidly rising. While Dougal is successfully extracted through a grate, the rescue is bittersweet; Angus drowns before they can reach him. In a final poignant detail for fans, the young actors portraying the sons of the fallen soldiers, Louis O’Rourke (Wee Rupert) and Marlow Walters (Wee Angus), are the real-life children of the actors who played Rupert and Angus in the original Outlander series.

As they escape, the group encounters the young Randall once more. Though Dougal is ready to kill the boy, Brian stops him, citing Randall’s youth and obvious fear. This act of mercy is framed as a decision that will have catastrophic consequences for the generations to follow.

The episode concludes with a rare moment of hope for the time-traveling protagonists. Arch Bug (Terence Rae) assists Henry (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia in meeting at a stone fence at Leathers. The pair establishes a secret “postbox” in the masonry to exchange letters while they wait to acquire enough gemstones to return to their own era. While Julia and Henry find a path forward, the immediate future for the Fraser and MacKenzie families remains fraught with the aftermath of Lovat’s betrayal and the rising threat of the British presence in the Highlands.