Outlander: Blood of My Blood Producers on Time Journey and Having Jamie and Claire’s Mother and father Meet

Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Starz’s upcoming prequel collection to their beloved fantasy-historical drama Outlander, follows the lives of the mother and father of Outlander’s madly-in-love protagonists, Claire and Jamie Fraser.

Jamie’s mother and father Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie keep it up a forbidden romance as their rival Highland clans jockey for political energy on the eve of the Jacobite insurrection of 1715. Meanwhile, within the early twentieth century, Henry Beauchamp and Julia Moriston fall in love throughout World War One. Henry returns to England deeply traumatized by his expertise as a soldier within the British military.

They marry, have their daughter Claire, and expect one other youngster when, whereas on a visit alone to the Scottish Highlands, they’re in a automobile accident. Julia after which Henry every occur upon Craigh na Dun, the traditional stone circle that primarily serves because the time machine of the Outlander saga.

Julia and Henry are individually despatched again in time to 1714 the place they every turn into caught up within the political machinations and violent rivalries of the Highland clans as an rebellion looms. The respective paths of the Beauchamps will cross with these of Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie as all 4 protagonists finally play their fateful elements to have an effect on the course of Scottish historical past.

If that feels like one helluva coincidence contemplating what occurred to Claire, who grew up believing her mother and father died in that automobile accident, it’s not. ”In our world, coincidences are referred to as destiny and future,” showrunner/government producer Matthew B. Roberts just lately informed IGN.

Please discover our interview with Roberts and government producer Maril Davis about Season One of Outlander: Blood of My Blood beneath. (It has been edited for readability.)

IGN: I do know a number of the Outlander backstory is on the market, a few of it is not. How a lot leeway did it’s a must to mess around in that world with out stomping on something?

Matthew B. Roberts: I believe we had been very cautious to not unwind something. Just so as to add to. So we all know Brian and Ellen meet within the books. We know that it is nearly instantaneous, this love. So I believe we play that just about precisely the way in which that is written. We simply accordion out on that story. So as a substitute of getting all of it happen speedy fireplace, we simply play with it and stretch it out. And Henry and Julia, clearly that is free sport. Diana stated a number of occasions she’s not considering telling that story, however once we pitched it to her, she was like, go for it, that feels like a cool thought. … That’s, to make use of a pun, an open e-book that is free to do what we would like. And we additionally need them to cross paths with Brian and Ellen. So that opens up a brand new journey for us as nicely.

Maril Davis: I’m not a author, however I believe I used to be like, “Ugh, we’re leaving the books behind.” I assumed it was slightly nerve-racking as a result of I believe I’m so used to counting on the books as a roadmap, however I’ve to say I used to be so pleasantly stunned that Matt and the writers have crafted this story that to me has simply opened up this world. We at all times discuss Jamie and Claire being the central focus of Outlander and all the things has to spoke off them, however in Blood of My Blood, you not solely have two {couples} as a substitute of 1, however you simply have a lot extra freedom to discover the ancillary characters in a manner that we did not get to do on Outlander. And to me it has been extremely thrilling and releasing in some methods, however nonetheless retaining within the Outlander world.

IGN: I’d think about one of many greatest challenges was working within the time journey factor. It’s form of the Die Hard downside. How many occasions can the identical man get caught on this state of affairs? Was there ever any model of the story the place these respective love tales ran parallel however overlooked time journey?

Roberts: Not actually, as a result of I do not suppose that will’ve been Outlander. That would’ve simply been two parallel love tales being informed on the similar time. Outlander has time journey. That’s what makes Outlander magic. And that is the magic within the present. But additionally I believe, and I’ll use your instance, is that John McClane simply occurs to be simply the unluckiest man of all time. So that feels coincidental. Whereas in our world, coincidences are referred to as destiny and future. So that is been crafted into the books and we took it into the TV present. So when all these fateful conferences occur, that is what they’re. They’re designed by destiny or future or no matter you need to name it.

IGN: Ellen Fraser was already deceased by the point the unique Outlander begins. Are you challenged by the truth that there’s form of a interval at that finish of the sentence however that we do not know when precisely? Is that a component of suspense you’ll be able to play with? On the opposite hand, I do not suppose we actually knew something about Claire’s mother and father.

Roberts: No. They’re talked about within the e-book as they received in a automobile accident and died and that is as a lot as we hear with Ellen. And we all know Ellen and Brian and Dougal and Colum and Murtagh, we have seen all their deaths on digicam. So we all know after they die. But I do not suppose that hampers us in any respect as a result of the way in which we inform tales each on Outlander and Blood of My Blood is the how story, not the if story. So when Jamie and Claire are up on the ramparts at Fort William they usually leap off they usually’re escaping the Redcoats, we all know they dwell, there’s 4 different books, 5 different books at that time. So we all know they dwell, it is how do they get out of that? How do they get to outlive that? That’s day considered one of Outlander. So the identical factor applies on Blood of My Blood is we all know when all these characters die, how do they dwell? How do they get to those locations? How do they turn into the characters they turn into on Outlander?

IGN: There’s a by way of line of excellent dad, dangerous dad within the present. Red Jacob MacKenzie isn’t with out his questionable strategies however in comparison with Lord Lovat, they’re form of polar opposites. With Brian Fraser significantly, how did his father’s [Lovat] remedy of him form his character? And with Colum and Dougal MacKenzie, Red Jacob opens his coronary heart to his daughter Ellen in a manner he isn’t prepared to do together with his sons.

Roberts: I believe the time dictates that fairly a bit, is that the thought of what a person is in that point may be very totally different. I do not know if it’s extremely totally different. It’s simply very regimented and what’s anticipated, what’s not anticipated, it’s a must to keep it up the road. You have to hold on the title. And with Ellen, she did not have that burden. And despite the fact that Red Jacob most likely would’ve cherished that, he may’ve handled her barely totally different if she was a person. And he opens his coronary heart to her and he is aware of he can as a result of she’s a girl and that she will not ever have the burden of being the Laird. So he frees himself there and he or she will get all the things these boys did not, however they get to witness that. They witness that, and that builds resentment and he tries to form them into Lairds they usually simply do not have what she has, and I believe that’s that household dynamic.

I believe Lovat is slightly totally different in that he has an enormous coronary heart and he actually loves deeply for himself. I believe that is the kicker for Lovat is he solely has sufficient love to present to himself and that is it and all the things else is a prop in his life, even Brian. And he can name Brian a disappointment, however Davina is who shapes Brian. Davina is the son and the moon in his life. I do not know if he fights towards Lovat. I’d by no means noticed (Brian) as wanting his father’s approval. He most likely desires some respect from his father, however I do not know if it is approval. I believe that’ll play out over the course of the present.

Davis: I believe additionally Brian’s been solid by fireplace. I believe we’ll see over the season and the second season that Brian is formed by his remedy from Lovat for higher or for worse. And you are proper, his mom has guided him to be the particular person he’s, and he is gotten out of that state of affairs much better than one may hope. But additionally, by way of Red Jacob, I believe Ellen doesn’t pose a contest for him. Do what I imply? He may be extra loving to her as a result of she’s not after his Lairdship. So he can let down in a manner and be extra susceptible along with her. And sadly, he is not that manner together with his sons.

IGN: I do know you are in manufacturing on Season Two and I consider [Outlander creator-novelist] Diana Gabaldon is making an attempt to do three prequel books. Is the thought for Blood of My Blood to simply be a 3 season present?

Roberts: No, I believe it goes so long as now we have actually good tales to inform. And if that is three seasons – I hope it is not, I hope it is greater than that – however I believe now we have lots of story there. We have extra characters that we are able to leap into and see. We can go backwards and forwards slightly bit. So that additionally provides us lots of runway. And I do know she’s nonetheless writing e-book 10 and he or she’ll begin on the prequels, so we could also be down the highway slightly bit.

IGN: The authentic Outlander present went to America, to the Caribbean. Is the plan for Blood of My Blood to remain strictly in Scotland or will you journey elsewhere?

Roberts: No, we all know their lives are in Scotland. It does not imply {that a} character cannot go someplace, however the majority of those characters dwell and die in Scotland. So with Jamie within the story took one pilgrimage already. I do not know if sooner or later we flash to that and present what that journey was like and what he went by way of on that journey. Not Jamie, I’m sorry. Brian. Jamie is the actor, so it is solely tremendous complicated. But yeah, so he took a pilgrimage and there is perhaps some touring, however we’re not going to uproot the manufacturing and go, we’re all shifting to America, or we’re shifting to the Caribbean, or we’re shifting to France.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood premieres Friday, August 8 on STARZ.