WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander: Blood of My Blood and the Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon.
Viewers were left gobsmacked following the season one finale of Outlander Blood of My Blood.
The first series of the prequel has now aired all 10 episodes. It serves as a precursor to the wildly successful historical romance drama Outlander, based on the novels penned by Diana Gabaldon.
It featured scenes that took many fans completely by surprise. All this was triggered by Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) fleeing on her wedding night with her true love Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy).
After learning from Brian that Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) had broken his promise and attempted to have Brian murdered, she devises a plan to elope with Brian.
Their hurried departure from Castle Leoch is intercepted by Malcolm Grant, the man Ellen is pledged to wed, reports the Daily Record.
Understandably irate, Malcolm quickly resorts to violence to settle the issue. He labels Ellen a ‘jezebel’ and informs the couple he won’t let them pass while he still draws breath.
He then lunges at Brian with a dagger, and in self-defence, Brian stabs Malcolm in the stomach, killing him and leaving his bloodied body in the corridor as he and Ellen make their escape into the night.
Fans were quick to voice their reactions to the dramatic scene and speculate about its implications for season two.
Outlander fans have taken to Reddit to express their shock and theories following a dramatic cliffhanger. One viewer posted: “Ah, what a cliffhanger! I didn’t see Malcolm Grant getting killed coming, it felt like it would’ve been a big enough deal to be mentioned in the Outlander when discussing Brian and Ellen. And he’s a truly tragic figure in all this. I look forward to the next season.”
Another fan was equally surprised, stating: “Malcolm’s DEAD! ? ! ! Boy I did not see that one coming. So Maura gets married and her brother dies on the same day. Clan Grant needing all the therapy. And clan Mackenzie needing all the alibis.”
A third agreed, saying: “I wasn’t expecting Malcolm getting killed. After his chat with his uncle about revenge I thought that would be his arc next season.”
Echoing these sentiments, another fan shared: “I was not expecting Malcolm dead. That was the biggest surprise to me in the finale. I assume it must remain unknown Brian had anything to do with that because there aren’t consequences we know of to him.”
However, some viewers were left questioning the plot twist, with one asking: “I was ready for Malcolm to be the big bad in season 2. Why the hell would they kill him?” Another person claimed: “the Blood of My Blood season one finale is rage bait”.
In Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels, Malcolm is portrayed as the chieftain of Clan Grant and a rejected suitor of Ellen. He had hoped for an arranged marriage with Ellen, but after she declined his proposal, he ceased to be an ally to Clan MacKenzie.
In the television series Blood of My Blood, Dougal and Colum had plans to wed Ellen to Malcolm, against the wishes of the late Red Jacob. As per the Outlander fandom page, during the 1716 Gathering at Castle Leoch, Ellen made a remark so insulting to Malcolm that he dramatically exited the event without uttering a word to the hosts.
Ellen also departed from Castle Leoch, eloping with Brian and hiding from her brothers. It appears her exit was known, but the specifics of how it happened were not, or are being slightly modified for this prequel series.
Since Blood of My Blood isn’t a direct adaptation of a specific book, there could be more alterations in store for future seasons.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video and Outlander season 8 is expected to release early 2026.